declare and join their forces; when Clive advanced they hefitated; a council of war decided against making an attack with the English force alone; after this, Jaffier fent word that he had fworn to Serajah Dowla on the Koran not to fight against them, therefore he could not affift him, but would not act against the English; Clive determined to attempt it, and with his small army obtained a complete victory.

When Clive fettled the treaty with Meer Jaffer, and invested him with the dignity of Soubah as a reward for his treachery to Serajah Dowla, the ability and decifion of Clive were manifested in obtaining his con fent to certain conditions under which the Company could enjoy all its former privileges, and a farther fecurity fuited to the unfettled ftate of the provinces; Clive was then obliged to negociate and even purchafe from Meer Jaffier conceffions which would have baffled all his fuccefs if they had been made original conditions. his return to Europe, among other charges, a loan of £.25,000 to Meer Jaffer was adduced, which he justified in the follow

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ing words: "The real fact is, (if I may be fupposed to know it, who then presided over the Company's affairs in Bengal,) by the ninth article of the treaty with the Nabob, the Company's poffeffions would have been of little confequence to them unless we were allowed to put not only our own conftruction on the words of the article, but alfo to have an additional quantity of land to the northward, to the amount of near £.12,000 per annum : in order to accomplish this, we not only were obliged to comply with the Nabob's request, made at that particular time, but alfo to make presents to feveral of the principal officers about him to engage his confent to this grant, which he was not bound to make by treaty. I believe the Directors know very well, if not, I am fure the Governor and Council are well apprized of what confequence it was to the Company to obtain the lands north of Calcutta. I will venture to affirm, had the Nabob defired a loan of money at any other time but this, his request would not have been complied

.

* Clive's Letter to the Proprietors, 1764, p. 26.

with. The unfortunate Meer faffier was a ftranger to diftrefs until I had left the country; it was when the King's son and a large body of Mahrattahs invaded and ravaged his country for a twelvemonth together, and had ftopt the receipt of great part of his revenues; it was then the Nabob began, for the first time, to experience the misfortune of diftrefs; yet it was not fo great, but his fucceffor was able immediately to beftow on the Company eight lacks, to carry on the war on the coaft of Coromandel."

There can be very little doubt but Meer Jaffer intended to be in fact the Scubah, independant of the Mogul, by the aid of the English. Governor Holwell certainly had not disguised his opinion, that the Company ought to be Soubah, in one of his letters to Colonel Caillaud, dated June 14, 1760*. “ Had it ever been my wish or intention to have taken our fupport from the prefent Nabob, and transfer it to another, your arguments in that cafe would

* Holwell's India Tracts, p. 51.

have all the weight with me they fo greatly merit; but I think on the representations in mine to you, and the copy of mine to Mr. Amyat, you will fee that it was not my aim, for I concur minutely with your objections to fuch a step, and am clear we fhould not mend our fituation by a revolution in favour of any other, who would, you truely obferve, prove as bad as the prefent, and probably worse; but my views for the Company went much higher.That the country will never be in a settled peaceful state, while this family is at the head, is a position I lay down as incontef tible; and that, until the country enjoys that ftate, the Company's affairs must be daily approaching to certain ruin: I therefore judge we could never be poffeffed of a more favourable opportunity to carry into execution, what must be done, I plainly fee, one time or other, (if the Company have ever a fecure footing in the provinces), to wit, take this country into their own hands; limiting ourselves to the province of Bengal only, or extending our views to those of Bahar and Orixa, as on future debate might be thought most eligi

ble. The fituation of the Prince (Mogul), at prefent, is fuch, that I am fure he would readily and heartily hearken to any overture from us; and, without hesitation, grant a Phirmaund, appointing the Company perpetual Soubahs of the country; his two Phirmaunds to me, as I before advifed you, offered a Carte Blanche for the Company, and I dare fay the one to you was of the fame tenor."

Without entering into the conteft of the parties of that day, it is evident that treaties, or reports of treaties alarmed the Governor of Calcutta; that the retreat of Abdallah before the Vizir encouraged Meer Jaffer to feek the aid of 30,000 Mahrattabs, at that time, affembled in two bodies; the one in Cattack, and the other at Sitanagur; and the affiftance of the Vizir, to drive Shah Zadda from the provinces; it was determined to remove Meer Jaffier: when obliged to abdicate, he faid "that he was betrayed; that the English were guilty of perjury and breach of faith; that he

* Letter of Mr. Haftings, June 1760.