As we had not been introduced to the English, we could not hope to be so well supported; and my brother, Naky-aaly-qhan, tired of the endless hopes with which his friend, Mir-djaafer-qhan, was continually feeding him, parted with the old Prince at Patna, and returned to Azim-abad. As to myself, Mir-cazem-qhan, the Paymaster, urged me several times to follow his fortunes in Bengal, taking upon himself to make me touch monthly a pension of five hundred rupees, with no attendance at all upon either the Navvab or his son, and with no other trouble, than that of shewing myself at Court once a month. But as I was disgusted with the Navvab’s neglect, and felt that my company would never become agreeable to him, no more than to his friends and bottle companions; and as on the other hand, Ram-naráin fed me with the hopes of an employment, I took my leave of that Prince at Bycantp8r, whither I had accompanied him, but where I lived with Mir-cazem-qhan, and with Roh-eddin-husséin-qhan. From thence I took leave of my friends; and the day when the army took the road of Bengal, and the Navvab, that of Bahar, I returned home to Azim-abad.

As I was predestined to have connections with the English, it was my good fortune, doubtless, that led me back to that city; for amongst the English gentlemen that accompanied the Navvab so far, and now took their leave of him, were Mr. Wats and Mr. Amiatt. Both these gentlemen had a great friendship for Mir-abdollah, a valuable man, my intimate friend, whom we must introduce to the readers’ acquaintance. His father, Mir-gh8lam-aaly, the Sefian, drew his pedigree from that Emperor, (whose tents be pitched in Heaven!) Shah-ismáil, the Sefian, the Moosevian, who was the first ancestor of the Emperors who have reigned in Iran, under the appellation of the race of Sefi, as well as the principal pearl of that Imperial crown, that has shone with so much lustre on the stage of the world. But amongst the illustrious ancestors of Mir-abdollah’s, the first who made his appearance in Hindostan, was a nephew of Shah-tahmasp, son to the glorious Shah-ismáil. He had quitted Iran at a time when the troubles had arisen in that country, and when Sooltan Mohammed, son to Shah-tahmasp, had been deprived of his eye-sight; nearly about the time when his illustrious son, Shah-abbass, having torn up his enemies by the root from the region of existence, had, like that lion of war, Ascandr Makedon,* rendered his empire more formidable than it had ever been before. This nephew of Shah-ismáil’s, tired with the troubles of his native country, had retired towards Hindostan, on the frontiers of which the fugitive Prince was then in possession of the Fortress of Candahar; which with its province formed a noble estate, which the Emperor Acbar took out of his hands, under promise of giving him in return the country of Sind and some other districts, but which he never gave him; so that the fugitive Prince who had settled himself in that province, where he coined money, died of vexation and grief, on finding himself over-reached by the Hindostany Emperor. The younger brother of that fugitive, having no resource left in the world, came to Shah-djehan-abad, where he submitted to take service with the Emperors of the race of Tem8r,* and where he married the daughter of Abdol-rahim-qhan, a Minister of State, who cut a capital figure under the title of Prince of Princes; and it is from that younger brother, that have sprung the several races of Sefevian Princes, now settled in Hindostan; to wit, that of Shah-Nevas-qhan, of Nö8r8z-qhan, and of Mirza-gholam-aaly, father to our Mirza-abdollah, of whom we have been speaking, and who was connected with the English; and it was Mr. Wats, a man in high credit with the rulers of Azim-abad and Bengal, that recommended him to Ram-naráin; the latter overawed by such a recommendation, gave him a noble salary, and a company of a hundred horse; and moreover he made use of him to transact business with the English; he was indeed a very valuable man, and a gentleman of rare qualifications. But we shall have in the sequel, several occasions of speaking of him again; for Mr. Amiatt having been appointed chief of the factory at Azim-abad, continued to make use of Mirza-abdollah in almost all the transactions that fell within the verge of his influence; and as the latter was like­wise a great friend of mine, he introduced me to the English rulers; and it is from that day I must date the friendship which that ruler conceived for me, and my subsequent connections with the English. After this digression, which shall be forgiven to friendship, we shall revert to the stream of our general history.

Mir-djaafer-qhan, who had now done visiting the tombs and mausolea of the saints of Bahar; and had finished eating his bellyful of ox’s flesh, (for such was his own expression), took in earnest the resolution of returning to Bengal. It is reported that in advancing towards M8rsh8d-abad, he used to beguile the tediousness of the journey, by stepping out of the road, with only his guards and friends, and by hunting all the way; he at the same time amused himself with listening to the songs, and look­ing at the dances of a number of actresses and singers, which he carried with him upon elephants. It was this which he called his private parties, and which he had the simplicity to think very private indeed. In these parties he used often to ask his friends, what they “thought of his past times? And whether this was not the true manner of travelling and hunting? What could be meant by going into the woods and retiring into shady places? To enjoy life, undoubtedly,” added he, “in every kind of pleasure.” After having thus performed the journey, without so much as minding the affairs of State, he arrived at M8rsh8d-abad; where leaving the pleasure of Mans8r-gundy,* which had always been Seradj-ed-döulah’s abode, he took up his residence on the other side of the water, in the palace heretofore inhabited by Aaly-verdy-qhan, the forgiven, and there he plunged headlong into all kinds of pleasure, without so much as bestow­ing one single thought on the affairs of State.

On the other hand, his son, Miren, who had taken a liking to the manners, and particular expressions of the debauchees, and the profligate of Shah-jehan-abad, (now become numerous in Bengal,) had enlisted four thousand of these people in his service; and these became his real satellites. He was extremely haughty and proud, as well as incapable to hear any remonstrance; and as he was still in the flower of his youth, the example of an aged father, addicted to women of the town, and plunged in every kind of pleasure, made a lively impression on his mind; and thinking that he had much more right than him to such a way of life, he plunged without scruple in every kind of debauchery; nor did either the father or son bestow one single thought on the necessity of settling the country, regulating the finances, quieting the clamours of the army, or easing the husbandmen. Matters went so far, that the troops, for want of pay, turned their horses loose into the fields, that the poor animals might support themselves by grazing. So that excepting some thousand men in the son’s service, who resembled him in their manners and way of speaking; and some hundred favourites and women of the father’s household, who consumed the little money that came in the treasury, not a man in the service had an assured subsistence. And those rich and extensive dominions that composed an Empire, were left to be plundered by a Chunny-lal and a M8nny-lal, and an Angnoss-sing, which latter was the head spy. The city and province of Djehanghir-nugur-dacca were left to be disposed of by Radj-B8ll8b, Divan to Miren, who had once been agent to Husséin-c8ly-qhan. The provinces, south of the Ganga, as Bardvan, and some others, had been pawned to the English, as a security for the payment of the coror and-a-half that had been promised them by treaty. H8gly was given to Emir-beg-qhan, who had been very active agent for Mir-djaafer-qhan, with the English, and had proved so very instrumental in laying the foundation of his future power and fortune. The whole province of Azim-abad acknowledged no other master than Radja Ram-naráin; and P8rania was in the hands of Qhadum-hassen-qhan, who amassed money, established his government, and inlisted troops. What overplus then could remain, after the sums extravagantly squandered away by the Navvab in his pleasures, did not amount to so much as might have quieted the troops, or enabled them to provide for their most necessary charges. The officers themselves were in misery; and such were the circumstances of even Assalet-qhan and Dilir-qhan, those brave sons of the brave Omer-qhan, who rather than to abandon Mir-djaafer-qhan, their friend, in his days of distress, had incurred Seradj-ed-döulah’s resentment, had been plundered and confined by him, and would have been put to death infallibly, had they not been rescued by a revolution which took place in the nick of time. Mir-djaafer-qhan often acknowledged how much he owed to their faithful and valorous services; often loaded them with encomiums and praises; and yet, left them to starve as well as the others, for want of pay; nor was there any one that would take notice of their repre­sentations; and what is singular, the Navvab talked of these matters with the incoherence and insensibility of a man loitering his time in a tippling shop. Indeed, in consequence of his inattention and his extravagant expense, he was often poorer than any of his drunken companions; but the military especially suffered particular hardships. Tired with so much misery, they lost all patience at last; and twenty months were hardly elapsed, since the new Sovereign had taken possession of a whole Empire, when the troops, tired with their own sufferings, and feeling now that the knife had cut through the quick down to the bone,* they joined concerns, and resolved to rid themselves of so thoughtless a master. Qhadja-hady-qhan, Major-General, took the lead of a number of officers and Commanders of note, who joined together under mutual promises and solemn oaths; and they drew up a paper containing their design, as well as their resolution to stand by each other; it was signed by them all, and they apposed their seals to it. It is said, that Mir-cazem-qhan, the Paymaster, was an associate of Hady-qhan’s, in this affair; and, it is a fact, that his name and seal were found fixed on the paper in question. But it has been said also, by his servants and friends, that he knew nothing of the matter; and that the seal had been fixed thereon by one of his intimates, a Moluvy, or Doctor Mustepha, a strange man, without principle, shame, or religion, who had the management of his Brigade, of his house­hold, and of every concern of his; and who being himself of the conspiracy, had, in order to strengthen his party, made use of his master’s seal, to which he had all times access.* It is true that he was in high credit with his master, who had intrusted him with all his concerns. Unluckily for that officer, some of his friends were of the Navvab’s acquaintance. His own brother, Mir-djan-mahmed, was of the number, and even one of the Viceroy’s friends; so that it is universally reported, that to ingratiate himself with the Navvab, he not only gave him information of the conspiracy but on that Prince’s suggestion, added Mir-cazem-qhan’s name and seal to it. The conspirators waited until the month of Moharrem; on the first ten days of which, it was customary for Mir-djaafer-qhan to repair at nights to that building, called the House of Mourning,* which had been erected by Seradj-ed-döulah, for commemorating yearly the martyrdom of the Prince of Martyrs, Husséin, son to Aaly, (upon whom be grace for ever!) The project was to seize the oppor­tunity of one of those nights, in order to fall upon him.* That time being come, and the Navvab making it, as usual, a practice of resorting to that holy place at nights, Qhadja-hady-qhan, with a number of his associates, took his post in one of the awnings attaining to that building; but he only verified the verse:

“How should a secret remain concealed, which is talked of in assemblies.”