Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan, Volume 1.djvu/175



THE nations of Coromandel, accustomed to see Europeans assuming no other character than that of merchants, and paying as much homage to the Mogid government as was exacted from themselves, were astonished at the rapid progress of the French arms, and beheld with admiration the abilities of Mr. Dupleix, who had shewn himself at once as great an adept in the politics of Indostan, as if he had been educated a Mahomedan lord at the court of Delhi: knowing the rivalship which existed between the two nations, they were equally surprized at the indolence of the English, who, since the retreat of their troops from Mahomed-ally at Trivadi, had taken no measures to interrupt the progress of his schemes; and indeed this inactivity, at so critical a conjuncture, is difficult to be accounted for, unless it be imputed to their dread of engaging, without authority from England, in open hostilities against the French immediately after the conclusion of a general peace in Europe. Whatever might be the motives, their disposition to remain in peace was so great, that major Lawrence himself, who commanded the troops, and had great influence in their councils, left Fort St. David on some private concerns, and sailed for England in the month of October. The assassination of Nazir-jing and its consequences overwhelmed them with astonishment, and made them sensible, when too late, of the errors they had committed in not continuing a body of their troops with the army of that prince. There remained, even after his death, a means of snatching from the conquerors their laurels, and the fruits of their victory; for Murzafa-