Page:History of the Indian Archipelago Vol 2.djvu/402

 35S SEQUEL OF JAVANESE HISTORY. JoyopuspttOy brother tO;the deceased chief, accepted of his office, but only to use the influence which it af- forded him for revenge. He subdued all the dis- tricts in his vicinity, called to his assistance the people of Bali, was joined by the Madurese, and by several rebel princes of the house of Mataram, so that this formidable insurrection onlyterminat- ed by his death in the succeeding reign, after de- solating the country for a great many years. The chief of Surabaya, in the many actions which he fought with the Dutch, and in all his proceedings, displayed so much enterprise, spirit, and conduct, that, but for the slender portion of European sci- ence opposed to him, he must have acquired the sovereignty of the island. I shall take this opportunity of animadverting up- on the policy pursued by the Dutch, not only on the present occasion, but in every war which they carried on in Java. They always permitted a beaten enemy to retreat unmolested, and never vigorously prose- cuted any advantage. This either arose from igno- rance and want of conduct, or from a crooked and mistaken policy, which led them to believe it the wisest conduct to reduce the native power, whether legitimate or insurgent, by expending its strength in a protracted contest. Probably both causes had their share. By the imagined refinement implied in the latter, nothing can be more certain than that they were exhausting their own finances, and