Proposals of such a nature carrying an air of importance and probability, my illustrious father thought proper to expose them to the Emperor, who gave orders to release B8niad-sing; and the latter no sooner recovered his liberty, than he went to pay his respects to his protector, who carried him to Court, where he promised to shed his blood in the Imperial service. He afterwards sent for his troops to camp; and he wrote everywhere to his dependants and officers, to send plenty of ammunition and money, and necessaries. Such a change could not but give umbrage to Cam-car-qhan. He complained of the Emperor; and one day he told him plainly, “that if so much favour continued to be shewn to B8niad-sing, his servant would be obliged to take his leave, and to quit the camp.” The Emperor on these words had the weakness, or rather the imbecility, to order B8niad-sing again into confinement, when that Radja came as usual to pay his court. My forgiven father, shocked at such a proceeding, could not help speaking to the Emperor in strong terms of dis­content and reproach; the Emperor excused himself on Cam-car-qhan’s having threatened to quit his service. “Cam-car-qhan,” answered my father, “is too far gone now to leave you; he has no other party to take in this province, but that of remaining attached to you; nor has he any other court to go to but this.” This representation, however, produced no change, so attached was the Emperor to Cam-car-qhan; and this affair having dis­gusted my father, he ceased to go to Court, being highly discon­tented at this whole affair. But Cam-car-qhan himself gave it another turn. That General, after having kept B8niad-sing in confinement for some days more, thought proper to set him at liberty, were it but to acquire with his prisoner the merit of his release. But the prisoner sent word to my father, that hence­forward the Emperor ought to expect nothing from him; and that in two or three days he would take his leave; as in fact he did, to my father’s great discontent. The Emperor at last sent Bahadyr-aaly-qhan to make some concessions in his name to his Prime Minister, and to bring him to Court. My father answered, “that it was to no purpose for him to stay at camp, whilst Cam-car-qhan was absolute in it; and that he hoped to obtain per­mission to retire from His Majesty’s service.” The Emperor endeavoured to soothe him; but all proving in vain, fain he was to accept his resignation. Well, said the Emperor, you may go, but remember to act your part at a distance from us. Take possession of as much country as is within your reach, and after having raised forces, come to us* again. The Emperor after this dismission, sent him, but without Cam-car-qhan’s knowledge, some thousand rupees for the charges of his return; and this sum was brought to him in secret. My father set out, and repaired to his estate, where he applied himself to the execu­tion of the order he had received, and where we shall leave him for a while to revert to Bengal and to Mir-cassem.

That nobleman having so ably executed the commission for which he had been deputed to Calcutta, took occasion from thence in his conversation with Mr. Vansittart, to expatiate on Mir-djaafer-qhan’s indolence; on the confusion into which all affairs, both of revenue and Government, had fallen; the muti­nous disposition of the troops, on one hand, for want of pay, and the thoughtless profusion with which unnecessary buildings and palaces were raised, on the other; he also inveighed against the exorbitant power which such vile men as a Chunny-laal and a Munni-laal, as well as an Agno-sing the harcara, were suffered to assume in the Government by the neglect and incapacity of their master. Upon all these disorders he made lively representa­tions. These discourses made a great impression on Mr. Vansit­tart, who had already got full information of Mir-djaafer-qhan’s incapacity, and felt the enormous inconveniencies result­ing from it, so far as to have been discussing with himself these many days, what possible remedy he could apply to evils of that magnitude. He therefore betook himself to the expedient of appointing Mir-cassem himself, Deputy to his father-in-law, under condition of his being obliged to give him an honourable pension, and of promising never to depart from a submissive respectful behaviour to him, as to his superior and master. There was not one man then amongst the English who could equal Mr. Vansit­tart in keenness of penetration, extent of knowledge, and experi­ence; and with such talents as these, he soon discovered the high qualities of Mir-cassem, and how far he was superior in abilities, not only to his father-in-law, but to every person in that Court. Impressed with the idea of his being the only man capable of retrieving the affairs of Bengal, he imparted his mind to the members of his Council, and asked their opinion and advice. Most of the principal members assented to Mr. Vansittart’s expedient, and fixed their minds upon it. But as Mr. Amyatt bore impatiently the humiliation of seeing another seated in a chair, which he thought his due, and he fretted at the necessity of being obliged to obey his commands, and he had also formed a party amongst those members that wished to see him at the head of affairs, (and such were Mr. Ellis, Major Carnac, and Mr. Batson), he vigorously objected to the proposed expedient; and all the four refused to give their consent. They found inconvenients in the scheme, objected to it as to a shameful bargain, and harangued against it every Council day. Not that Amyatt was not in his heart fully sensible of the old Navvab’s incapacity, but being him­self incensed at Mr. Vansittart’s promotion, and wishing ?? be in his place, he in conformity with the proverb, Nothing of Aaly’s will ever please Moáviáh,* took care to object to any party proposed by Vansittart; and as soon as the latter had shewn any predilection for some view, the other was sure to counteract it, and to use every endeavour to defeat its end. Both these men, in their letters to Europe, depreciated the abilities of Amyatt forms a strong party against Vansittart. each other, and made it a point to load each other with taunts and reproaches; each accusing his antagonist of infatuation, and avarice, and covetousness, and chicanery, and obstinacy. In this manner they endlessly wrote complaints against each other; and it was this disunion of theirs, which by involving whole nations in its consequences, ruined and demolished an infinity of families, as we shall soon mention with all that air of truth and candour which characterise impartiality. Nevertheless, Mr. Vansittart’s party proved the strongest; his scheme took effect; Mir-cassem-qhan carried him his point; and it was determined that, to put the scheme in execution, Mr. Vansittart should repair to M8rsh8d-abad.

Mir-cassem, satisfied with the success of his voyage, returned to that city, and was soon followed by Mr. Vansittart him­self, who carried with him Mr. Hushtin, the supporter of the Empire, who at the moment I am writing these memoirs, being Saturday, the twenty-third of the blessed month of Ramazan, 1780-81. in the Year 1194 of the Hegira, is now at the head of the English dominions in India, and indeed at the head of most of the important affairs of all Hindostan. Mr. Vansittart had also some other gentlemen with him, and he was soon followed by a number of officers, who took the same road with one-half of the English army. But whilst the English were advancing towards the capital, Mir-cassem was preparing to make a magnificent entry in that city. He had sent orders to his friend, Aaly-hibrahim-qhan, to come to receive him at Palassy, with as many men, soldiers, and others, as he could assemble; to which he was to join as many of the Ministers and Grandees of the old Court, as he had gained over to his party; recommending to him to increase the number of the mace-bearers in his retinue, and to provide a new equipage equally rich and brilliant, and such as might enable him to make as pompous an entry as possible in the city. Aaly-hibrahim-qhan, who has not his equal in the art of executing a commission, went even farther than his friend had wished; and going to meet him at Palassy with a retinue equally brilliant and numerous, he enabled him to make his entry into the city, with the utmost splendour and magnificence. Mir-cassem, on his arrival, went to his lodgings, from whence he paid a visit to the old Navvab. The next day, in the evening, Mr. Vansittart arrived, and took up his quarters at M8rad-bagh, which is a seat on the other side of the Baughratty. The next day, at about nine in the morning, Mir-djaafer-qhan went to see him. Mr. Vansittart received him with the usual ceremonies,* and then exposed the motive of his voyage, with the expedient he had devised for re-establishing order and arrangement in the Government and finances. The old man refused his consent, and spoke a great deal, and seemed uneasy. Mr. Vansittart sent a person to fetch Mir-cassem-qhan, and meanwhile the conference went on with mutual expostulations and reproaches. The old Navvab refusing absolutely to give his consent to the regulation which the other proposed, got up, declined waiting any more for Mir-cassem, and took his leave. Whilst he was crossing the river to return to his palace, he perceived Mir-cassem in his own boat crossing over to M8rad-bagh, and he made him sign to return; his inten­tion being to prevent his going thither for concerting the execu­tion of some scheme to his prejudice. But the other, who thought his honour concerned in not returning back, went on, and did, as if he had neither seen the sign nor heard the voice. Being arrived at M8rad-bagh, Mr. Vansittart exposed to him minutely the whole conference from the beginning to its end. Mir-cassem answered: “That he was sorry matters had taken such a turn, as now the old Navvab having conceived suspicions against him, would give himself no rest, until he had made away with his son-in-law.” Mr. Vansittart answered, he could not help it. The other replied, “If you cannot help me in this affair, how should I help myself, who have been all along helpless?” Mr. Vansittart’s dinner being upon the table, he desired Mir-cassem to sit still, until the dinner was over, when he would speak to him again; on which the latter retired to another apartment, and there sat some time exceedingly surprised and pensive. After this he consulted Aaly-hibrahim-qhan, whom he had brought with him, and he asked him, what he thought of the present pos­ture of affairs? The other answered: “Tell Mr. Vansittart, whatever is the matter, and whatever you have so say, if he does not consent, then without going home again, send for your troops and money hither; and taking your departure from this very spot, march towards Birbohom, and canton yourself there, act as one revolted, and live by plunder and rapine. As most of the troops are attached to you, and the Emperor and Cam-car-qhan shall favorise your views undoubtedly, it is probable that even in this manner your scheme may chance to succeed.” Mir-cassem approved this advice; and as he was now upon the worst terms with Mir-djaafer-qhan, he kept this expedient in store in his bosom, as a remedy that might be recurred to at the last extremity. And really the troops, extremely discontented on the prospect of losing both their pay and their arrears, were all averse to the old Navvab, and all attached to his son-in-law, especially since the latter had taken upon himself the discharge of their arrears. The two Djagat-seats, that is, Mahtab-ráy, and his brother, Radja Ser8p-chund, were Mir-cassem’s secret friends, and favorised his views underhand, although little suspecting how far matters would alter one day, and what strange events the Divine Providence, by its fullness of power, would at some time hereafter bring out of the present disturbances. Mr. Vansittart, after his meal, sent for Mir-cassem again, and the latter exposed the difficulties and necessities of his situation. He added, “That if the scheme was not brought to bear, as it had been agreed to, matters might end in mischief, as they had now come to a crisis, and he had no other resource to save himself.” Mr. Vansittart, hearing these words, took apart Mr. Hushtin, with one or two others, and spent a very long time in consulta­tion and conference; at last, after a deal of dissertation, it was determined, that to-morrow they should go together with Mir-cassem to the palace, to execute the scheme in the manner it had been agreed upon. But Mir-cassem having now conceived heavy suspicions against his father-in-law, sent orders to his troops, and to all his friends, to assemble in great numbers in his house and in his quarter, where they were to keep themselves in readi­ness. He had previously ordered his household people to keep ready victuals dressed for all that multitude, by which expedient those vast numbers that had thronged in his palace and in his whole quarter, were kept together, and did not disperse to take their meals. The consultation being ended at M8rad-bagh, and a final resolution taken, Mir-cassem was dismissed to his home; and it was determined, that to-morrow at day-break, he should be ready and armed with all his friends and troops, and that one hour before the dawn of the day, the English officers, with their soldiers and guns, should take possession of the gate of the Navvab’s palace. Mir-cassem, after taking leave, ordered a lane to be formed of his troops, down to the water-side, along which he went and took boat; and after crossing the river, he went along another such lane up to his palace, where he passed the whole night in offering to the Supreme Judge of pretensions, prayers for the success of his undertaking; after which he spoke to his friends and his well-wishers; so that it was late at night when he took some rest. The next day, as the morning of Mir-cassem-qhan’s prosperity was just dawning, that nobleman being waked by his good fortune, ordered all his friends and troops to stand ready to accompany him, and as soon as he saw them assembled in vast crowds, he arrayed himself in the attire of a Sovereign, and recommending his person to his fortune, he mounted the steed of hope and success, and advanced towards the old Navvab’s palace. There he found that Mr. Vansittart, with Mr. Hushtin, and some other persons of distinction, were already arrived, with a number of officers and troops, all ranged in the outer yard of his palace, with some cannon ready primed; they had placed guards with orders to suffer none to come in or out. Mir-cassem stopped at the Nacar-qhana, or theatre of military music, and mounting a horse, he remained there surrounded by his people. Messages, meanwhile, were going in and out, but to little purpose; nor could all Mr. Vansittart’s arguments persuade the old man, that instead of abandoning the government of his dominions to two or three wretched Hindoos, capable of nothing but of enriching themselves, and instead of leaving the troops, with the gentry and nobility to starve, ready to come to an open revolt; he had better recommend his affairs to his own son-in-law, who by being admitted to the helm, as his Deputy, would bring no detriment to his affairs, which, on the contrary, would be now freed from all the embarrassments they had laboured under, and would leave him at full liberty to pass the remainder of his days in the pleasures of society and the Vansittart, who intended only to make Mir-cassem, Deputy to the Navvab, is obliged to render him absolute. enjoyments of life. The Navvab would not listen to any such reasoning; he remained obstinate; nor would he lend a willing ear to the insinuation of the English rulers. A deal of time was spent in messages and answers, and all to no purpose. At last the English Talingas approached the gate, and the cannon was got ready. At the noise they made the troops within the gate, where they had been assembled by the Navvab for his defence, took fright, and by one of these accidents which never arrive, but amongst those in whose hearts God himself has implanted a dread of those sorts of soldiers, as if to punish a sinful race in the inhabitants of these regions; they, one and all, under some pretence or other, slipt out of their posts one after another, and most of them repaired to their houses. Mr. Vansittart finding that even this desertion had made no impression upon the Navvab, could not help saying, “That since the man proved obstinate, and would listen to no sober advice, it was needless to wait for his consent; and that they had better proceed on the business of regulating the country, satisfying the soldiers, and easing the subjects.” This opinion having been assented to by all the rulers and officers who were with him, all of whom, to a man, were convinced of the justness of his observation; he directed Mir-cassem-qhan to take his seat on the Mesned of the three provinces, and from thence to issue his commands every­where. At the same time he got the gate opened, and driving away the few men that were there, he placed English Talingas on the several apartments for their safety, and a particular guard at the gate of the women’s sanctuary. After taking all those precautions, he sent for Mir-cassem-qhan, made him sit upon the Mesned of command and sovereignty, which was placed under a lofty canopy of rich embroidery; and after assisting at that ceremony, he retired to a distant apartment where he took some rest. This event happened on a Sunday, being the tenth of the first Reby, in the year of the Hegira 1174; and it carried A. D. 1761. Mir-cassem-qhan’s steps from the dignity of Deputy, which was all that was intended at first, as far as the absolute dominion over the three provinces, of which none had yet thought any thing. The military music struck at the same time; and the report of his accession to full power, rushing with equal swift­ness and eclat from house to house, most of those that waited at home to see what might happen that day, joined those favour­ites and friends of his who had already thronged the gates; and all together crowded upon him with their congratulations and nuzurs. Mr. Vansittart leaving Mr. Hushtin with some troops to guard the new Viceroy for two or three days, quietly returned to M8rad-bagh, but not without having sent a message to the discarded Prince, whom he informed in the following terms: “That if he chose to reside in M8rsh8d-abad, none would pre­sume to offer him any injury; and that he was at liberty to choose what palace, and what spot he would be pleased to pitch upon. That else, if he chose to quit this city, and to reside in Calcutta, he might even there choose whatever habitation he would be pleased with.” The old man, who was retired within the sanctuary with his women and children, answered, that he would go to Calcutta; and he asked boats and accommodations for that voyage. These being provided in a little time, Mir-djaafer-qhan assembled leisurely those treasures, and those inestimable gems and jewels that had been hoarding up for ages together, by several ancient families and Princes, (such as Djaafer-qhan, his son-in-law, Shudjah-qhan, and his grand­son, Ser-efraz-qhan, to which hoard immense additions had been made afterwards by Aaly-verdy-qhan, and by his three sons-in-law, and lastly by Seradj-ed-döula.) All these had been hitherto kept in the sanctuary under the care of Menni alias Menni-begum, who from a dance-girl, had become his favourite consort, and acted in every thing as the mistress of the house. He ransacked in the same manner the several wardrobes, left by all those preced­ing Princes, from whence he took all those precious stuffs, and all those costly curiosities, which being so many miracles of art as well as luxury, had been amassed one by one by those ancient families, and were kept within the sanctuary out of the sight of mankind. In short, he carried away every thing precious or rich which he could recollect, or even think of, together with such of the ladies of the seraglio as had cohabited with him; he also embarked his children, which consisted in three or four little boys, and several daughters. All these being put on board, together with a number of servants of both sexes, he departed for Calcutta, being all along escorted for the safety of his person, by some companies of English Talingas, who accompanied him to the very gates of that city, which is now a place of an immense wealth and populousness, and the capital of those extensive dominions which the English have acquired in India. Arrived there, he purchased in the most populous part of the city, and near the market-place, a spot of ground, whereon he raised several buildings according to his own mind and taste. It was remarked, that of all his friends, none had chosen to follow him in order to keep him company, but Gh8lam-aaly-beg, who gave him that proof of attachment; but in reality he had no other corner to which he could resort.