Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/17

Book VI English commodities, and had given large credits in the province, the government, deeming them as it were fettered to the shore, changed its conduct towards them. The patents granted to Boughton, as well as the other stipulations which had induced them to settle in the province, were either disavowed, or construed in contradiction to their meaning: the same customs were levied from them, as from other merchants: the Nabob affected to arbitrate between the company and such of the natives, who, in order to evade the payment of their debts, thought proper to purchase his protection; and even vagabond Englishmen, offending against the company's privileges, were encouraged to take refuge in his court, and to disavow the authority of their countrymen. In a word, every pretext which might bring the English affairs under his cognizance was practised, in order to subject them to fines and exactions. If the settlements hesitated, or refused to comply with the Nabob's demands, their trade, throughout the province, was immediately stopped.

For these evils there were but two remedies, war, or retreat: both worse than the mischief; for although the government annually Repeated its exactions, the advantages of the Bengal trade, whilst new, were such as rendered it more prudent to acquiesce, than by defiance to risque the whole of the company's stock and concerns in the province; and for forty years the English attempted no military resistance.

At length, finding these impositions extravagantly increased, because they had only been opposed by embassies and petitions; and having the same causes of complaint against the Mogul's government at Surat; the company, in the year 1685, determined to try 1685 what condescensions the effect of arms might produce; and with the approbation of King James the second, fitted out two fleets; one of which was ordered to cruize at the bar of Surat, on all vessels belonging to the Mogul's subjects: the other was designed not only to commit hostilities by sea at the mouths of the Ganges, but carried likewise 600 regular troops, in order to attack the Nabob of Bengal by land. The agents at Hughley received previous notice of