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the Company, and he should have extremely re- BOOK gretted to have been the means of depriving the Company of a servant so distinguished by his zeal and capacity. He had certainly moved a vote of censure on Mr. Hastings; but Mr. Hastings had since received the thanks of the Court of Directors, in which, had he been a director, he would most willingly have concurred, from a thorough conviction that the thanks were merited."

Some difficulties having been suggested by Mr. Pitt, respecting the production of the papers called for, Mr. Burke declared in lofty terms this demur to be "an invasion of the prerogative of a public accuser. He had an unquestionable claim to all such documents, proofs, and papers, as he saw or esteemed to be necessary to support the charge which he undertook to advance. The downfall of the greatest empire in the world had originated in the mal-administration of its provinces. When Rome felt within herself the seeds of decline, and the inroads of corruption, a man of the first rank and highest connections in the state was brought to punishment. VERRES, the governor of Sicily, was united in affinity with all that was most splendid and most opulent in the seat of empire, with the Hortensii and the Metelli. But when CICERO undertook his accusation, the government itself adopted his prosecution. No less than one hundred and fifty days were allowed for the collection

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BOOK of materials, and the justice of the Roman senate opened to the accuser all the cabinets whence the documents were to be obtained."-In the result, the papers, with some few exceptions, were granted.

Mr. Hastings's pre

arrogant

defence.

On the 4th of April, 1786, Mr. Burke solemnly rose to charge Warren Hastings, esq. late governor-general of Bengal, with high crimes and misdemeanors in the execution of his office, exhibiting at the same time nine distinct articles of accusation, which in a few weeks were increased to the number of twenty-two.

On the 1st of May Mr. Hastings, at his own exmature and press desire, and by the indulgence of the house, was heard at the bar of the house, in this early period of the business, in his own defence: and at the farther request of the accused, the minutes of his defence were ordered to lie on the table. But the general opinion, faintly controverted even by the friends of Mr. Hastings, was, that the DEFENCE, thus precipitately and prematurely delivered, was of no service to his cause, and contributed in a very slight and inadequate degree to the vindication of his character. Though his assertions were bold, his arguments were feeble, and the language of this defence was beyond all example boastful and arrogant. He had even the weakness and presumption to call in question the AUTHORITY of the house to institute a judicial inquiry into his conduct.

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favour of

The house, unmoved by what they had heard, BOOK proceeded in the examination of evidence: and the first article of impeachment respecting the Rohilla war was brought formally before the Decision in house on the 1st of June. After a very long de- Mr. Hastbate, the question was decided in favour of Mr. pecting the Hastings, sixty-seven members voting for, and one war. hundred and nineteen against the impeachment.

Mr. Pitt on this occasion gave a silent vote against the motion; but the ground on which he voted was tolerably well ascertained by a declaration he had previously made, when the subject of the Rohilla war was in a more general way discussed, "that he considered that transaction in a horribly alarming point of view, and as being so repugnant to every sentiment of human nature, that nothing could justify it but the strongest motives of political expediency, and the invincible principles of retributive justice-adding, nevertheless, that it would be highly inconsistent and absurd to consider Mr. Hastings now in the light of a culprit, for any measures taken by him previously to the period in which he had been nomi nated by act of parliament governor-general of India, which was the highest certificate of legisla tive approbation." But surely, in the contemplation of common justice and common sense, this re-appointment could not be regarded as equivalent to an acquittal, unless the house were at that

ings res

Rohilla

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BOOK period in full possession of the evidence on which the merits or demerits of the transaction rested, which it was notorious they were not.

1786.

against Mr.

the Benares

Decision On the 13th of June, the second charge relaHastings on tive to the rajah of Benares being brought forcharge. ward, it was resolved by the house, on a division of 119 to 79 voices," that this CHARGE Contained MATTER OF IMPEACHMENT against the late GOVERNOR-GENERAL of BENGAL." On this occasion Mr. Pitt spoke in support of the motion; but, admitting the legality of the discretionary power assumed by Mr. Hastings, he confined the criminality of the charge to the enormity of the fine levied upon the rajah, and its concomitant circumstances of oppression and cruelty.

Frantic at

tempt to

On the 11th of July, 1786, an end was put to these proceedings for the present by a prorogation of the parliament, which was dismissed with assurances of "the particular satisfaction with which the king had observed their diligent attention to the public business, and the measures they had adopted for improving the resources of the country."

Soon after the rising of parliament a singular assassinate incident occurred which ingrossed for a moment the king. the attention of the public. As the king was alighting from his post-chariot at the garden entrance of St. James's palace, August the 2d, a woman decently dressed presented a paper to his

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majesty; and while he was in the act of receiving BOOK it, she struck with a concealed knife at his breast. The king happily avoided the blow by drawing back; and as she was preparing to make a second thrust, one of the yeomen caught her arm, and the weapon was wrenched out of her hand.

On examination before the privy-council, it immediately appeared that the woman was insane. Being asked where she had lately resided, she answered frantically," that she had been all abroad since that matter of the crown broke out." Being further questioned what matter? she said, "that the crown was hers; and that if she had not her right, England would be deluged in blood for a thousand generations." On being interrogated as to the nature of her right, she refused to answer, saying, in the genuine style of royalty," that her rights were a MYSTERY."

It appeared that this poor maniac, whose name was Margaret Nicholson, had presented a petition ten days before, full of wild and incoherent nonsense. Like most other petitions it had probably never been read, or the person of the petitioner would have been secured. The idea of a judicial process was of course abandoned, and she was consigned to a fit apartment provided for her in Bethlem Hospital. In a few days the lord mayor, aldermen, sheriffs, and common council of the city of London, went in procession to St.