by rapid fucceffes acquired large territories and confiderable wealth. In p. 60, the author gives a fhort account of the Rohillas, another hardy and warlike tribe, who defcended from the mountains of Afganistan about fixty years ago, and settled in Cuttair-and in p. 72, thus mentions the founder of the Seiks, an obfcure and extraordinary race, originally dwelling in a remote part of the province of Lahoor. "In the reign of the Emperor Baber, Nanick Shah, founder of the tribe, was born at a fmall village named Tulbindee, in the province of Lahoor. At an early period of life, this extraordinary person, who poffeffed a good capacity and amiable manners, forfook the world, and devoted himself to a life of religious aufterity. In this reclufe ftare, aided by the effufions of a fervid imagination, Nanick framed a fyftem of religion, compofed from the fpeculative and contemplative theories of Muffulman divinity, which he delivered to his numerous followers as of divine origin. This book he termed Gurrunt, which, in the Punjabee dialect, implies fcriptural. Nanick, after reaching his ninetieth year, expired peaceably, and was buried at Amritt Seer, where his tomb to the prefent day attracts the attention, and animates the piety of his numerous difciples." The Seiks having conquered the whole of the tract called Punjab, and poffeffed themfelves of feveral large towns in procefs of time, are now able to bring into the field an army of 250,000 men, under different chiefs, who, however, from want of union, are not fo formidable as, from the number of their troops, might be imagined. The Seiks are mounted on ftrong horfes, and armed with fpears, fcymetars, and matchlock guns; but though their charge may make an impreffion on infantry, yet (p. 76) they cannot ftand against artillery. From pp. 112 and 129, we fhall felect two anecdotes, which ftrongly niark the treachery and ferocity of the Muffulman Hindoos. "On the 23d of September of the current year (1783) the two armies met, and encan ped in the neighbourhood of Deig. Though the confpiracy we have before related had been planned with the utmoft fecrecy and caution, it by some means or other reached the ears of Mirza Shuffee's friends; and, previous to the intended interview, the Prime Minister was warned of the treacherous defigns of his enemies. But Mirza Shuffee rejected the information as a concerted falfehood, and totally regardlefs of perfonal fafety, accompanied by a few followers, he proceeded on his vifit. The army of Mahomed Beg Khan was drawn out as if ready to receive and compliment the Minister. Each of the chiefs was mounted on his elephant: as the animal on which Mirza Shuffee rode approached the other, Mahomed Beg Khan, conformable to eftablished ufage, rofe up, faluted, and embraced his rival; but in the performance of that at having feized hold of the Minister's right hand, which was the fignal agreed on, Mirza Ifmaeel Beg, his nephew, who fat in the khawajs, (a back feat on the elephant) plunged plunged a dagger into the body of the devoted victim: he groaned, fell back, and expired." The fimilar fate of another Minifter is thus related; "Zein al Abudeen, whofe plan was already formed, now entered into converfation with the Minifter. In terms apparently cordial, and in the most refpectful manner, he propofed to him for the future to live upon a more amicable footing; expreffed his wish that all former differences fhould be forgotten, and urged the neceffity of henceforth confolidating their mutual interefts. Sufpended at the unexpectedness of this addrefs, Afrafiab Khan remained for a time abforbed in filence; but about to have replied* Zein al Abudeen, with fury in his countenance, rofe from his feat, a fignal upon which Maddon Beg came up, and plunged his dagger into the breast of the devoted minifter: he expired on the fpot; a violent tumult enfuing, feveral perfons were flain; but Zein al Abudeen having effected his efcape, fought and found protection in the camp of Sindiah." P. 129. In the ninth chapter (p. 139) we are introduced to Ghelaum Caudir Khan, an Indian chiet, who, on affuming the government of his district, gave early proofs of his difpofition by acts of violence, cruelty, and oppreffion; expelling and degrading the aged Afzul Khan, his own uncle, an amiable and refpected nobleman, and openly revolting against his Sovereign. Had Shah Aulum exerted but a little energy and refolution, occafions were not wanting when he might have crufhed the rebel and prevented his own difgrace; but, by fome unaccountable infatuation, he acquiefced in the terms offered by the infolent traitor, and after a feries of mortifications, (which remind us of Louis the Sixteenth) fell into the power of the faithlefs Ghalaum Caudir, who had not obferved one of the terms propofed by himself, but on the first opportunity difarmed the King's guards, and put his officers into close confinement. "The ink," said the unhappy monarch," with which the folemn treaty was written, is fcarce yet dry when he breaks his faith." The remonstrance proved of no avail, for the rebel having confined every perfon who might be able to affitt the king, proceeded to the perpetration of additional indignities. Entering armed into the audience chamber, he infolently demanded affignments for the payment of his troops, who were then clamorous for their arrears. The king in vain pleaded his total inability to afford any relief, but told the rebel to feize upon whatever he thought proper within the precincts of the palace. After much altercation, and a difgraceful fcene, the unfortunate Shah Aulum, was permitted to return to his Haram, to ruminate on his miferable and degraded state." P. 175 The next morning, having again entered the palace, "The traitor then approached the throne, and took up the field and feymetar, which as emblems of royalty were placed on a cufhion 營 A very faulty fentence; it fhould be " but when he was about to reply." Rev. before before the king-thefe be configned to the hands of an attendant, and turning towards Shah-Aulum, sternly commanded him to defcend. Better," faid the aged monarch," far better will it be for Gholaum Caudir to plunge his dagger in my befom than load me with fuch indignity." The Rohilla, frowning put his hand to his fword, but the Nazir, at the inftant stepping up, prevented him from drawing it.” The rebels having plundered the princeffes of their jewels, and ftripped the palace of all valuable effects, "The royal family were by this means reduced to great distress; the cries within the Haram became much louder, and their fufferings more acute; and with forrow we relate, that to fo high a pitch was it carried, that fome of the inferior order of females actually perifhed for want, or urged by the bitterness of defpair, raised their hands against their own lives; infenfible to the general diftrefs, and unfatiated with plunder, Gholaum Caudir Khan finding he had nothing more to expect from the new king, proceeded to the laft af of wanton cruelty. He fent for the dethroned king, and all the princes of the royal family, to the audience chamber; on their arrival, he fternly commanded Shah-Aulum to discover his concealed treafures; in vain did the king plead his degraded ftate, and the confequent inability to conceal even the fmalleft article. Inflamed by a continual debauch, which had thrown him into a paroxyfm of rage, the tyrant threatened his fovereign with inftant lofs of fight-" What!" exclaimed the fuffering prince (we quote the literal expreffion of a native author) "What! will you destroy thofe eyes which for a period of fixty years have been affiduously employed in perusing the Sacred Koran!" Regardless of the pathetic appeal, the Rohilla, with characteristic inhumanity, commanded his attendants to feize the king. Having thrown him on the floor, the ferocious ruffian implanting himself on his bofom, transfixed with a poignard the eyes of his venerable fovereign! On the completion of this horrid deed, Gholaum Caudir ordered the King to be removed to a diftant apartment. The miferable Shab-Aulum, pale and bleeding, was conducted to his retreat, in all the bittercefs of anguish, to contemplate on his now ruined fortunes." P. 178. As he furvived the lofs of fight, Shah Aulum folaced his confinement in contemplative reveries, and in the compofition of elegiac verfus, defcriptive of his deplorable fituation; he yet lives to enjoy the reflection, that the author of his misfortunes did not long triumph in his fuccefs; and however horrible the punishment of Gholaum Caudir, the reader must allow that it was justly merited, and will rejoice that it fo quickly followed the offence. Having, by his cruelties and infatiable avarice, difgufted all his former allies and adherents, he was delivered to the Marhatta Chief, who after repeatedly crdering him, but in vain, to difcover the place where he had concealed the plunder of the palace, placed him in an iron cage, conftructed for the occafion; h this fituation he was fufpended in front of the army; after fuftaining the infults and indignities of the foldiers, his nofe, ears, hands, and feet, were cut off; and in this mutilated and miferable condition, he was, by order of Ali Behadur, sent off to Delhi; but on the journey, death relieved the miferable wretch from his fufferings: thus dreadfully atoning for the crimes of his favage and abandoned life! The Nazir (his accomplice) on his arrival at Delhi, was trodden to death under the feet of an elephant." P. 185. The Appendix confifts of four articles; of the first," An Account of modern Dehli," fome paffages correfpond with thofe which we lately gave from the Afiatic Researches. The fecond article is, A Narrative of the Revolution at Rampore, in 1794," a year fatal to fourteen gallant British officers, who, in a hard-fought action with the Rohillas, fell on the 26th of October, on the banks of the Doo Jorah river. The third article of the Appendix, is the original Perfian, with a tranflation, of a letter from Prince Mirza Juwaun Bukht Fohaundar Shah, eldeft fon of Shah Aulum, to his Majesty George III. The fourth is an Elegy, written by the unfortu nate Emperor, after the lofs of his fight, given alfo in the origi nal Perfian, with an ingenious poetical verfion in English. But we must here remark, that both in this and the preceding article, the typographical errors of the Perfian text are very numerous. To this volume is prefixed an elegant and accurate map of Hindooftan; and the work contains four neat portraits from original Indian paintings of Shah Aulum, and other principal perfonages. We are glad to find the author's lift of fubfcribers both copious and refpectable. He is a pleasing, lively, and defcriptive writer, who expreffes his fentiments with cafe and freedom, and acknowledges his obligations to others with candour and liberality. His Journey to Perfia, known and much efteemed on the Continent, in a German tranflation, has long fince acquired him a confiderable share of literary reputation, which the Hiftory of Shah Aulum cannot fail to increase. ART. V. Biographical, Literary, and Political Anecdotes of Several of the most eminent Perfons of the prefent Age. Never before printed. With an Appendix: confifting of original, explanatory, and fearce Papers. By the Author of Anecdotes of the late Earl of Chatham. Three Volumes. 8vo. Il. Is. Longman, Paternofter-Row. 1797. NOTWITHSTANDING the affertion of originality in the title-page, more than two thirds of the matter of these volumes is particularly mentioned by the editor as being collected collected from printed authorities. We were alfo induced to form expectations of a greater variety of information than we actually found; for, with very few exceptions, these anecdotes are wholly political; and connected, as they are, with very recent periods of English hiftory, will fcarcely be expected to be entirely free from that fpirit of party, which renders the narrative of our own times in fome respects more doubtful than that of remote and ancient periods. The perfons mentioned in thefe volumes are: the Dukes of Grafton, Leeds, Dorfet, Rutland; Horace Walpole, Dr. Butler (Bithop of Hereford), Right Hon. C. Townsend, Mr. Serjeant Adair, Sir Grey Cooper, Sir John Dalrymple; the late Earls Mansfield, Camden, Marchmont, and Temple; the late Right Hon. G. Grenville, T. Whately, C. Lloyd, and W. Knox, Efqrs.; Lord G. Germain; D. Hartley, and Jofiah Wedgwood; Dr. Franklin, and Metfrs. Burkes. Under the article "Duke of Grafton," the author profeffes to give a very minute account of the real " Junius." Of the name, however, of this celebrated writer, he is either unable or unwilling to inform us. The former feems the more likely conjecture: for as the perfon to whom this author alludes is flated to be now dead, no neceffity for concealment can probably remain. The whole of this paffage has been contradicted in one or more of the public prints, fince the appearance of this work, on the authority of Mr. Woodfall, the original publifher; it may deferve, however, at all events, to be inferted here, fince it may perhaps ferve as a clue to the future difcovery of this very remarkable incognito. "The bold affertions and keen invectives with which the papers of Junius abounded throughout, contributed greatly to their popula rity and fame. They were occafionally attributed to Lord Sackville, to the Right Hon. W. G. Hamilton, to the Right Hon. Edmund Burke, to John Dunning, Efq. and many others, but without the leaft ground or foundation in truth. It is to be obferved of them, that all parties are attacked in them except the Grenvilles. During their original publication, the writer lived in Norfolk-street, in the Strand, not in affluent circumftances, but he did not write for pecuniary aid. He was a native of Ireland, of an honourable family, and of Trinity College, Dublin. He was at one time intended for the army, and at another for the bar; but private circumftances prevented either taking place. Perhaps no man poffeffed a ftronger memory. He frequently attended parliament, and the courts in Weftminifter-hall. And fometimes he committed to paper the fpeeches he had heard. There are fome of Lord Chatham's fpeeches on the American war, printed in the "Anecdotes of Lord Chatham's Life," which were taken by him; and they are allowed, by all thofe perfons who heard them, to be accurate, even to minuteness. They want nothing but the dignified action, I |