“Behold him then, freed by this event from all his inquietudes; detested, it is true, but feared even by those who only knew him by name.  In a country where predestination has so much power over the mind, the star of Siraj-ud-daula was, people said, predominant.  Nothing could resist him.  He was himself persuaded of this.  Sure of the good fortune which protected him, he abandoned himself more than ever to those passions which urged him to the commission of every imaginable form of violence.

“It can be guessed what we had to suffer, we and the Dutch, at Cossimbazar.  Demand followed demand, and insult followed insult, on the part of the native officers and soldiers; for they, forming their behaviour on that of their master, thought they could not sufficiently show their contempt for everything European.  We could not go outside of our Factories without being exposed to annoyance of one kind or another.”

Every one in the land turned wistful eyes towards the English, but they lay inactive at Fulta, and it seemed as if help from Madras would never come.  The English, therefore, tried to bring about a revolution favourable to themselves at Murshidabad, and began to look for persons who might be induced to undertake it; but this was not easy, as the Moor nobles had little acquaintance with the Europeans.  Of the Hindus in Bengal—­

“the best informed were the bankers and merchants, who by their commercial correspondence had been in a position to learn many things.  The house of Jagat Seth, for instance, was likely to help the English all the more because to its knowledge of them it joined several causes of complaint against Siraj-ud-daula.  Up to the death of Aliverdi Khan it had always enjoyed the greatest respect.  It was this family which had conducted almost all his financial business, and it may be said that it had long been the chief cause of all the revolutions in Bengal.  But now things were much changed.  Siraj-ud-daula, the most inconsiderate of men, never supposing that he would need the assistance of mere bankers, or that he could ever have any reason to fear them, never showed them the slightest politeness.  He wanted their wealth, and some day or other it was certain he would seize it.  These bankers, then, were the persons to serve the English.  They could by themselves have formed a party, and, even without the assistance of any Europeans, have put another Nawab upon the throne and re-established the English, but this would have required much time.  Business moves very slowly amongst Indians, and this would not have suited the English.  The bankers also were Hindus, and of a race which does not like to risk danger.  To stimulate them to action it was necessary for the English to commence operations and achieve some initial successes, and as yet there seemed no likelihood of their doing so.  To negotiate with Siraj-ud-daula for a peaceful re-establishment was quite as difficult,