circumstances, at Dresden in 1813, and at Chatillon in 1814, to a similar resolution. He, too—to use the words of the English historian—'refused to sit on a degraded throne.' It was the one occasion throughout that long war on which Dupleix allowed his passions to master his reasoning powers. What if he had given way? Men of that stamp give way only to make a further step forward. Had he agreed to forego his own pretensions and to acknowledge Muhammad Alí, not only would he have received back all his soldiers, but an opportunity would have been granted him to employ his unrivalled powers of intrigue upon his whilom enemy. Who, that knows Asiatics, can doubt his success? It was certain that, sooner or later, and rather sooner than later, the relations between Muhammad Alí and the English, the obliged and the obliger, would become strained. Then, could he but remain quiet up to that time, nursing his resources, his chance would come. And it would have been a great chance. Some thought of this sort, doubtless, occurred to Dupleix. But his pride rejected it; and his pride went before his fall.
In consequence of the failure of the negotiations at Sadras, hostilities before Trichinopoli were renewed. Strange to relate, the first actions seemed to justify the obstinacy of Dupleix at the Congress. He, too, had his battle of Dresden. Acting in concert with Morárí Ráo, Mainville laid an ambush in force for a large convoy, escorted by the famous grenadiers who had borne the brunt of the battles of Lawrence, 184
