DEIG. 
157 
The news of this formidable confederacy excited 
terrible apprehension at court, but the Prince Mirza 
Juwan, son of the Emperor, at once undertook, in 
co-operation with M. Paulin, to meet and overthrow 
the rebel army. This spirited and salutary advice, 
however, was unfortunately over-ruled by the intrigue 
of the Begum Khadeja, who apprehensive of evil to 
her son-in-law, Mirza Zaffi, persuaded the Emperor 
to embrace an amicable negociation, to which Shah 
Aulum, with the irresolution and pusillanimity which 
marked the latter years of his reign, acceded ; and the 
Prince Mirza Juwan, accompanied by M. Paulin and 
Latafut Kahn, was charged with the embassy. 
The traitors, having signified their readiness to 
accept a compromise, admitted the royal ambassadors 
to their camp, but through a wanton love of bloodshed 
and vengeance, they surrounded the council tent with 
an ambush, took the chiefs with their followers 
prisoners, and, without delay, barbarously murdered 
M. Paulin and burnt out the eyes of Latafut. Then 
making their own terms as to the ransom of the 
Prince’s life, they marched in triumph and entered 
the city of Delhi, where the enfeebled monarch was 
compelled to receive them with every mark of royal 
favour and affection. Mirza Zaffi was immediately 
reinstated in the dignity of prime minister, and the 
other conspirators were loaded with titles and honors ; 
but the faithless Mirza, faithless to the most solemn 
vows which through suspicion had been imposed 
p 
