share of Meer Cossim's bounty; five lacs of rupees were appropriated to his personal use.
Such was the facility with which, in the early days of our Indian empire, thrones and principalities were transferred from one candidate to another by the Honourable Company's civil and military servants; who, whatever benefit was to be conferred on the Government or country by the change, never, at least, forgot their own private interests.
Money being the sole object of this revolution, Meer Cossim applied himself vigorously to the replenishment of his treasury, by squeezing what he could out of every one, high and low, that was subject to his authority. In this pleasing occupation he was interrupted by another incursion of the Emperor into the Bengal territory; but on the 13th of January, 1761, the latter was entirely defeated by the British army, under Major Carnac, at Patna; among the prisoners taken were Monsieur Law and his remnant of French followers.
It is altogether beyond our purpose, and at variance with our limits, in a work like the present, to detail at any length the troublesome and unhappy reign of Meer Cossim, who was in constant perplexity between his own subjects and the Company's Government – exacting all he could from the former, and disgorging as little as possible to the latter. From this fertile source of mischief sprang a multiplicity of disagreements, quarrels, and petty squabbles between the Government of Calcutta and their interesting protégé, till at last acts of positive hostility followed on both sides; and there being no longer any doubt as to the course which events must take, the Presidency began in earnest to make preparation for war.
Hostilities commenced at Patna, which was suddenly attacked by the English, under Mr. Ellis, the chief of the factory there, and taken possession of; but, unable to maintain the advantage they had gained, they were driven not only from the city, but from their own fac-
