the rebellion. He then
went on with a corps of about a thousand horse. He even left a part of
these with Mr. Middleton, and galloped, attended by a few horse, into
the very capital, where the Begums, we are told, had ten thousand armed
men. He put himself into their power, and, not satisfied with this, the
very first thing we hear of him after his arrival is, that he paid his
mother a friendly visit,--thus rushing into the den of a lioness who was
going to destroy her own whelp. Is it to be credited, my Lords, that a
prince would act thus who believed that a conspiracy was formed against
him by his own mother? Is it to be credited that any man would trust a
mother who, contrary to all the rules of Nature and policy, had
conspired to destroy her own son?

Upon this matter your Lordships have the evidence of Captain Edwards,
who was aide-de-camp to the Nabob, who was about his person, his
attendant at Chunar, and his attendant back again. I am not producing
this to exculpate the Begums,--for I say you cannot try them here, you
have not the parties before you, they ought to have been tried on the
spot,--but I am going to demonstrate the iniquity of this abominable
plot beyond all doubt: for it is necessary your Lordships should know
the length, breadth, and depth of this mystery of iniquity.

Captain Edwards being asked,--"Whether he ever heard any native of
credit and authority in the Nabob's dominions, who appeared to believe
the rebellion of the Begums?--_A._ No, I never did.--_Q._ Have you any
reason to believe that the Nabob gave credit to it?--_A._ I really
cannot rightly presume to say whether the Nabob did or did not; but I am
apt to believe that he did not.--_Q._ Have you any reason, and what, to
form a belief about it?--_A._ I have. I think, if he supposed the
rebellion, ever existed at Fyzabad, he would have been the first person
to take and give the alarm to the British troops.--_Q._ And no such
alarm was taken or given to the British troops?--_A._ No, I think not:
as I was always about his person, and in the camp, I think I certainly
must have known it or heard of it; but I never did."

We assure your Lordships, you will find upon your printed Minutes, that
Captain Edwards says he was credibly informed that the Nabob left behind
him a part of his guard of horse; and that, so desirous was he to go
into the power of this cruel lioness, his mother, that he advanced, as
he is a vigorous man, and a bold and spir