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tors of human life. Their expectations are commonly immoderate, 

 their estimates are seldom impartial. " If I may speak of myself, 

 (the only person of whom I may speak with certainty) my happy 

 hours," saj 7 s Gibbon, " have far exceeded, and far exceed, the 

 scanty numbers of the caliph of Spain; and I shall not scruple to 

 add, that many of them are clue to the pleasing labour of compos- 

 ing the History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire." — 

 With honest pleasure, as with equal truth, I may make the same 

 assertion respecting the many delightful days I have spent in com- 

 piling these memoirs, and delineating their illustrations. 



It is not probable that the Mysore sovereigns, who gave rise to 

 these reflections, enjoyed many happy hours, in the true sense of 

 the expression. The splendors of royalty, especially in Asia, 

 dazzle the eye of the spectator ; he beholds the purple and line 

 linen, the brilliant tiara, stately palace, and obsequious nobles. 

 His imagination carries him to the interior apartments, where 

 beauty, wealth, and pleasure, obey the imperial nod. But did he 

 at the same time oppose the fear, distrust, and jealousy of despo- 

 tism, he would exclaim with our immortal bard: 



" Unweary lies the head with such a crown ! 

 O polish'd perturbation ! golden care! 

 That keeps the ports of slumber open wide 

 To many a watchful night ! 



— What stronger breast-plate than a heart untainted ? 

 Thrice is he arm'd that hath his quarrel just ; 

 And he but naked, though lock'd up in steel, 

 Whose conscience with injustice is corrupted/' 



The truth of Shakespeare's observation is abundantly confirmed 

 by Dr. Buchanans picture of the inner apartments of Tippoo's 



