the native
rabble, to whom the far greater part of the English who figured in
employment and station had from their earliest youth been slaves and
instruments. Banians had anticipated the period of their power in
premature advances of money, and have ever after obtained the entire
dominion over their nominal masters.

By these various ways and means Debi Sing contrived to add job to job,
employment to employment, and to hold, besides the farms of two very
considerable districts, various trusts in the revenue,--sometimes
openly appearing, sometimes hid two or three deep in false names,
emerging into light or shrouding himself in darkness, as successful or
defeated crimes rendered him bold or cautious. Every one of these trusts
was marked with its own fraud; and for one of those frauds, committed by
him in another name, by which he became deeply in balance to the
revenue, he was publicly whipped _by proxy_.

All this while Mr. Hastings kept his eye upon him, and attended to his
progress. But as he rose in Mr. Hastings's opinion, he fell in that of
his immediate employers. By degrees, as reason prevailed, and the fumes
of pleasure evaporated, the Provincial Council emerged from their first
dependence, and, finding nothing but infamy attending the councils and
services of such a man, resolved to dismiss him. In this strait and
crisis of his power the artist turned himself into all shapes. He
offered great sums individually, he offered them collectively, and at
last put a _carte blanche_ on the table,--all to no purpose. "What are
you?--stones? Have I not men to deal with? Will flesh and blood refuse
me?"

When Debi Sing found that the Council had entirely escaped, and were
proof against his offers, he left them with a sullen and menacing
silence. He applied where he had good intelligence that these offers
would be well received, and that he should at once be revenged of the
Council, and obtain all the ends which through them he had sought in
vain.

Without hesitation or scruple Mr. Hastings sold a set of innocent
officers,--sold his fellow-servants of the Company, entitled by every
duty to his protection,--sold English subjects, recommended by every tie
of national sympathy,--sold the honor of the British government
itself,--without charge, without complaint, without allegation of crime
in conduct, or of insufficiency in talents: he sold them to the most
known and abandoned character which the rank servitude of that cl