formance of the other articles of the treaty, which
I shall make it my business to enforce.--The suspicions which the
officers had of treachery, and the delay made to our getting possession,
had enraged them, as well as the troops, so much, that the treaty was at
first regarded as void; but this determination was soon succeeded by
pity and compassion for the unfortunate besieged."--After this comes, in
his due order, Mr. Hastings; who is full of sorrow and indignation, &c.,
&c., &c., according to the best and most authentic precedents
established upon such occasions.

The women being thus disposed of, that is, completely despoiled, and
pathetically lamented, Mr. Hastings at length recollected the great
object of his enterprise, which, during his zeal lest the officers and
soldiers should lose any part of their reward, he seems to have
forgot,--that is to say, "to draw from the Rajah's guilt the means of
relief to the Company's distresses." This was to be the stronghold of
his defence. This compassion to the Company, he knew by experience,
would sanctify a great deal of rigor towards the natives. But the
military had distresses of their own, which they considered first.
Neither Mr. Hastings's authority, nor his supplications, could prevail
on them to assign a shilling to the claim he made on the part of the
Company. They divided the booty amongst themselves. Driven from his
claim, he was reduced to petition for the spoil as a loan. But the
soldiers were too wise to venture as a loan what the borrower claimed as
a right. In defiance of all authority, they shared among themselves
about two hundred thousand pounds sterling, besides what had been taken
from the women.

In all this there is nothing wonderful. We may rest assured, that, when
the maxims of any government establish among its resources extraordinary
means, and those exerted with a strong hand, that strong hand will
provide those extraordinary means for _itself_. Whether the soldiers had
reason or not, (perhaps much might be said for them,) certain it is,
the military discipline of India was ruined from that moment; and the
same rage for plunder, the same contempt of subordination, which blasted
all the hopes of extraordinary means from your strong hand at Benares,
have very lately lost you an army in Mysore. This is visible enough from
the accounts in the last gazette.

There is no doubt but that the country and city of Benares, now brought
into the same order