Kohlhoff, who lives at present at Trichinopoly, and desired him to write you a few lines which I hereby inclose." Hitherto the health of Swartz had been vigorous and unimpaired. In the course of this year, he complained of a pain in the shoulder and side, which indicated something of the disorder so prevalent in India, but which happily soon subsided. It is to this that he refers in the following letter, addressed to the lady of William Duffin, Esq. a medical gentleman in the service of the East India Company, who had been resident at Trichinopoly, and for whom he ever professed the highest esteem. They were at this time at Vellore. "DEAR MADAM, "Your most agreeable favor I have had near two months on my table, having looked on it very often, and as often desiring to answer it. My indisposition hindered me first a long while. For though I was not confined, my right arm gave me so much pain, that I was unfit to write, nay, to hold a book with it. But now it is much better, by the mercy of God. He is the author and preserver of our lives. If he be pleased to let us stand for some time, O may he grant us strength to live to his glory and praise! Our time is in his hand. "The behavior of the Europeans in this country is truly lamentable. But let us live in such a manner that we may be witnesses of God's goodness witnesses of the sufferings and resurrection of Jesus. Whatever they now say to keep themselves in countenance, they will soon bewail it. To be ashamed of God, the author of their life; to scorn their Redeemer, who bled and died for them; who purchased their pardon, peace, nay, eternal lifehow shocking! "Your celebration of the Lord's day is very pleasing. John was in the Spirit on the Lord's day. May you improve every Lord's day in knowledge, hatred of every sin, hunger and thirst after the righteousness of Jesus, and, in short, in every branch of true Christianity! "I intended to say something, however, to distinguish the true doctrine of God from the spurious and fashionable cne, but I hope to do it in my next. "You are then, the governess of your school. Who knoweth how much good may proceed from it? Let us not despise small things. God is pleased to bless them. My best wishes attend you, and my dear friend Mr. D., แ 'Being your most humble obedient servant, "C. F. SWARTZ. "22d of July, 1780." About the same date is the following letter to the daughter of Colonel Wood, full of pious and affectionate admonition, and exhibiting some touching traits of apostolic simplicity and fervor. "With great joy I have been reading again and again the most agreeable letter which Nhas written me. I praise God for all the innumerable blessings which he, for the sake of your Redeemer, has bestowed upon you all, particularly for that inestimable benefit of being guided, instructed, and corrected by a religious mother and governess. Be sure you are, in this respect, blessed above millions. The advantages which you daily reap from that double blessing are obvious, and very great. The impressions which we get from the good example of those whom we honor, are very lasting; and though we sometimes swerve, they follow us, and incline our hearts to pursue that which is good. My blessed friend, Major S- told me, that the pious conduct of his mother laid the first foundations of that excellent frame of mind which was afterwards raised and strengthened by divine grace. But remember always the rule which is strictly observed by God, namely, 'To whom much is given, from them much will be required.' O my dear young friends, regard the admonitions, example, nay, and the correction, of your pious mamma; despise them not; prize them higher than all jewels. Rejoice her heart by your humble and obedient behavior, as I hope you have hitherto done.Doubtless you see and hear much in so large a city, which should not so much as be named by Christians. But the church is at present like a field which is overgrown with weeds, thorns, and thistles. You are happily guarded by your Christian education against the pernicious influence which the prevailing wickedness might otherwise have over you. Shun those places; turn away your eyes and hearts from all which might vitiate your mind, or at least tempt you, or retard you in your way.Be sure, you may pray, nay, be fervent in prayer; but except you watch, you will lose all most miserably. Watchfulness is the soul of Christianity. Be therefore careful. Watch; above all, watch over your heart, over your conversation, over the compa ny you keep. In short, be wise virgins. You will then be ready to go out to meet the Lord. You read, you pray, you sing hymns; but take care that all these excellent things may improve your hearts and lives, that by your reading you may grow in the knowledge of Jesus, in faith, in a sincere love towards him, in willingness to follow him, in hating and rejecting all things which hinder you in your desire of winning Christ, and the happiness of being found in him. I remember you all frequently; my heart wishes you all the riches of grace, of strength, and comfort, which are to be found in Jesus. "When you come together to bow your knees before the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, forget not your old friend who lives in this wilderness.Beg of God, that grace may be given me to finish my course with joy, and that in the time that my kind Master suffereth me to work, I may glorify him. After I have preached in the fort to the English, I go out to the Malabar church, when I preach from ten till twelve. In the afternoon a catechist repeats the sermon, and at seven o'clock in the evening we have prayer; then I go to rest pleasingly tired. At our prayer I frequently remember you. Such joy the Lord my master grants me in the wilderness! O when shall, we appear before his glorious presence! Till I see you there, I am "Your affectionate friend, "C. F. SWARTZ. "P. S.-Remember me to your pious governess." Notwithstanding the pacific mission of Swartz to Seringapatam, and the assurance of Hyder Ali of his anxiety to preserve peace with the Madras government, jealousy, and, doubtless, just dissatisfaction as to some of their proceedings, his own ambitious views, and the intrigues of the French, at this crisis again at war with England, and of several of the native powers, combined, in the course of a few months after that visit, to induce him to throw off the mask, and to commence hostilities against the English. In the month of June, 1780, Hyder invaded the Carnatic with an army of nearly one hundred thousand men; his cavalry overran the country with the most frightful rapidity, and spread ruin and desolation in every direction. Every day brought fresh intelligence of his conquesis and devastation; but such was the apathy of the ruling party in the council at Madras, that they could not be convinced of the approaching danger, until black columns of smoke, mingled with flame, were discovered within a few miles of Madras. A party of Hyder's horse committed ravages even at St Thomas's Mount, and the inhabitants of the open | town began to take flight. It is to these fearful events that Swartz refers at the close of the year in the following letter to Mr. Chambers, in which the confusion and perplexity, not to say the negligence and mismanagement of the English government, and the treachery or alienation of some of the native princes, are described with the strength and accuracy of an intelligent, and the piety of a Christian observer. "MY DEAR FRIEND: "I will not venture to excuse, much less justify myself, on account of my strange delay in answering your most valuable letters. In short, I am guilty. The account you have given me of the death of Mr. -'s brother, of your own situation, of the spiritual state of your dear consort, are so reviving, that I have not only read them again and again, but keep them as testimonies of the divine mercy. Truly such accounts strengthen our faith, love, and hope, and are particularly very useful to those who work in the Lord's vineyard, and are often tempted with the discouraging thoughts of laboring in vain. "Go on, my dear friend, and be sure, that if you are instrumental in converting a soul, you have gained more than if you got the treasures of both Indies. I write to a Christian, and therefore I am sure I shall not be accused of having exaggerated the worth and value of pious labors. "I wish I could send you reciprocally a list of real converts; who, renouncing all the works, nay, lusts of the world, look out for grace, peace, joy, true happiness, in the Lord Jesus Christ. But, alas! how rare are these! "It is true Coromandel has been visited by the Lord; the inhabitants of it have had time, and places to be instructed; the book of God, and other useful treatises, have been freely offered to them; nay, they have been pressed to accept of these spiritual treasures; but they have neglected, not to say despised, the gracious counsel of God, preferring the friendship and things of the world before the blessings of God. "But what shall I say? I trenible at the sight of it. Even now, every one looks out for some rich post. Every thing is like a job, not to mention their continuance in their wonted sins. "I dare say you fully know the transactions of &c. how they did every thing to bring this calamity on the poor country. Sir "The nabob says he has no money; his disciplined troops he provoked, by withholding their pay. So he trained soldiers (above 20,000) for several years, for Hyder's service. "Our people here at T- seem to be very averse to our G and no wonder; for they were ill treated, and therefore do not care whether we sink or escape. And, above all, our infidelity, our contempt of divine things, is beyond description, and brings upon us the wrath of God. "Now what is to be done? I say with Jeremy, Be thou not terrible unto me, O God.' This calamity is from the Lord; and doubtless he intends to purge us from our sins, and take away our dross, Heathens and nominal Christians were asleep, nay, world. By the soft voice of God they would not be dead, and minding nothing but the things of the awakened. Who knows but they may arise on hearing the thundering voice of the Lord! who "This letter I send by Captain S returned from England. He brought me a letter from Mrs. Wood, which is full of complaints, as you may imagine. Alas! she will get no money from the nabob, particularly as the country is in Hyder's hands, and quite drained. The king of Tanjore promised me to pay her the 14,500 pagodas; but I am afraid, as his people are running away, and the villages very thinly inhabited, he will refuse to fulfil his engagement. "God bless you, my dearest friend, and your dear and his lady, that I reconsort. Tell Mr. Gmember them very often. O may you all be a holy seed in Bengal! Remember me to your steward, my beloved Mr. Obeck, and assure him of my constant love and good wishes. May you all grow daily in faith, love, and hope, through the Holy Spirit! "If Mr. and his colleagues, whose trans "Now the Lord God begins to visit them in a different manner. Their idols, on which they lean-actions, I am afraid, are not guided by the spirit of humility, come in your way, present my best wishes to them; and I might well add, explain to them the way of the Lord.' ed, are taken away; their houses burnt, their cattle driven away, and, what afflicts many thousand parents unspeakably more, is, that Hyder sends their best children away. All the smart boys of eight, or nine, or ten years, he sends to his country. He has now reigned in this manner above five months, without meeting any opposition. Our leaders pursued other things; the welfare of the public was entirely forgotten; private interests, pleasures, luxury, were come to a stupendous height. They were warned three months before Hyder's invasion; but they despised the warning, saying, Hyder might as well fly as come into the Carnatic!' None could persuade them to the contrary, till they saw his horse at their garden houses. Then consternation seized them; nothing but confusion was visible. Hyder pursued his plan; took one fort after another, till he got possession of Arcot. Now he desires that the Dutch and Danes shall send their counsellors to compliment him as Nabob of Arcot. "It seems as if all the country people wished for a change. Worriarpallam, Marawar, Tinnevelly Country, Madura, all are up in arms. The Colleries are encouraged by Hyder; and our place (you understand me) is suspected. These are terrible judgments of God. But are they not holy and just? Even the most profligate people seem to be convinced of it. If they would repent, and sue for mercy, who knows but a holy God might have mercy on them? 6 "I am constantly, "Your affectionate friend and servant "C. F. SWARTZ. 'Tanjore, December 19th, 1780." "You inquire about our church. You must know, that we have two. The large one in the little fort is built according to the model of the Trichinopoly church, was finished, has been used from the 16th of April, and-what shall I say -is now required to be a magazine for paddy: for nothing has been built here, no not a magazine to keep the powder in. The second church is half an English mile distant from the fort, towards the east, for the use of the Malabar people. I preach from eight to ten to the English, from ten to twelve to the Malabar, and from four to five, in the afternoon, to the Portuguese; and then, I say, I have served. Blessed Jesus, give thou the increase! Amen. "P. S. You have sent me a bill for three hun The difficulty respecting the repayment of this sum, originally lent to the Rajah of Tanjore, arose partly from the confusion into which his affairs were thrown by his deposition, and the intermediate government of the nabob, and partly by the invasion of Hyder Ali. ared and fifty-nine pagodas. I wait for an expla- | present it as a speaking person,) says, in a warning nation; for you do not owe me so much." "Had I no other reason for addressing you than your being connected with my dearest friend in India, I think I should stand absolved from all imputation of being impertinent. But you have sent me joyful news concerning Mr.'s life and death, and copied them with your own hands; by this, you have made my addressing you an act of gratitude. "I rejoice over your mutual happiness. You, madam, are united to a Christian. This will, this must ennoble your state of matrimony. This must endear your connection, even in respect of eternity. How happy should I be, if I could see you both, converse with you, and finish our conversation with prayer and thanksgiving. But though I cannot enjoy this delight at present, I may anticipate something of it by sending you a line now and then. 66 You know, madam, that the goodness of a building depends much upon the foundation; if that be deep and firm, the whole building will be strong. "Just so it is in Christianity, which is compared, by an excellent master-builder, (St. Paul,) to a building. Let us then take care to lay the foundation as deep as possible. The only foundation of all our holiness and happiness, in time and eternity, is Jesus Christ; his atonement, his righteousness, and sacrifice. If we are united to him, so as to share in his all-sufficient righteousness, we shall have and enjoy every blessing: wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption: we shall glory in him. Now, that we may know, value, desire, and choose Him, we must know ourselves, and our sad condition by nature. In proportion as we know ourselves, we shall desire and hunger after Jesus, more or less. And still how backward are we to know our hearts, our poverty, and misery! Let us, therefore, entreat God to grant us his Spirit, that by the light of the Searcher of hearts, we may see our true condition. This will make us humble, and show our poverty; but blessed are the poor in spirit, who have been so far enlightened as to see their poverty, in respect of knowledge, holiness, strength, happiness; for in all these particulars we are poor. "This poverty the world endeavors to remove by riches, honor, fame, pleasures, and what not. But gold and silver cannot pay off our dreadful debt which we have contracted; it may, by ill use, even increase it. "Others endeavor to become free from sin and sorrow by living a strict and virtuous life: they are servants, who owe their master ten thousand talents, but they fancy to pay off that debt by a farthing or two; and by such farthings, as, if well inspected, will be found bad coin. But the strict and holy law of God says, 'Pay that which thou owest;' pay all, perfectly. Cursed be every one that doeth not according to all that is written in the law.' And who of us is able to satisfy these just demands? "But the righteousness which is by faith, doth not say, pay thou all; but rather entreats us to accept of that full payment, which has been made by Jesus Christ. This righteousness of faith, (to re manner, to every mourning sinner, 'Say not in thy heart, Who shall ascend into heaven, that is, to bring down Christ from above?' Be upon thy guard; do not thou, O mourning sinner, speak in so unbelieving a manner; for by such a speech thou deniest Christ, as if he had not come from heaven to redeem thee. "Neither say, Who shall descend into the deep,' to atone for my sins? Would not such a speech be a denial of the sufferings of Christ, as if he had not yet descended into the deep-death, and the grave-or as if he was still in the grave, and not yet risen from the dead? "But the righteousness which is by faith, not only warneth us, but gives, at the same time, the most salutary counsel; viz. "The word which thou, O mourning sinner, needest for thy comfort, is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, (so that thou art able to speak of it,) and in thy heart, (so as to perceive and feel its strength.) Why, then, wouldest thou refuse to accept of it? "That is the word of faith, which the apostles preached and sealed by divine works and miracles; so that there remaineth no reasonable doubt of its being divine; 'that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth, that Jesus,' who was crucified in order to redeem us, 'is Lord,' our redeeming Lord and King, and shalt believe in thy heart, that God has raised him from the dead, in testimony that he has fulfilled all : "If thou, who art hungry and thirsty after righteousness, pardon, and peace, takest thy refuge in Jesus, who has made a full atonement for thy sin; and to whom God has given his judicial approbation, by raising him from the dead: thou art happy, blessed, pardoned, and a beloved child of God." "This is the only way in which we, who are poor, depraved, and deep in debt, may find comfort, strength,-nay, eternal life. "So Paul thought-so all prophets preach-so all true Christians have believed; and so I hope you, madam, and my friend, your husband, look out for all blessings, in and through Christ. Here is firm footing. This union and communion with Him will make your life happy, and your conduct holy, This will fill you with grateful sentiments, and make you very kind to your fellow creatures. "Believing in Christ, and having found pardon, peace, and hope of everlasting happiness, by faith, you will not regret the loss of worldly friends.Paul could count all (all riches, honors, pleasures of the world) loss and dung, that he might win Christ, and be found in him. Try to follow him. Having obtained the best, I hope you will be less anxious about smaller matters. "You see, madam, by my prolixity, that I almost fancied myself to be in your company. "That you and your dear husband may always, in health and sickness, in riches and poverty, in time and eternity, be found in Jesus Christ, is the hearty prayer of, "Madam, "Your most obedient humble servant, "C. F. SWARTZ. "Pray make my best respects to Mr. and Mrs. Though I never have seen them, yet, as fellow-christians, they are, and shall ever be, precious in my thoughts." The three succeeding years were distinguished throughout the Carnatic and the south of India, by the complicated horrors of war, desolation, and famine. The sluices which irrigate the country were destroyed by Hyder's troops, and the inhabitants having no security for their crops, did not sow their fields, and consequently could reap no harvest They forsook the country, and fled in crowds to the towns, where the scarcity rose to a fearful height. During this long and trying period of visitation and calamity, the prudence and foresight, and the pious and active benevolence of Mr. Swartz, were eminently conspicuous, both in providing for the support of those immediately dependent upon the mission, and in alleviating the distress and misery of multitudes of the perishing natives around him. Thus he writes in September 1783, to the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge: unable to obtain oxen for the carriages, for want of a good understanding with the natives. In this dilemma I wrote to the inhabitants, desiring them to bring their cattle, and promising them payment on my own responsibility. This had the desired effect; the oxen were brought, and the garrison supplied, at the very moment when a fresh attack from the enemy was expected. I afterwards settled with the natives, and they went home quite satisfied.The Lord also enabled me to consider the poor; so that I had it in my power to feed a considerable "The last three years have been years of sorrow number for the space of seventeen months. Often and anxiety: notwithstanding which, we have no eight hundred poor people assembled. Several Eureason at all to murmur, or to find fault with God's Topeans sent sums of money for this charitable purways, which are very just and equal; and the judg-pose; but instead of giving them the money, I prements which have befallen us, may, perhaps, be pared food and distributed it, many of them having more conducive to the true welfare of the country no utensils for cooking. Such distress I never bethan we conceive. This year God's fatherly good-fore witnessed, and God grant I never may again.” ness has preserved and strengthened us for his service. All the four catechists are alive, as is likewise the Tamulian schoolmaster. Besides these five, I have taken two more upon trial, who have been educated in the mission school at Tranquebar: both seem to be truly religious. Our congregation has received an increase of upwards of a hundred: most of them, it is apprehended, have been compelled, by the famine to come to us: nevertheless I have given them the necessary instruction, and this during the space of several months; during which I have also procured them some provisions. The teaching them was attended with much difficulty and fatigue, on account of the great decrease of their mental powers. Yet I could not persuade myself that it would be consistent with the will of God to put these poor people off; many of whom afterwards died. As the famine was so great, and of so long continuance, those have been affected by it who seemed to be beyond its reach. A vigorous and strong man is scarcely to be met with: in outward appearance, men are like wandering skeletons. "When I returned from Seringapatam, I saw reason to apprehend an approaching war: this induced me to buy rice whilst it was at a low price, which proved of great benefit to our catechists.Besides this, God moved the hearts of some Europeans to send me a portion monthly to distribute among the people lying on the road, by which means numbers of them have been saved from perishing. This benefaction is continued to this day, so that about a hundred and twenty persons are constantly fed. "When it is considered that Hyder Ali has carried off so many thousands of people, and that many thousands have died of want, it is not at all surprising to find not only empty houses, but desolated villages-a mournful spectacle indeed!" In a letter to one of his friends, Swartz more minutely describes the distress which prevailed at this calamitous period, in and around Tanjore, and the seasonable relief' which his foresight, good sense, and influence with the natives enabled him to afford. "We have suffered exceedingly in this fortress from hunger and misery. When passing through the streets early in the morning, the dead were lying in heaps on the dunghills.' He then mentions his purchase already alluded to, of twelve thousand bushels of rice, by which he was enabled, not only to support his catechists and schoolmasters, but to assist many others. tunately," he continues, "There was no magazine "Unforin the fort for the native soldiers or sepoys. The king and the Company requested me twice to proeure provisions for the garrison since they were Writing a few months afterwards from Trichinopoly, he says, "Our fort contained the best part of the inhabitants of the country, who flocked hither Daily we conversed with these people, and tried to to escape the unrelenting cruelty of the enemy.convince them of the vanity of their idols, and to induce them to turn to the living God. readily own the superior excellence of the Christian doctrine, but remain in their deplorable errors for various frivolous reasons. They "It were to be wished," he picusly adds, "that the country people, having suffered nearly four years all manner of calamity, would consider the things which belong to their eternal welfare, for with me. But though the fruit of our labor has not hitherto answered our wishes, still I am happy in which my assistants pray and labor in conjunction being made an instrument of Providence to instruct some, and to warn others. Who knows but there may come a time when others may reap what we are sowing!" Whilst Swartz was thus naturally and justly anxing "a word in season" to the famishing natives ious to avail himself of the opportunity of addressaround him, his general caution, as well as his Christian wisdom and kindness, are well expressed by Mr. Pohle in a letter to the Society, after spending a few days with him during this period at Tanjore. to receiving both heathen and Roman Catholics into "He is very careful," he observes, "with regard the church. He has nothing to do with people that want only to be fed, or that are unknown vagabonds. and after being received, to eat the labor of their But such as are known, and wish to be Christians, own hands, them it would be unjust to reject, though they should want a little assistance during the time of their preparation. They must live from hand to mouth; and it would be cruel not to assist them should be looked upon as buying Christians for under pretence of a supposed hypocrisy, or lest it money." the formidable attack of the Mysorean chief.The Madras government was but ill prepared for ed, and their native allies but little to be trusted. Their treasury was exhausted, their councils dividSeveral of the forts held by the troops of the nabob were surrendered, after a slight resistance to the Colonel Baillie, in attempting to join the comenemy. A detachment of English troops, under mander-in-chief, Sir Hector Monro, was cut off; the greater part of the corps perished on the field; ans, were taken prisoners and consigned to the dunand the remainder, including two hundred Europegeons of Seringapatam. Hyder, elated by his successes, and encouraged by the French officers who directed the movements of his army, indulged the nope of conquering the Carnatic, and of expelling the English from that portion of the Peninsula.At this important crisis, Mr. Hastings, the governor-general of Bengal, interposed to rescue the British army and the possessions of the Company from the dangers which surrounded them. He suspended the governor of Fort St. George and despatched Sir Eyre Coote, who had long before distinguished himself as an officer of the highest military reputation, with a reinforcement of troops, to assume the chief command at Madras. He immediately took the field, and notwithstanding the difficulties with which he had to contend in a country converted almost into a desert, by the destructive warfare of Hyder, raised the siege of several places which he had invested, and defeated him in four pitched battles. In the mean time, Mr. Hastings prevailed upon the Mahrattas to withdraw from their alliance with Hyder; and though he had received a strong reinforcement of French troops, and his son Tippoo, who took an active share in the war, had succeeded in cutting off a considerable body of troops under Colonel Brathwaite, on the banks of the Coleroon, the British army, both on the coast of Coromandel and on the side of Malabar, made such vigorous efforts that Hyder was unable to face it in the open field, and the contest with this formidable enemy assumed a far more favorable aspect. The Christian character of Swartz attracted, during this perilous crisis, universal confidence and esteem; and so powerfully had his conduct impressed Ĥyder Ali himself in his favor, that amidst his cruel and desolating career, he gave orders to his officers, "to permit the venerable padre to pass unmolested, and to show him respect and kindness; for he is a holy man, and means no harm to my government." which we have never raised in prayer, and lips which have never praised him ?”* It would be unjust to the memory of Mr. Gericke not to mention the signal services which he rendered to the cause of humanity, when in the year 1782 the town of Cuddalore capitulated to the French and their allies of Mysore. Upon that critical occasion he prevailed on the French general not to deliver up the town to the troops of Hyder Ali, and was thus instrumental in preserving it from devastation and ruin. He concealed in his own house several English officers, and rescued them from the train of miseries in which many others were involved, who unhappily fell into Hyder's hands. The mission church, however, was converted into a magazine, and the garden entirely destroyed. Mr. Gericke after a few months proceeded to Madras; and from this time Cuddalore ceased to be one of the principal branches of the Society's missions. During the whole of the afflicting period described in the preceding extracts, the missionaries at Tanjore and Trichinopoly were permitted to enjoy comparative security and comfort. Thus Mr. Swartz devoutly acknowledges this merciful exemption: "We adore the Divine goodness, which has preserved my fellow-laborers and me, in the midst of calamities. While the sword, famine, and epidemic sickness swept away many thousands, we have enjoyed health, and have been accommodated with all necessaries. May we never forget the various mercies which God has bestowed upon us!" CHAPTER XII. A. D. 1783 TO A. D. 1784. He was generally allowed to pass through the Death of Hyder Ali-Continuation of the war by Tippoo Sultanmidst of the enemy's encampments without the slightest hinderance; and such was their delicacy of feeling towards him, that when it was thought necessary to detain his palanquin, the sentinel was directed to assign as a reason, that he was waiting for orders to let him proceed. Thus, when the whole country was overrun by Hyder's troops, the general reverence for the character of the good father, (as he was emphatically called,) enabled him to pursue his peaceful labors even in the midst of war. An interesting anecdote connected with this distressing season, is related by Christian David, whose father was a convert of Swartz, and who had himself waited, when a boy, on the apostolic missionary. They had been travelling all day, and arriving at a small village at sunset, the good man sat down under a tree and conversed with the natives, who came round him, while his horse-keeper was cooking their evening meal. When the rice and curry were spread on the plantain leaf, Swartz stood up to ask a blessing on the food they were going to share, and to thank God for watching over them through the dangers of the day, and providing so richly for their repose and comfort. His heart was full of gratitude, and expressed itself in the natural eloquence of prayer and praise. The poor boy for some time repressed his impatience, but his hunger at last overpowered his respect for his master, and he ventured to expostulate, and to remind him that the curry would be cold. He describes very touchingly the earnestness and solemnity of the reproof he received. "What!" said he, "shall our gracicus God watch over us through the heat and burden of the day, and shall we devour the food which he provides for us at night, with hands *Ordained by Bishop Heber, at Calcutta. Return to Madras, and death of Sir Eyre Coote-Success of Colonel Fullarton in Southern India-Negotiation for peace— Lord Macartney requests Mr. Swartz to join the Commissioners at Seringapatam-He consents, and sets out on the journey-Letters to Mr. Sullivan-Meets Colonel Fullarton and his army-He is stopped by Tippoo's officers, at Sattimungalum-Returns to Tanjore-Declines attempting a second journey-Peace concluded with Tippoo-Letters to several friends on the preceding events-Journey with Mr. Sullivan to Ramanad-Plan of the provincial schools -Journey, on account of his health, to the coast-Letters to Mr. Sullivan, and Mr. Duffin. Ar the close of the year 1782, Hyder Ali, the most powerful and able opponent of the British dominion in India, who had hitherto appeared, died at an advanced age at Chittore. He was succeeded in the empire, to which his civil and military talents had raise him, by his son Tippoo; who, though not equal to his father in general ability, was not deficient either in bravery or military skill, and inherited both his ambition and his implacable enmity to the English authority. The war continued, therefore, to be prosecuted with vigor, and, on the part of the Mohammedan Sultan, for such was the title which he assumed on the death of Hyder, with unrelenting severity. The dissensions which at this time unhappily prevailed between the civil and military authorities at Madras, prevented them from availing themselves of the advantage which so important an event had thrown into their hands. Sir Eyre Coote was, in consequence, again sent to take the command in the Carnatic; but that gallant veteran, worn out with former toils, sunk under the return of complaints from which he had previously suffered, and expired early in 1783, two days after his Archdeacon Robinson's "Last Days of Bishop Heber," p. 14. |