on indignantly refused to have anything to do
with the fictitious one; or to be a party, in any way, to the deceit
practised on Omichund. In order to get out of the difficulty, Clive
himself forged Admiral Watson's signature to the fictitious treaty.

A more disgraceful transaction was never entered into, by a body of
English gentlemen. That Mr. Drake and the members of his council, the
pitiful cowards who fled from Calcutta, and refused to allow the ships
to draw off its brave garrison, should consent to such a transaction
was but natural; but that Clive, the gallant and dashing commander,
should have stooped to it, is sad, indeed.

It may be said that, to the end of his life, Clive defended his
conduct in this transaction, under the excuse that Omichund was a
scoundrel. The Indian was not, indeed, an estimable character. Openly,
he was the friend and confidant of the nabob while, all the time, he
was engaged in bribing and corrupting his officers, and in plotting
with his enemies. This, however, in no way alters the facts that he
rendered inestimable service to the English; and that the men who
deceived and cheated him were, to the full, as greedy and grasping as
himself; without, in the case of the governor and his council, having
rendered any service whatever to the cause.

At last, the negotiations were complete. More and more severely did
Clive press upon the nabob. Having compelled him to expel Law and the
French, first from Moorshedabad and then from his dominions, he
pressed fresh demands upon him; until the unfortunate prince, driven
to despair, and buoyed up with the hope that he should receive
assistance from Bussy, who had just expelled the English from their
factory at Vizapatam, ordered Meer Jaffier to advance, with fifteen
thousand men, to reinforce Rajah Dulab Ram at Plassey.

Clive, in fact, forced on hostilities. His presence, with that of a
considerable portion of his army, was urgently required at Madras. He
was sure, however, that the instant he had gone, and the English force
was greatly weakened, the nabob would again commence hostilities; and
the belief was shared by all in India. He was, therefore, determined
to force on the crisis, as soon as possible; in order that, the nabob
being disposed of, he should be able to send reinforcements to Madras.

While these negotiations had been going on, Charlie Marryat had
remained in Calcutta. He had been severely wounded in the attack on
Chandranago