So much bad example has had no influence on his mother, Babboo-begum; and that Princess, although originally a dancer herself, and of a dancing family, is by no means intoxicated with the fumes of elevation and wealth. On the contrary, it is remarkable that she never speaks to women of distinction, but with modesty and deference; and that sensible of the advantages, which nobility and high descent are possessed of above the other ranks in life, she makes it a point to shew to persons of that description every mark of distinction and honour in her power. If to those valuable qualifications be added the high regard, and tender gratitude, she constantly pays to those of her own family, and the attention she constantly shews to all her relations what­ever, and even to any person she remembers to have once known, to all whom she is exceedingly complaisant and generous; the whole of such a character will form a very amiable person.

Much may be said likewise, in praise of Menny-begum, step-mother to the young Navvab. It is observable, that although she was once a dependant of Babboo-begum, and a slave-girl to that Princess’s mother, who introduced her to Mir-djaffer-qhan’s bed, yet she enjoys a pre-eminence, and a priority in that office, over that Princess herself, who was known to that General but afterwards. She is a woman of much sense and spirit, but haughty and over-bearing; although at the same time, she proves so steady and stiff, in supporting and protect­ing her officers and friends, that she cannot be brought to dismiss any one she has taken into her service, unless indeed he be guilty of some enormous misdemeanour. Her conduct in other respects is always regular, and her liberalities always rational. I remember, on that subject, an anecdote that does her a great deal of honour. I was just landed at Moorshood-abad, when it happened that one of the women, attached to the service of the Princesses, her daughters, stopped short in the preparatives she was making to marry an only child. On notice of this failure, Menny-begum sent her immediately seventy or eighty Mohurs*, with a quantity of necessaries; and it is in the like manner she has raised Itbar-aaly-qhan, an eunuch, from the lowest distress to the height of affluence and power, and has likewise conferred riches and favours upon Hekim-askery, her body-physician, without seemingly intending to lay him under any obligation. Nor are these instances of generosity few in number. Indeed there are so many of them, that it is become a standing observation, that whoever has been so lucky as to get into her service, is sure to have found a true receipt for the philosophical stone. Such a man has from that moment turned his back for ever from the door of the avaricious, and he is for ever secured against the unfeeling look of the hard hearted. If to so many qualifications, she could add some sweetness of temper, and some condescension in her behaviour; and would she place at the head of her affairs a wise man, by whose counsels she could consent to be advised, she would indeed prove an incomparable woman.

As those two Princesses, of whom we have just spoke, have had similar intimacies, and similar connections with Mahmed-reza-qhan, his name comes naturally after theirs. This nobleman, of whom mention has been made more than once in these sheets, has a very singular character. Although well stricken in years, and as such, supposed to have seen much of the world, never­theless he is blunt and thoughtless; nor does he in his words pay a sufficient attention to what he is about, or to those that overhear him And on the other hand, he does not seem to have right notions about truth and falsehood; nor does he seem very sensible of the different consequents which they never fail to produce. As to his morals, they say that some years ago, when he had the absolute direction of the Revenue-office, as well as of everything else in Bengal, he shewed the utmost disregard to every matter of chastity and decorum; still less did he know the value of men of learning and merit. Unmindful of his own rank, although so full of himself, he passes much of his time in playing at cards and dice, and makes nothing, when in company, of talking much, and in relating during whole hours together stories which he has picked up in ancient times and books, without once minding the ignorance and unadequateness of his audience. It is singular, that whilst he proposes his ownself for pattern to his children, he lives meanwhile like a thorough spendthrift; and although he is provided with an ample estate*, and many other emoluments, he manages so well by being always busy in building, and per­petually adding to his houses and places, (of which he has already too many), that he contrives to be constantly in debt, and eternally borrowing: a management that keeps him always needy, and always embarrassed. Unable through whim and thoughtlessness to set some bounds to his prodigalities, he is ever ready to snap at whatever he can hook in, either by borrowing or otherwise; and above all, careless and unmindful of the necessity of payment. Hence we see him eternally dunned by his creditors. It is in this manner he has provided to himself a bad character, and he is become a standing-stock for the curses and imprecations of mankind. His children, in imitation of their father’s pride, think themselves equal or even superior in rank, to every one, and also better. Nor do they think it consonant to their exalted rank to speak to men of distinction and high pedigrees, with that modesty and that deference which is agreed to in good companies; nor do they seem to be scrupulous in matters of decorum. But what is singular, these two hopeful sons of his, although actually suffering from scarcity of money and straightness of influence, are no less proud and haughty in their behaviour; indeed they are haughty to an excess. Their whole household does not consist of more than a hundred people of all sorts; nor can they afford to go abroad with more than thirty or forty; and even these, for want of being paid their arrears, pass their time in suffering famine and in sobbing. It is in the middle of such a court of famished wretches, that those hopeful noblemen firmly believe themselves equal to Assef-dja*, and have such high notions of themselves, that they think it a sin to bow the head of modesty and civility to any man*, or to go to visit any one; and although he should be of an illustrious family, they think it a reflection upon themselves, whilst at the same time, the small­ness of their means and income is such, that they have not one gentleman to attend them, and to keep them company. Hence they are desirous of seeing their houses frequented*; and this is so far true, that whenever any one chances to fall in their hands, they lay hold of him, and detain him so long by prolonging the conversation, that he is ready to lose his temper. With all this, they will not suffer any one to smoke his Hocca* in their presence, nor to ease his legs by* altering his respect­ful posture. On all these accounts the few that frequent their houses are discontented; but no man of rank chooses to go there.

It is not so with Mahmed-hosséin-qhan, elder brother to Mahmed-reza-qhan. He is a benevolent, learned man, and an able Physician; and his son, Mahmed-zeky-qhan, who has espoused one of Mahmed-reza-qhan’s daughters, is a young man, well-bred, and of a good disposition, as well as capable of holding a conversation with men of sense and abilities. Bend-aaly-qhan, son to the Physician Aaly-nacky-qhan, and of course cousin to Mahmed-reza-qhan, to whom he has been further allied of late by marrying his daughter, is a young man, who although very much of the same temper and disposition with the young men of Hindostan, is not void of some good qualities; nor does he assume such lofty airs, as do most persons of that family. He is fond of the company of gentlemen, and lives upon good terms with them. As to the other persons and dependants of that family, they all copy their master, and seem perfect strangers to the fear of God, as well as quite indifferent to the acquisition of a good character. And now after having misapplied some of our time in giving an idea of the man set up by the English at the head of these countries, it becomes highly proper to atone for that excursion, by saying something of the English them­selves, as well as of their India Company.

The word Company signifies in English an assembly of some men, and on that account, even amongst Military men, a certain number of soldiers, is called a Company. And formerly a hundred Musqueteers constituted a Company; but now only seventy-five form a Company, whose chief man is called a Sobahdar. The Commander of twenty is a Djematdar, or a Náic; of ten or twelve, a Havaleh-dar; and of six, an Amaldar. Ten Sobahdars with their men form a Paltan*, and the Com­mander of these ten Sobahdars is called a Comidan (Commandant); but every Paltan with its men and officers is under the orders of an English Capitain, who has the power of confirming, dismiss­ing, and appointing the officers, as well as of bringing others in their stead; of disciplining the men, and of giving them their pay, with a turbant, a coat, and a sash or girdle; of repairing their arms, of examining them; and of giving them new ones. All that is in the Capitain’s office, who, in the command of this single Paltan, has many benefits, which amount to a good Djaghir or landed estate*; so that whenever a Commander is inclined to oblige a Capitain, he gives him a Paltan, else, the officer remains with his particular pay, as a simple Capitain*, and waits for the moment of being appointed to such a command. As to those European warriors that come from their country, if they be vile and low born, they are first turned into soldiers, to be afterwards advanced to the office of Sergeants. Now a Sergeant has a command in disciplining the men, and in keeping them in order. But amongst their gentlemen and men of the better sort, the first rank is that of Ensign, which word is to be written with the Alif surmounted by a Kesra, as is the sin by a fetah quiescent. After that, they become Loftununs, and after that, Capitains. The next rank is that of Major; the next after it, is that of Cornal; after which comes that of Gernal (General), which is the highest rank to which Military men can pretend to. The gentlemen likewise other than the Military, who are in high offices and employments, have amongst themselves degrees of service and rank, which have not come minutely to my knowledge; but the whole of them collectively are called Carranis*. The ranks and degrees of both corps are reckoned by seniority of time, and by priority of rank; so that whoever has got soon­est into the service, has an advance upon the others; and who­ever has got into it latest, is later in station and preferment likewise. And thus they follow each other in order; nor can a junior servant pretend to the preferment of a senior, unless some link should happen to get loose from the chain; and this cannot be the case, but only by a demise, by resignation of the service, or by a dismission for some fault or misdemeanour. In this manner, so soon as this one is got out of the chain, the others follow of course, and advance by one degree in their respective classes, without needing any intreaty or application for that purpose; and if three or four happen to go out at a time, by so many degrees do their juniors become at once advanced. So that it is possible that in the Military line, for instance, a Loftonun (lieutenant) without becoming a Capitain, may, as well as a Major, become at once a Colonel; and this barely by the departure of his senior. It is the same in the corps, called of writers. The Company itself, that body which now under the name of Divan of the provinces of Bengal, Bahar, and Oressa, possesses in fact the sovereignty and dominions of those countries, as well as that of most of the coasts and port-towns of India, is composed of a number of rich and creditable Englishmen, of the country of England, inhabitants of the city of London, which is the Capital of the English Kings. These in the beginning were a number of wealthy merchants, who having got themselves authorized by the Council of their country, and by the Ministers of their King, commenced trading and merchandising in the kingdoms of Hindostan; and as they soon became knowing and intelligent in that branch of trade, they kept it going on by admitting from year to year into their body their own children and heirs, or any one else that would apply. These last also became Company, which they are to this day. And they went on trading and commercing, until the throne of Bengal chanced to be occupied by Seradj-ed-döwlah; and as that Prince’s able government, and military talents, and political qualifications happened to be inherited to the full by his successor and kinsman, Mir-djaaffer-qhan, and by his Minister, Radja D8l8b-ram; there is nothing strange in those merchants having found the means of becoming masters of this country, and nothing so wonderful in their having in the sequel availed themselves of the imbecility of some Hindostany Sovereigns, equally proud and ignorant, to turn conquerors, and to rise to such a pitch of strength and influence, as to become in that vast region a preponderant power, that outweighs and overawes all the Sovereigns of India. They are so powerful even in Europe, that the Sovereigns of that nation, whom these people call King, although absolute in his commands, cannot give them an order, without the advice and consent of his Council, and that of the nation; and if he should venture so far, the order would not pass the seals, and would remain unexecuted.