Page:Great Men and Famous Women Volume 2.djvu/67

 ROBERT, LORD CLIVE 245 in the service of the East India Company, to the Presidency of Madras. In our day such an appointment would be considered a fair provision for a young man, holding out, besides, a reasonable prospect of obtaining competency, if not fort- une ; but when Clive went to the East the younger " writers," or clerks, were so badly paid,- that they could scarcely subsist without getting into debt, while their seniors enriched themselves by trading on their own account. The voyage out, from England to Madras, which is now effected in three or four weeks, occu- pied, at that time, from six months to a year. Clive's voyage was more than usually tedious ; the ship was detained for a considerable period at the Brazils, where he picked up some knowledge of Portuguese, and contracted some heavy debts. This apparent misfortune had the good effect of compelling him to re- flect on his situation. He avoided all amusements and dissipation, but availed himself of the resources of the governor's library, which was liberally opened to him in his hours of leisure. He, however, felt himself unhappy, for his occupa- tions were unsuited to his tastes, and he longed for an opportunity of finding a mode of life more congenial to his disposition. The war of the Austrian Succession, in which George 1 1, took the side of the empress, while the French king supported her competitor, extended to the East- ern World. Labourdonnais, the governor of the French colony in the Mauritius, suddenly appeared before Madras, and, as the town and fort were not prepared for defence, both were surrendered on honorable terms. But Dupleix, the French governor of Pondicherry, denying the right of Labourdonnais to grant any terms, refused to ratify the capitulation, and directed Madras to be razed to the ground. With still greater disregard for public faith, he led the English who had capitulated through the town of Pondicherry, as captives gracing his triumphal procession, in the presence of 5o,cxx) spectators. Clive escaped this outrage by flying from Madras in disguise ; he took refuge at Fort St. David, a settlement subordinate to Madras, where he obtained from Major Lawrence, one of the best officers then in India, an ensign's commission in the service of the company. Peace between England and France having been established, Madras was re- stored to its former owners. Clive, however, did not return to his civil pursuits ; he occasionally acted as a writer, but he was more frequently employed as a soldier in the petty hostilities which arose between the English and the natives. Events, however, were now in progress, which made the French and English East India companies competitors for an empire, though neither understood the value of the prize for which they contended ; and Clive, fortunately for his country and himself, was almost forced to take the position of a military commander. To explain fully the position of India, at this period, would take far more pages than we can afford lines ; a very brief sketch, may, however, help our read- ers to comprehend the course of events. India, in its entire extent, was nomi- nally governed by the Emperor of Delhi, or, as he was generally, though ab- surdly, called in Europe, "the Great Mogul." Under him were several viceroys, each of whom ruled over as many subjects as any of the great sovereigns of Eu-