prisoner, who has recourse to slander and calumny as a proper way to
defend violence, outrage, and wrongs.

We have now gone through the first stage of Mr. Hastings's confiscation
of the estates of these unhappy people. When it came to be put in
execution, Mr. Middleton finds the Nabob reluctant in the greatest
degree to make this sacrifice of his family and of all his nobility. It
touched him in every way in which shame and sympathy can affect a man.
He falls at the feet of Mr. Middleton; he says, "I signed the treaty of
Chunar upon an assurance that it was never meant to be put in force."
Mr. Middleton nevertheless proceeds; he sends the family of the Nabob
out of the country; but he entertains fears of a general revolt as the
consequence of this tyrannical act, and refers the case back to Mr.
Hastings, who insists upon its being executed in its utmost extent. The
Nabob again remonstrates in the strongest manner; he begs, he prays, he
dissembles, he delays. One day he pretends to be willing to submit, the
next he hangs back, just as the violence of Mr. Hastings or his own
natural feelings and principles of justice dragged him one way or
dragged him another. Mr. Middleton, trembling, and under the awe of that
_dreadful responsibility_ under which your Lordships may remember Mr.
Hastings had expressly laid him upon that occasion, ventures at once to
usurp the Nabob's government. He usurped it openly and avowedly. He
declared that he himself would issue his purwannahs as governor of the
country, for the purpose of executing this abominable confiscation. He
assumed, I say, to himself the government of the country, and Mr.
Hastings had armed him with a strong military force for that purpose; he
declared he would order those troops to march for his support; he at
last got this reluctant, struggling Nabob to consent in the manner we
have described.