Fall of the Mughal Empire v4.c56.s6.3

v4.c56.s6.3

enemies with whom he desired or might happen to be at war, and to dismiss all who refused. I sent to all the commandants an order to administer the oath demanded by the prince in their respective brigades. The order was carried out in the 2nd and the 3rd brigades,—the only ones a little close to me, and nearly all the Englishmen and sons of Englishmen took their dismissal. Colonel Dudrenec, however, did not administer the oath in his own brigade, fearing (as he wrote to me) to lose his officers. But as the object of the prince was really to find a decent pretext for expelling them [the British officers] from his army, I enjoined on Mons. Dudrenec to administer the oath strictly. . . . But after that time I did not hear of him again, nor had I any knowledge of his movements.” [Martineau, 166-167.]