Page:A Comprehensive History of India Vol 1.djvu/473

 Chap. IV.] EARLY LIFE OF CLIVE. 439

and he advanced to the rivulet with a platoon of thirty-four Europeans and 700 ..d. 1740. sepoys. The Europeans and part of the sepoys having crossed without much diffi- culty, Clive hastened on to take the entrenchment in flank at that part where Narrow

,,■,.,,, escape of

it remained unfinished. The Europeans kept close by him, out the sepo}'s wlio cuve. had passed remained at the rivulet, waiting till their companions from the other side should join them. Clive and his handful of Europeans thus left their rear completely exposed. The enemy at once saw their advantage ; and a party of liorse, who had stood concealed on the south side between the projections of the towers, rushed out and were within a few yards of the platoon, before they saw their danger, or could face about to meet it. In an instant, twenty-six of the party were cut down ; only four escaped. Clive, resei-ved for greater things, was one of them. A horseman had lifted his sword to strike him, but he escaped the blow by stepping nimbly aside.

On this disaster, Major Lawi'ence lost no time in advancing with all the Capture of Europeans in a compact bod3^ The trench was easily carried, and the Tanjorines, after attempting in vain to repeat the manoeuvre which had proved so fatal to Clive's little band, began to save themselves by flight. No resistance was offered at the breach, and the fort when entered was found completely evacu- ated. The real object of the expedition being now accomplished, the presidency had no longer any taste for Tanjorine warfare, and only kept up a show of hos- tilities till they should be able to secure their new conquest by regular treaty. It was not necessary to wait long, for the king, though natui'ally indignant at liaving been involved in hostilities with a foreign power which he had done nothing to provoke, had no inclination to continue them. On propo.sing terms of accommodation he was surprised and delighted to learn that the claims of a rival to his cro"vn were not to be insisted on, and that if a pension of 4000 rupees was settled on Saujohee, for the sake of saving appearances, effectual steps would be taken to prevent him from giving any further trouble. In short, the presidency, instead of continuing to be his protectoi-s, would condescend to act as his jailers. In return for their generosity in thus sacrificing him, all they asked for themselves was Devicotta, together with as much of the adjoining teiritory as would yield an annual revenue of 9000 pagodas (about £350), and also the expenses of the war! This last stipulation, all things con- sidered, was utterly disgi-aceful to those who exacted it ; but the king was not in a condition to resist, for events had just taken })lace in Arcot which made him aware that he miglit soon be engaged in a deadly struggle with still more formidable enemiea

As Clive was fii-st brought prominently into notice during this Tanjore Eariy life of campaign, it will be proper in concluding it to prepare for the remarkable career on wiiich he was now about to enter, by giving some details of his earlier life.

Robert Clive, the eldest of a family of six sons and seven daughtei'S, was born on the 29th of Sei)tember, 17-"). at the mansion of a small estate called