192} ANNUAL REGISTER, 17092. 
not exhaust thisincome: the over- 
plus he reserved as the instrument 
of future greatness. Nor did he 
affect to keep his antipathy to the 
English a secret :—being high-spi- 
rited and impetuous, he was at little 
pains to disguise his views of future 
agerandizement. In 1787, he sent 
a splendid embassy to the court of 
France (his hatred to the christian 
religion bending on this occasion 
under his livelier animosity towards 
the British nation) to solicit an al- 
liance with her, for the purpose of 
expelling the tyrants of Calcutta. 
A confederation, which would pro- 
bably have taken place notwith- 
standing the repugnance of Louis 
XVI.* and been strengthened too, 
by the accession of the republic of 
the Seven United Provinces, had it 
not been prevented by the trou- 
bles that began to ferment about 
this time in France, and the revo- 
lution that was effected in 1787, by 
the Prussian army, under the Duke 
of Brunswick, in favour of the 
Stadtholder. 
Of the character and conduct of 
this renowned prince, whose ca- 
reer of ambition is not yet probably 
closéd, and which unite, as is often 
the case, great ability with great 
weakness, a more particular ac- 
count may afford a gratification to 
our readers, and may not be thought 
unworthy of a place in this annual 
record of European affairs in eve- 
ry quarter of the world. The fol- 
lowing particulars relating to Tip- 
poo, are extracted from a late pub- 
lication, by a very intelligent, as 
well as brave and active Officer, 
who served both in the last, and 
the preceding war with Tippoo +. 
“ Itis only the Mahomedan sub- 
jects of the Sultan who seem to en- 
joy his protection. Assuming the 
character of his prophet, he some- 
times wantonly, and in cold blood, 
destroys such of the people, though 
in the natural possession of the 
country, as refuse to assume that of 
Mahomed; and I declare that I 
have myself witnessed a sight of 
barbarity unknown in any civilized 
* Weare informed by Bertrand de Moleville, minister of the marine depart- 
ment, and at that time very much in the confidence of the royal family, that, 
«¢ Early in 1791, a secret message was received by the King of France, from 
Tippoo Saib, who demanded of the King 6000 French troops; offering to pay 
their transportation, clothing, and maintenance. He was convinced, that with 
this assistance, he could destroy the English army and settlements in India, and 
ensure the possession to France, That nothing might transpire of this affair, Tip- 
poo had not mentioned it in his council ; and had secretly negociated the business 
with M. de Fresne, governor of Pondicherry, through the means of M. Leger, 
administrateur civil of France, in India, who understood the Persian language, 
and who wrote the dispatches, dictated by Tippoo, relative to this embassy. M. 
Leger himself came from India to France with this message; and, in order to 
conceal the real object of his voyage, some time before he set out, he had declared 
that his private affairs would oblige him to return immediately to France. 
As M. Leger was directed to the minister of marine, I informed the King of 
Tippoo Saib’s proposals: but notwithstanding its advantages, and although the 
insurrection of the negroes of St. Domingo rendered it necessary to send a con- 
siderable force there, under the pretence of which it would have been easy to have 
sent to the East Indies the 6000 men demanded by Tippoo, without raising the 
suspicion of the English government, the natural probity of the King’s mind 
would not permit him to adopt this measure. ‘* This resembles,” said he, ‘ the 
affair of America, which I never think of without regret. My youth was taken 
adyantage of at that time, and we suffer for it now :—the lesson is too severe to be 
forgotten.” 
+ Major Taylor. See Travels over Land to India. 
nation, 
