Clive seldom obtained or deserved much applause from his masters, who all agreed in giving him the character of the most unlucky boy they ever had in their schools. However, after his arrival in India, he devoted some of his leisure hours to study, and improved himself in classical literature.

It was in 1743 that Mr Clive was appointed a writer in the service of the East India company. He arrived at Madras in the year 1744, in the 19th year of his age. The same dislike to the drudgery of the desk, the same impatience of control,-which distinguished him at school, still marked his character, and rendered his appointment as troublesome to his superiors as it was irksome to himself. On one occasion his conduct to the secretary was so inconsistent with what was supposed to be the proper subordination of office, that the governor, to whom it was reported, commanded him to ask the secretary's pardon. The submission was made in terms of extreme contempt; but the secretary received it graciously, and invited him to dinner,-" No, Sir," replied Clive," the governor did not command me to dine with you !"

On the surrender of Madras to the French admiral, Monsieur de la Bourdonnais, in September, 1746, the company's servants, both civil and military, became prisoners on parole. But as Monsieur Dupleix, commander-in-chief of the French forces in India, and who was not present at the surrender, refused to ratify the treaty, the English were made prisoners to the town. The English on their part considered their engagement to Bourdonnais as broken by this act, and thought themselves at liberty to make their escape when an opportunity should offer. Among others, Clive, disguised as a Moor, escaped to St David's, about 21 miles to the south of Madras.

Shortly after his arrival at this place, he happened to be engaged in a party at cards with two ensigns, who were detected in a combination to cheat the rest of the company. They had won large sums, which, on their knavery being proved, the losers refused to pay; but the threats of the two gamblers at last intimidated all but Clive, who persisted in his refusal to pay his losses, and accepted the challenge which the boldest of them gave. Clive delivered his fire; but his antagonist, as each had only a single pistol, reserved his, and, quitting his ground, presented the pistol to Clive's head, and bade him ask his life. After some hesitation Clive complied. But on his antagonist telling him he must also recant the expressions he had used to his dishonour, and promise payment of the money, or that otherwise he would fire. "Fire, and be d-d!" exclaimed Clive; "I said you cheated me-I say so stillnor will I ever pay you!" The ensign, finding all remonstrance vain, called him a madman, and threw away his pistol. When Clive was complimented by his friends on his behaviour on this occasion, he made the following remark: "The man has given me my life, and I have no right in future to mention his behaviour at the card-table; although I will never pay him, nor ever keep him company." In other contests with some of his brother-officers, Clive displayed the same intrepidity and the same rashness.

In 1747, disgusted with his civil employment, and weary of an idle life at St David's, Clive solicited and obtained a commission in the military service. The events of the years 1747 and 1748 gave him few opportunities of exerting the talents he possessed; yet even in these

few he exhibited such proofs of an ardent, inflexible mind, as raised the admiration, and won for him the confidence of the soldiers. After the capture of Madras, the French obtained the ascendancy through the whole Carnatic; but the arrival of Admiral Boscawen with 2000 regular troops, in July, 1748, raised the hopes of the government of St David's, and determined them to retrieve their sinking reputation by an attack on Pondicherry, a neighbouring fort, and the principal settlement. At this siege our young ensign distinguished himself by his gallant behaviour in the defence of the advanced trench. The season for military operations being over, the troops remained inactive at St David's; and the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle being afterwards concluded, Lieutenant Clive, to whose active mind the idleness which in time of peace attends a soldier's life was extremely irksome, returned to the civil establishment, and was admitted to the same rank as that which he would have held if he had never quitted the civil employment. His income was now considerably increased by his appointment to the office of commissary of the British troops, an appointment which the friendship of Major Lawrence procured him. He had not been long settled at Madras, when he was seized with a fever of the nervous kind, which greatly injured his constitution, and of which he felt the effects to the end of his life, when not engaged in active service.

In order to understand the nature of those military operations in which Clive was afterwards engaged in the East Indies, it will be necessary here to take some notice of the state of affairs in that country. After the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle, by which an end was put to hostilities between the English and French, M. Dupleix, a man of courag and abilities, who commanded the French force in India, began by his intrigues to sow the seeds of dissension among the nabobs, in hopes thereby to increase the influence of France in Hindostan. Nizam Almuluck, the mogul's viceroy of the Deccan, having the right of nominating a governor of the Carnatic,-more generally known by the name of the Nabob of Arcot,-appointed Anaverdy Khan to that office in the year 1745. The viceroy dying, was succeeded in his subahship, by his second son Nazirzing, whom the mogul confirmed. He was opposed in his pretensions by his own cousin Muzapherzing, who had recourse to the assistance of M. Dupleix, and obtained from him a reinforcement of Europeans and artillery. Thus reinforced, and joined by one Chunda Saib, an active Indian chief, he took the field against his kinsman Nazirzing, who was supported by a body of English troops under Colonel Lawrence. The French, dreading an engagement, retired in the night; and Muzapherzing, seeing himself abandoned by his own troops, appealed to the clemency of his cousin, who spared his life, but detained him as a state-prisoner. In this situation, he formed a conspiracy against his kinsman's life, with Nazirzing's prime minister, and the nabobs of Cadupab and Condaneor, then in his camp; and the conspirators were encouraged in their scheme by Dupleix and Chunda Saib, who had retired to Pondicherry. Thus stimulated, the conspirators murdered Nazirzing in his camp, and proclaimed Muzapherzing viceroy of the Deccan. In the tents of the murdered viceroy they found an immense treasure, of which a great share fell to M. Dupleix, whom the usurper, Muzapherzing, associated in the government with himself.

The Frenchman immediately assumed the state and formali.

ties of an eastern prince; and he and his colleague, Muzapherzing, ap. pointed Chunda Saib nabob of Arcot. Anaverdy Khan, the late nabob, had been defeated and slain by Muzapherzing and Chunda Saib, with the assistance of the French auxiliaries, in 1749; his son Mahommed Ali Khan put himself under the protection of the English at Madras, and was confirmed by Nazirzing as his father's successor in the nabobship or government of Arcot. This government, therefore, was disputed between Mahommed Ali Khan, appointed by the legal viceroy Nazirzing, supported by the English company, and Chunda Saib, nominated by the usurper Muzapherzing, and protected by Dupleix, who commanded at Pondicherry. Muzapherzing did not long survive his usurpation. In 1751 the same nabobs who had elevated him to his kinsman's place, thinking themselves ill-rewarded for their services, fell upon him suddenly, routed his troops, put him to death, and next day proclaimed Sallabatzing, brother to Nazirzing, viceroy of the Deccan. On the other hand, the mogul appointed Gauzedy Khan, who was the elder brother of Sallabatzing; and this prince confirmed Mahommed Ali Khan in the government of Arcot. But the affairs of the mogul's court were then in such confusion, that he could not spare an army to support the nomination he had made. Chunda Saib, nabob of Arcot, having been deposed by the mogul, who placed Anaverdy Khan in his room, resolved to recover his government by force, and had recourse to the French general at Pondicherry, who reinforced him with 2000 sepoys, and 420 French troops, on condition that, if he proveu successful in his enterprise, he should cede to the French the town of Velur, in the neighbourhood of Pondicherry, with its dependencies, consisting of forty-five villages. Thus reinforced, he defeated his rival, Anaverdy Khan, who lost his life in the engagement, re-assumed the government of Arcot, and punctually performed the conditions which had been stipulated by his French allies. Mahommed Ali Khan, at the death of his father, had fled to Tiruchirapalli, and solicited the assistance of the English, who favoured him with a reinforcement of money, men, and ammunition, under the conduct of Major Stringer Lawrence, a brave and experienced officer. They now detached Captain Cope to put Tiruchirapalli in the posture of defence. The two armies, being pretty equal in strength, lay encamped in sight of each other a whole month; during which nothing happened but a few skirmishes, which generally terminated to the advantage of the English auxiliaries. Such was the state of the company's affairs when Clive resumed the military character.

Having obtained a captain's commission, he undertook to conduct a detachment into the province of Arcot; and accordingly began his march at the head of 210 Europeans, and 500 sepoys. Such was the resolution, secrecy, and despatch, with which Captain Clive conducted. this enterprise, that the enemy knew nothing of his motions until he was in possession of the capital, which he took without opposition. The inhabitants, expecting to be plundered, offered him a large sum to spare their city; but they derived their security from the generosity and discretion of the conqueror. He refused the proffered ransom, and issued a proclamation, intimating that those who were willing to remain in their houses should be protected from insult and injury, and the rest have leave to retire with all their effects, except provisions, for which

he promised to pay the full value. By this wise conduct he so conciliated the affections of the people, that even those who quitted the place supplied him with exact intelligence of the enemy's designs, when he was besieged in the sequel. The fort of Arcot was in a little time invested by Rajah Saib, son of Chunda Saib, at the head of a numerous army; and the operations of the siege were conducted by European engineers. Though their approaches were retarded by the repeated and resolute sallies of Clive, they at length effected two breaches which were supposed to be practicable, and on the 14th of October, 1751, advanced to a general assault. But Clive, having received intimation of their design, had made such preparations for their reception, that they were repulsed in every quarter with great loss, and obliged to raise the siege with the utmost precipitation. Captain Clive was no sooner reinforced by a detachment under Captain Kirkpatrick from Trichinopoly, than he marched in pursuit of the enemy, whom he overtook in the plains of Aranie. Here, on the 3d of December, he attacked them with irresistible impetuosity, and, after an obstinate fight, obtained a complete victory at a very small expense. The forts of Timery, Caujeveram, and Aranie, now surrendered to the terror of his name, rather than to the force of his arms; and he returned to Fort St David's in triumph.

He had enjoyed a very few weeks of repose, when he was again summoned to the field by fresh incursions of the enemy. In the beginning of the year 1752 he marched with a small detachment to Madras, where he was joined by a reinforcement from Bengal, the whole number not exceeding 300 Europeans. He assembled a body of the natives, that he might have at least the appearance of an army, and with these proceeded to Koveripauk, about 15 miles from Arcot, where he found the French and Indians, consisting of 1500 sepoys, 1700 horse, a body of natives, and 150 Europeans, with eight pieces of cannon. Though they were advantageously posted and intrenched, and the day was already far advanced, Clive advanced against them with his usual intrepidity, and gained a complete victory. The province of Arcot being thus cleared of the enemy, Clive with his forces returned to Fort St David's, where he found Major Lawrence just arrived from England, to take upon him the command of the troops in the company's service. After having performed a number of important services, Captain Clive's health being in an enfeebled state, he returned to England, where he was received by the East India company with great distinction. As a testimony of their sense of his military merit, they requested him to accept of a diamond-hilted sword. This, however, he declined, unless the same present should be made to Colonel Lawrence, which was accordingly done.

Soon after Clive's arrival in England, he was solicited, by the directors of the East India company, to accept the appointment of governor of Fort St David's, with a right of succession to the government of Madras; and, as he expressed his willingness to serve them, they procured for him the commission of Lieutenant-colonel in the royal service, together with the command of three companies of the royal artillery, and of some hundreds of the king's troops. With this force he was ordered to join the Mahrattas on the coast of Hindostan, and, in conjunction with them, to attack the French, whose power was at that time ex

tremely formidable to the English East India company. But finding, on his arrival at Bombay, that an end had been put to hostilities between the English and French in India, he formed a scheme of employing the English forces, in conjunction with the Mahrattas, against Angrias, a very formidable neighbouring pirate, whose frequent depredations were injurious to the English settlements. The plan was crowned with success, under the co-operation of Admirals Watson and Pocock.

A

After this transaction, Colonel Clive sailed for Fort St David's, where he arrived in April, 1756. His stay here was short; for Calcutta being taken by the nabob of Bengal, he was summoned to Madras, where he was appointed to the command of the troops sent from thence to the relief of the English in Bengal. He embarked on board Admiral Watson's squadron, and, with the assistance of the squadron, made himself master of Bulbudgia, a place of great strength, though very ill defended. On the 1st of January the admiral, with two ships, appeared before Calcutta, and was received by a brisk fire from the batteries. The salute was returned so warmly, that the enemy's guns were soon silenced, and in less than two hours the place and fort were abandoned. Colonel Clive, on the other side, invested the town, and made his attack with a vigour and intrepidity which overcame every obstacle. few days after, Hughley, situated higher up the river, was reduced with little difficulty. Incensed at the almost instantaneous loss of all his conquests, and the demolition of the city of Hughley, the surajah or viceroy of Bengal discouraged all advances to an accommodation which was proposed by the admiral and chiefs of the company, and assembled an army of 20,000 horse, and 15,000 foot, fully resolved to expel the English out of his dominions, and take ample vengeance for the disgraces he had lately sustained. He was seen marching by the English camp in his way to Calcutta on the 2d of February, where he encamped about a mile from the town. Colonel Clive immediately made application to the admiral for a reinforcement, and 600 men, under the command of Captain Warwick, were accordingly drafted from the dif ferent ships, and sent to assist his little army. Clive drew out his forces, advanced in three columns towards the enemy, and began the attack so vigorously, that the surajah retreated, after a feeble resistance, with the loss of a thousand men killed, wounded, and taken prisoners, five hundred horses, and four elephants. Though this advantage was less decisive than could have been wished, yet it sufficiently intimidated the surajah into concessions, much to the honour and advantage of the company. He promised not to disturb the English in any of their privileges or possessions as granted by the mogul; and engaged that all merchandise belonging to the company should pass and repass in every part of the province of Bengal, free of duty; that all the English factories seized the preceding year or since, should be restored, with the money, goods, and effects appertaining; that all damages sustained by the English should be repaired, and their losses repaid; that the English should have liberty to fortify Calcutta in whatever manner they thought proper, without interruption; that they should have the liberty of coining all the gold and bullion they imported, which should. pass current in the province; that he would remain in strict friendship and alliance with the English, use his utmost endeavours to heal up