i and j, u and v, &c., and have inserted punctuation marks when necessary for the sense. I have also inserted within square brackets suggested letters or words where the MS. is torn The value of this correspondence lies in the fact that it presents a vivid picture of the life led by Anglo-Indians in Bengal in the seventeenth century, and it is possible to obtain from the letters for a decade of that century an intimate knowledge of the members of the little English communities, their rivalries and animosities, their mode of living, and their endeavours to shake the pagoda tree. No other such series of letters exists, to my knowledge, and consequently all students of AngloIndian history owe a debt of gratitude to Streynsham Master, while Governor of Fort St. George (1678-81), for their preservation. Edwards's death occurred while the Governor was making a tour of inspection in Bengal, and he at once ordered all his papers to be collected and placed under lock and key at Balasor, whence a portion of them eventually found their way to England. RICHARD EDWARDS c. 1646-79. Or the parentage and early life of Richard Edwards little has been discovered. He was the youngest son of Thomas Edwards, who died before 1664, leaving three sons and at least four daughters. The few details of the family that have come to light are found in the will of the eldest son, Thomas Edwards junior. From this we learn that in 1664 Richard Edwards was a minor, that 501. had already been spent on his apprenticeship, and that the balance of 500l. bequeathed to him by his father was to come to him at the age of 21. In 1664 the testator is described as of the Inner Temple, London," and in 1667, when he became security for his brother Richard, as of Kingston, Surrey." The second son Joseph was apparently of age in 1664, as he was appointed one of the executors to his brother's will, and was to receive possession of certain lands devised him by his father in Flint and Denbigh. Joseph Edwards outlived Thomas, whose will was proved on April 18, 1672. 66 Three of the sisters of Richard Edwards married respectively Robert Holt, William Street, and Christopher Tomlinson. Abigail was unmarried at the date of her brother Thomas's will. It would seem that Richard Edwards entered the East India Company's service on attaining his majority, and that he invested part of his patrimony in goods accounted suitable for the Indian market. His career while in the Company's service (1667-79) is briefly as follows. On Oct. 18, 1667, he was elected a writer at a salary of 101. per annum, his brother Thomas being one of his securities in 5007. In December a passage was ordered for him in the Blackamore, commanded by Capt. Price. In this vessel sailed John Smith and John Vickers, both also newly elected servants of the Company. Madras was reached on Sept. 8, 1668, and those writersdestined for Bengal, among whom was Edwards, were almost immediately sent on to Balasor. In 1668 the factories in Bengal were managed by a Council residing either at Balasor or Hugli, and subordinate to the agency at Fort St. George, Madras. The Company's ships anchored off the port of Balasor, whence their cargoes were conveyed up the Hugli to the town of that name by country ships," since few of the English commanders could be induced to face the perils of "the braces and the unknown dangers of the river. Besides the two chief factories of Balasor and Hugli, there were smaller factories at Kasimbazar, Patna, and Dacca, in each of which was a Chief," a Second," and sometimes a Third," with one or two juniors as assistants. 66 After spending a few months in Balasor,. Edwards was transferred to Kāsimbāzār, the Company's silk depot. Here he and Thomas Jones, young men and inexperienced in the country," were, for a time, the only officials in residence. Edwards's conduct earned him the commendation of John March, his superior, and in consequence his salary was doubled by the Court of Committees. Beyond the statement that he was acting as "Third" (or warehouse-keeper) at Kasimbāzār, there is no further official notice of Edwards until October, 1674, when he became involved in a scandal with a nativewoman. Relations were already extremely strained between the English and the local governor on account of the death of Raghu,. a native cash-keeper, whose end was said to have been accelerated by a punishment inflicted by Matthias Vincent, Chief of Kasimbāzār factory. In consequence, the Council at Balasor were anxious, at all costs, to avoid further friction, and on receipt of the news of Edwards's backsliding they wroteas follows: "Wee are sorry to reade of the unhappy Accident that hath befalen Mr. Edwards, and Considering the ill Custome of late practised against Christian Strangers, we should have been glad that You had taken up that business for him,though it had been for rs. 1000, fearing besides the future trouble wee may have, that wenever Accordingly, on Dec. 6, 1676, Edwards wrote to Kasimbāzār giving an Accompt of Maulda, the Scituation and Trade thereof." This account was drawn up in a concise and businesslike way, and the report was so satisfactory that it led to the establishment of a centre of trade at Mālda. It was probably to the commercial acumen then displayed that Edwards owed his promotion in the following year. flight, and Bugden made his complaint 66 66 In August, Streynsham Master, who had succeeded to the post of Agent and Governor of Fort St. George, paid a second visit of inspection to the Bay. He arrived at Balasor on the 20th, and immediately set to work to examine Edwards's books. These were found to be "behind hand in great disorder and confusion," and such gross. Errours to the prejudice of the Honble. Company as we presume cannot be paraleld in any place.' Excuses were of no avail, but, having reprimanded the culprit, the capable administrator proceeded to give directions "how to rectifie the accounts, 66 that soe they being once put into a Method and order to be understood, you may keep up with them accordingly.' Previous to his visit to Malda, he had served his time as writer and factor, and The instructions for the ordering and had "sealed new Indentures as a mer-methodizing the Companys business and the chant, one of his securities being his brother-punishments to be imposed upon failure in-law Christopher Tomlinson. He now re- therein " were clear and minute, and the ceived the munificent salary of 30l. per annum. In June, 1677, he was appointed "" Second (or accountant) at Balasor, but was detained for some time at Kāsimbāzār, awaiting the arrival of Edward Knipe to supply his place. In September an urgent summons came from Huglī, the head factory, requiring Edwards to be sent immediately to take up his new post ("where the many deaths from an epidemic then raging_had "Richard Edwards disownes to have any Cash "made him necessary"), and Edmund Bug-in his hands, and they having demanded of him den, whom he succeeded, was ordered to where it is or how disposed of, he returned this threat of the loss of a quarter's salary, with give him " all the light " he could regarding answear-that by reason of his indisposition, accounts at Balasor. This " light must have been very imperfect, judging by Edwards's failure as a bookkeeper. For some time Edwards continued to carry out his new duties more or less successfully, but in December, 1678, he incurred the anger of his superiors, and was sharply reprimanded by Matthias Vincent, then head of affairs in Bengal. John Smith (who had been dismissed the Company's service in disgrace), Edmund Bugden, and Edwards had all been concerned in a cargo of goods and the ship that carried it. Smith was anxious to escape from Bengal, and Edwards connived at the sale of the vessel without Bugden's concurrence. Smith effected his On Nov. 17 the Governor, Streynsham to see the Company fully righted out of what he Master, wrote to the Council at Hugli : "I am sorry for the death of Mr. Richard Edwards, and by the letter thence of the 4th, signed by himselfe, fear the Honble. Companys cash will fall short, for it is not likely, as indisposed as he was, that above 8000 Rs. could be wanting and he or they that signed with him not know what become of it, espetially considering that when I was there, myselfe with Mr. Mohun examined the Accompt cash and the cash in the chest, and found the mony in the chest to be something more then there should be by the Ballance of the Accompt; and since that, there has been two months Accompts of cash duly sent thence, so that this I suppose can be noe new errour as is implyed in the letter of the 4th. But Mr. Byam and Mr. Sheppard have done very prudently to clear themselves by writeing that letter whilst Mr. Edwards lived." On the 28th Master wrote again, directing that an inventory should be taken of Edwards's effects, but if there were not sufficient time to do this before the departure of the ships for England, then, "before some sufficient wittnesses, to open all his chambers, clossets, chests, Boxes, and scretores [escritoires, desks], that they may see what there is, and then lock and seale them up againe with severall seales, and take a view of his papers, if from thence they can collect where he hath any thing to satisfy the many demands that we now heare are made upon his estate." A month later, on Dec. 23, 1679, Master reached Balasor on his way back to Madras, and on the following day "the outcry, or publike sale, was made of Mr. Edwards his goods, which lasted from morning to night, and there was much left unsold, he having more lumber then any man has been knowne to have of his quality or standing; and there was monys found scattered amongst his papers and other things here and there, a little in silver and gold of severall countrys, which made it evident that he was a careless and a vaine man. The sale of his goods this day amounted unto Silver mony and plate Gold coyne, Buttons, &ca. Rs. 2049.15.00 1492.14.09 964.13.00 left behind him." But, since no further claims were made against the deceased, it is to be presumed that the sum produced by his effects covered his liabilities. strictures on Edwards, those who have the As to the fairness of Streynsham Master's patience to wade through his correspondence will be best able to judge. If he accumulated aboundance of lumber," he at the same time acquired a large circle of friends, and his kindly nature is evidenced throughout his intercourse with all whom he knew. From the outset of his life in India he seems to have been hampered by debt. He expected golden and quick returns for his investments, and contracted loans which and evidently escrippled his resources tranged him from his family. His love of to his position, his constant endeavours to fashionable clothes, his desire to live up his scanty salary-all this comes out in his find some profitable investment to eke out letters, and few will be found to disagree with Robert Freeman that his "well breeding and good disposition and Curtuous Cariage toward all men cannot but win All mens affections," whether of his own time or of the present day. 6 [Authorities.-' Court Minutes,' vols. 25a, 26; 'Letter Books,' vols. 4, 6; Factory Records: Hugli,' vols. 1, 4, 5, 7; Fort St. George,' vols. 16, 28; Kasimbazar,' vol. 1; Balasor, vol. 1; Miscellaneous,' vol. 3a; 'O. C.,' Nos. 3255, 3264, 3308a, 3765, 4142, 4676, 4678; 'Diaries of Streynsham Master,' ed. Temple, passim.] R. C. TEMPLE. (To be continued.) POEM BY M. P. H. LOYSON. (See 12 S. ii. 219.) Rs. 4507.10.09 IN the notice of The Fortnightly Review for Besides four horses, four chests copper and many September, the Editor of 'N. & Q.' comments other things remaining to be sold, all which it is upon Sir James G. Frazer's very free transsupposed will pay what he run out of the Com-lation of M. Loyson's concentrated and fiery lines." I have tried to make a more The horses and "other things," including metrically and literally close version, which some dear" (deer), were sent up to Hugli I venture to submit to the judgment of the and there sold, except his " unsound Ara- | Editor and readers of 'N. & Q.' panys cash.' bian horse," which fetched Rs. 50 at Balasor. "POUR UN CHIFFON DE PAPIER." Par Paul Hyacinthe Loyson. Pourquoi cette trombe enflammée Qui vient foudroyer l'univers ? Cet embrasement de l'enfer ? Ce tourbillonnement d'armées Par mille milliers de milliers? -C'est pour un chiffon de papier. is the title of a romance which was added to the Bodleian Library on Dec. 21, 1911.. Vol. iv. of Bibliotheca Britannica; or, A. General Index to British and Foreign Literature. By Robert Watt, M.D." (Edinburgh, 1824), records : "Zoriada.-1786. Z.; or the [sic] Village Annals; a Novel... Lond. Axtell, 3 vols. 12mo. 7s. 6d." There is no copy of it in the British Museum... There, however, one sees Zoraïde, ou annales d'un village, traduit de l'anglois. 3 tom. Londres, 1787": a fact which shows.. that it attracted some readers when it was a novelty. Having noted, since" The History of Two Orphans. By William Toldervy (London, 1756) came to the Bodleian Library, on Feb. 29, 1916, that the two works resemble each other in so many details that we may guess the later Zoriada,' to be also the work of Toldervy, probably published posthumously, I purpose in a subsequent article to tabulate some of them. Here I have enlisted 170 words from 'Zoriada' some of which did not find a place in 'The Oxford English Dictionary,' hereinafter signified by D., as in my note in N. & Q.,' 12 S.. i. 503. They may give a clue to the identity of the author. T. means Toldervy. AN ALPHABETICAL LIST OF 170 WORDS NOTED IN 'ZORIADA.' Acquiescing, ii. 147...., the moment Edmund had made his acquiescing bow, (D. not before 1842.) Adventuring, ii. 1. The adventuring hero of this formidable scene gave himself up for lost; (D. not 1796-1677.) All-conquering, iii. 101...., I am so close an imitator of this all-conquering East-Indian.. (D. 1667 only.) All-subduing, ii. 23....sharing my title and fortune with the all-subduing stranger; (D. illus▾ trates it not.) Argufy, i. 121...., or suppose we cannot see, because we cannot argufy? (D. 1751, 1771, 1800,.. 1865, 1876.) Armed chair, i. 37...., and the stranger was soon introduced into a dressing room, where, seated in an armed chair,...., was Mrs. Withers, (D. not 1795-1693.) Arrow, ii. 27...., lodged an arrow in the breast. of innocence. (D. not 1854-1751.) Attaching, i. 170.. every soft and attaching grace was lighted up in her countenance: (D. not before 1813.) Attracting, iii. 54....; your innocence, and good humour are most attracting, (The D. takes it from 1661, 1753, and 1790.) Band of music, ii. 98.. Zoriada consented to be of the party, and a band of music accompanied them. (In D. 1766 only.) Banditti, i. 63....., or to join hands with a banditti of which he was a member. (D. in this sense 1706, 1799, 1826 only.) Beams (Latter), i. 63. My heart revolted at the idea of life upon the latter beams; Beflounce, ii. 89.... ; her apron was beflounced; (In D. 1884 only.) Be-wild, i. 21. I ran like be-wild to ax her a few questions. (It may be a misprint for "bewildered,' which Toldervy uses in The Orphans,' i. 10. Or is it for " be-willed ?) Black Hole, i. 112...., this must be the black hole at Calcutta ; the savages, they once attempted to put her there. iii. 159 ; but, whether she had perished in the black hole, or fled with her husband,.. unknown; (Not in D. between 1816 and 1758. See N. & Q., 12 S. i. 108, 175, 379.) never ....was Blind side, iii. 3.... ; for he did so veigle, and so get on the blind side of me, (D. not 1884-1711.) Blouzed, iii. 143. when Martha, all blouzed and blown about, (D. not 1847-1766.) Blow up, i. 141...., and make a merit of blowing up his designs with his friends at the village. (D. not [III. 27] after 1742 in this sense.) Cf. i. 150.. .take care to lay your train with such judgment, as not to leave it in the power of either wisdom or accident to blow it up. Blowed, ii. 89....; her hair was blowed about her ears, Box away, iii. 3. .; whereas the good people of low degree can box away their anger. (D. has -"box it out.") Brace, ii. 45...., with a pendant flying at our stern, and a brace of horns. (D. has not this combination.) Break hands, i. 147...., and broke hands for ever with a brother he loved, to live in retirement (Not D. Mr. J. L. Glenn, a Rhodes Scholar of Exeter College, tells me that this expression survives in South Carolina, and, he believes, in the adjoining States of North America. I have heard that it was known lately in South Australia.) Busy, iii. 57....; and here are holes and caverns enough to busy them both. (D. not fully in this sense of " distract.") Calash, ii. 159...., and catching up a calash, which happened to be by her on the sopha, (D. gives specimens from 1774 and 1791.) Cast of features, iii. 51. but her features had so serious a cast. iii, 79. The captain returned to dinner, but with a cast of features, Mrs. Quinbrook was a stranger to. iii. 139..... would . amuse himself, with discovering from their cast of features, and turn of expression, (D. gives "cast of feature," 1816.) Cavee, i. 19....; I would have put in a cavee here, (for caveat.) Cherub, i. 43.... and providence having blessed us with two cherubs, a son and a daughter. (D. not 1814-1705.) Circulating library, ii. 92.. and read very many equally entertaining and instructive novels, which she obtained from a circulating library, in the town of Plymouth, (D. quotes it from 1775 and 1783 only.) Clap, ii. 121. Mrs. Withers was for clapping him in her arms. (D. not after 1450.) Cf. ii. 10. ....; for though he could have clapped his cloven foot behind, and passed himself off upon the lady, Concerts, ii. 36....; she told his lordship there would be a chasm in their village parties, and that they should greatly miss him in their concerts; (Not D. 1855-1768.) Confine, iii. 66. I will, replied Zoriada, write to him, and confine him for the security of our mutual happiness to comply with my request, (Not D. after 1742 in this sense of "compel, bind.") Conjuration, i. 15.. ; but when I think how like conjuration it is, to have no one clue to the who she is, i. 118... and lodge the whole conjuration, as she called it, before Mr. Crosby. i. 130....; with your plots and your conjurations, and your creepings, and your whisperings, iii. 36....of some great castle, full of unhappy women, drawn into your snares like the conjurations of former days, and, moreover, I do believe you are something of a conjuror, and bewitched us all. (In the first and the last instances it seems to be an ignorant person's way of saying conjurings." It occurs on p. 213 of vol. 2 of "The Life and Adventures of Sir Bartholomew Sapskull' (London: 1768.) The D. does not exemplify it adequately from the eighteenth century.) Consuming, ii. 57...., that I read the service of the church over the consuming pile, Correspondent, iii. 77....between two amiable, intelligent, and correspondent minds, (D. not 1798-1678 of p. 2 of vol. 2 of the said 'Sapskull.') Counterplot, ii. 72.... to endeavour to counterplot them, (D. not 1887-1711.) Creepings, i. 130.... ; with your plots and your whisperings,-open and above board is the conconjurations, and your creepings, and your duct for my money, (Cf. T. iii. 83. "This brought a watchman; but Copper, being more than a match for a couple of these sort of guard-men, he soon bestowed on this what Humphry called his creepings.' (The D. does not give it between 1840 and 1736.) Declaredly, ii. 105.... and he declaredly dreaded the period of their separation. ii. 155.... a contest motive. (Not D. 1844-1748.) that had revenge declaredly for its " Definish, i. 81.... to be able to definish their propensities; (The D. calls it "obsolete, rare and brings it only from Chaucer, whom T. quotes, iii. 159, 184; iv. 208.) Depository, i. 56...., the hermitage, the hallowed depository of the dead; ii. 49... we are now within sight of the depository of our wealth, (D. not 1840-1750. On the bookshop at 116 High Street, Oxford, there is this superscription: "Clarendon Press Depository." In vol. iii. 139 we find, "that this repository of the dead might have been set to Gray's pencil.") Diamond (Rough), iii. 139....there was not a good or a great character in existence, that he could not point out in the rough diamond around his demesne: (Not D. 1890-1700. Here it is used collectively.) Dinner patron, i. 132.. and the nephew of this Dinner patron of his, happening to come into the county for a few weeks at this period, (Where can we find another example of this term ?) Dire, iii. 127. The first use, said Zoriada, I will make of the dire riches I am mistress of, shall be to recompence my worthy friends.... |