er, attend
a little to public affairs, and see occasionally the members of the
royal family and aristocracy, at least of the city, and heads of
departments; but the effort was painful, and soon ceased altogether
to be made. He had from boyhood mixed in no other society than that
in which he now mixes exclusively, and he will never submit to the
restraints of any other. The King has utterly disregarded alike the
Governor-General's advice and admonitions, the duties and
responsibilities of his high office, and the sufferings of the many
millions subject to his rule. His time and attention are devoted
entirely to the pursuit of personal gratifications; he associates
with none but such as those who contribute to such gratifications--
women, singers, and eunuchs; and he never, I believe, reads or hears
read any petition from his suffering subjects, any report from his
local officers civil or military, or presidents of his fiscal and
judicial courts, or functionaries of any hind. He seems to take no
interest whatever in public affairs, and to care nothing whatever
about them.

The King had natural capacity equal to that of any of those who have
preceded him in the sovereignty of Oude since the death of Saadut
Allee in 1814, but he is the only one who has systematically declined
to devote any of that capacity, or any of his time, to the conduct of
public affairs; to see and occasionally commune with the heads of
departments, the members of the royal family, and native gentlemen of
the capital; to read or have read to him the reports of his local
functionaries, and petitions or redress of wrongs from his suffering
subjects.*

[*This systematic disregard of his high duties and responsibilities
still continues to be manifested by the King of Oude; and is
observed, with feelings of indignation and abhorrence, by his well-
disposed subjects of all classes and grades, who are thereby left to
the mercy of men without any feeling of security in their tenure of
office, any scruples of conscience, or feelings of humanity, or of
honour. So inveterate is the system of misgovernment--so deeply are
all those, now employed in the administration, interested in
maintaining its worst abuses--and so fruitless is it to expect the
King to remove them, or employ better men, or to be ever able to
inspire any men, whom he may appoint, with a disposition to serve him
more honestly, and to respect the rights of others, or consider the
reputation an