120 WESTERN HINDOOSTAN. 



impoffibility of refiftance, and the danger of having both the 

 province and city defolated by the rage of the conqueror. He 

 fecretly fent to Matthews^ as foon as he had entered the plains, 

 to offer to furrender the place, and to deliver to the Englijh all 

 the treafures; on condition, that the perfons and property of 

 the inhabitants fhould be fecured, and himfelf continued in the 

 government under the Englijh^ with all the power he had under 

 jiyder. 



Mat thews y now in polTeflion of the treafures of ages, and 

 dazzled by the heaps of the gems of Hindoojlan, fuch flrong 

 temptations rofe in view as inftantly to diflipate every virtuous 

 idea he might before have poflTelTed. Avarice and rapacity oc- 

 cupied their feats, and he rofe like the fiend Mammoti with all 

 his attributes. The General feized on all the treafures, and im- 

 prifoned Hyat Saib. He as fuddenly releafed him, and made to 

 him a pretended reftitution of all his wealth *. Strong fufpicions 

 of the General's condu6l pervaded the army. To allay their 

 murmurs, he prevaled on Hyat Saib to prefent the troops with 

 about the value of twenty thoufand pounds in pagodas. He 

 had alfo quarreled with Mackod, Mackenzie HumberJloHy and 

 major ShaWy after the capture of Bednore, on the fubjedt of pre- 

 cedency with the company's troops. They quitted the army, 

 and haftened to Bombay, to lay their complaints before the Pre- 

 fidency. Their abfence was raoft fatally miffed. The General 

 now, for the firft time, fent difpatches to the Prefidency, filled 

 with falfe ftatements of affairs, and complaints againft the army, 

 from the generals to the very common men. 



* Lieut. Sheen's Letter, in Capt. Oake's Narrative, p. 77. 



At 



