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CHAPTER XLII.

IMPORTANT SUBJECT OF THIS CONCLUSION;

RETROSPECTION OF THE ENGLISH EAST INDIA COMPANY'S FIRST SETTLEMENTS IN HINDOSTAN; THEIR PRO

GRESSIVE IMPROVEMENT, AND FLOURISHING

STATE OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE IN

INDIA, IN 1812.

REFLECTIONS ON THE CHARACTER OF THE HINDOOS, AND THE IMPORTANCE OF CONVERTING THEM TO

CHRISTIANITY.

"From ills, that painted, harrow up the breast,

(What agonies, if real, must they give!)
Preserve thy votaries; be their labours blest!
Oh! bid the patient Hindoo rise and live.
His erring mind, that wizard lore beguiles,
Clouded by priestly wiles,

To senseless nature bows, for nature's God.
Now, stretch'd o'er oceans vast, from happier isles,
He sees the wand of empire, not the rod :
Ah! may those beams that Western skies illume,
Disperse th' unholy gloom!

Meanwhile, may laws by myriads long rever'd,
Their strife appease, their gentler claims decide;
So shall their victors, mild with virtuous pride,
To many a cherish'd grateful race endear'd,
With temper'd love be fear'd;

Though mists profane obscure their narrow ken,
They err, yet feel, though pagans, they are men."

SIR WILLIAM JONES.

1

CONTENTS.

The harp of prophecy-present awful and eventful period-reflections -purport of this concluding chapter-auxiliaries on the important subject—Britain highly favoured--blessings of peace—sensible and pious dedication by Hakluyt to Sir Francis Walsingham—commencement of the India Company's settlements in India-causes of their becoming generally interesting—no longer simply a trading Company, but sovereigns of an extensive empire-French and Dutch no longer in possession of a factory there-epitome of the administration of Hastings, Cornwallis, Wellesley, and other governors in ·India-institution of the college at Calcutta-its essential advantages-these great characters opposed to the infamous successors of the Portugueze conquerors of India-geographical outline of Hindostan-divisions-revenue-amelioration of the natives under the wise and benevolent administration of Great Britain—dreadful effects of famine--humanity of the Bombay government-comparative ignorance of Europeans respecting the Hindoos in 1774luminous researches of Mr. Hastings—and grand acquisitions of knowledge since that period-reflections on the conversion of the Hindoos-sentiments of the author-Dr. Johnson-and many eminent writers—the author assigns reasons for altering his opinion of the Hindoo character—anecdote of an amiable pundit—pleasing portraits of other natives-depravity of the zemindars and higher

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