put on record by the grandfather of Shah Soojah. It was not to be
denied--that in the event of a martial prince arising, favourably
situated for gaining a momentary hold over the disunited tribes, he
might effectually combine them for all the purposes of an aggressive
war, by pointing their desires to the plunder of India. The boundless
extent of India, the fabulous but really vast magnificence of her
wealth, and the martial propensities of the Affghans, were always moving
upon lines tending to one centre. Sometimes these motives were
stationary, sometimes moving in opposite directions; but if ever a
popular soldier should press them to a convergence, there could be no
doubt that a potent Affghan army would soon be thrown beyond the
Punjaub. An Affghan armament requires little baggage; and if it be asked
how the Affghans were to find supplies for a numerous army which they
never could subsist at home, the answer is--for that very reason,
because they would _not_ be at home. The Roman principle of making war
support war would be easily applied to the rich tracts of central India,
which an Affghan leader would endeavour to make the theatre of his
aggression. They could move faster than we could. Semi-barbarism
furnishes strength in that respect; and it would be vain to think of
acting politically upon Affghanistan, when all her martial children were
in the act of projecting themselves upon stages of action which would
soon furnish their own recompense to strength of character and to
persevering courage. In fact, the slightest review of Indian history,
ever since the first introduction of Mahometanism, justifies Lord
Auckland's general purpose of interweaving Affghanistan with the
political system of India. This was no purpose of itinerant Quixotism--
seeking enemies where none offered of themselves. Affghans were _always_
enemies; they formed the _castra stativa_ of hostility to India. For
eight hundred years, ever since the earliest invader under the Prophet's
banner, (Mahommed of Ghuznee,) the Affghans had been the scourges of