476 
Khan, and several armed men, entered the room. The unhappy 
prince dreading his approaching fate, tied through a private door 
to his uncle’s prison, where, throwing himself at his feet, he 
claimed his forgiveness and protection. Ragobah, whether igno- 
rant, or pretending ignorance of the plot, opened his arms and 
embraced his nephew: the assassins, in a well-feigned rage, ordered 
Ragobah to withdraw, or share his fate; he instantly obeyed, and 
Narrain Row was stabbed to the heart, after a short reign of eight 
months. 
These commotions in the palace alarmed the city; but, as the 
gates were shut, they remained for some time ignorant of the mur- 
der, and only surmised that some mischief was transacting, the 
majority naturally concluding that Rago balds sufferings were ter- 
minated. The ministers now assembled, sent two letters to the 
durbar, one addressed to the peshwa, the other to Ragobah, in 
which they mentioned the general alarm, and the suspicion of 
some dark transaction; assuring tiie injured prince he should 
meet with every redress in their power, and requesting the gates 
might be opened. On reading the letter, Ragobah immediately 
ordered the ministers to be admitted, and standing near the body, 
solemnly declared his innocence, imprecating divine vengeance on 
the perpetrators of the horrid deed. Few believed his protestations, 
and all retired with horror from his presence, the Hindoo annals 
having never before recorded the murder of a brahmin; and the 
dagger directed by a near relation of the same sacred caste, dread- 
fully increased its atrocity. 
On the accession of a sovereign to the throne, it has often been 
