even the military establishment should long continue exempt from the vices which pervaded every other part of the government. Rapacity, luxury, and the spirit of insubordination spread from the civil service to the officers of the army, and from the officers to the soldiers. The evil continued to grow till every mess-room became the seat of conspiracy and cabal, and till the sepoys could be kept in order only by wholesale executions.

laws of the Company, there can be no ballot except on a requisition signed by nine proprietors; and, though hundreds were present, nine persons could not be found to set their hands to such a requisition.

Clive was in consequence nominated Governor and Commander-in-chief of the British possessions in Bengal. But he adhered to his declaration, and refused to enter on his office till the event of the next election of Directors should be known. The contest was obstinate; but Clive triumphed. Sulivan, lately absolute master of the India House, was within a vote of losing his own seat; and both the chairman and the deputy-chairman were friends of the new governor.

whole machine of government even more fearfully disorganized than he had anticipated. Meer Jaffier, who had some time before lost his eldest son Meeran, had died while Clive was on his voyage out. The English functionaries at Calcutta had already received from home strict orders not to accept presents from the native princes. But, eager for gain, and unaccustomed to respect the commands of their distant, ignorant, and negligent masters, they again set up the throne of Bengal to sale. About one

At length the state of things in Bengal began to excite uneasiness at home. A succession of revolutions; a disorganized administration; the natives pillaged, yet the Company not enriched; every fleet bringing back fortunate adventurers who were able to purchase manors and to build stately Such were the circumstances under dwellings, yet bringing back also alarm-which Lord Clive sailed for the third ing accounts of the financial prospects and last time to India. In May, 1765, of the government; war on the fron- he reached Calcutta; and he found the tiers; disaffection in the army; the national character disgraced by excesses resembling those of Verres and Pizarro; such was the spectacle which dismayed those who were conversant with Indian affairs. The general cry was that Clive, and Clive alone, could save the empire which he had founded. This feeling manifested itself in the strongest manner at a very full General Court of Proprietors. Men of all parties, forgetting their feuds and trembling for their dividends, exclaimed that Clive was the man whom the crisis required, that the oppressive pro-hundred and forty thousand pounds ceedings which had been adopted re- sterling was distributed among nine specting his estate ought to be dropped, of the most powerful servants of the and that he ought to be entreated to Company; and, in consideration of return to India. this bribe, an infant son of the deClive rose. As to his estate, he said, ceased Nabob was placed on the seat he would make such propositions to of his father. The news of the ignothe Directors, as would, he trusted, minious bargain met Clive on his lead to an amicable settlement. But arrival. In a private letter, written there was a still greater difficulty. It immediately after his landing, to an was proper to tell them that he never intimate friend, he poured out his feelwould undertake the government of ings in language, which, proceeding Bengal while his enemy Sulivan was from a man so daring, so resolute, and chairman of the Company. The tu- so little given to theatrical display of mult was violent. Sulivan could scarcely sentiment, seems to us singularly obtain a hearing. An overwhelming touching. "Alas!" he says, "how is majority of the assembly was on Clive's the English name sunk! I could not side. Sulivan wished to try the result avoid paying the tribute of a few tears of a ballot. But, according to the by-to the departed and lost fame of the

British nation--irrecoverably so, I fear. | success seemed hopeless; but soon all However, I do declare, by that great obstacles began to bend before that iron Being who is the searcher of all hearts, and to whom we must be accountable if there be a hereafter, that I am come out with a mind superior to all corruption, and that I am determined to destroy these great and growing evils, or perish in the attempt."

Company adhered to the old system, | pany's servants. But every discerning paid low salaries, and connived at the and impartial judge will admit, that indirect gains of the agents. The pay there was really nothing in common of a member of Council was only three between the system which he set up hundred pounds a year. Yet it was and that which he was sent to destroy. notorious that such a functionary could The monopoly of salt had been a source not live in India for less than ten times of revenue to the governments of India that sum; and it could not be expected before Clive was born. It continued to that he would be content to live even be so long after his death. The civil handsomely in India without laying up servants were clearly entitled to a mainsomething against the time of his re- tenance out of the revenue; and all turn to England. This system, before that Clive did was to charge a partithe conquest of Bengal, might affect the cular portion of the revenue with their amount of the dividends payable to the maintenance. He thus, while he put proprietors, but could do little harm in an end to the practices by which giany other way. But the Company was gantic fortunes had been rapidly accunow a ruling body. Its servants might mulated, gave to every British funcstill be called factors, junior merchants, tionary employed in the East the means senior merchants. But they were in of slowly, but surely, acquiring a comtruth proconsuls, proprætors, procura-petence. Yet, such is the injustice of tors of extensive regions. They had mankind, that none of those acts which immense power. Their regular pay are the real stains of his life has drawn was universally admitted to be insuffi- on him so much obloquy as this meacient. They were, by the ancient usage sure, which was in truth a reform neof the service, and by the implied per-cessary to the success of all his other mission of their employers, warranted in reforms. enriching themselves by indirect means; He had quelled the opposition of the and this had been the origin of the fright-civil service: that of the army was more ful oppression and corruption which had formidable. Some of the retrenchments desolated Bengal. Clive saw clearly that which had been ordered by the Direcit was absurd to give men power, and to tors affected the interests of the military require them to live in penury. He service; and a storm arose, such as justly concluded that no reform could even Cæsar would not willingly have be effectual which should not be coupled faced. It was no light thing to encounwith a plan for liberally remunerating ter the resistance of those who held the the civil servants of the Company. The power of the sword, in a country goDirectors, he knew, were not disposed verned only by the sword. Two hunto sanction any increase of the salaries dred English officers engaged in a conout of their own treasury. The only spiracy against the government, and course which remained open to the go-determined to resign their commissions vernor was one which exposed him to on the same day, not doubting that much misrepresentation, but which we Clive would grant any terms rather than think him fully justified in adopting. see the army, on which alone the British He appropriated to the support of the empire in the East rested, left without service the monopoly of salt, which has commanders. They little knew the unformed, down to our own time, a prin- conquerable spirit with which they had cipal head of Indian revenue; and he to deal. Clive had still a few officers divided the proceeds according to a round his person on whom he could scale which seems to have been not un- rely. He sent to Fort St. George for reasonably fixed. He was in conse-a fresh supply. He gave commissions quence accused by his enemies, and has even to mercantile agents who were been accused by historians, of disobey-disposed to support him at this crisis; ing his instructions, of violating his and he sent orders that every officer who promises, of authorising that very abuse resigned should be instantly brought up which it was his special mission to de- to Calcutta. The conspirators found stroy, namely, the trade of the Com- that they had miscalculated. The go

vernor was inexorable. The troops India, the warlike strangers at length

found it expedient to give to a domination which had been established by arms the sanction of law and ancient prescription. Theodoric thought it politic to obtain from the distant court of Byzantium a commission appointing him ruler of Italy; and Clive, in the same manner, applied to the Court of Delhi for a formal grant of the powers of which he already possessed the re

were steady. The sepoys, over whom Clive had always possessed extraordinary influence, stood by him with unshaken fidelity. The leaders in the plot were arrested, tried, and cashiered. The rest, humbled and dispirited, begged to be permitted to withdraw their re signations. Many of them declared their repentance even with tears. The younger offenders Clive treated with lenity. To the ringleaders he was in-ality. The Mogul was absolutely helpflexibly severe; but his severity was less; and, though he murmured, had pure from all taint of private malevo- reason to be well pleased that the Enlence. While he sternly upheld the glish were disposed to give solid rupees, just authority of his office, he passed by which he never could have extorted personal insults and injuries with mag- from them, in exchange for a few Pernanimous disdain. One of the conspira-sian characters which cost him nothing. tors was accused of having planned the assassination of the governor; but Clive would not listen to the charge. "The officers," he said, " are Englishmen, not

assassins."

While he reformed the civil service and established his authority over the army, he was equally successful in his foreign policy. His landing on Indian ground was the signal for immediate peace. The Nabob of Oude, with a large army, lay at that time on the frontier of Bahar. He had been joined by many Afghans and Mahrattas, and there was no small reason to expect a general coalition of all the native powers against the English. But the name of Clive quelled in an instant all opposition. The enemy implored peace in the humblest language, and submitted to such terms as the new governor chose to dictate.

A bargain was speedily struck; and the titular sovereign of Hindostan issued a warrant, empowering the Company to collect and administer the revenues of Bengal, Orissa, and Bahar.

There was still a Nabob, who stood to the British authorities in the same relation in which the last drivelling Chilperics and Childerics of the Merovingian line stood to their able and vigorous Mayors of the Palace, to Charles Martel and to Pepin. At one time Clive had almost made up his mind to discard this phantom altogether; but he afterwards thought that it might be convenient still to use the name of the Nabob, particularly in dealings with other European nations. The French, the Dutch, and the Danes, would, he conceived, submit far more readily to the authority of the native Prince, whom they had always been At the same time, the Government of accustomed to respect, than to that of Bengal was placed on a new footing. a rival trading corporation. This poThe power of the English in that licy may, at that time, have been judiprovince had hitherto been altogether cious. But the pretence was soon found undefined. It was unknown to the to be too flimsy to impose on any body; ancient constitution of the empire, and and it was altogether laid aside. The it had been ascertained by no compact. heir of Meer Jaffier still resides at MoorIt resembled the power which, in the shedabad, the ancient capital of his last decrepitude of the Western Em-house, still bears the title of Nabob, is pire, was exercised over Italy by the great chiefs of foreign mercenaries, the Ricimers and the Odoacers, who put up and pulled down at their pleasure a succession of insignificant princes, dignified with the names of Cæsar and Augustus. But as in Italy, so in

still accosted by the English as "Your Highness," and is still suffered to retain a portion of the regal state which surrounded his ancestors. A pension of a hundred and sixty thousand pounds a year is annually paid to him by the government. His carriage is surrounded

by guards, and preceded by attendants with silver maces. His person and his dwelling are exempted from the ordinary authority of the ministers of justice. But he has not the smallest share of political power, and is, in fact, only a noble and wealthy subject of the Company.

-diers invalided in their service. The fund which still bears his name owes its origin to this princely donation.

After a stay of eighteen months, the state of his health made it necessary for him to return to Europe. At the close of January, 1767, he quitted for the last time the country, on whose destinies he had exercised so mighty an influence.

It would have been easy for Clive, during his second administration in Bengal, to accumulate riches such as His second return from Bengal was no subject in Europe possessed. He not, like his first, greeted by the acclamight indeed, without subjecting the mations of his countrymen. Numerous rich inhabitants of the province to any causes were already at work which empressure beyond that to which their bittered the remaining years of his life, mildest rulers had accustomed them, and hurried him to an untimely grave. have received presents to the amount of His old enemies at the India House three hundred thousand pounds a year. were still powerful and active; and they The neighbouring princes would gladly had been reinforced by a large band of have paid any price for his favour. allies whose violence far exceeded their But he appears to have strictly adhered own. The whole crew of pilferers and to the rules which he had laid down oppressors from whom he had rescued for the guidance of others. The Rajah Bengal persecuted him with the implaof Benares offered him diamonds of cable rancour which belongs to such great value. The Nabob of Oude abject natures. Many of them even pressed him to accept a large sum of invested their property in India stock, money and a casket of costly jewels. merely that they might be better able Clive courteously, but peremptorily re- to annoy the man whose firmness had fused; and it should be observed that set bounds to their rapacity. Lying he made no merit of his refusal, and newspapers were set up for no purpose that the facts did not come to light but to abuse him; and the temper of till after his death. He kept an exact the public mind was then such, that account of his salary, of his share of these arts, which under ordinary cirthe profits accruing from the trade in cumstances would have been ineffectual salt, and of those presents which, ac-against truth and merit, produced an cording to the fashion of the East, it extraordinary impression. I would be churlish to refuse. Out of the sum arising from these resources, he defrayed the expenses of his situation. The surplus he divided among a few attached friends who had accompanied him to India. He always boasted, and, as far as we can judge, he boasted with truth, that his last administration | sent at an early age to the East; and diminished instead of increasing his fortune.

One large sum indeed he accepted. Meer Jaffier had left him by will above. sixty thousand pounds sterling in specie and jewels and the rules which had been recently laid down extended only to presents from the living, and did not affect legacies from the dead. Clive took the money, but not for himself. He made the whole over to the Company, in trust for officers and sol

The great events which had taken place in India had called into existence a new class of Englishmen, to whom their countrymen gave the name of Nabobs. These persons had generally sprung from families neither ancient nor opulent; they had generally been

they had there acquired large fortunes, which they had brought back to their native land. It was natural that, not having had much opportunity of mixing with the best society, they should ex hibit some of the awkwardness and some of the pomposity of upstarts. It was natural that, during their sojourn in Asia, they should have acquired some tastes and habits surprising, if not disgusting, to persons who never had quitted Europe. It was natural that, hav