* 
1808.] Memoirs of the late Lieutenant-colonel Jorn Mordaunt. 
assert, that he was kept by Mr, Hastings 
as a spy over the Vizier, in consequence 
of the high favour and confidence the 
latter reposed in him; but these who 
could entertain such an opinion, must 
be in extreme error ; for neither the con- 
duct nor the disposition of Mordaunt, 
‘ever gave the smallest opening for such 
an inference. He was candid, free, and 
generous; and, J think, he would have 
abruptly revolted at any commission 
which might impose it, either dir ectly, or 
circuitously, as a duty on hin, to betray 
the secrets of the man who treated hin 
with kindness and with respect ! 
_. Mordaunt was in the receipt of a hand- 
some salary, and possessed many dis- 
tinguished privileges under the patronage 
of the Vizier; who often used to refer 
Europeans to hin on occasions requiring 
his advice; though now and then he 
used to have recourse to the same ex- 
cuse when he did not wish to comply. 
On every such occasion Mordaunt was 
friendly, and on some rendered great 
service. Of this I shall quote instances. 
Mr. Zoftani, in a humorous.moment, 
had painted the Nabob at full length, but 
i high caricature. The picture being at 
Colonel Martine’s, where old Zoffani re- 
sided, and the colonel’s house being 
frequented by immense numbers of the 
natives, especially of those who, when 
the Nab: 9b wanted money, took his 
jewels to the colonel’s to be pledged, it 
was not long before the prince was 1n- 
formed of the joke. In the first moments 
of irritation, be was disposed to make 
the painter a head shorter, and to 
dismiss the colonel, 
engineer, and had the charge of his ar- 
seval; but, as nothmy could be done 
without his “dear friend Mordaunt,” a 
message was dispatched requiring ; his 
immediate attendance, ‘‘on matters of 
the utmost importance.” This being a 
very stale mode of summoning Mordaunt, 
who would attend, or rather visit, only 
when it pleased Himself: would have pro- 
hably been disregarded, had not the 
messenger stated that the. Nabob was 
incensed against Martine and Zotfani. 
Mordaunt found the Nabob foaming 
with rave, and about to proceed with a 
host of rabble attendants to che colonel’s; 
however, he got the story out of the 
Nahob as well as he could, and argued 
him into a state’of calmness, suflicient to 
let his purpose be suspended until the 
next day. So soon as could be done 
2 pate Mordaunt rekired 5 and, as 
who was his chief 
141 
privately as sbscilen: sent a note to 
Zoflani, with intelligence of the intended 
visit. : 
No time was lost, and the laughable 
caricature was ina few hours changed, 
by the magic pencil. of Zoffam, into # 
superb pontiatt highly ornamented, and 
so inimitably resemblant of. the Vizier, 
that it has been preferred to all which 
have been taken at sittings. The Vizier 
did not fail to come, his mind full of 
anxiety for the honour of his dignihed 
person, attended by Mordaunt, “whose, 
feelings for his friend’ state were speedily 
dissipated, when, on entering the por- 
trait-chamber, tlie picture in. question 
shone forth so superbly, as to astonish 
the Vizier, and to sully even the splen- 
dour which his whole equipage displayed 
on the oceasion. 
Asoph was delighted, hurried the pic- 
ture home, gave Zoffani ten’ thousand 
rupees for it, and ordered the person who 
had informed him of the supposed cari- 
cature, to have Ins nose and ears cut off, 
Mordaunt, however, was equally suc 
cessful in obtaining the poor fellow’s par- 
don; and as the Nahob would not detain 
harry as a servant, very generously made 
him one of his own pensioners. 
At another time the Hajam, or barber, 
who cut his excellency’s hair, happened 
to draw b'ood, by going a little into the 
quick, This 1s considered’ as an offence 
of the highest atrocity ; because crowned 
heads, throughout India, become degrad- 
ed, if one drop of their blood be spilt by a 
barbers over whom a drawn sword is 
always held while performi ne his duty, 
to remind him of his fate in case of the 
sliohtest incision. 
The Nabob, actuated by the common 
prejudice above described, had ordered 
the barber to. be baked to death in an 
oven, when Mordaunt applied for bis 
pardon. He could only’ obtain it con- 
ditionally ; ; and, to be sure, the condition 
was both lidierads and whimsical, Bal-- 
loons were just invented when this hap- 
pened,and Colonel Martine, being very in- 
genious, had made one winch hadt taken up 
a considerable weight for short distances. 
The Nabob changed suddenly from 
great wrath to a sudden laugh, which 
continued so long as to alarin Mardaunt: 
whose pleasure was extreme when he 
heard that, instead of being Gaked, the 
barber was to meunt in the balloon, and 
to brush through the air, according as 
chance might direct him. 
it was accordingly settled, the E flaan 
: . ye being 
