, in the destruction of this great and ancient family.

But all the English, they say, believed in the existence of this
rebellion. This we deny. Mr. Purling, who was Resident the year before
its pretended explosion, has told you that he never knew of anything
like a plot carrying on by these women. We were almost ashamed to put
the question to him. Did Mr. Bristow, the next Resident, know or
believe in this plot? He seems, indeed, to have been induced to give
some oblique hints to Mr. Hastings of improper conduct on the part of
the Begums, but without stating what it was. In a letter to Mr.
Hastings, he appears to endeavor to soften the cruel temper of this
inflexible man by going a little way with him, by admitting that he
thought they had behaved improperly. When Mr. Wombwell, another
Resident, is asked whether any Englishman doubted of it, he says Mr.
Bristow doubted of it. No one, indeed, who reads these papers, can avoid
seeing that Mr. Bristow did not believe one word of it,--no more, in
fact, than did Mr. Hastings, or anybody else.

But, my Lords, let us go from these inferior agents and servants of the
Company to their higher officers. Did Mr. Stables believe it? This
gentleman was Mr. Hastings's colleague in the Council,--a man of as
much honor, I really believe, as ever went to India,--a faithful old
servant of the Company, and very worthy of credit. I believe there is
not a spot upon him during all his long service under the Company: if
any, it is his being a little too obsequious, sometimes, to Mr.
Hastings. Did he believe it? No, he did not: and yet he was one of the
persons authorized to investigate it coolly, and most able to do so.

Upon the whole, then, the persons who best knew the state of the country
did not believe it; the Nabob did not believe it; the Begums were never
charged with it; no ground of suspicion is suggested, except loose
rumors and the story of two nudjeeves. Under these circumstances the
treasures of these ancient ladies were seized, their property
confiscated, and the Nabob dragged most reluctantly to this act. Yes,
my Lords, this poor, miserable victim was forced to violate all the laws
of Nature, all decency, all property, to rob his own mother, for the
benefit of Mr. Hastings. All this he was forced to do: he was made the
reluctant instrument of punishing his mother and grandmother for a plot
of which even their accusers do not pretend to say that the parties
accused had ever