Page:History of the French in India.djvu/571

 FORCED TO RAISE THE SIEGE. 545 used as a hospital, thirty-three wounded incapable of being moved, and a surgeon in charge of them. These > he commended in a letter to the care of the Governor 1759. of Madras ; then, taking with him all his baggage, he retired umolested, but full of rage * and mortification, by way of St. Thome to Kanchipuram. Thus failed the great enterprise on which Lally had set his heart — to which he had devoted every energy of mind and body. It has been said, indeed, that that failure was owing as much to his own infirmities of temper, to the manner in which he trampled on the cherished feelings of others, as to any other cause. But, after a careful examination of the facts of the case as shown in the correspondence between himself and de Leyrit, we cannot resist the conclusion that, great as were those infirmities of temper, violent and excitable as was his manner towards others, those who allowed themselves to be betrayed by that behaviour on his part into a neglect of their duty towards France were, infinitely more than Lally, the authors of the failure. Lally, at least, behaved like a soldier ; he gave every thought, every exertion to his country. But the Council of Pondichery did the reverse. Mortified and enraged at the rough hand with which Lally had un- veiled and exposed abuses, as well as at the style in which he had pointed out to them that their first duty was to their country, they gave him no assistance ; against those whose self-seeking and and other goods ; as for the coolies, corruption, by hindering and alto- they have been employed on the gether keeping back the supplies of same account ever since we have been which he stood in need, had con- here.'' In concluding the letter he tributed to the unfortunate result of renounced all interference with the his expedition. In a letter to de civil administration of Pondichery, Leyrit, dited February 14. he thus "for," he added, " I would rather go recounted some of the iniquities that and com maud the Kafars of Mada- were taking place under his eyes, and gascar, than to remain in that Sodom forcibly expressed his own opinion of (Pondichery), which the fire of the the conduct of some of his officers : English, in default of the fire of 11 Of 1,500 sipahis,"he said, "who are Heaven, will, sooner or later, inevi- with our army, I calculate that nearly tably destroy." 800 are employed on the road to
 * The rage of Lally was directed Pondichery, laden with sugar, pepper