“Praised be Thy name, O Lord, in profound humility, for all the grace, protection, and blessing during the whole of our journey Thou hast graciously bestowed upon us of Thine undeserved mercy for the sake of Christ, our Mediator! May the seed of Thy word, which we Thy poor servants have sowed on our journey, spring up and produce abundant fruits that we and those who have received the word in their hearts, may praise and adore Thy goodness to all eternity! May the mission with our brethren at Cuddalore, which has been renewed afresh in Thy sacred presence, be productive of abundant blessing! Our supplications, which we have jointly brought before Thy footstool, with regard to ourselves and the flock entrusted to us, vouchsafe graciously to hear and let us perceive it for the strengthening of our faith. And thus begin anew to bless us and to prosper the work of our hands. Yes, prosper thou our handiwork, O Lord, for the sake of Christ and of His bitter sufferings and death! Amen.” CHAPTER V. AMID WAR’S ALARMS. During these early days of the mission of Schwartz, in the middle of the eighteenth century, while he was peacefully preaching the Gospel and instructing the native children, the fate of India in the struggle of conquest was being sealed. Doubtless there came to his ears the distant alarms of war. Rival Rajahs fought against each other for supremacy, and it taxed the utmost tact, diplomacy, and resources of the Company to hold their own, when a new element of disorder appeared in the person of the French General Dupleix, which threatened the very existence of the English in that land. Securing powerful allies among the native chieftains he carried all before him, with his military genius and valour. But another star was arriving, and Clive, still more brilliant and not less brave, fought the French and beat them, saving India by the splendid defence of Arcot and the victory of Plassey. Honours were freely bestowed upon him, for he was statesman as well as warrior, and in the history of India his name will never die. But the fate of Dupleix was far different. Battling against failure and seeking to retrieve the fortunes of his flag he was ignominiously recalled by his ungrateful country and died in direst poverty of a broken heart.