Siyar al-mutaʾakhkhirin 19.14.1

19.14.1

"Did you not say, that he would fly out of joy? "He flew, indeed, but it was like a peacock that has got rid of its rope." The first words he uttered, on coming within the city, was an order to the garrison to stand to their arms, and to man the ramparts, the towers and the gates; and it was in this manner that an affair concluded for Mahmed-cûli-qhan, and that lay at his feet, was suffered to escape out of his hands. That General, proud of his prowess, and full of his own mind, passed his days, as well as nights, in amusing himself with the performances of a number of dance-women, with whom he was plunging headlong in all kinds of pleasures, fully persuaded all this while, that the Radja was his servant, and would never prove refractory. Impressed with this notion, he was every day sending some new order to his new subject, with which the other complied in some shape or other. — These words were always carried by either Mirza-issac, or by mace-bearers, who talked high, but who were suffered to talk, the Governor being anxious only to hear of the Bengal army; and matters remained on that footing, until the sun, getting in the sign of Aries, the new year's day drew near; and people, anxious to put their predictions to the test, were waiting to see whether Ram-narain would come out or not, to present the nuzurs and offerings customary on that day. If he should come, then fortune had been more favourable to Mahmed-cûli-qhan than he had deserved;