The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. 11 (of 12)Burke, Edmund
History
The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. 11 (of 12)
Burke, Edmund
Great Britain -- Politics and government -- 1760-1820; Political science -- Early works to 1800
Our characters and reputation have been
always guarded in quiet from attack, by the vigilance of his prudence
and foresight, and by the terror of his justice."
Upon my word, my Lords, the paragraphs are delightful. Observe, in this
translation from the Persian there is all the fluency of an English
paragraph well preserved. All I can say is, that these people of Benares
feel their joy, comfort, and satisfaction in swearing to the falseness
of Mr. Hastings's representation against himself. In spite of his own
testimony, they say, "He secured happiness and joy to us; he
reestablished the foundation of justice; and we at all times, during his
government, lived in comfort and passed our days in peace." The shame of
England and of the English government is here put upon your Lordships'
records. Here you have, just following that afflicting report of Mr.
Duncan's, and that account of Mr. Hastings himself, in which he said the
inhabitants fled before his face, the addresses of these miserable
people. He dares to impose upon your eyesight, upon your common sense,
upon the plain faculties of mankind. He dares, in contradiction to all
his own assertions, to make these people come forward and swear that
they have enjoyed nothing but complete satisfaction and pleasure during
the whole time of his government.
My Lords, I have done with this business, for I have now reached the
climax of degradation and suffering, after moving step by step through
the several stages of tyranny and oppression. I have done with it, and
have only to ask, In what country do we live, where such a scene can by
any possibility be offered to the public eye?
Let us here, my Lords, make a pause.--You have seen what Benares was
under its native government. You have seen the condition in which it was
left by Cheyt Sing, and you have seen the state in which Mr. Hastings
left it. The rankling wounds which he has inflicted upon the country,
and the degradation to which the inhabitants have been subjected, have
been shown to your Lordships. You have now to consider whether or not
you will fortify with your sanction any of the detestable principles
upon which the prisoner justifies his enormities.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account