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 100 THE ELSE OF THE FRENCH TOWER IN INDIA. °m ? a ^ zea ^ wn * cn y ou an ^ the Councils of Pondichery ~ ' - and Chandranagar have displayed for its interest in pro- 1744. curing cargoes for our two ships, the 4 Fleury 'and the ' Brillant,' sent from the Isle of France. As it is by your endeavours that this operation was completed, it is proper that you, especially, should enjoy the honour of it." With respect to the fortifications, they wrote, under date November 30, 1746: — "The promptitude with which the town of Pondichery has been enclosed on the side facing the sea, has given us real pleasure ; we are under a great obligation to you on that account " — for this disobedience of their orders ! Further on — " we have not seen with less satisfaction all the measures you have taken, both to provide, notwithstanding your poverty, cargoes for the ships, the sailing of which we had announced to you, and to second M. de la Bour- donnais in the operations which he was planning."* But before the receipt of this second letter war between France and England had been declared. This war had been long threatening. The death of the Emperor Charles VI. without male issue, had tempted France, Prussia, and Bavaria to combine to despoil his heroic daughter of the possessions she had inherited. In this war, the King of England, George II., soon found himself involved as Elector of Hanover. Without any declaration of war on the part of England, he had, in 1743, transported a combined army of English, Hanoverians, and Hessians into the valley of the Main, to co-operate with the Austrians. On the 27th June of the same year, when in danger of being compelled to surrender with his whole army to the French general, the Due de Noailles, the mad impetuosity of the Due de Gramont not only saved him from that calamity, but enabled him to gain a great victory before even the two nations were professedly at war. But this was too
 * Memoire pour Dupleix.