Page:Final French Struggles in India and on the Indian Seas.djvu/213

Rh is formed by nature and education to guide and command: his school acquirements are much above mediocrity: he is a tolerable Latin scholar, and reads, writes, and speaks French, Italian, and English, with ease and fluency. He is not deficient in a general acquaintance with books, and possesses great knowledge of the world. He is extremely polite, affable, pleasant, humorous, and vivacious; elegant in his manners, resolute in his determinations, and firm in his measures; remarkably well versed in the mechanism of the human mind, and has perfect command over himself. To the political subtlety of the Italian school he has added consummate Oriental intrigue; made his approaches to power in disguise, and only showed himself when too strong to be resisted. On the grand stage where he has acted a brilliant and important part for these ten years, he is dreaded and idolised, feared and admired, respected and beloved. Latterly the very name of de Boigne conveyed more terror than the thunder of his cannons. A singular instance of which I shall relate en passant. Najaf Kúli Khan in his last moments advised his Begam to resist in the fort of Kanúnd the efforts of his enemies, who would assuredly grasp, on his demise, at the small remnants of his patrimony; 'resist,' said he, 'but if de Boigne appears, yield.' He will be long regretted, long recollected in India. His justice was uncommon, and singularly well-proportioned between severity and relaxation. He