te and violent resolution being adopted by
him."

LXXXIII. That Mirza Shaffee, mentioned in this correspondence, (who has
since been murdered,) was of near kindred to the lady in question,
(grandmother to the Nabob,) was resident in a province immediately
adjoining to the province of Oude, and, from proximity of situation and
nearness of connection, was likely to have any intelligence concerning
his female relations from the best authority.

LXXXIV. That the Resident, Bristow, on receiving this letter, did apply
to the said Hyder Beg Khan for an explanation of the Nabob's intentions,
who denied that the Nabob intended more than a visit of duty and
ceremony: which, whatever his dispositions might have been, and probably
were, towards his own mother, was not altogether probable, as it was
well known that he was on very bad terms with the mother of his father,
and it appears that intentions of a similar nature had been before
manifested even with regard to his own mother, and therefore obtained
the more easy credit concerning the other woman of high rank aforesaid,
especially as the evil designs of the said Hyder Beg were abundantly
known, and that the said Hastings, upon whom he did wholly depend,
continued to recommend "the most effectual, that is, the most violent,
means for the recovery of the small remains of his extorted demand." But
although it does not appear that the Resident did give credit to the
said report, yet the effect of the same on the minds of the neighboring
princes did make it proper and necessary to direct a strict inquiry into
the same, which was not done; and it does not appear that any further
inquiry was made into the true motives for this projected journey to
Fyzabad, nor into the proceedings of Hyder Beg Khan, although the said
Warren Hastings well knew that all the acts of the Nabob and his
principal ministers were constantly attributed to him, and that it was
known that secret agents, as well as the Company's regular agent, were
employed by him at Lucknow and other places.

LXXXV. That the said Hastings, who did, on pretence of the majesty of
justice, refuse to inquire into the charges made upon the female
parents of the Nabob of Oude, in justification of the violence offered
to them, did voluntarily and of his own accord make himself an accuser
of the Resident, Middleton, for the want of a literal execution of his
orders in the plans of extortion and rapine aforesaid: the criminal
nature,