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146 it, he would probably have made decisive, served, illogically yet most certainly, to strengthen the enemies of the great proconsul. When, after the information reached France that Dupleix was still fighting, wasting, as it was argued, in military expeditions resources which should have been carefully utilised to develop commercial enterprise, the shareholders became dissatisfied, and the minority in the Council of Directors became formidable. Despatches were sent out to him, in which the necessity of procuring peace at any price was insisted upon in language not to be misunderstood.

Dupleix was not unwilling to have peace. He would himself indeed have preferred to be at peace with the English, provided only that they would recognise the titles and the concessions he had obtained from the Subáhdár of the Deccan. These concessions included (December, 1753) the whole of the territory known as the Northern Sirkars. He had already, in February of 1792, addressed Mr. Saunders on the subject; but the reply he received plainly showed him that the English would not then admit his pretensions. When, however, in July of 1753, he had the first glimmering of the possible attitude towards himself of his masters in France, he attempted to renew the negotiation. The time, the reader will recollect, was when Lawrence and Astruc faced one another, not unequally, before Trichinopli; when Dupleix was recovering North and South Arcot; when Moracin, sent for the purpose by Bussy, was organising the