Before the end of his journey, he dispatched an order to his deputy at M8rsh8d-abad for his getting Ata-olla-qhan conveyed out of Bengal without delay, and without fail; for he had this longwhile harboured strong suspicions against this last nobleman, and they had been strengthened more than once, but never so much ascertained, as when his envoy and letters were of late intercepted, as we have already mentioned. Although such a traitorous conduct deserved punition, and might have excited any other Prince’s resentment, he chose to leave the man to the remorses of his own conscience; and he ordered that he should be dismissed with his consort, family, riches, movables and furniture; strictly recommending that no injury should be offered him on any account whatsover; but commanding at the same time, that the order for his dismission should be obeyed so expeditiously, as that on the arrival of the victorious standards at M8rsh8d-abad, no trace of his presence might be left in that city. The Deputy-Governor having received those orders, sent them with the letter to Ata-ollah-qhan; the latter, who had to this moment conserved preciously the bond by which that impostor, Mir-aaly-ashgar-cobra had promised him the dominion of Bengal, now thought it full time to tear his heart from it; and having submitted to his fate, he departed with his family, his Amazing fortune of Ata-ollah-qhan. riches, his dependants, and whatever belonged to him. His ostensible fortune, by common report, amounted to sixty lacks of rupees, and seventy elephants; but he was known to be pos­sessed, besides, of a quantity of gems, precious stuffs, and gold;* and to have carried away the very furniture of his house. Crossing the Ganga, he took up his quarters at Malda, in the house of Mirza-zya-ollah, and spent some days in preparing every­thing for his intended journey.

Whilst he was crossing over, Aaly-verdy-qhan was taking up his quarters at Radjemahal, called Acbar-nugur, where having celebrated the holy days of the feast of the sacrifice, he gave up his journey over land, and embarked on a fleet of boats; with which in a few days, he landed at Bagvangolah, where he was received by his Deputy, and also by Hussëin-c8ly-qhan, and some other distinguished persons amongst the nobility and principal citizens of M8rsh8d-abad. After having reposed himself a little, he mounted a mountain-like elephant, and with a pomp which became his victorious expedition, and his intrepid troops, he made a triumphant entry in the city, and arrived at his palace; where he was no sooner landed, than not satisfied with the many charitable actions he had already performed in thanksgiving for his successful expedition, he ordered new charities to be distributed to the Séyds, to the faithful, and to the needy and distressed of all sorts; he inclined himself again profoundly in the presence of the Divine distributor of graces, and acknowledged that the victory bestowed upon him had something extraordinary, and such as strongly argued a particular interposition from above.

As he was a lover of learning and merit, he had taken care, on quitting Azim-abad, to invite to his Court several persons dis­tinguished for their birth, rank, learning or talents, requesting them to follow his fortune, and to live in his Capital. One of these was “the Prince of the teachers, the pattern of the jurisconsultes, the model of the virtuous and of the illustrious, the detector of the intricacies of questions, and the solver of the knots of dif­ficulties, the Prince of learned ones, His Highness my Lord Mir-mahmed-aaly, (the refreshing stream of whose learning, may God Almighty keep running for a long series of years!) Another was the glorious and illustrious Qhan, the eye of mankind, and the ball of that eye, Záir-hussëin-qhan, son to the learned Doc­tor, Moluvy-mohammed-nassyr, (upon whom may God’s mercy repose for ever!). The third was the illustrious and beneficent Qhan, Taky-c8ly-qhan, now deceased, son to Hadji-abdollah, surnamed the Writer or Historian, who had been Divan of the province of Burhanp8r, in the times of the Emperor Aoreng-zib-aalemghir (the Conqueror). The fourth was the illustrious and high-born Qhan, the beneficent, the munificent, the excellent and learned, the Lord of one way of seeing (that is, the sincere) Aaly-hibrahim-qhan, the valiant, son to Doctor Mahmed-nassyr, cousin-german to the late Záir-hussëin-qhan. The fifth was Hadji-mahmed-qhan.” All these eminent personages accom­panied Aaly-verdy-qhan to M8rsh8d-abad, where they were all welcomed with large pensions.*

It was about this time, and when that Prince was setting out, that I, the poor man, arrived from Shah-djehan-abad, to see my glorious mother, as well as my brothers, relations, friends and acquaintances; all beloved persons, which I had given up for lost, on hearing of the enormities of which Shimshir-qhan and his people were every day guilty. In passing by Lucnow, I paid my respects to my glorious uncle, of whom I asked the reason of his having parted with Aaly-verdy-qhan, his cousin, and of his being come so far. He answered, “that this breach had been occasioned by his consort (Abdol-aaly-qhan’s), and that matters were now past remedy; that he had lost his possessions, and also his peace of mind; and that being now deprived of his country and fortune, as well as a prey to the pains of mind and body, he was going to Shah-djehan-abad, in a state of despair; he added, that if he happened to be still alive, it was by the more strength ot his destiny.”

“A bad woman in a good man’s house

Becomes his hell, even in this world;

Bawere of a bad inmate, beware!

O! God preserve us from such a hell.”

And it is on the same account, as well as on account of Abdol-aaly-qhan’s dismission, that there passed such a sharp dialogue between my mother and Aaly-verdy-qhan; a dialogue which no one would have ventured upon, and which no one would choose to repeat. To put up with such expressions as were then heard by that Prince, is what the nature of an Angel would have overlooked, but which was more than the patience of a man could bear. This difference likewise broke an alliance, which Sáyd-ahmed-qhan had desired between himself and Séyd-aaly-qhan, younger brother to the poor man, to whom he intended to marry his own daughter, a Princess which Aaly-verdy-qhan has since bestowed on another, whom he has thought proper to honour with his alliance. Although it must be acknowledged, that this Prince, as well as his three sons-in-law, had not their equals in forgiving the misdemeanours of relations, and in winking at the improper conduct of kinsmen; a condescendence extremely uncommon, and of which we see so few instances, even amongst private men. May God Almighty’s goodness reward them for it, by extending over them for ever, the wings of mercy and forgiveness!

On my arrival at Azim-abad, I found that Mehdi-nessar-qhan, my uncle, and Naki-aaly-qhan, my brother, with all my relations, kinsmen, and friends, had quitted that city to follow Sáyd-ahmed-qhan. These were Gholam-reza-qhan, son to Moortezevi-qhan; Aga-azimái, whom we have already mentioned; and Melec-mah­med-qhan, together with Qhadum-hossëin-qhan, Areb-aaly-qhan, Mir-fazyl-aaly, with all his relations; and Mir-assed-aaly, and the Prince of the learned of Azim-abad, Mollah-gholam-yahya, Mir-vahed, and the mufti Zia-ollah, the Moluvi or Doctor Laal-mah­med, and the late Mir-abdol-hadi. All these were the cream and flower of that city; so that finding it hard to live at a distance, from such dear persons, and irksome, to remain in a city which had been evacuated by all my friends, I followed my uncle and two brothers, and without any assurance that Sáyd-ahmed-qhan would admit me amongst his friends, I arrived at Mongher, where I landed, and where I was informed that the Governor of Bahar was ashore, and actually busy in performing the rites of the day of the sacrifice, and in eating, as it is customary, some of the roast meat actually upon the spit, and roasting in his presence. As this was a holy day, and a solemnity consecrated to visits, and to demonstrations of respect, and the Prince happened to be almost alone; I thought that these circumstances not only rendered the occasion favourable to present myself before him, but likewise that they turned it into a duty incumbent upon me. Landing, therefore, from my boats with my youngest brother, Séyd-aaly-qhan, I went up, and making a bow at a distance, I advanced and congratulated him upon the holy day, presenting my Nuzur at the same time. He had the goodness to take it up with demonstrations of regard, seemed overjoyed to see me, made me sit down, and after having invited me to his repast, he requested my remaining with him henceforward as his friend, whether in voyage or in town. Immediately after, he assigned, both to me and to my brother, a pension adequate to our expenses, and having ordered the paper to be brought up directly, he signed it in our presence; so that soon a mutual attachment took rise between that nobleman and me, (the most inconsider­able of mankind) of which mention shall be made in a proper time and place. Our journey being at an end, we arrived at Bagvangolah, where the Governor, who could not digest his having been refused the Government of Azim-abad, and who harboured still in his heart much discontent against his elder brother, as well as against his uncle, at once resolved to pass the season there, and he gave his orders accordingly. Never­theless, he was softened by his uncle’s letters, and by the intreaties of his elder brother, who came to see him on purpose, and requested his coming to live at M8rsh8d-abad; and to this he consented at last. After tarrying full two months there, he came to the city, and landed in his own palace, which is seated on the Bagraty, over against that of Djagat-seat’s, and from whence he ordered that the house of Mir-habib should be fitted up for us; that is, myself, the poor man, Mehdy-nessar-qhan, my uncle, and Naky-aaly-qhan, my brother.