Page:History of the French in India.djvu/350

 326 THE STRUGGLES OF DUPLE1X WITH. ADVERSITY. numbers were in his favour. But, — he did not fight ; — he returned to Srirangam, only, alas for French 1752. interests, to surrender. The capture of Pachandah, a fortified pagoda on the northern banks of the Kolrun opposite Srirangam, com- pleted the investment of the French, and took away from them the opportunity, till then open to them, of commu- nicating in any way with the direct road from Pondichery. This place having been gained, still further to deprive them of all hopes of reinforcements from d'Auteuil, Clive marched in search of that officer, and coming up with him on June 8, at Volkondah, the native com- mandant of which place had been secretly gained by the English, he compelled him with his whole force to surrender. Thus deprived of his last hope, what was there for the unfortunate Law to do He, poor man, knew well, in his heart of hearts, to what end recent events had been tending, and for some days past he had been well aware that there was no alternative between cutting his way out and a surrender. Under such circumstances great men act; small men, on the contrary, allow themselves to be acted upon by every vague rumour, no matter whence it may have arisen; nay, they go so far as to delude them- selves into the belief that somehow — how they cannot say — all will in the end be well. Thus it was with Law. He allowed himself to be deluded by all kinds of vain imaginings ; for a long time it was d'AuteiuTs advance; then it was the hope of reinforcements from France; sometimes one thing, sometimes another. He appears never to have bethought him that a man's energy is given him to be employed; that there is no conjuncture, how- ever trying, from which a man, by the exercise of that quality, may not extricate himself ; that to depend on chance is altogether unworthy of a real man. Had he only dared to look facts in the face, he must have seen that he must surrender if he could not escape. His