As for Colonel Lesley, that officer, in consequence of his appointment by the Council, set out from Ilah-abad to repair to Calpy, from whence he was to begin his march through the Bundul-cund, and the dependencies of Barar, quite to Aoreng-abad, and so on to Decan. His orders were to take Ragonat-ráo with him, and to effect a junction with the army from Bombay at the appointed place; after which he was to proceed jointly with him in the business of bringing the Marhatta rulers to a submission in the manner projected by the Council of Calcutta. The Governor had taken care to facilitate the success of this expedition, by dispatching to Great-Náigpoor*, Mr. Mr. Elliot, a man of singu­lar merit, appointed Embassador at the Court of Poonah. Elliot, a man who in sincerity of speech, and propriety of conduct, has few equals amongst his own countrymen, as well as amongst the Hindostanies. His orders were to renew the treaties, and to pay slowly the balances of money due by the Revenue of Bengal to Moodda-dji and to the posterity of Rago-dji-bhossla; and he was to return after having put that court in good humour. Náigpoor is the capital of the country held by Rago-bhossla, as Mucasdar* of the province of Barar. This Rago is the same who after a twelve years’ bloody war with Aaly-verdy-qhan, whom he had fought with a variety of successes, had at last made an accommodation with him, by which the English his successors have abided inviolably, avoiding all disputes on that subject with the Marhatta’s posterity; trusting nevertheless so far to their own power and prevalence as never to pay regularly the pension stipulated by that Viceroy. They act in that business in a languid, ambiguous manner, giving little at a time, and withholding much. Not but that messages and letters were going on constantly from Náigpoor to Calcutta, demanding the outstanding balances; but yet it was in a soft moderate style. In short, the intent of Mr. Elliot’s embassy was to renew the treaty, and to manage so, as that Rago’s sons and dependants should not offer any opposition to the English army, then marching towards the Decan; nor mean­while avail themselves of the opportunity to make an irruption into Bengal and Bahar. Now it must be observed that as Rago’s posterity on one hand were nephews to the Sahoo Radja, and pretenders to his dignity and station; and on the other Baladji-ráo, after the said Radjah’s demise, had availed himself of the power and authority of his office of Generalissimo of the forces, to take possession of the dominions and treasures of the deceased, and had set aside the right of Rago’s posterity to the throne; the Court of Náigpoor therefore did not live upon good terms with the Court of Poona; and neither Moodda-dji, nor his Ministers, made any difficulty to renew the pact and agree­ment with the English. So that the Colonel’s army marched on without opposition, and the provinces of Bengal and Bahar meanwhile remained free from their ravages. Unluckily as Mr. Elliot was cutting his way thro’ a mountainous tract in the height of the rains, he was suddently overtaken by his last hour, and having laid his foot in the valley of death, he departed for eternity. His embassy was taken up, and its intent fulfilled, by the younger Mr. Anderson, who returned to Calcutta by the way of Azim-abad and Bahar.

As for me who had conceived such mighty hopes on my coming to that city in Colonel Godard’s company, with whose assistance I was to carry a point in the Council, and who besides had an old acquaintance with the Governor, I could obtain only two or three interviews with him, in one of which, he asked me whether at any time I had been in Decan? I answered that I had never been there, but that I had some little knowledge of the affairs of those parts; and I continued the dis­course in these words: “Colonel Godard, who wanted to carry this poor man with him, as a friend and companion, proposed two conditions to me: The first, that the office of Monshy should be under the sole direcion of this most inconsiderable of men, without whose inspection and correction no letter should be dispatched. The second, that the poor man should also undertake the voyage and embassy into Decan. The second condition I declined, on account of old age, and the fear of remaining a longwhile parted from my children and family, but especially of being deprived of the happiness of keeping prostrated at the feet of a mother, who had an affection for me. In short, as my destiny had not set apart any grain or water or air for me in Decan, the voyage did not take place.” As to the affair for which I had come with Colonel Godard, that gentleman on setting out for camp recom­mended it to Mr. Elliot; and this best and most obliging of men; obtained in fifteen days a letter from the Governor to the Council of Azim-abad, which he backed by another, very strong of his own, and also by another to Mr. Anderson, who was then a Member of that Council and an intimate friend of his. My business was in a fair way, when Mr. Anderson was recalled to preside at the Board of Revenue in Calcutta, and Mr. Golding set out for Europe. So that my affair which was already in a fair way, remained spoiled, and is at a stand, until my destiny shall produce some favourable event. But it is time for us now to leave my private affairs, and even the English army with what adventures it shall chance to have in Decan; it being my attention to postpone that narrative to a view of the state of affairs in Calcutta and in Bengal.

We have sometime ago left Rabiah-begum, departing for the other world with all the tokens of the sincerest repentance. Her daughter, Banni-begum, followed her a few years after, and departed this life in the year 1193, when Mahmed-reza-qhan was already out of office. Her distemper was a loss of blood*, for which some body having given her an astringent remedy to repress the superabundance of blood, it stopped likewise all the customary evacuations of every kind, until it struck into her heart and brain. Mahmed-reza-qhan sent her a remedy intended to strengthen both. It availed nothing; and she departed for her long prilgrimage. Her wealth, which was great, was taken possession of by that Minister, in appearance to guard it against accidents; and it was reported that it had been received by her heir. But no one has ever been able to say, that he had seen that heir, or heard of the division of that money and of those jewels which she was known to be possessed of. Doubtless that piece of knowledge is reserved for the Glorious One, Who knows all things.

It was about this time likewise that Sadr-el-hac-qhan, the new Supreme Magistrate, a man well striken in years, always sickly, and who most of his time was out of order, departed toward the regions of eternity, after having answered his Creator’s call, with the words: I am ready, O Lord*! It was the 19th of Zilhidj, of the year 1194, after having lived for one year, four months, and about twenty-five or twenty-six days, with the name of Fodjdar-General. It is not improper to give some account of him. He was born in Gudjrat; and upon some emergency, came to Shah-djehan-abad with his father, where the old man died; and the son not finding any prospect of advancement in that capital, repaired to Bengal and to Moorshood-abad, where he was introduced into Aaly-verdy-qhan’s service. This Prince gave him a pension, and after the demise of Cazy-muzaffer-aaly-qhan, he appointed him Daroga, or Auditor of the Court of justice. In the sequel, that is, at the time of the Marhatta irruption, he was sent Embassador to their rulers in Decan, where he acquired the esteem and good will of both sides, and was honoured with presents by both. Being now a man of some character, as well as of some money, he came to have a regiment of his own, and to be reputed a man of distinction. And this was his rank under Aaly-verdy-qhan’s reign, and under that of his suc­cessors and relations; until Mahmed-reza-qhan came into power, and then he was appointed to the Government of Baghalpoor, where he remained but little, being turned out of his office. On Governor Hushtin’s arrived in Bengal, he attached himself to him, and remained so steadfast in his attachment, that he was rewarded for it by being appointed to the office of Fodjdar-Gen­eral, as well as by being decorated with a title of honour. But he enjoyed little so lucrative an office; and having said farewell to this fragile world, he took his journey towards the regions of eternity. This death occasioned a change in the affairs of Moorshood-abad.

As the Governor-General disapproved of Mahmed-reza-qhan’s conduct, and Menny-begum was not pleased with that Minister’s disposing of the Nizamet, and spending the young Prince’s money as freely as he pleased; and on the other hand, Mubarec-ed-döwlah himself was sometimes on this side, and some­times on the other; there arose differences about the appointment and distribution of those offices, which Sadr-el-hac-qhan had left vacant. The Governor, who is the first man in the world for appreciating any one’s merit and capacity, wanted to sound Aaly-hibrahim-qhan, who is really capable of putting in order affairs of the utmost importance, as well as of unravelling their utmost intricacies and subtilities. The Governor esteemed the Qhan a fit man for such an high office; and with that view he wrote to Mr. Baber, Chief of Moorshood-abad, and an intimate friend of the Governor’s, including a letter to Aaly-hibrahim-qhan, in which he requested to know whether he would accept of those offices. The Qhan, apprised of the dissensions then existing in the Com­mittee, and sensible how unlike he was in his own temper to the great men then in office; and how difficult it would prove to keep in good humour such a set of discontented masters; felt likewise a certain disinclination against the office of Fodjdary, as it stood then, and which in fact consisted of little else than a dis­charge of a Cutval’s office, that is, in fining and killing, and hanging and maiming, and in imprisoning and confining people. He con­cluded it highly improbable that such an office could be at all times exercised without sometimes injuring and wronging man­kind, and without rendering one’s self responsible in a high degree both in this world and the other; and he excused himself from accepting such a charge. He was likewise sensible that it would be difficult in such an office, nay, out of his power intirely, to keep fair, and to live upon good terms, with a number of English gentlemen, who governed absolutely in every department. Aaly-hibra­him-qhan, to the surprise of all, refuses to succeed Sadr-el-hac-qhan in all the offices he had left vacant. He therefore excused himself in a handsome manner, that did not disoblige either Mr. Baber or the Governor; and he disen­gaged himself from the proposal. He knew that, in con­sequence of the necessity of keeping fair with some persons who did not agree amongst themselves, the exercise of his office would have very little solidity; for that in every business and in every transaction he must of all necessity manage so, as to oblige five persons that have absolute power in the Committee, and ten or twenty more that are attached to them, and expect equal regard. And how long would a man be able to keep fair with them all, and to pay some small regard to his duty and character at the same time? In reality these dissensions, that have now spread in every branch of the administration, and the spirit of party that has now taken possession of the principal English, so as to become a second nature, are of such a species, as will always afford a sensible man many valuable reasons for declining any office at all under them; nor can a man dependent on them, but jealous of his own conscience and character, pretend to keep himself harmless from the consequences of that spirit of party and dissension which runs so high amongst his masters; even waiving all regard for his honour and character, such a man cannot avoid running a great risk. What, if when striving to oblige one of those choleric men, his enemy at some unlucky day finds it in his power to make me feel his resentment, and out of a spirit of revenge, is soon up with me by susciting upon me a variety of troubles and distresses? One of the main causes of the ruin of this country, and one of the main hinges upon which turn the distresses and miseries of its inhabitants, is this very spirit of dissension, that has become customary and current amongst the English, who are now the masters and rulers of those kingdoms: a spirit that runs away with their faculties to the utter neglect of many duties. There are some other reasons likewise, which shall be explained in a short time at the close of this book, when mention shall be made of the conduct of the English rulers, and of their principal men in these regions.