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Their colours and their sash he wore,
And in the fatal dress was found:
And now he must that death endure
Which gives the brave the keenest wound.
How pale was then his true love's cheek,
When Jemmy's sentence reached her ear;
For never yet did Alpine snows

So pale or yet so chill appear.

With faltering voice, she weeping said,
"Oh Dawson, monarch of my heart!
Think not thy death shall end our loves,
For thou and I will never part.

"Yet might sweet mercy find a place,
And bring relief to Jemmy's woes;
O George without a prayer for thee,
My orisons should never close.

"The gracious prince that gave him life,
Would crown a never dying flame,

And every tender babe I bore,

Should learn to lisp the giver's name.

"But though he should be dragged in scorn

To yonder ignominious tree,

He shall not want one constant friend,

To share the cruel fates' decree."

O! then her mourning coach was called,
The sledge moved slowly on before;
Though borne in a triumphal car,
She had not loved her favourite more.
She followed him, prepared to view,
The terrible behests of law,
And the last scene of Jemmy's woes,
With calm and steadfast eye she saw.
Distorted was that blooming face,
Which she had fondly loved so long;
And stifled was that tuneful breath,
Which in her praise had sweetly sung.
And severed was that beauteous neck,
Round which her arms had fondly closed;
And mangled was that beauteous breast
On which her love-sick head reposed.

And ravished was that constant heart
She did to every heart prefer;
For though it could its king forget,
'Twas true and loyal still to her.

Amid those unrelenting flames

She bore his constant heart to see;

But when 'twas mouldered into dust,

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The dismal scene was o'er and past,
The lover's mournful hearse retired;
The maid drew back her languid head
And sighing forth his name, expired.
Though justice ever must prevail,
The tear my Kitty sheds is due ;
For seldom shall she hear a tale
So sad, so tender, and so true.

THE ENGLISH IN THE BLACK HOLE OF CALCUTTA, 1756.

SMOLLETT.

Scenes of higher import were this year (1756), acted by the British arms in the East Indies: the cessation of hostilities between the English and French companies on the peninsula of India, though it encouraged Mr. Clive to visit his native country, was not of long duration; for in a few months both sides recommenced their operations, no longer as auxiliaries to the princes of the country, but as principals and rivals both in arms and commerce. Major Lawrence, who now enjoyed the chief command of the English force, obtained divers advantages over the enemy, and prosecuted his success with such vigour, as in all probability would in a little time have terminated the war, according to his own wish; when the progress of his arms was interrupted, and suspended by an unfortunate event at Calcutta, the cause of which is not easily explained, for extraordinary pains have been taken to throw a veil over some transactions, from whence this calamity was immediately or remotely derived.

The old suba, or viceroy of Bengal, Bahar, and Orissa dying in the month of April, 1756, was succeeded by his adopted son, Surajah Dowlah, a young man of violent passions, without principle, fortitude, or good faith, who began his administration with acts of perfidy and violence. In all probability, his design against the English settlements was suggested by his rapacious disposition, on a belief that they abounded with treasure, as the pretences he used for commencing hostilities were altogether inconsistent, false, and frivolous. In the month of May he caused the English factory at Cossimbuzar to be invested; and inviting Mr. Watts, the chief of the factory, to a conference, under the sanction of a safe conduct, detained him as a prisoner; then by means of fraud and force intermingled, made himself master of the factory. This exploit being achieved, he made no secret of his design to deprive the English of all their settlements. With this view he marched to Calcutta, at the head of a numerous army, and invested the place, which was then in no posture of defence.

The governor, intimidated by the number and power of the enemy, abandoned the fort, and with some principal persons residing in the settlement, took refuge on board a ship in the river, carrying along with them their most valuable effects, and the books of the company. Thus the defence of the place devolved to Mr. Holwell,

the second in command, who, with the assistance of a few gallant officers, and a very feeble garrison, maintained it with uncommon courage and resolution against several attacks, until he was overpowered by numbers, and the enemy had forced their way into the castle; then he was obliged to submit, and the suba or viceroy promised on the word of a soldier, that no injury should be done to him or his garrison; nevertheless they were all driven, to the number of 146 persons of both sexes, into a place called the Black hole prison, a cube of about eighteen feet, walled up to the

eastward and southward, the only quarters from which they could expect the least refreshing air; and open to the westward by two windows, strongly barred with iron, through which there was no perceptible circulation. The humane reader will conceive with horror the miserable situation to which they must have been reduced, when thus stewed up in a close sultry night, under such a climate as that of Bengal, especially when he reflects that many of them were wounded, and all of them fatigued with hard duty. Transported with rage to find themselves so barbarously cooped up in a place where they must be exposed to suffocation, those hapless victims endeavoured to force open the door, that they might rush on the swords of the barbarians by whom they were surrounded; but all their efforts were ineffectual; the door was made to open inwards, and being once shut on them, the crowd pressed on it so strongly, as to render all their efforts abortive; then they were overwhelmed with distraction and despair. Mr. Holwell, who had placed himself at one of the windows, accosted a jemmautdar, or sergeant of the Indian guard, and having endeavoured to excite his compassion by drawing a pathetic picture of their sufferings, promised to gratify him with 1000 rupees in the morning, if he would find means to remove one-half of them into a separate apartment. The soldier, allured by the promise of such a reward, assured him that he would do his endeavour for their relief, and retired for that purpose; but in a few minutes returned, and told him that the suba, by whose order alone such a step could be taken, was asleep, and no person dared disturb his repose. By this time a profuse sweat had broken out on every individual, and this was attended with an insatiable thirst, which became the more intolerable, as the body was drained of its moisture. In vain these miserable objects stripped themselves of their clothes, squatted down, and fanned the air with their hats, to produce a refreshing undulation; many were unable to rise again from this posture, and falling down, were trod to death, or suffocated. The dreadful symptom of thirst was now accompanied with a difficulty of respiration, and every individual gasped for breath. Their despair became outrageous; again they attempted to force the door, and provoked the guard to fire on them by execration and abuse. The cry of "water! water!" issued from every mouth; even the jemmautdar was moved to compassion by their distress; he ordered his soldiers to bring some skins of water, which served only to enrage the appetite, and increase the general agitation; there was no other way of conveying it through the window but by hats : and this was rendered ineffectual by the eagerness and transport of the wretched prisoners, who at the sight of it, struggled and raved even into fits of delirium. In conse quence of these contests very little reached those who stood nearest the window, while the rest, at the further end of the prison were totally excluded from all relief, and continued calling on their friends for assistance, and conjuring them by all the tender ties of pity and affection; to those who were indulged it proved pernicious; for instead of allaying their thirst, it enraged their impatience for more. The confusion became general and horrid; all was clamour and contest; those who were at a distance endeavoured to force their passage to the window, and the weak were pressed down to the ground, never to rise again. The inhuman ruffians without derived entertainment from their misery; they supplied the prisoners with more water, and held up lights close to the bars, that they might enjoy the inhuman pleasure of seeing them fight for the baneful indulgence. Mr. Holwell, seeing all his particular friends lying dead around him, and trampled on by the living, finding himself wedged up so close as to be deprived of all motion, begged, as the last instance of their regard, that they would remove the pressure and allow him to retire from the window, that he might die in quiet. Even in those dreadful circumstances which might be supposed to level all distinction, the poor delirious wretches manifested a respect for his rank and character; they forthwith gave way, and he forced his passage into the centre of

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the place, which was not crowded so much, because by this time about one-third of the number had perished, and lay in little compass on the floor, while the rest still crowded to both windows. He retired to a platform at the further end of the room, and lying down on some of his dead friends recommended his soul to Heaven. Here his thirst grew insupportable, his difficulty in breathing increased, and he was seized with a strong palpitation; these violent symptoms, which he could not bear, urged him to make another effort. He forced his way back to the window and cried aloud, Water, for God's sake." He had been supposed already dead by his wretched companions, but finding him still alive they exhibited another extraordinary proof of tenderness and regard for his person. "Give him water," they cried, nor would any of them attempt to touch it till he had drunk. He now breathed more freely, and the palpitation ceased; but finding himself still more thirsty after drinking, he abstained from water, and moistened his mouth from time to time by sucking the perspiration from his shirt sleeve. The miserable prisoners, perceiving the water rather aggravated than relieved their distress, grew clamorous for air, and repeated their insults to the guard, loading the suba and his governor with the most virulent reproaches; from railing they had recourse to prayer, beseeching Heaven to put an end to their misery. They now began to drop on all hands; but then a steam arose from the living and the dead, as pungent and volatile as spirits of hartshorn, so that all who could not approach the windows were suffocated. Mr. Holwell, being weary of life, retired once more to the platform and stretched himself by the Rev. Mr. Lewis Bellamy, who, together with his son, a lieutenant, lay dead in each other's arms. In this situation he was soon deprived of sense and lay to all appearance dead till day broke, when his body was discovered and removed by his surviving friends to one of the windows, where the air revived him and he was restored to his sight and senses. The suba at last, being informed that the greater part of the prisoners were suffocated, asked if the chief were alive, and being answered in the affirmative, sent an order for their immediate release, when no more than twenty-three survived of the 146 who had entered alive.

Nor was the late deliverance even of these few owing to any sentiment of compassion in the viceroy; he had received intimation that there was a considerable treasure secreted in the fort, and that Mr. Holwell knew the place where it was deposited. That gentleman, who with his surviving companions had been seized with a putrid fever immediately on their release, was dragged in that condition before the inhuman suba, who questioned him about the treasure, which existed no where but in his own imagination, and would give no credit to his protestations, when he solemnly declared he knew of no such deposit. Mr. Holwell and three of his friends were loaded with fetters, and conveyed three miles from the Indian camp, where they lay all night exposed to a severe rain. Next morning they were brought back to town, still manacled, under the scorching beams of a sun intensely hot, and must have infallibly expired had not nature expelled the fever in large painful boils that covered almost the whole body. In this piteous condition they were embarked in an open boat for Muxadavad, the capital of Bengal, and underwent such cruel treatment and misery on their passage as would shock the humane reader should he peruse the particulars. At Muxadavad they were led through the city in chains, as a spectacle to the inhabitants, lodged in an open stable, and treated for some days as the worst of criminals. At length the suba's grandmother interposed her mediation in their behalf; and as that prince was by this time convinced that there was no treasure concealed at Calcutta, he ordered them to be set at liberty. When some of his sycophants opposed the indulgence, representing that Mr. Holwell had still enough left to pay a considerable ransom; he replied with some marks of compunetion and generosity, "If he has anything left, let him keep it. His sufferings have

THE EXECUTION OF THE JACOBITE LORDS.

*

HORACE WALpole.

upon myself for the country),

I was not at it, but had two persons

I came from town (take notice I put this place the day after the execution of the rebel lords. come to me directly who were at the next house to the scaffold; and I saw another who was upon it, so that you may depend upon my accounts.

Just before they came out of the Tower, lord Balmerino drank a bumper to king James's health. As the clock struck ten, they came forth on foot, lord Kilmarnock all in black, his hair unpowdered in a bag, supported by Forster, the great presbyterian, and by Mr. Home, a young clergyman, his friend. Lord Balmerino followed, alone, in a blue coat turned up with red, his rebellious regimentals, a flannel waistcoat, and his shroud beneath; their hearses following. They were conducted to a house near the scaffold; the room forwards had benches for spectators; in the second lord Kilmarnock was put, and in the third backwards, lord Balmerino; all three chambers hung with black. Here they parted! Balmerino embraced the other, and said, "My lord, I wish I could suffer for both." He had scarce left him, before he desired again to see him, and then asked him, "My lord Kilmarnock, do you know anything of the resolution taken in our army the day before the battle of Culloden, to put the English prisoners to death?" He replied, "My lord, I was not present; but since I came hither, I have had all the reason in the world to believe that there was such an order taken, and I hear the duke has the pocket-book with the order." Balmerino answered, "It was a lie, raised to excuse their barbarity to us." Take notice, that the duke's charging this on lord Kilmarnock (certainly on mis-information), decided this unhappy man's fate! The most now pretended is, that it would have come to lord Kilmarnock's turn to have given the word for the slaughter as lieutenant-general, with the patent for which he was immediately drawn into the rebellion, after having been staggered by his wife, her mother, his own poverty, and the defeat of Cope. He remained an hour and half in the house, and shed tears. At last he came to the scaffold, certainly much terrified, but with a resolution that prevented his behaving in the least meanly, or unlike a gentleman. He took no notice of the crowd, only to desire that the baize might be lifted up from the rails, that the mob might see the spectacle. He stood and prayed some time with Forster, who wept over him, exhorted, and encouraged him. He delivered a long speech to the sheriff, and with a noble manliness stuck to the recantation he had made at his trial; declaring he wished that all who embarked in the same cause might meet the same fate. He then took off his bag, coat and waistcoat with great composure, and after some trouble put on a napkin cap, and then several times tried the block, the executioner who was in white with a white apron, out of tenderness concealing the axe behind himself. At last the earl knelt down, with a visible unwillingness to depart, and after five minutes dropped his handkerchief—the signal, and his head was cut off at once, only hanging by a bit of skin, and was received in a scarlet cloth by four of the undertaker's men kneeling, who wrapped it up, and put it into the coffin with the body, orders having been given not to expose the head, as used to be the custom.

The scaffold was immediately new strewed with sawdust, the block new covered, the executioner new dressed, and a new axe brought. Then came old Balmerino, treading with the air of a general. As soon as he mounted the scaffold, he read the inscription on his coffin, as he did again afterwards. He then surveyed the spectators, who were in amazing numbers, even upon the masts of ships in the river,

• Windsor.

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