"That you may assist with confidence the justice of my cause, I do declare, by that God who made me, it is my absolute determination to refuse every present of consequence, and that I will not return to England with one rupee more than what arises from my jaghire. My profits arising from salt shall be divided among those friends who have endangered their lives and constitutions in attending me; the congratulatory nuzzurs shall be set opposite to my extraordinary expenses, and, if aught remains, it shall go to Poplar or some other hospital." Clive, the same day, wrote the following letter[268] to Mr. Grenville, with whom, throughout this period, he appears to have kept up a constant correspondence:— "Give me leave to call to your remembrance some discourse we had together about the Company's affairs (in which the honour and interest of our nation was so much concerned), and to inform you, I have now the particular satisfaction of seeing the great object of my wishes nearly accomplished. "The enclosed copy of my letter to the Court of Directors, and a map of Bengal, with some marginal explanations, will open to you a full view of the present great and flourishing condition of our East India Company, and show how near it was to destruction, from corruption, extortion, and luxury. If you have leisure and inclination to be further acquainted with our transactions, Mr. Walsh has orders from me to lay before you our proceedings. May what we are about, in times of distress and necessity, contribute towards lessening the debt of the nation. If you imagine the King can find amusement in perusing any of these papers, or some particular friends whom you can trust, I shall have no objection. "I hope by this year's conveyance to send you a particular account of the revenues of these provinces, which, put under proper management, cannot fall far short of 4,000,000_l._ per annum. "I return you many thanks for Mr. Strachey: I have found him in every respect deserving your good opinion; and I must not forget to express how thankful I am for the assistance you have given Mr. Nevil Maskelyne, to obtain the Regius professorship. "My best wishes attend Mrs. Grenville and all your family." Clive observes, in a letter to Lord Halifax, of the same date,— "I will not attempt entering into a detail of affairs in this part of the world, especially as I have enabled Mr. Grenville to give your Lordship a very explicit account of the prosperous and flourishing condition of the East India Company: too prosperous, without they have better heads and hearts to manage such grand and extensive concerns than heretofore." In the following letter[269] from Lord Clive to Sir Matthew Featherstonhaugh he states,—