CHAPTER XVI.
Affairs of Naples and of the Pope--The Emperor Paul of Russia--Northern confederacy against England--Battle of Copenhagen--Nelson's Victory--Death of Paul--Expedition to Egypt under Sir Ralph Abercrombie--Battle of Alexandria--Conquest of Egypt--The Flotilla of Boulogne--Negotiations with England--Peace of Amiens.
England alone remained steadfast in her hostility; and, as we shall presently see, the Chief Consul was even able to secure for himself the alliance against her of some of the principal powers in Europe; but before we proceed to the eventful year of 1801, there are some incidents of a minor order which must be briefly mentioned.
It has been already said that the half-crazy Emperor of Russia had taken up a violent personal admiration for Buonaparte, and, under the influence of that feeling, virtually abandoned Austria before the campaign of Marengo.

Napoleon took every means to flatter the Autocrat and secure him in his interests.

Paul had been pleased to appoint himself Grand Master of the ruined Order of the Knights of St.John.

It was his not idle ambition to obtain, in this character, possession of the Island of Malta; and Buonaparte represented the refusal of the English government to give up that stronghold as a personal insult to Paul.

Some 10,000 Russian prisoners of war were not only sent back in safety, but new clothed and equipped at the expense of France; and the Autocrat was led to contrast this favourably with some alleged neglect of these troops on the part of Austria, when arranging the treaty of Luneville.