A letter to Mr. and Mrs. Duffin from Mr. Kohl- | this there is, and ever must be, imperfection;_so hoff, in the course of this year, thus mentions the that I dare not stand upon so rotten a ground. state of India at that period, and his venerable friend and father.

"Tanjore, March 30, 1795. "We are especially bound to praise God, that we have been free from the trouble and miseries of war, under which a great part of Europe is at present laboring. We were indeed under some appre-indolent in the pursuit of holiness. It will rather hensions of a war breaking out between us and the Mahrattas, about the beginning of this year; but by the kind providence of God, and the wise measures of our government, it was averted, and we are now enjoying, thank God, perfect peace and tranquillity.

Swartz replied with so much propriety, and with such wonderful intrepidity and energy, that at length the Brahmins unanimously exclaimed, 'Of a truth you are a holy man; and if all your Christians thought, and spake, and lived as you do, we would without delay undergo the change, and become Christians also.""

How honorable is this repeated testimony to his personal excellence; and how powerfully does it appeal to every minister, whether abroad or at home, and to every private Christian, to act consistently with their holy profession, and thus to adorn and recommend the doctrine of God our Saviour!

soon as his health would permit, intended to transmit an extract from it to the Society. He concluded by expressing his humble and respectful thanks for the continuance of their kindness to them and to the mission.

The Society, with prompt liberality, having taken into consideration the preceding statement of the extraordinary expense incurred in the service of the Tanjore mission, in the year 1795, transmitted to Swartz £60, with a request that he would furnish an estimate of the whole amount, and of the balance remaining unprovided for, on account of which this allowance was made.

To a friend in London the excellent missionary

To the Society for promoting Christian Know-wrote, at the commencement of this year," It is a ledge, Mr. Swartz wrote from Tanjore on the 26th sincere pleasure to me to hear, that my letter, toof January, 1796, giving an interesting retrospect gether with my remarks on the mission, have been of the preceding year. He and his brethren, he ob- read to the honorable Society, and received their served, had experienced the mercy of God in pre-approbation. My earnest wish is, that the remarks serving their lives, when they seemed to be in may prove conducive to the good of the mission." danger. Mr. Janicke had been afflicted with a He then adds the following important and interestbillious disorder, the consequence and effect of the ing observations.* hill fever, which never entirely left him for three years, though he had sometimes been tolerably well, so as to go through the duties of his office.Mr. Kohlhoff continued most faithfully to assist him. He had himself entered into the seventieth year of his age, and still found himself able to perform his various duties-preaching every Sunday, catechising every day, and in the afternoon visiting Christian families, and instructing them in the obligations of religion.

A missionary must guard against being cast down and dissatisfied; for this, especially here, is as poison to the body, and highly pernicious to the soul; because thereby faith, love, and hope decrease, nay, absolutely perish: and when the people remark that such an one is discontented, it is an impediment in the way of his laboring on their souls; from which nevertheless our comfort ought to arise. Whenever I meet with any thing disagreeable, I go and catechise for an hour. This emDuring the last year twenty-nine heathens had ployment sweetens every bitter to me. No missionbeen instructed and baptized; twenty-four Roman ary must give way to complaining. We must be Catholics had been received into the congregation, witnesses for our Lord, and not converters merely.→ and thirty-seven children, born of Christian parents. One could wish indeed that, as three thousand He continued to encourage poor Christian wi- souls were converted by Peter's sermon, a visible, dows in spinning; and the young girls, after an abundant blessing might rest on our labors. Meanhour's catechising, were employed in knitting stock-while, sowing has its season, and reaping has its ings. Old people, who were unequal to hard labor, he intended to engage in the cultivation of cochineal, for which purpose he had planted opuntia in great abundance, and they were then just about to begin that useful work.

Unable," he says, "to walk very far, I visit the Christians in two streets near the church. Having catechised them, I accustom myself to explain the principal doctrines of Christianity. This done, I question them respecting their employments, and inspect their work, and at the close of the day we have evening prayer. The catechists visit and instruct Christians resident at a distance, and converse with the heathens in the adjacent towns and villages, and on their return they read their diaries."

There were twelve catechists maintained at Tanjore, Ramanadapuram, and Palamcotta, to whom monthly salaries were paid, amounting in the whole to £60 per annum. Sattianaden received a salary from the Society; the catechists were paid by Swartz. The orphan school, in which fifteen native boys were instructed, fed, and clothed, required about £40 per annum to support it.

season: and moreover it might still be a question whether with such great success, we should hold fast humility of heart. The best way is to labor diligently, and then to pray that God would bless our labor.

"The Tanjore inhabitants are much given to heathenism; and yet many assert, (I know not how it comes into their minds,) that the whole land will still embrace Christianity. God grant it.”

CHAPTER XX.

A. D. 1796 TO A. D. 1797.

Revival of the discussion respecting the validity of Serfojee's adoption, and his title to the musnud-Proceedings at the two presidencies of Madras and Bengal-Important services of Mr. Swartz upon this occasion-High testimony to his character by Sir John Shore-Complete establishment of Serfojee's claims-Sir A. Johnston-Letter to Professor Schultz-Appointment of two new missionaries-Declining health of Mr. Swartz-His devout and interesting reflections on this subject.

WHILE the venerable missionary was thus occupied in the discharge of the sacred and appropriate "As the honorable Company," observes this ge- duties of his office, it is remarkable that no allusion nerous man, "has hitherto allowed me something, I is to be found in any of his private letters to a sublook upon it as a donation to the mission. My col-ject which must at this time have engaged much of league Mr. Joenicke has a share in it. Besides, his attention, and in which he was again called to when he travels into the country, I pay the expen- take a prominent and important part. ses-I think myself bound to do so. If the honor- It will be remembered, that when the widows and able Society could assist us to defray those extraor- the adopted son of the late Rajah of Tanjore were, dinary expenses, we should rejoice, and be very in the year 1793, at their earnest request, removed thankful for such a bounty." Two English schools to Madras, it was stated that one of their chief obhad been established at Ramanadapuram, and one at Palamcotta, by young men who had been instructed at Tanjore; and these schools were supplied with books from the mission stores. Sattianaden, he adds, had sent his diary to Mr. Jœnicke, who, as

jects was to bring before the notice of government, the claims of Serfojee to the succession to the musnud, founded upon a variety of circumstances *Memoirs of Janicke.

which had transpired since the decision of Sir Archibald Campbell in favor of Ameer Sing. Soon after their arrival, Mr Swartz addressed a letter to the Marquis Cornwallis, to part of which reference has been already made, in which he gave a brief sketch of the history of Serfojee from the period of his adoption to that of his removal to Madras. After mentioning the visit of Sir Archibald Campbell to Tanjore, and his convening of twelve pundits, who declared the adoption of Serfojee to be invalid, he thus proceeds.

"As I knew nothing of their Shasters, and the whole business was done so quickly, I was silent, for which I blame myself; for these pundits ought to have given a proof from the Shaster to vindicate the justice of their opinion-but nothing of this was done. When I afterwards read the translation of the Hindoo laws, which was published in Bengal, I was astonished, when I found that those pundits had acted a base part.

given, was accompanied by one from the widows of Tuljajee to Lord Cornwallis, translated by Mr. Swartz, in which they detail all the particulars respecting the adoption of Serfojee, and declare it to have been conducted according to the strictest requisitions of Hindoo law and custom. They next refer to the two objections chiefly urged against its validity, namely, his age, and his being an only son. They then assert their conviction, that the pundits were under the influence of corrupt motives in giving their opinions in favor of Ameer Sing; and they with great fairness propose to prove this, first, by a reference to those pundits who had been consulted by Tuljajee on his adoption of a son, and who were entirely overlooked at the time of Sir Archibald Campbell's inquiry, and next, by calling upon the twelve pundits who had repudiated the adoption, to state the passages from the Shasters which justified their decision; and thus, it would appear, whether they had been influenced by sinister motives, or by a real knowledge of the Hindoo laws.

They finally entreated Lord Cornwallis not to quit India without settling Serfojee's concerns, as it would be easy for Ameer Sing, though then without any heir, to adopt an infant, and thus to place an additional impediment in the way of his claims to the throne.

not only to Bengal, but also to the Court of Directors, occasioned considerable delay.

"Your lordship wished to have authentic proofs of their having been bribed. Five of them who formerly had no office are taken into the Rajah's service. Others have fields which they would immediately lose if they confessed. One of them is here, who declared that hope and fear had influenced him; that he was conscious of having done wrong; but he said, 'As the present Rajah, before he was proclaimed, was already in the possession The question respecting the validity of Serfojee's of the country and treasure, every one had hopes adoption, having been thus formally revived, doubtand fears. You had no reason to expect a just less occupied the immediate attention of governdecision from us under these circumstances. His ment; but the time necessarily required for the money has made him king; but if you desire us to transmission and examination of the various docuconfess publicly, you must protect us publicly.'-ments upon which the determination of it depended, This is in some degree confirmed by a declaration, which the present Rajah made in the presence of Mr. De Souza, a Portuguese gentleman, Sir Archibald Campbell's dubash, Shevarow, and myself, at the time when Mr. Petrie was sent to Tanjore to oblige the Rajah to pay the arrears. The Rajah then said, 'If they press me too much, I will reveal all, and raise a storm over all England. For they have all got money from me except Mr. Swartz. Whether those who were then present would choose to confirm this declaration, I know not; but I could confirm it in the most solemn and awful manner. "The present Rajah, has made three objections to Serfojee's adoption, which some pundits, at the desire of the late Rajah's family, have answered.I beg leave to send those answers taken from the Shaster.

"As the present Rajah has requested that no stranger might be admitted to his palace and government that your lordship may be convinced that Serfojee is no stranger, but has a right to the government of the country, not only on account of his having been adopted, but even on account of his birth I beg leave to send your lordship his pedigree.

"Whether these my reflections, which I have made with a conscientious regard to truth, will throw some light upon the whole matter, I leave to your lordship's better judgment.

"Having been too silent, when the twelve pundits gave their opinion, I have written this letter to ease my mind, and if possible to benefit my unfortunate pupil. A line from your lordship on this subject shall be my comfort. In your lordship's determination I shall cheerfully acquiesce."

The letter from which the preceding extracts are

Though Mr. Swartz was a master of the principal languages spoken in the south of India, and well versed in Tamul literature, he had not found it necessary to study the Sanscrit, which accounts for his want of acquaintance with the Shasters.

During this interval, the mal-administration of affairs in Tanjore continued, and even increased. Conflicting representations were made by the Rajah and the resident to the Madras government, the former complaining particularly of the endeavors which were making to invalidate his title to the throne, and urging in the strongest manner the objections which had originally prevailed to set aside the claims of Serfojee. These appear to have been forwarded to Calcutta, where Sir John Shore, afterwards Lord Teignmouth, had succeeded the Marquis Cornwallis as governor-general of India, and to have been taken into the deliberate consideration of the president in council. In a minute, trans. mitted by that excellent and distinguished person, to the Court of Directors, the following passage occurs; which is so honorable at once to the discriminating judgment of the governor-general, and to the character of Mr. Swartz, that it is gratifying to have the opportunity of inserting it in these Memoirs.

"Admitting that the authors of the Rajah of Tanjore's correspondence are interested on the one side, and the resident and Mr. Swartz are committed on the other, it may be a matter for consideration to which of the parties credit ought to be given. The president has no hesitation in declaring, that upon every material point he totally disbelieves every circumstance that has been urged in the Rajah's letters, which goes to a contradiction of the representations of the resident.

"With regard to Mr. Swartz, whose name the president has never heard mentioned without respect, and who is as distinguished for the sanctity of his manners, as for his ardent zeal in the promulgation of his religion; whose years, without impairing his understanding, have added weight to his character; and whose situation has enabled him to be the protector of the oppressed, and the comforter of the afflicted; who, a preacher of the Christian faith, and a man without influence, ex

cept from character, was held in such estimation by the late Rajah, a Hindoo prince, approaching to his dissolution, that he thought him the fittest person he could consult concerning the management of his country, during the minority of his adopted son Serfojee; and who, displaying more integrity than foresight, in the advice he gave, did certainly not prove himself the enemy of Ameer Sing, since, at his suggestion, he was named Regent to the solemn assurance of such a man, the president is compelled to declare his unqualified assent; and, upon his information, he can easily reconcile the difference between the personal declarations and the letters of the Rajah."

and that, if he erred, it was an error arising from misinformation; but that the motives which actuated that decision on his part, were pure and disinterested."

It is due also to the East Indian government, to state the high and honorable principles by which they were influenced in the revision of this important question. In the minute already referred to, adverting to the right of the Company to interfere originally with respect to the succession to Tanjore, it is observed, "that the same right called upon them, under existing circumstances, to review the whole subject; and that if it should appear that the decision of government had been procured by imposition and intrigue, by which the legal heir Though it is by no means intended to enter had been deprived of his right, a declaration to minutely into the political affairs of Tanjore at this that effect, followed by his substitution, would be period, and the venerable subject of these memoirs more honorable to British justice, and more calcuever anxiously avoided, as far as his sense of duty lated to promote our political character and intewould permit, any interference of this nature, it is rests, than to suffer the continuance of an usurpaabsolutely necessary to the elucidation of his con- tion obtained at our hands by sinister and undue duct upon the present occasion, to refer to various means. It would manifest to the world that the circumstances respecting which he was required to principle of British justice is ever true to itself; and give his deliberate opinion and advice. Living as that if those entrusted with its administration should he had done, during so many years, in habits of be betrayed into error, (an event not impossible, friendly and confidential intercourse with the prin- even from the integrity of their own minds,) when cipal persons at the court of Tanjore, as well as truth shall have made its way, the hour of retriwith others of all ranks, he necessarily acquired abution must come, and the honor of the British clearer insight into the secret springs and motives of action of those around him, than could be obtained by any other individual. The consequence of this extensive information, combined with his perfect integrity and independence, was, that, by degrees, he was compelled to take a part, directly or indirectly, in almost every public transaction connected with Tanjore. "The good," as it has been happily expressed by a subsequent distinguished resident at that court, "naturally desired his advice and assistance; the bad were anxious to obtain the sanction of his respectable name."

*

Thus, at the close of the year 1795, we find him writing to Mr. Macleod, for the information of Lord Hobart, then governor of Madras, in the following

terms:

name be completely vindicated.

"Such a declaration would be in strict conformity with the principles avowed at the time of Ameer Sing's succession; it would be a proof not only of our justice, but of our liberality, and, by converting a temporary success into a perpetual disgrace, would afford an awful lesson to those who may be disposed to tamper with the integrity of our countrymen."

The supreme government having, upon these just and elevated principles, resolved on fully investigating the subject of the succession to Tanjore, in addition to the representations and documents which had already been laid before them by Mr. Swartz and the widows, called upon Mr. Macleod, the late resident, to state all that he knew or believed relative to the right of Ameer Sing to the musnud. In reply to this requisition, he transmitted connected with it. From this important document,* it appears that, soon after the decision in favor of Ameer Sing, opinions and surmises beginning to be very prevalent at Tanjore, as to the legality of his title, the resident was induced to make various inquiries upon the subject. He found, from answers to questions sent privately to natives well versed in the Hindoo laws, that the supposed defects in the adoption of Serfojee were of no validity, and incapable of being substantiated by authorities from the Shasters; while, on the other hand, many quotations, purporting to be from those sacred books, were produced, which clearly evinced the legality of all the forms of the adoption.

"You know the unhappy cause of the Rajah's attachment to Shevarow and his whole family. It is not any regard he has for them: no-he is ac-a clear and minute detail of all the circumstances tuated only by fear. He is conscious of having no legal claim to the crown; and that insidious family know it likewise; and they have been so imprudent as to declare, that as he owed his elevation to their assistance, so they had it in their power to bring him down whenever they pleased. It is fear of losing his glory, or splendid misery, makes him bear any insult to preserve himself in the possession of his throne. He has delivered the management of the whole country to that family, not daring to control them. Accordingly they took the accounts out of the palace, and the treasures likewise."

Representations of this nature, together with a growing impression at Tanjore, that Sir Archibald Campbell had been deceived by the pundits, as to the grounds of his decision in placing Ameer Sing upon the throne, combined with the formal impeachment of his title, by the widows and adopted son of the late Rajah, at length brought the whole of this important subject to a crisis. The government deemed it necessary to proceed with great circumspection and delicacy in questioning a right which had been sanctioned by so solemn a decision; and it is due to the memory of Sir Archibald Campbell, to declare their conviction, that it "was formed from the best and most upright intentions;

* Colonel Blackburne.

These passages were furnished by some of the pundits consulted by the late Rajah respecting that ceremony, as well as by other learned men; and though the resident could not himself verify their genuineness, the presumption was strongly in their favor, from the danger of detection, should he at any time bring them publicly forward. Upon these grounds, he felt convinced in his own mind of the validity of the adoption; and this conviction was strengthened by the circumstance, already noticed, of the various rewards bestowed by Ameer Sing upon the pundits, who had given their opinions in support of his title. He further remarked, that

* Madras Inclosures, vol. xxii. p. 715.

these opinions were unaccompanied by any author-macy of Ameer Sing, as asserted by the widows of ities from the Shasters; that some of those pundits were incompetent to assert any thing of their own knowledge upon the subject; and that one of them had actually confessed, and persisted to the hour of his death in acknowledging, that his answers had been given under undue influence.

the late Rajah, and Mr. Swartz, and called upon them to substantiate their previous statement, as to the opinions of the pundits originally consulted by Tuljajee, concerning the adoption, by authorities from the Shaster, and by the customs of the country, particularly as to the age of Serfojee at the time of his adoption being no bar to its validity; that satisfactory replies upon all these points were received by the supreme government, and constituted the evidence upon which the board were to form their opinion.

The objections urged by Ameer Sing to the adoption of Serfojee are then stated. They will be found to be identical with those originally brought forward, and were reduced to the three following.The first refers to the alleged incapacity of Tuljajee, from infirmity of mind and body, for the due persupposition that Serfojee was an only child; and the third, to the age at which he was adopted, as exceeding that which was prescribed by the Hindoo law.

All this was corroborated by the treatment of Serfojee, while confined in the palace, which has been before detailed, and which the resident had felt himself bound to represent to government, in order, as he emphatically expressed it, "to save the boy.' Of the severity of this treatment, he mentioned one remarkable proof, in addition to what has been previously stated. About three months after the death of Tuljajee, he and Mr. Swartz were sitting with the Rajah, waiting for Serfojee, who had been desired to attend them. When he made his appearance, “the child," says Mr. Mac-formance of so important an act; the second, to the leod, "was so dreadfully altered, that though we saw him in his approach down the length of an open colonnade, we did not know him, till he came within three or four yards of us: he had become emaciated and dejected to the greatest degree. He was reduced to this deplorable state, by a series of acts which sufficiently evinced that the intention of those who directed them was to remove the boy, whose right they considered the only obstacle to the Rajah's quiet possession of the throne. It was at this crisis," he adds, "that government interposed." Such is the outline of the case respecting the conflicting claims of Serfojee and Ameer Sing to the musnud of Tanjore. To the English government the decision of this question was a matter of comparative indifference, inasmuch as the determination of it in favor of either party, could not materially affect its interests or influence in the country. It was, therefore, with perfect integrity and impartiality that this important investigation was undertaken; and the result of it will be found to have been regulated by the clearest and most convincing evidence.

The whole subject is discussed in a long and elaborate despatch from Sir John Shore, the governorgeneral in council, dated December 30th, 1796, to Lord Hobart, governor of Madras. It commences with a review of the events which have been already so frequently adverted to the adoption of Serfojee, and the death of the late Rajah in 1787the suspicions generally entertained as to the legitimacy of Ameer Sing-the determination of Sir Archibald Campbell in his favor, to the exclusion of the adopted son-the gradual revival of his claim by the widows of Tuljajee, aided by the powerful interposition of Mr. Swartz, as the guardian of Serfojee, and the remonstrance of Ameer Sing, in 1793, against this impeachment of his title.

In reply to the first objection, the governor-general in council considered it amply refuted by three documents. First, the late Rajah's letters to the Madras government, announcing the adoption, which have been already quoted. Secondly, Mr. Hudleston's report of the whole transaction, in which it is expressly stated, that, notwithstanding the rapid decline of his health, the Rajah preserved his judgment and faculties in so surprising a degree, that he continued, up to the very day of the adoption, to direct and superintend the details of his government, and had even arrested his prime minister, on account of his oppression of the people. Mr. Hudleston's notice of the silence of Ameer Sing at the ceremony of the adoption, the avowed object of which was to exclude him from the succession, the board thought equally satisfactory evidence of the sanity of the Rajah. The objection in question was, in fact, never heard of till after his death. Thirdly, the report of Sir Archibald Campbell to the secret committee of the Court of Directors, which entirely negatived any such supposition.

The result, therefore, as to this first objection, was, that it was unsupported by any evidence whatever, and that there was the strongest presumption on the other side to suppose it totally unfounded.

With respect to the second objection, the board declared, that the pundits of Bengal and Benares coincided in opinion with those who had been consulted by Tuljajee, at Tanjore, that the adoption of an only son is one of those acts which is tolerated by usage, although it incurs blame; but that the deviation from the strict ordinances of the Shaster by no means invalidates the act itself. The governor-general in council, therefore, concluded that this objection did not affect the right of Serfojee to the succession.

Upon the third objection, as to the age of the child adopted, all the pundits agreed, that if he were clearly of the family and lineage of the adopter, it was lawful to select a child at any period within the twenty-second year, unless controlled by any local usage, which, in the present case, was contradicted by the Tanjore pundits.

The minute of the board proceeds to state, that the sentiments of Mr. Swartz, in addition to other circumstances, had, at that time, created great doubts in their minds of the just rights of the Rajah to the succession; and that they had, in consequence, resolved to call on the most learned pundits in Bengal and Benares, for answers to the substance of the questions put to the pundits at Tanjore, desiring the Madras government, in the mean time, to ascertain whether the opinion of any of those pundits had been obtained by corrupt means; The minute of the supreme government next adthat these questions were translated by the late Sir verted to the grounds on which the decision in favor William Jones, into Sanscrit, and transmitted to of Ameer Sing was originally formed, and stated the pundits of Bengal and Benares, whose answers that when the subject of the succession was under had been duly received, and translated for the use consideration at Tanjore, the questions referred to of the board; that after perusing them, the board, the pundits were neither sufficiently definite nor being desirous of having the fullest information be- pointed, and that the answers to them were general, fore them upon every point, sent instructions to the and unsupported by any references to due authoriMadras government, to ascertain the correctness of ties. It further observed, that these answers were the lineage of Serfojee, and the fact of the illegiti-discredited, less, perhaps, by the general terms in