1802
LastchapteronEgypt—AdmiralGantheaume—WaytopleaseBonaparte—GeneralMenou'sflatteryandhisreward—Davoust—BonaparteregretsgivingthecommandtoMenou, whoisdefeatedbyAbercromby—Otto'snegotiationinLondon—Preliminariesofpeace.
ForthelasttimeintheseMemoirsIshallreturntotheaffairsofEgypt—, .InalettertoGeneralKléberhesaid, ", inwhichthesymptomsofdecayareeverywherediscernible, isatpresentfallingtopieces, andtheeviloftheevacuationofEgyptbyFrancewouldnowbethegreater, asweshouldsoonseethatfineprovincepassintothepossessionofsomeotherEuropeanpower." TheselectionofGantheaume, however, tocarryassistancetoKléberwasnotjudicious.GantheaumehadbroughttheFirstConsulbackfromEgypt, andthoughthesuccessofthepassagecouldonlybeattributedtoBonaparte'sownplan, hisdeterminedcharacter, andsuperiorjudgment, yethepreservedtowardsGantheaumethatfavourabledispositionwhichisnaturallyfeltforonewhohassharedagreatdangerwithus, anduponwhomtheresponsibilitymaybesaidtohavebeenimposed.
Thisconfidenceinmediocrity, dictatedbyanhonourablefeeling, , byhisindecisionandcreepingaboutintheMediterranean, , uponfindinghedidnotleaveBrestafterhehadbeenorderedtotheMediterranean, repeatedlysaidtome, "WhatthedevilisGantheaumeabout?" WithoneofthedailyreportssenttotheFirstConsulhereceivedthefollowingquatrain, whichmadehimlaughheartily:
"Vaisseauxlestes, tetesanslest,
Ainsipartl'AmiralGantheaume;
Ils'envadeBrestaBertheaume,
EtrevientdeBertheaumeaBrest!"
"Withballastonboard, butnoneinhisbrain,
AwaywentourgallantGantheaume,