POLICY OF GODEHEU. 437 But this was not all. The new Governor seemed chap. x determined to sacrifice not only the territories acquired , by Dupleix, but even the honour of France to the one 1154 great object of making peace with England. So trans- parent was this intention, so patent to all, that it produced in the French settlement and in the French army, a discouragement and a despondency fatal to the life of a people. It is not too much to affirm that, had Governor Saunders himself been appointed successor to Dupleix he could not have more effectually injured French interests than did this nominee of the French Direction and the French Crown. He began by changing the superior command of the army. Main- ville having been recommended by Dupleix as the most capable officer, as the man of all others the most acceptable to his native allies, Gocleheu took an early opportunity of superseding him, appointing in his stead M. de Maissin, — a man remarkable for his little capa- city and his want of resolution. Not the less, however, did he suit the purposes of Godeheu. It would not be credited were there not evidence to prove it,* that, at a moment when the English garrison at Trichinapalli was sorely pressed by famine ; when the French army had only to hold the position at the Five Hocks and the dependent posts to prevent the possibility of the ingress of any convoy ; Godeheu instructed his new general to connive at its re-victualment, to offer no real obstacle to the retention by the English of that all-important city. As at this time, as before, the result of the nego- tiations with the English still depended on the fortunes of the campaign, we can easily conceive how the interests of France suffered in the hands of her repre- sentative. To that campaign we purpose now to refer. Mainville made over the command of the French army to Maissin on August 16, 1754. It had long
- Mainville's Report, " Letter from Agent at Pondichery." Vide also
the Dalwai of Maisur, to his Orme.
