INDIA.] FATE OF DUPLEIX. 313 garet Maskelyne. He found himself received at home with well-earned approbation and rewards. The Court of Directors at one of their public dinners drank the health of the young Captain by the name of "General Clive," and, not satisfied with this convivial compliment, voted him the gift of a sword set with diamonds. It is greatly to the honour of Clive that he refused to accept this token of esteem, unless the same were bestowed on his old and worthy commander, Major Lawrence, which was done accordingly. Far different were the feelings which the Directors of the French East India Company entertained towards Dupleix. They looked with slight interest on the struggles for the Carnatic, and thought the failure of their Dividends an unanswerable argument against the policy of their Governor. A negotiation for the adjustment of all differences was carried on for some time in London between them and their English rivals. At length they determined to send over M. Godeheu, as their Commissioner, to India, with full powers to conclude a peace, and to supersede Dupleix. Godeheu landed at Pondicherry in August 1754, and hastened to sign with the chiefs of the English Presidency a provisional treaty, to be confirmed or annulled in Europe, according to which the French party yielded nearly all the points at issue, and virtually acknowledged Mahomed Ali as Nabob of the Carnatic. Dupleix, who looked on this pacification with unavailing grief and anger, had, even before its final conclusion, embarked for France. There he found neither reward for the services he had rendered nor even repayment for the sums he had advanced.-Where was now that proud and wily Satrap, so lately bedecked with pompous titles, and glittering with the gold of Trichinopoly or the diamonds of Golconda ?-Had any curious travellers at the time sought an answer to that question they might have found the fallen statesman reduced, as is told us by himself, to the most deplorable indigence,compiling in some garret another fruitless Memorial, or waiting for many a weary hour in some Under-Secre * Letter to Clive from his father, December 15. 1752. tary's antechamber. For several years he pursued most unavailingly his claims and his complaints, until in 1763 he expired, sick at heart and broken in fortunes, like bis rival and his victim, La Bourdonnais. INDIA.] CLIVE APPOINTED GOVERNOR, 315 CHAPTER XL. INDIA. WITHIN two years the health of Clive grew strong in his native air, and his spirit began to pine for active service. On the other hand, experience of his merits, and apprehension of a war with France, rendered both the King's Ministers and the East India Company eager to employ him. From the former he received the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the army, from the latter the office of Governor of Fort St. David. Landing at Bombay with some troops in November 1755, he found there Admiral Watson and a British squadron. There was little at that time on the coast of Coromandel to demand the exertions of these two commanders, and they thought the opportunity tempting to reduce in conjunction a formidable. nest of pirates, about two degrees south of Bombay. These pirates had for above half a century formed a predatory state like Tunis or Algiers, holding 120 miles of coast, and commanded by chiefs who always bore the name of Angria. Although their vessels were but small and slightly armed, the richest merchants in those seas had either to purchase their passes or to fear their depredations. One of their fortresses, Severndroog, had been taken by Commodore James several months before; it was against the other, Gheriah, that Clive and Watson now proceeded. The place was of great strength, built on a rocky headland almost surrounded by the sea; but the pirates were struck with terror, and surrendered with little resistance. Their spoils, valued at 120,000l., were shared as prize-money between the naval and military captors. Having performed this service in February 1756, Clive pursued his voyage to Fort St. David, and took the charge of his government on the 20th of June, the very day, by a remarkable coincidence, when the Nabob of Bengal was storming Fort William.-In fact a crisis had now occurred on the shores of the Hooghly, threatening the utmost danger, and calling for the utmost exertion. 66 The Viceroys of Bengal, like the Viceroys of the Deccan, retained only a nominal dependence on the Mogul Empire. From their capital, Moorshedabad," a city," says Clive, as extensive, populous, and rich as the city "of London," they sent forth absolute and uncontrolled decrees over the wide provinces of Bengal, Orissa, and Bahar, il disguised by the mockery of homage to that empty phantom "the King of Kings" at Delhi.* The old Nabob, Aliverdi Khan, had died in April 1756, and been succeeded by his grandson, Surajah Dowlah, a youth only nineteen years of age. Surajah Dowlah combined in no small degree a ferocious temper with a feeble understanding. The torture of birds and beasts had been the pastime of his childhood, and the sufferings of his fellow-creatures became the sport of his riper years. His favourite companions were buffoons and flatterers, with whom he indulged in every kind of debauchery, amongst others, the immoderate use of ardent spirits. Towards the Europeans, and the English especially, he looked with. ignorant aversion, and still more ignorant contempt. He was often heard to say that he did not believe there were 10,000 men in all Europe.† Differences were not slow to arise between such a prince as Surajah Dowlah and his neighbours, the British in Bengal. One of his revenue officers had escaped from his custody with a large treasure, as was suspected, and had found a safe refuge at Calcutta. Moreover, the Presidency of that place had begun to improve their fortifications, from the prospect of another war with France. This greatly displeased the Nabob, and he was only the more incensed at the explanation, which implied that these audacious strangers might presume to bring their hostilities into his dominions. Without further parley he * Even at a later period, and a much lower pitch of degradation, the Mogul Court still retained the most pompous forms and titles. See in Bishop Heber's Journal (December 31. 1824) the account of his own presentation at Delhi. t Orme's Hist., vol. ii. p. 120. INDIA.] THE NABOB OF BENGAL. 317 seized the British factory at Cossim-Bazar, the port of Moorshedabad upon the river, and he retained the chiefs of that settlement as his prisoners. The Presidency of Fort William were now thoroughly alarmed, and hastened to make the most abject apologies, offering to accept any terms which Surajah Dowlah might be pleased to dictate. But Surajah Dowlah had heard much of the wealth at Calcutta; that wealth he was determined to secure; and he soon appeared before the gates at the head of a numerous army. The defences of Calcutta, notwithstanding the wrath which they had stirred in the Nabob, were at this time slight and inconsiderable. For a garrison there were less than 200 Europeans, and scarcely more than 1,000 natives, hastily trained as militia, and armed with matchlocks. No example of spirit was set them by their chiefs. On the contrary, the Governor, Mr. Drake, and the commanding officer, Captain Minchin, being struck with a disgraceful panic, embarked in a boat, and escaped down the Hooghly. Under these circumstances, a civilian, Mr. Holwell, though not the senior servant of the Company, was by the general voice called to the direction of affairs. At this time the Nabob's artillery was already thundering at the walls, yet under every disadvantage Mr. Holwell protracted for two days longer the defence of the fort. When, at length, on the evening of the 20th of June, all resistance had ceased, the Nabob seated himself in the great hall of the factory, and received the congratulations of his courtiers on his prowess. Soon after he sent for Mr. Holwell, to whom he expressed much resentment at the presumption of the English in daring to defend their fort, and much dissatisfaction at his having found so small a sum, -only 50,000 rupees,—in their treasury. On the whole, however, he seemed more gracious than his character gave reason to expect, and he promised, on the word of a soldier," as he said, that the lives of his prisoners should be spared. 66 Thus dismissed by the tyrant, and led back to the other captives, Mr. Holwell cheered them with the promise of their safety. We are told how, relieved from their terrors, and unconscious of their doom, they laughed and jested amongst themselves. But their joy and their jesting |