English, that on account of the perfidious character of that prince, no peace could be permanent with him, unless he were deprived of the means to injure. It, was, therefore, resolved to dethrone him, and to substitute another in his stead. This idea, which was first started by Colonel Clive, was readily adopted, and hostilities commenced, which terminated in the soubah's ruin, he being totally defeated by Colonel Clive at the battle of Plassey 1757. Next day, the conqueror entered Muxadabad, in triumph, and placed Jaffier Ally Cawn, one of the principal generals, on the throne; the deposed soubah was soon after taken, and put to death by Jaffier's son. Admiral Watson died at Calcutta, but Colonel Clive commanded in Bengal, the two succeeding years; he was honoured by the Mogul, with the dignity of an Ormah of the empire, and was rewarded by the new Soubah, with a grant of land, producing about 120,000 dollars annually.

In 1760, he returned to England, where he received the unanimous thanks of the Company, was elected member of parliament, and raised to an Irish peerage, by the title of Lord Clive, baron of Plassey. In 1764, fresh disturbances occurring in Bengal, he was sent as the only man qualified to settle them, being again appointed to that presidency, and honoured with the order of the bath, and the rank of majorgeneral. When he arrived in India, he exceeded the most sanguine expectations, in restoring tranquillity to the province, without striking a blow, and fixed the highest ideas of the British power, in the minds of the natives. He returned to England in 1767, and, on the 21st February 1773, when a motion was made, in the British parliament, to resolve," that in the acquisition of his wealth, Lord Clive had exceeded the powers entrusted to him;" he delivered, in a long speech, a justification of his conduct. The house soon after rejected the motion and resolved,

"that, Lord Clive had rendered great and meritorious services to his country."

Soon after this period, however, he was again af fected with that most dreadful of all disorders insanity, and watching the opportunity of his keeper's absence, put an end to his own life, Nov. 22d 1774, affording a most striking instance of the inefficiency of wealth or external honours to confer happiness.

Whoever contemplates the forlorn situation of the British East India Company, at the time, when Lord Clive first arrived at Calcutta, in the year 1756, and then considers the degree of opulence and power they possessed, when he finally left that place in the year 1767, will be convinced, that the history of the world has seldom afforded an instance of so rapid and improbable a change. At the first period, they were merely an association of merchants struggling for existence; at the last period, they were become powerful princes, possessed of vast revenues, and ruling over fifteen millions of people. In short, he was alike great in the cabinet and the field.

But however brilliant his military career, this nobleman has, by no means, a just claim to indiscriminate and lavish panegyric; for, notwithstanding that he was an affectionate son, a good father, and an excellent friend, his name illustrious, as it undoubtedly is, will be handed down to posterity with a long list of Indian delinquents, who, dazzled by gold, and commanding that powerful engine, military power, have converted public authority to private emolument, and levied immense sums, on the hopes or fears of the natives, under the specious name of voluntary presents.

We are well aware, that it is too much the fashion of the present day, to place great public services as a set-off against offence, but such a conduct is neither calculated to produce good effects on posterity, nor is it compatible with the impartiality of the biogra pher; for however delightful, it may be to hand down

to posterity, the names of good men, as ornaments of human nature, and public blessings, yet there should be some provision for notoriously bad men, the plagues and curses of their species. This, though a less pleasing, is a necessary task, as it may be some restraint on such men, in the fullness of power, to recollect, that a time would come, when their oppressions and enormities might be delineated without fear, and rendered objects of everlasting detestation. We shall, therefore, without farther apology, mention some of the grievous charges, which we think were fully substantiated against Clive. First, by fraud or by violence, and, in consequence of the deposition of Rajah Dowlah, he became possessed of more than 20 lacks of rupees, nearly amounting to 1,110,000 dollars. Secondly, by a monopoly of salt, tobacco and betel nut, equally unwarrantable and pernicious, he secured a prodigious profit on these necessaries of life, to the extreme distress of many thousand miserable natives. Thirdly, by menaces and violence, he compelled Admiral Watson, to sign an iniquitous treaty, for which the Admiral never forgave the general, or himself.

These charges it is true, Lord Clive attempted to answer; but a perusal of his defence, has only served to establish a conviction of his guilt. How then, it may be asked, did he, if guilty, get clear of the attack that was made against him, in the British parliament ? The answer is easy. The opinion, which, Cicero says, was entertained of the ancient Romans, may with equal propriety, be now applied to Great-Britain and other modern nations. "An opinion" says he, highly injurious to ourselves and the commonwealth has been long established, not only at Rome, but also amongst foreign nations, that no man possessed of immense wealth, can be condemned, even though his guilt be evidently apparent."

Vol. II. No. 9.

H

3

CLOOTZ, (JEAN BAPTISTE) was born at Cleves in Prussia, but with respect to the precise time of his birth we are uncertain. He was of noble extraction, and is said to have had a considerable estate. After having travelled through many countries of Europe, he at last directed his way to Paris, where, at the commencement of the French Revolution, he published a number of letters in the News-papers, under the signature of Clootz the Prussian. He afterwards took the name of Anacharsis, from the Scythian philosopher, though he had been christened Jean Baptiste; and lastly, superadded the title of Orator of the human race.

Under this ludicrous title, and by the recommendations of some writings, which might have passed for the effusions of a bedlamite, he attracted the notice of the Parisians. He, at the same time, began to be a noisy member of the Jacobin club, and was said to be the agent of similar societies forming

in Prussia.

Clootz still continued to write, to make speeches at the Jacobins, and to appear occasionally in the assembly. He was amongst the first republicans, and when the declaration of war against the emperor was in agitation, sent a letter to the legislative assembly, requesting leave to present his ideas at the bar, and assuring them, that the permission would be no loss to the assembly or to the world at large. This letter, the brevity of which was the only compensation for its absurdity, was dated "The capital of the globe, in the third year of liberty" and signed Anacharsis Clootz, orator of the human race." He attended the assembly the next day, and made a speech of two hours, which was not inferior, in absurdity, to his letter, and contained, amongst other matter, many severe reflections against the different princes of Europe. It was, however, highly applauded by the assembly and the galleries, and graciously answered by the President.

On the 21st April, 1792, war being declared, and the Jacobin ministry appointed, he again appeared at the bar, and delivered another harangue, in which was the following observations: "God is powerful and asserts his will-We are powerful and assert ours -Freemen are the Gods of the earth." At the end of his speech, he offered a copy of his book called "La republique universelle" and twelve thousand livres (2331 dollars.) This patriotic donation procured him the honours of the sitting and mention in the bulletin.

In this book, he appears a great advocate for one common language, the French, and seems so well convinced of the necessity of one universal government, that he deems two suns above one horison, or a pair of Gods in heaven not more absurd, than two nations upon earth! He accordingly proposed, that so soon as France should have conquered all her enemies, every nation should send its representatives to Paris; he had even allotted the different countries into departments. England was to be called Departement de la Tamise.

Soon after the overthrow of royalty, August 10th 1793, he once more made his appearance at the bar of the assembly, and proposed to raise a legion of Prussians to march to the frontiers, which should be called Legion Vandale: his military project was accordingly decreed. His popularity indicated him as a very proper person to receive the honour of naturalization, which was accordingly conferred on him together with Paine, M'Intosh and others.

It is not certain, whether he personally took any share in the massacre of the prisoners which took place the 2d and 3d of September, but he was a constant approver and defender of them. About this time he was elected a member of the convention for the departement de l'Oise, and was a strenuous mountaineer. On the king's trial he voted against the appeal to the