HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
had involved the preceding war, 
remained; and the exhaustion that 
had reduced the aggressor to terms 
of peace, had been repaired by 
prudence and by the natural pro- 
gress of things in the course of 
time. The power that preponder- 
ated in the peninsula of Hindostan, 
hadbeen checked, but not subdued, 
nor even humbled. 
The dominions of Mysore ex- 
tended over a track of country 
500 miles in length, and 350 in 
breadth ;—by nature the strongest, 
the most fertile, and populous in the 
peninsula, enjoying a most tempe- 
rate climate; everywhere intersected 
with rivers andstreams, and abound- 
ing in fortifications, seemingly im- 
pregnable. This kingdom was 
not like thestates which surrounded 
it, ruled by an ignorant, weak, and 
effeminate Rajah; but by one of 
the greatest princes who had ap- 
peared in the east for several ages; 
brave, enterprizing, prudent, and 
politic. He was, atthe same time, 
ferocious and cruel; a fanatic in 
the Mahometan religion ;—a zea- 
lous adversary to all Europeans, or 
christians, and a bitter and sworn 
foe to the English; so that, on the 
whole, from several points of re- 
semblance, he has been called the 
Modern Hannibal. The hatred he 
bore to the British race, whom he 
considered as the determined ene- 
mies to his throne, he extended to 
the Mahratta states, and the Ni- 
zam of the Deccan, on account of 
their desertion during the war*, in 
which they had engaged as allies 
of Hyder. He recruited his 
strength, by a wise improvement of 
some years of peace, and considered 
his present possessions merely as 
[193 
a foundation for future con- 
guests. 
With this view, he appointed 
faithful and vigilant governors over 
his provinces; introduced admira- 
ble order into his finances, and ap- 
plied himself with great industry 
and success to the encouragement 
of both agriculture and manufac- 
tures. But his principal attention 
was directed to the increase and 
discipline of his troops, and the 
strengthening of his fortifications ; 
large bodies of soldiers were raised, 
and kept on foot throughout the 
whole of his compacted empire; 
the forming of which, the Sultan 
superintended himself, with un- 
remitting ardour. By largesses and. 
promises, he allured into his ser- 
vice many European officers; and 
the natives he preferred according 
to their merit; so that his army 
was uniformly well appointed, and. 
not ill acquainted with modern tac- 
tics. Amidst all these military 
concerns, his favourite pursuit was, 
the fortification of his dominions. 
But as an engineer himself, we are 
well assured, he is very defective, 
Nor will he always be advised by 
able engineers from Europe; but 
in some instances follows his own 
miserable plans, in contradiction to 
the very first principles of fortifica- 
tion. As the grand means of pre- 
moting all his ends, he was inde- 
fatigable in collecting money, pro- 
visions, and military stores. His 
annual revenue amounted to about 
5,000,000 sterling; the value of 
which is not to be calculated by 
the quantity of labour that a like 
sum can command in Europe, but 
in amuch higher proportion. His 
expenditure, great as it was, did 
* The address of Mr. Hastings, in drawing off these powers from the confede- 
racy (against the English) at that time, saved our power in the east from ruin, 
not 
