As to my forgiven father’s business, it was performed to his own wishes by the exertions of Séyd-aaly-qhan, my glorious brother, and by the patronage of Rabiah-begum, his patroness, even some time before Shytab-ráy had returned to the city of Moorshood-abad.

During all this time I was by Doctor Fullerton’s recommenda­tion an attendant on Mr. Sage, one of the ablest and most considerable Englishman of that time, who conducted all the business of Banares. Moreover, I enjoyed inthat city the honour of paying a respectful attendance to the most perfect, and glorious, Sheh-mahmed-aaly-hezin, (whom God may place amongst the highest of his elect!) My forgiven father was residing with his whole family, relations, dependants, and retinue at Hosséin-abad, a town which he had founded and built on his Djaghiri-lands; when at once, and without any apparent cause, his holy person resented a slight indisposition, which soon became a con­tinuous fever. It is reported that it struck into his brain like a fit of apoplexy. His senses, however, and understanding were little impaired. Nevertheless the twelfth day after his first indisposition, it being a Sunday, the third of the second Djemady, Death of the author’s father, the Vezir Hedá­iet-aaly-qhan. in the year one thousand one hundred and seventy-nine of the Prophet’s retreat (on whom may be peace and blessing for ever!) he was pleased to depart to the merciful mansions of the Omnipotent King, and was inhumed in the town which he had founded. May God’s mercy be over him, and may he be admitted into the mansions of the pious and virtuous! This doleful intelligence was brought to me at Banares by an express dispatched by my glorious mother (whose shadow may long continue to stretch over me!) I received likewise repeated and pressing letters from my kind bother, Naky-aaly-qhan-fahr-ed-döwlah, and from some other relations and kinsmen, who all requested my presence instantly. This intelligence having overset my schemes, I discontinued my attendance on Mr. Sage, and proceeded to Hosséin-abad. The venerable just whom I have just been mentioning, and upon whom I had hitherto waited so respectuously and so constantly, was dissuading me from that journey. “A little time more,” would he say, “and I will quit this fragile world. I wish that at that moment you may not be asunder from me.” These words melted my heart. But the impor­tunities of my mother, and of those that survived my forgiven father, together with the feebleness of my own destiny, did not allow my obeying commands so worthy of obedience, or of reaping the advantages of my attendance on that venerable man. Had I been able to stay, my attendance on him would have proved the greatest happiness of my life; but there is no help­ing the failures of on’s destiny! Verses:

“To those born to ill luck, of what use can be a complete guide?”*

“See! an Elia is bringing an Alexander thirsty from the fountain of life!

At last I arrived at Hosséin-abad; and on hearing of my forgiven father’s demise, I proceeded to Moorshood-abad, where by good luck Shytab-rây and Séyd-aaly-qhan had chanced to make a stay, and had got the confirmation of my Djaghir’s Patent, which was drawn up in the name of the lowest of men*, who was the oldest of the forgiven’s children; and they brought it to him on their return to Azim-abad.

We left Shytab-ráy on his way to take possession of his new office of Azim-abad. On his arrival in that city, he thought it incumbent on his wisdom and uprightness to make it a rule, that the conferences for business of Government and finances, should be held, neither in his own house nor in that of Durdj-naráin’s, but wholly in the Imperial Castle, which place had been time out of mind allotted for the assemblies of all such men as were in office, for all such as rented any land from Government, and for all such as had business with them. It was likewise established that the Regulation established at Azim-abad by Shytab-ráy, now Viceroy of Azim-abad English Chief should repair thither at the appointed time, and be seated in a chair of State; and that over against him, on a long mesned spread on the ground for the occasion, Durdj-naráin should be seated on one side, and Shytab-ráy, on the other, with each a cushion of State on their back*. That on every Patent drawn up, Durdj-naráin should sign his baéz* at the bottom of it; and that Shytab-ráy should just by it, or below Nedjm-ed-döwlah’s seal, write in his own hand, and with a flourish, the words, it has been seen. So much regularity could not please Durdj-naráin, a man who prided on his having held the Government in his own single person, as well as on his relationship to Ram-naráin; and who used to apply his own private seal to matters of business; and as he had no other overseer but his ownself, and he was known to have acted all along faithlessly in imitation of his deceased brother, and of all the other lessees, his prede­cessors, he felt himself much hurt by the new regulations, but however submitted to them. Hence his concurrence ceasing to be cordial, it increased the breach and dissensions between him And dis­coveries made thereby in Durdj-nará­in’s manage­ment. and his colleague to such a degree, that the officers of Govern­ment split in two parties, one of which sided with Radja Shy­tab-ráy, whilst the other continued as usual with Durdj-naráin. Matters turned out much worse, when the public accounts became objects of attention. Shytab-ráy being in duty bound to inspect the papers of the Divanship, or the management of finances, soon found that the estimates of the revenue had been very faithlessly made; and that in every transaction thousands and ten thousands had been withheld as perquisites of office, and as Nezers to Durdj-naráin. On which liberties he adverted with much severity, as highly improper. He therefore provided another set of lessees and renters of the revenue, who undertook to preserve the article of perquisites and Nezer-anas, over and above the full finance due to Government. On which offer he sent a mes­sage to Dardj-naráin in these terms: “Either oblige the actual incumbents to account fully for the late failures, or dismiss them, and set up the new proposers in their stead.” As in either case the incapacity and faithlessness of that man’s would have come to light of themselves, to his great danger and shame; and there appeared likewise in the receipts of Government, and in the public expenses, much collusion and infidelity, Shytab-ráy selected some trusty friends of Durdj-naráin’s, by whose channel he sent him notice that the public money must be replaced by all means, but that he wished it might be done in such a manner as should not tear the veil which hung over it. Meanwhile Moorly-dur, the harcara, who had joined Shytab-ráy’s party, being from longhand thoroughly acquainted with every minute circumstance relating to former transactions, was daily ripping open the lining from Durdj-naráin’s secrets, and exposing to view the inside of his cloth. But that infatuated man, trusting to so much merit as accrued to him from his brother Ram-naráin’s having been thrown into the Ganga for his thoughtless attach­ment to Mr. Amyatt and General Carnac, listened to no sober advice, and was full of excuses and pretences. So far from attending to Shytab-ráy’s advice and reprimands, he would not hear even the surmises of his best friends; nor could he be made to understand, that the English, on that single merit of his brother’s murder, would not carry their complaisance so far, as to let him enjoy as a Djaghir the whole revenue of the province; so that he should cut and carve for himself. The matter little by little taking vent, came to the knowledge of the Lord, of General Carnac’s, and of the principal Englishmen, all of whom by several friendly messages had endeavoured to with­draw the cotton of sloth and neglect from out of Durdj-naráin’s ears, and all of whom had advised him to listen to Shytab-ray’s proposals, to submit to his regulations, and to replace the balances he had incurred. To all these he used at every time to answer by a short letter of excuses. And matters remained on the usual footing, until Lord Clive, for what reason God knows, conceived in himself the design of returning home; but thought it expedient previously to renew his treaty and conventions with Shudjah-ed-döwlah, with whom he wished to finish some business, especially that which concerned Radja Balvant-sing, a Prince ill-affected in general, but who now was impressed with a singular dread of Shudjah-ed-döwlah’s power and discontent. On the other hand, Shudjah-ed-döwlah himself wanted to meet the English Viceroy on many accounts. All the parties then Lord Clive makes a second journe y to Ilah-abad. wishing for a parley, they agreed to meet at a place called Chaprah, and thither they directed their respective journeys; Lord Clive from Calcutta, the Vezir from Fáiz-abad, Munnir-ed-döwlah from Ilah-abad, on the part of the Emperor, and the Radjah Balvant-sing from Banares.