nd speedy revenge. But it took time to raise the
expedition, took time to despatch the expedition. In October the army
of two thousand four hundred men, {269} of which nine hundred were
European troops, and fifteen hundred Sepoys, sailed for the Hoogly,
under Clive as military, and Admiral Watson as naval, commander.
Hostile winds delayed the armament until December, but when it did
reach its destination it carried all before it. The luck which always
attended upon Clive was still faithful to him. The Nabob, at the head
of his vast hordes, was soon as eager to come to terms with Clive at
the head of his little handful of men as he had before been eager to
obliterate the recollection of the Englishmen from the soil of Bengal.
He offered to treat with Clive; he was ready to make terms which from a
military point of view were satisfactory; he was evidently convinced
that he had underrated the power of England, and he was prepared to pay
a heavy penalty for his blunder.

We are now approaching that chapter of Clive's career which has served
his enemies with their readiest weapon, and has filled his admirers
with the deepest regret. The negotiations between Clive and Surajah
Dowlah were conducted on the part of all the Orientals concerned, from
Surajah Dowlah to Omichund, the wealthy Bengalee who played the part of
go-between, with an amount of treachery that has not been surpassed
even in the tortuous records of Oriental treachery. But unhappily the
treachery was not confined to the Oriental negotiators; not confined to
the wretched despot on the throne; not confined to Meer Jaffier, the
principal commander of his troops, who wanted the throne for himself;
not confined to the unscrupulous Omichund, who plotted with his left
hand against Surajah Dowlah, and with his right hand against the
English. Treachery as audacious, treachery more ingenious, treachery
more successful, was deliberately practised by Clive. The brilliant
and gallant soldier of fortune showed himself to be more than a match
for Oriental cunning in all the worst vices of a vicious Oriental
diplomacy. If Surajah Dowlah was unable to make up his miserable mind,
if he alternately promised and denied, cajoled and threatened, Clive,
on his side, while affecting to treat {270} with Surajah Dowlah, was
deliberately supporting the powerful conspiracy against Surajah Dowlah,
the object of which was to place Meer Jaffier on the throne. If
Omichund, with the