His Conduct with regard to the _French_ was to the full as inconsiderate, and no less inconsistent. His Kindness, Friendship, or whatever it was towards them, was as fatal as his Aversion or Dislike had been to the _English_, and productive of the very same Misfortunes. He was undoubtedly imposed upon and misled by the fake Impressions he received from them of their Strength: But in this he was inexcusable, as these Representations were grounded only upon vague and uncertain Reports of what they had done, and of what Strength they had in other Parts of the _Indies_, from whence all the Assistance they could give him was to be hoped, and this against a Power, the Weight of which he had already felt; and to say nothing of the Obligation he was under to maintain that Peace he had solemnly confirmed by his Oath, which was still at his very Doors. If he had really intended, as he seemed very desirous it should be believed it was his Intention, to preserve Peace in his Dominions, and to prevent the _English_ and _French_ from committing Hostilities against each other in them, to the Prejudice of Commerce, in which he was principally interested, and which was also, and was allowed to be, the common Concern of all, he might by acting firmly have carried that Point, by insisting upon a Neutrality under his Guaranty, and a peremptory Declaration that he would stop the Trade, and seize the Effects of that Nation, which violated a Neutrality so concluded; since under this it is certain the _English_ would have acquiesced, and, without the Encouragement or Assistance of the Suba, the _French_ durst not have broke it. But his Intrigues with them, or, as many thought, a Secret Treaty, encouraged their Director to declare, that he was not vested with Authority to conclude any such Neutrality; and even this, which he always knew, he did not acknowlege, until the Time was lost, in which he might have obtained it from _Pondicherry_; and this plainly put the _English_ under a Necessity of exerting the Force then in their Hands without Delay, which ended in the taking _Chandenagore_. Here again, if he had ever had any settled Principle of Action, would have been his Time to have shewn it; for if, upon Colonel _Clive_'s marching, he had assisted the _French_ with his whole Force, he might very probably have saved them. But as he had hitherto been all along the Dupe of their Politics, so in this Instance they were the Dupes of his, and were sacrificed to his Want of Steadiness and Spirit. On the whole, therefore, it became evident, that the Suba was more dangerous to his Friends than to his Enemies; and the Hazard of being hurt lay not in opposing, but in placing any Confidence in him. A Lesson, which, as it had been taught by his first Actions, so, from the Bent of a stubborn Disposition Events could not correct, he took care to inculcate it from time to time, as long as it was in his Power to act at all.