ver fraud, and not a weak attempt to raise a revenue,--and
that Mr. Hastings was not that idiot he represents himself to be, a man
forgetting all his offices, all his duties, all his own affairs, and all
the public affairs. He does not, however, forget how to make a bargain
to get money; but when the money is to be recovered for the Company, (as
he says,) he forgets to recover it: so that the accuracy with which he
begins a bribe, _acribus initiis et soporosa fine_, and the carelessness
with which he ends it, are things that characterize, not weakness and
stupidity, but fraud.

The next article we proceed to is _Nuddea_. Here we have more light; but
does Mr. Larkins anywhere tell you anything about Nuddea? No it appears
as if the account had been paid up, and that the cabooleat and the
payments answer and tally with each other; yet, when we come to produce
the evidence upon these parts, you will see most abundant reason to be
assured that there is much more concealed than is given in this
account,--that it is an account current, and not an account
closed,--and that the agreement was for some other and greater sum than
appears. It might be expected that the Company would inquire of Mr.
Hastings, and ask, "From whom did he get it? Who has received it? Who is
to answer for it?" But he knew that they were not likely to make any
inquiry at all,--they are not that kind of people. You would imagine
that a mercantile body would have some of the mercantile excellencies,
and even you would allow them perhaps some of the mercantile faults. But
they have, like Mr. Hastings, forgotten totally the mercantile
character; and, accordingly, neither accuracy nor fidelity of account do
they ever require of Mr. Hastings. They have too much confidence in him;
and he, accordingly, acts like a man in whom such confidence, without
reason, is reposed.

Your Lordships may perhaps suppose that the payment of this money was an
act of friendship and generosity in the people of the country. No: we
have found out, and shall prove, from whom he got it; at least we shall
produce such a conjecture upon it as your Lordships will think us bound
to do, when we have such an account before us. Here on the face of the
account there is no deficiency; but when we look into it, we find
skulking in a corner a person called Nundulol, from whom there is
received 58,000 rupees. You will find that he, who appears to have paid
up this money, and which Mr. Hastings spe