❝ embarrassments attending the prosecution of it " to its desired end are considered The Nabob

was sons to the Begum, whom we were to pro

céed against; a son against a mother must at "least save appearances in his mode of proceeding. "The produce of his negotiation was to be re "ceived by the Company, Receiving a benefit, "accompanying the Nabob, withdrawing their protection, were circumstances sufficient to mark "the English as the principal movers in this business. At a Court, where no opportunity is lost to throw odium on us, so favourable an occasion "was not missed to persuade the Nabob that we "instigated him to dishonour his family for our "benefit. The impressions made by these sug Sugestions constantly retarded the progress and "more than once actually broke off the business; "which rendered the utmost caution on my part

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necessary, especially as I had no assistance to expect from the ministers, who could not openly move in the business. In the East, it is well "known, that no man, either by himself or his ❝troops, can enter the walls of a Zenana, scarcely "in the case of acting against an open enemy,

much less of an ally; an ally, acting against " his own mother. The outer walls, and the Be, "gum's agents, were all, that were liable to immé→ diate attack; they were dealt with, and success"fully, as the event proved "He hadi before *A* observed

observed to Mr. Hastings, in his correspondence, what Mr. Hastings well knew to be true," that "no further rigour than that he had exerted could *be used against females in that country; where "force could be employed it was not spared."That the place of concealment was only known "to the chief eunuchs, who could not be drawn "out of the women's apartments, where they had *taken refuge, and from which, if an attempt had "been made to storm them, they might escape; " and the secret of the money being known only "oto them, it was necessary to get their persons

into his hands, which could be obtained by negotiation only."-The Resident concluded his defence by declaring his "hope, that if the main object of his orders was fulfilled, he should be "no longer held criminal for a deviation from the "precise letter of them."

4

Its That the said Warren Hastings did enter a reply to this answer, in support of his criminal charge, continuing to insist," that his orders ought to have "been literally obeyed," although he did not deny that the above difficulties occurred, and the above consequences must have been the result; and though the reports of the military officers, charged with the execution of his commission, confirmed the moral impossibility, as well as inutility in point DOVILOXIL

of

of profit, of forcing a son to greater violence and rigour against his mother.

LXXXVIII.

That the said Hastings, after all the acts aforesaid, did presume to declare on record, in his Minute of the 23d September 1783, "that what

ever may happen of the events, which he dreads, "in the train of affairs now subsisting, he shall at "least receive this consolation under them, that "he used his utmost exertions to prevent them; "and that in the annals of the nations of India, "which have been subjected to the British do

minions, HE shall not be remembered among "their oppressors." And, speaking of certain alleged indignities offered to the Nabob of Oude, and certain alleged suspicions of his authority with regard to the management of his household, he the said Hastings did, in the said Minute, endeavour, to excite the spirit of the British nation, severely animadverting on such offences, making use of the

following terms: "If there be a spark of geneσε rous virtue in the breasts of any of my countrymen, who shall be the readers of this compila

tion, this letter [a letter of complaint from the Nabob] shall stand for an instrument to awaken "it to the call of vengeance against so flagitious "an abuse of authority, and reproach to the "British name.'

From

bue soaviary 1959)

From her Excellency the Bhow Begum to Mr. Bristow, Resident at the Vizier's Court.

THERE is no necessity to write to you by way of information a detail of my sufferings. From common report, and the intelligence of those, who are about you, the account of them will have reached your ears: I will here relate a part of them.'

"After the death of Suja Dowla, most of his ungrateful servants were constantly labouring to gratify their enmity; but finding from the firm and sincere friendship, which subsisted between me and the English, that the accomplishment of their purposes was frustrated, they formed the design of occasioning a breach in that alliance, to ensure their own success. I must acquaint you, that my son Asuf ul Dowla had formerly threatened to seize my Jaghire; but upon producing the treaty signed by you, and showing it to Mr. Middleton, he interfered, and prevented the impending evil.-The conspiration now framed an accusation against me of a conduct, which I never had conceived even in idea, of rendering assistance to Rajah Cheit Sing. The particulars are as follow:-my son Asuf ul Dowla and his ministers, with troops, and a train of artillery, accompanied by Mr. Middleton, on the 16th

G 2

bad,

16th of the month of Mohurum, arrived at Fizaad and made a demand of a crore of rupees. As my inability to pay so vast a sum was manifest, I produced the treaty you signed and gave me, but to no effect; their hearts were determined upon violence. I offered my son Asuf ul Dowla, whose will is dearer to me than all my riches, or even life itself, whatever money and goods I was possessed of; but an amicable adjustment seemed not worth accepting; he demanded the delivering up the fort, and the recall of the troops, that were stationed for the preserving the peace of the city. To me tumult and discord appeared unnecessary. I gave up these points, upon which they seized upon my head eunuchs, Jewar Ally Cawn and Behar Ally Cawn, and sent them to Mr. Middleton, after having obliged them to sign a bond for sixty lacks of rupees; they were thrown into prison, with fetters about their feet, and denied food and water. I, who had never even in my dreams ex'perienced such an oppression, gave up all I had to preserve my honour and dignity; but this would not satisfy their demands; they charged me with a rupee and a half batta upon each Mohur, and on this account laid claims upon me to the amount "of six lacks some thousand rupees, and sent Majór Gilpin to exact the payment. Major Gilpin, according to orders, at first was importunate; but being a man of experience, and of a benevolent Datoot disposition,