Page:History of the French in India.djvu/538

 512 THE LAST STRUGGLE FOR EMPIRE. chap, have so shaken English influence in the Karnatik that XIL it would not have been difficult — in fact, under an 1758 efficient leader, it would have been easy — to strike a decisive blow at Madras itself. For all the English troops, except those actually necessary for purposes of defence, had been despatched to assist Clive in Bengal, whilst the English fleet still remained in the waters of the Hugli. But neither de Leyrit, nor de Soupire, nor Saubinet, was equal to the occasion. De Soupire indeed was a stranger to the country, and being a man of weak and facile character, he suffered himself to be guided by the Governor. Saubinet was simply a brave soldier in the field, and he too was entirely under the authority of de Leyrit. At this important crisis, therefore, of the fortunes of France, everything depended upon the decision arrived at regarding military operations by the civil governor, a man sufficiently well-meaning, but utterly deficient in those higher qualities which mark the practical statesman. To de Leyrit, indeed, it occurred, as it occurred to all around him, that in the advantageous position in which he found himself, consequent upon the arrival of de Soupire's reinforcements,* an expedition against Fort St. David presented the most tempting opportunity. But other considerations crowded themselves at the same time into his mind. He could not forget that Fort St. David had successfully resisted all the attacks made upon it by Dupleix, and that the repulses received before that place had given to the English the encouragement which had enabled them gradually to attain a position of at least equality in the Karnatik. Then again, the reported cha- racter of Lally, described as haughty, imperious, violently prejudiced against all Franco-Indians, influenced him not states that the English authorities Chitapet." Chitapet is a town in were " surprised that they (the Southern Arkat district, 30 miles French) should remain inactive for south of Arkat.
 * Col. Lawrence, in his Memoirs, so many months after the taking of