had seized upon the principal jewels, and likewise put out the eyes
of the last of the unfortunate family of Afrasiab. Scindiah came
to the rescue of the sightless Shah Allum, and though he destroyed
his oppressor, only increased his slavery; holding him in as
painful a bondage as he had suffered under the tyrannous Afghan.

As long as these heroes were battling among themselves, or as long
rather as it appeared that they had any strength to fight a battle,
the British Government, ever anxious to see its enemies by the
ears, by no means interfered in the contest. But the French
Revolution broke out, and a host of starving sans-culottes appeared
among the various Indian States, seeking for military service, and
inflaming the minds of the various native princes against the
British East India Company. A number of these entered into
Scindiah's ranks: one of them, Perron, was commander of his army;
and though that chief was as yet quite engaged in his hereditary
quarrel with Jeswunt Row Holkar, and never thought of an invasion
of the British territory, the Company all of a sudden discovered
that Shah Allum, his sovereign, was shamefully ill-used, and
determined to re-establish the ancient splendour of his throne.

Of course it was sheer benevolence for poor Shah Allum that
prompted our governors to take these kindly measures in his favour.
I don't know how it happened that, at the end of the war, the poor
Shah was not a whit better off than at the beginning; and that
though Holkar was beaten, and Scindiah annihilated, Shah Allum was
much such a puppet as before. Somehow, in the hurry and confusion
of this struggle, the oyster remained with the British Government,
who had so kindly offered to dress it for the Emperor, while His
Majesty was obliged to be contented with the shell.