Page:Memoirs of Baron Hyde de Neuville; outlaw, exile, ambassador; (IA memoirsofbaronhy01hyde).pdf/109

Rh Egyptian campaign, Phélippeaux, whose generous nature ought to have saved him from this fault, accompanied Sidney Smith to Egypt, and undertook the defence of Saint-Jean d’Acre, He defended it with so much skill, that, at the end of two months, he compelled the invincible French General to raise the siege. A romantic incident has been related; Buonaparte, divining that the defence was in the hands of a Frenchman, asked to see the man of genius who commanded the place, and caused himself to be taken there, under a flag of truce. When no longer blindfolded, he found himself in the presence of a fellow-student of the Ecole Militaire. He recognised Phélippeaux at once, and they greeted one another affectionately. ‘Do you hope to hold out long?’ asked Buonaparte. ‘Death only will make me surrender,’ was the reply. Death did not cost Phélippeaux the loss of the fort; when he died, the siege was about to be raised. It was his rare privilege to check the fortunate Conqueror; but ithe tarnished glory of this unpatriotic deed, deprives Phélippeaux of the prestige due to his great talents,

As we have seen, the leaders of the Agence Royale were arrested in consequence of Malo’s treachery; but many members escaped the first danger, and only incurred suspicion later.

Among these was M. de Broce, who gave M. Hyde de Neuville an opportunity of exercising his unwearied zeal; and the family in their gratitude, have carefully preserved a record of the event.

M. de Broc belonged to an old family in the Nivernais, and had returned from emigration in order to take part in the War of the Vendée; he was, in fact, one of the survivors of the disaster of Quiberon. After the Royalist army had been disbanded, he went to Paris, and entered into communication with the Abbé Brottier, and �