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He has other merits which cannot be dispensed with in any great history, such as unwearied industry and research; and consequently the materials which he collected were abundant, and the information communicated extensive. A lofty tone of moral and political principle pervades the whole composition, although sometimes its application to particular circumstances may be questioned. One can never fail to perceive the character of the writer's mind thrown around everything that enters into the narrative, although the colouring is frequently too strong, and the bias of the author's philosophy so powerful as to convey an unfair impression. He was a theorist rather than ready to be guided by practical views, or moved by specialities. For example, while personally unacquainted with the character and condition of the Hindoos, and solely indebted to what was to be gathered from books concerning the country and people about whom he wrote, there is reason for believing that he regarded as unnecessary for his purpose any closer and more practical means of forming opinions, or of conveying pictures. He was under the influence of prejudices that led him to depreciate the Hindoo character, and which prevented him from making due allowance for national diversities and differences even in the human constitution, physical as well as moral and mental. He belonged to the sect whose speculations with regard both to political institutions and manners present one uniform and unaccommodating system. He could see, for instance, nothing in the institution of caste but what was degrading and destructive of social happiness, forming his notions of human nature according to an abstract unbending principle; whereas Professor Wilson, who has enjoyed not only many opportunities of observing the Hindoos, but of studying the native mind and sentiments as treasured up and developed in their literature, makes it clear that Mr. Mill has exceedingly exaggerated the effects of the institution in question, both upon the happiness of society and the progress of civilization. And while his opinions and prepossessions constantly induce him to depreciate the Hindoos, his palliations of whatever is Mohammedan serve to increase the distortions. The editor says that there are compensations for the horrors which European writers describe as being inseparable from the system of caste: "The lowest native is no outcast; he has an acknowledged place in society; he is a member of a class; and he is invariably more retentive of the distinction than those above him." He" who is one of a community is less miserable, less unhappy, than many of the paupers of the civilized communities of Europe, with whom no man owns companionship or kindred." "Caste," says Mr. Wilson in another paragraph, "may be safely asserted to be much more propitious to social advancement than the rapid vicissitudes of Mohammedan society, in which there is no security for the permanent possession of either station or property.

That condition of equality which Mr. Mill admires is a condition of equal abjectness; men may rise daily from the lowest ranks to the highest command; but how are they raised? By the will of one individual. In all probability they are wholly unfit for their elevation; and it is certain that they are liable every day to be pushed down again to their original insignificance, happy if they escape with life." Whatever, therefore, may be the abstract theory concerning the Hindoo and the Mohammedan systems, there seems to be, in reality and in practical possession, much more of equality enjoyed where and when each man knows and can maintain his position, and can rely upon the laws and their hereditary expounders for protection against despotic caprice and cruelty. But the errors of opinion, the colourings and other faults which may be found in Mill's History are balanced by far greater excellences, one of which is, that the work exhibits clearly and forcibly the vast importance of the relations which exist between Great Britain and India. This connexion he never loses sight of, at the same time that he either is rendering remarkably plain the steps by which it was formed, or ably speculates on the means by which it may be perpetuated.

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We have already referred to the vast mass and the great complexity of the materials with which Mill had to deal, and also to the comprehensiveness of his plan, and the mastery of his disposal of the separate parts to the completion of a harmonious whole. may not be amiss to present some examples even from such an established work, which, after all that has been written, discovered, or developed, relative to India since 1805, the period to which the narrative comes down, will continue to be a principal authority and source of information. But before adducing our samples, a slight sketch of his plan and method may be given advantageously.

It is to be remarked that the historian does not proceed regularly with the lapse of years during which India has been the theatre of great events and mighty revolutions. He begins with the formation of the East India Company, and the commencement of British enterprise in the East Indies, until the system and the power were established upon the footing that has ever since been maintained, which was in 1701. He next takes a survey of Hindoo history, which is for the most part fabulous, reviewing the institutions, the arts, the literature, and the civilization of that people with a critical severity. The Mohammedan invasion, conquests, and dynasties, occupy a third section. Lastly, we have the British enlargements and sway, from the period when these became paramount and fixed, to the date already named. The specimen which we shall first extract gives a striking and graphic account of the way in which the work was first thought of, and how it grew upon the author's hands.

"In the course of reading and investigation," says he, "necessary for acquiring that measure of knowledge which I was anxious to possess respecting my country, its people, its government, its interests, its policy, and its law, I was met, and in some degree surprised, by extraordinary difficulties, when I arrived at that part of my inquiries which related to India. On other subjects of any magnitude and importance, I generally found that there was some one book or small number of books, containing the material part of the requisite information; and in which direction was obtained, by reference to other books, if in any part the reader found it necessary to extend his researches. In regard to India the case was exceedingly different. The knowledge requisite for attaining an adequate conception of that great scene of British action was collected nowhere. It was scattered

in a great variety of repositories, sometimes in considerable portions, often in very minute ones; sometimes by itself, often mixed up with subjects of a very different nature; and even where information relating to India stood disjoined from other subjects, a small portion of what was useful lay commonly embedded in a large mass of what was trifling and insignificant; and of a body of statements, given indiscriminately as matters of fact, ascertained by the senses, the far greater part was in general only matter of opinion, borrowed in succession by one set of Indian gentlemen from another.

"In bestowing the time, labour, and thought necessary to explore this assemblage of heterogeneous things, and to separate, for my own use, what was true and what was useful from what was insignificant and what was false, I was led to grieve, that none of those who had preceded me, in collecting for himself a knowledge of Indian affairs, had been induced to leave his collection for the benefit of others, and perform the labour of extracting and ordering the dispersed and confused materials of a knowledge of India, once for all. The second reflection was, that if those who preceded me had neglected this important service, and in so doing were not altogether free from blame, neither should I be exempt from the same condemnation, if I omitted what depended upon me to facilitate and abridge to others the labour of acquiring a knowledge of India; an advantage I should have valued so highly had it been afforded by any former inquirer.

"In this manner, the idea of writing a History of India was first engendered in my mind. I should have shrunk from the task had I foreseen the labour in which it has involved me.

"The books, in which more or less of information respecting India might be expected to be found, were sufficiently numerous to compose a library. Some were books of travels, some were books of history; some contained philological, some antiquarian researches. A considerable number consisted of translations from the writings of the natives in the native tongues; others were books on the religion of the people of India; books on their laws; books on their sciences, manners, and arts.

"The transactions in India were not the only transactions of the British nation to which the affairs of India had given birth. Those affairs had been the subject of much discussion by the press, and of many legislative, executive, and even judicial proceedings, in England. Those discussions and proceedings would form of course an essential part of the history of

British India; and the materials of it remained to be extracted, with much labour, from the voluminous records of British literature and British legislation.

"The British Legislature had not satisfied itself with deliberating and deciding; it had also inquired; and, inquiring, it had called for evidence. This call, by the fortunate publicity of Parliamentary proceedings, brought forth the records of the Councils in India, and their correspondence with one another, with their servants, and with the constituted authorities in England; a portion of materials inestimable in its value, but so appalling by its magnitude that many years appeared to be inadequate to render the mind familiar with it."

Such industry and toil were remarkable features in the composition of this work; and when the precious and sterling character of the results are considered, too high an estimate cannot be formed of this historian's achievement-of his zeal and ability.

There were also these extraordinary circumstances connected with the work,-Mill was not affluent, and he was obliged to have recourse to other occupations for the support of his family. Still he persevered and surmounted every difficulty, exhibiting a rare example of genius, learning, research, and vigorous philosophy.

The passage which we next quote is a good specimen of the historian's narrative, while it affords an instance of remarkable events and of the wisdom and firmness of a master mind:

"As early as the month of December a combination began. Private meetings and consultations were held, secret committees were formed, and correspondence carried on. The combustion first began in the brigade at Mongheer; but was soon, by letter, communicated to the rest, whose bosoms were perfectly prepared for inflammation. The plan concerted was, that the officers should resign their commissions in a body, and, by leaving the army totally ungoverned, make the constituted authorities submit to their terms. Nearly two hundred commissions of captains and subalterns were in a short time collected. Besides a solemn oath of secrecy, they bound themselves by a similar obligation to preserve, at the hazard of their own lives, the life of any officer whom a court-martial might condemn to death. Each officer executed a penalty bond of five hundred pounds not to accept his commission till double batta was restored. A subscription was raised among them to establish a fund for the indemnification of those who might suffer in the prosecution of the enterprise; and to this, it was understood, that the gentlemen in the civil service, and even those at the Presidency, largely contributed.

"When the army was in this situation, a body of between fifty and sixty thousand Mahrattas appeared on the frontiers of Corah, about one hundred and fifty miles from Allahabad. To watch their motions, the brigade remaining in garrison at that city was ordered to encamp at Suragepore. Early in April, Lord Clive, accompanied by General Carnac, had repaired to Moorshedabad, in order to regulate the collections of the revenue for the succeeding year, to receive from Shuja-ad-dowla the balance of his pay

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ments, and to hold a congress of the native chiefs or princes who were disposed to form an alliance for mutual defence against the Mahrattas. the 19th was transmitted to him, from the Select Committee, a remonstrance received from the officers of the Third Brigade, expressed in very high language; which he directed to be answered with little respect. It was not till late in the evening of the 28th, when he received a letter from Sir Robert Fletcher, the commanding officer at Mongheer, that Clive had the slightest knowledge or suspicion of a conspiracy so extensive, and of which the complicated operations had been going on for several months.

"At Bankipore, a considerable part of the cantonments had been burnt down; and a court-martial was held upon one of the officers, accused of having been the voluntary cause. The act proceeded from a quarrel between him and another officer, who attempted to take away his commission by force; and upon exploring the reason of this extraordinary operation, the existence of the combination was disclosed. The commanding officer immediately despatched an account of the discovery to Sir Robert Fletcher at Mongheer; who was by no means unacquainted with the proceedings in his own brigade, but was only now induced to give intimation of them to his superiors. It was the plan of the officers to resign their commissions on the 1st of June; but this discovery determined them, with the exception of the brigade at Allahabad, to whom information could not be forwarded in time, to execute their purpose a month earlier.

"Clive at first could not allow himself to believe that the combination was extensive, or that any considerable number of men, the whole of whose prospects in life were founded upon the service, would have resolution to persevere in a scheme by which the danger of exclusion from it, not to speak of other consequences, was unavoidably incurred. It was one of those scenes, however, in which he was admirably calculated to act with success. Resolute and daring, fear never turned him aside from his purposes, or deprived him of the most collected exertion of his mind in the greatest emergencies. To submit to the violent demands of a body of armed men, was to resign the government. He had a few officers in his

suite upon whom he could depend; a few more, he concluded, might yet be found at Calcutta and the Factories; and some of the free merchants might accept of commissions. The grand object was to preserve the common soldiers in order and obedience till a fresh supply of officers from the other Presidencies could be obtained.

"He remained not long without sufficient evidence that almost all the officers of all the three brigades were involved in the combination, and that their resignations were tendered. Directions were immediately sent to the commanding officers to find, if possible, the leaders in the conspiracy; to arrest those officers whose conduct appeared the most dangerous, and detain them prisoners; above all things, to secure the obedience of the Sepoys and Black commanders, if the European troops should appear to be infected with the disobedience of their officers. Letters were despatched to the Council at Calcutta and the Presidency of Fort St. George, to make the greatest exertions for a supply of officers; and Clive himself hastened towards Mongheer. On the road he received a letter from Colonel Smith, who commanded at Allahabad, informing him that the Mahrattas were in

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