Siyar al-mutaʾakhkhirin 42.31.3

42.31.3

You have been, Sir, and so has been, I suppose, the people of England, much edified by the accounts, repeatedly sent thither of the satisfaction enjoyed by all ranks of people under the English Government, and especially of their zeal in making feux-de-joyes for the recovery of the King of England's health. Chimeras, all that ! None but the Armenians were sincere in those demonstrations ; nor are they out of Calcutta without severe complaints against the remissness of Government, in judicial matters, &c., &c. This is the general complaint all over the country ; and to my sorrow, I find it has discontented all minds, and alienated all hearts. All hearts! Can that be true? Look at it yourself, and for that purpose remember two facts irrefragable, a very modern one, and a very old one. The first is this : If ever an European was beloved in India, it must have been Hastings, and if ever a man had a chance of rendering the English Government tolerable at least, if not acceptable to the natives, it must have been Hastings ; and yet, behold ! hardly is this man supposed killed, than all, all Sir, (it is the very word) all think of rising on the English. Our Zemindars stand up, keep correspondences with Cheyt-sing ; our Sipahis talk irreverently of their masters, and desert in shoals ; the very old Begums of Faiz-abad raise their drooping heads ; and Middleton and Colonel Martin are obliged to barricade their quarters, and to place cannon ;