proud, diftant, fallen, and auftere. The father defpifed the pageantry of Eastern Courts: the fon maintain ed the pomp and haughtiness of the molt voluptuous defpotifm. The father was liberal and fincere: the fon was parfimonious and treacher ous. In fine, Hyder poffeffed all thofe qualities which feem requifite for the fplendid actions he performed, and who, if he had been an Euro pean inftead of an Afiatic Princes would have been confidered as one of the first politicians, as well as one of the greatest heroes, of any age or nation; whereas Tippoo can only be ranked among the defpots of India, as a crafty but impolitic Prince, whofe paffions domineered over his judgment, who was ever ready to gratify his revenge at the expence of his intereft, and who fell a facrifice to his own hypocrisy.——E. AN ACCOUNT OF THE LIFE OF THE LATE GOVERNOR HOLWELL. From the Same. JOHN ZEPHANIAH HOLWELL was the fon of Zephaniah Holwell, timber merchant and citizen of London; and grandfon of John Holwell, well known in the learned world, by his publications on various branches of the mathematics and aftronomy, between the years 1678, and 1685. The father and grandfather of John Holwell both fell in fupport of the royal caufe, being engaged in Penruddock's loyal but fhallow fcheme of proclaiming Charles the Second in the year 1655, in the Weft. Thus the ample patrimony of Holwell Hall, in the county of Devon, which had been poffeffed by their ancestors, from time immemorial, was loft to their defcendants for ever. On the restoration, in the year 1660, the mathematician, John, prefented a memorial to the king, praying relief for himfelf and family, and reftitution of his patrimony. He had a very strong claim on the royal favour and juftice; but all the fatisfaction he obtained, after a long courfe of folicitation, was an appointment to the post of royal aftronomer and furveyor of the crown lands, and the advancement of his wife to a place of fome honour, but of little emolument, about the perfen of the queen. Some years after, he was appointed mathematical preceptor to the Duke of Monmouth; which preferment, in the end, brought on the ruin of himself and family; as his enthufiaftic affection for that amiable youth feduced his judgment into the belief that he was the legitimate fon of the king. Had he confined his publications to the fciences, it would have been a fortunate circumftance for him; but, being a firm adherent to the church of England, and a ftaunch enemy to popery, he employed his pen, while the Bill of exclufion was depending, in favour of that measure. Though his writings were anonymous, the author could not conceal himself, and he was, accordingly, marked as an enemy to the fucceffion of the Duke of York. In 1683, he published a fmail tract in Latin, intituled Catastrophe Mundi and a tranflation of it in the fame year. This production gave fuch offence to the Duke of York, and the partizans of popery, that the printer was taken into cuftody, and the author difcovered. This work was a fevere fatire on the tenets and political principles of popery, as subverfive of the rights of mankind and vaticinated its fpeedy downfall.-He was accordingly examined before the privy council, but defended himself with fo much skill and eloquence, that that no criminal charge could be fixed upon him. However, in 1684, James the Second fucceeded to the throne, and, as may well be fuppofed, neither the book or its author were forgotten. In the clofe of the year 1685, the miniftry of King James not being able to make any legal attack on Mr Holwell, and, at the fame time, dreading the force of his pen, against the measures then meditated for the re-establishment of the catholic reli gion, and the power of the Pope in these realms, availed themselves of the post he held under the crown, and ordered him to embark for America, to furvey and lay down a chart of the town of New-York at the fame time, they fent fecret or ders to their agents there, to take fome effectual means for preventing his return. Accordingly, he had no fooner completed the bufinefs of his mission in America, than he finished the career of life. He died very fuddenly; and his death was attributed, at the time and on the spot, to the application of poifon adminif tered to him in a dish of coffee. He left a widow, one fon and a daughter, and his property, which was entirely perfonal, was equally divided between them. But this career was foon clofed, by the determination of his father to place him with a mercantile friend in Holland. He was accordingly removed to an academy at Ifelmond on the Meufe, oppofite Rotterdam, to qualify him for the occupations of the accompting house. Here he learned the French and Dutch languages, and was inftructed in bookkeeping; and, from the readiness of his capacity, was, in a fhort time, declared to be duly qualified to begin his mercantile progrefs. His father, accordingly, went to Rotterdam, and fettled him as clerk in the accompting houfe of his friend Mynheer Lantwoord, a banker, and husband of fhips employed in the Greenland trade, on a ftipulation, that he was to be admitted as a partner, at the expiration of five years. The uncealing toil, however, of his new firuation foon affected his health in such a manner, that he was neceffarily fent to Leyden to confult the celebrated Boerhaave, with whom he remained fix weeks; and by whofe care he was qualified, in point of ftrength and vigour, to return to the mercantile labours of Rotterdam. But an inclination to renew them had altogether forfaken him, while a refolution never more to engage in them foon fucceeded: and being tempted by a young friend who was on his return to Ireland, to accompany him thither, he accepted the invitation, and quitted Holland for that country. From thence he was foon fummoned to England by his father, who, finding his difpofitions averse to trade, bound him apprentice to Mr Forbes, a furgeon in the Park, Southwark. In 1729, he had the misfortune to lose his father, who left behind him but a flender provifion for his widow and fon; but the latter, with a generofity and tendernefs which accompanied him throughout life, gave up his portion to add to the comfortable maintenance of M m His fon was the father of John Zephaniah Holwell, the subject of this memoir, who was born in Dublin the 17th of September 1711, and was baptized at Saint Warbro's church, by the celebrated Mr Sing, then rector of that parish. At the age of eight years he was placed at Mr M'Kenzie's grammar fchool on Richmond Green, Surrey, where he greatly diftinguished himself; and at twelve, obtained the prize which was annually given there for claffical learning. Curiofity may be gratified by the information, that the Rev. Mr Seed, whofe fermons are fo well known, and fo much admired, was, at this time, an affistant at that school. Ed. Mag. April 1800. his his mother; and purfued with unremitted attention, his profeffional improvement. Mr Forbes, his matter, did not long furvive, and young Hol well was then placed by a friend of the family under the care and inftruction of Mr Andrew Cooper, fenior, furgeon of Grey's hofpital, to perfect him in the knowledge and practice of furgery. In this fituation, he availed himself of the fuperior opportunities it afforded to lay the foundation of that profeffional eminence which he afterwards attained. On the death of his friend and protector, he quitted the hospital, and engaged himself as furgeon's mate, on board the Duke of Cumberland Indiaman, which failed from Gravefend on the 2d February 1731-2, and proceeded to Bengal; where he was appoint ed furgeon of a frigate, belonging to the Company, bound for the Gulph of Perfia. In the courfe of this voy. age, he acquired fome knowledge of the Arabic tongue, and on his return to Calcutta, employed his leifure hours in ftudying the Moorish and common Hindûee languages and the Lingua Franca of the Portugueze. In January 1733-4 he made another voyage, as furgeon of the fhip Prince of Wales, to Surat, &c. and foon after his return to Bengal, he was appointed furgeon-major to the Patua party, ufually confifting of about 400 European infantry, which annually left the prefidency in the latter end of September, with the Company's trade for their factory at Patua. His next voyage was in the thip Prince of Orange to Mocha and Judda in the Arabian Gulph. During his stay there, he fo far perfected himfelf in the Arabic tongue, as, on his return to Calcutta, to speak it with tolera ble fluency. After another vifit to Patua, as furgeon-major, he was anxious to quit this rambling life; and, by the interest of his friends, was ap pointed furgeon to the Company's factory at Decca. During his refi 4 dence there, he as indefatigable in improving himself in the Moorish and Hindû e tongues, the former of which is fpoken at that place, with much purity:- and here he also commenced his refearches into the Hindû theology. At the clofe of the year 1736, he returned to Calcutta, and was elected an Alderman in the Mayor's court; and, in 1740, was appointed affifant furgeon to the hofpital, which first gave him a folid establishment in the Company's fervice. In 1746, he fucceeded to the place of principal phyfician and furgeon to the prefidency; and, in the years 1747 and 1748, was fucceffively elected Mayor of the Corporation. In September 1749, his bad state of health rendered it neceffary for him to return to England, where he arrived in the March following. During this voyage, he had leifure to arrange his materials on the theology and doctrines of the ancient and modern Brahmans, and to digest a plan which he had formed for correcting abuses in the Zemindar's Court at Calcutta. The heme of reform he propofed to the Court of Directors, who, in confequence of the advantages it promifed to produce, appointed him perpetual Zemindar, and twelfth, or youngest in council at the board of Calcutta ; but with an exception to any further advancement in it. On his arrival at Calcutta, in Auguft 1751, he immediately began his fyftem of reform, which gave fo much fatisfaction to the Directors, that the exception against his rifing in the Council was removed, and four thousand rupees added to his falary. The nature and object of this reform is fully delineated in a volume, intituled India Tracts, publifhed by him fome years after in London. In 1756, he rose to be seventh in Council, and in the month of June, : * in that year, Surajah Dowlaw, Nabob of Bengal, attacked Calcutta. The governor and feniors in Council having deferted the place, the re maining members of the board, with the inhabitants and troops, elected Mr Holwell governor and commander in chief of the fort and prefidency; who, fupported by a few gallant friends, and the remains of a feeble garrifon, bravely held out the fort to the laft extremity but a noble de fence could not preferve an untena. ble place, or affect an ungenerous enemy. The fatal catastrophe of the black hole followed: and Mr Holwell was one of the twenty-three perfons, out of one hundred and forty fix, who escaped fuffocation in that night of horrors. On his delivery from this cruel fituation, he was carried in irons to Muxadabad; but was released on the 31st of July following, by the interceffion of the Begum, Surajah Dowlah's grandmother, who was influenced to this act of compaffion, by the reports of his upright and lenient conduct to the natives, during the time he prefided in the Zemindar and Cutcherry courts. He foon after joined the wretched remains of the colony at Fultah. In December following, the prefidency was retaken by Vice Admiral Watson, and Colonel Clive, and the governor and council re-eftablished by them. Mr Holwell, being in a moft deplorable flate of health, obtained leave to take difpatches for the Company to England, and, for that purpofe, embarked on board the Syren Sloop, of no more than eighty tons burthen. In February 1757, after a moft hazardous voyage of fix months, in that fmall veffel (a very curious journal of which he has fince publish ed,) he arrived in England; and, in confideration of his meritorious fervices, eminent abilities, and diftinguished integrity, was appointed, by a majority of fifteen against nine, in Kk the Court of Directors, to return to Bengal as fucceffor to Colonel Clive in that government: but this appointment he, with great modefty, declined in favour of Mi Manningham. He was then named fecond in Council, and fucceffor to that gentleman. In this fituation, he embarked on board the Warren Indiaman, in March 1758; but being detained by adverle winds, till an election of fresh Directors took place, they reverfed, with what juftice and liberality will be readily determined, the whole proceedings of the former Court, and Mr Holwell was returned to his previous fituation as feventh in council. However, on his arrival in Bengal, he found himself, by the departure of fome fenior members of the Council, fourth in rank; and, in 1759, from a fimilar removal, he became fecond; when Colonel Clive refigned the government to him. We shall not enlarge on the conduct of his administration, which was moft honourable; nor the benefits that the Company derived from it, which were many, as they are dif played at large, with equal truth and modefty, in the India Tracts which have been already mentioned. At the clofe of the year 1760, he was fuperfeded by Mr Vanfiltart; in the February following, he refigned all employment in the Company's fervice, and on the fucceeding month embarked for England in a moft wretched ftate of health, which required upwards of twelve months refidence and care in this country to re establish. Tired of the bustle of public life, he now made his election in favour of retirement and tranquillity, being poffeffed of an ample and independent fortune, acquired by thofe means, which, being fanctioned by the pureft integrity, were calculated to heighten his refpectable enjoyment of it. 2 Governor Holwell did not receive thofe tain gentlemen in the Council at thofe returns from the East India 2d, A refutation of a letter from cerCompany to which it would appear he was entitled, by his long and meritorious fervices. After abolishing fix farms which difgraced their Government, he raised the revenue of their Zemindary to a clear advance of between eleven and twelve thoufand pounds per annum, without the fmaileft degree of oppreffion to their tenants. He paid into the public treasury twelve thousand five hundred pounds, which the most punctilious integrity alone could have prevented him from adding to his own private fortune. He also recovered from frauds practifed on the Company, an additional fum of between forty and fifty thousand pounds; and was chiefly inftrumental in procuring the immenfe acquifition of the Pergunnahs, after he had been fuperfeded in the government. Nor did he fuffer any refentment against the interested cabals of the Directors to operate in checking the progress of his endeavours to promote the interefts of the Company at large, in which he continued to employ his fuperior experience, to the laft moment of his refidence in India. Nor fhould it be forgotten, that he was the firft European who ftudied the Hindû antiquities; and although he was unavoidably led into many errors concerning them, from his being to tally unacquainted with the Sanscreet Janguage, he must be allowed the merit of having pointed out the path, which has finally conducted others, to thofe repofitories of learn ing and feience *. In the year 1764, he published his India Tracts, containing, 1ft, An addrefs to the proprietors of East India ftock, fetting forth the unavoidable neceffity of, and real motives to, the revolution in Bengal in 1760. It is well known that, by the capture of Calcutta, in 1756, Governor Holwell loft many curious Hindû manufcripts, and among them two copies of the fattras, or book of divine authority, written in the common, Hindûee language, for which the Commiffioners of reftitution allowed him two thousand Madras rupees: he alfo lost a tranflation of a confiderable part of that work, on which he had employed eighteen months. However, during his refidence in Bengal, after he was removed from the government, he refumed his refearches with f›me fuccefs; and, having recovered fome manufcripts by an unforeseen and extraordinary event, he was enabled, in Auguft 1765, to publifh the first part of his interefting hiftorical events, relative to the provinces of Bengal, and the empire of Hinduftân. In November 1766, and Auguft 1771, he published the second and third parts of the fame work, To these he added, an account of the manner of inoculating for the fmall-pox in India, with obfervations on the medical practice and mode of treating that difeafe in the Eaft. Such is the hiftory of this amiable, excellent, and honourable man, who, after an active and ufeful courfe of thirty *. Mr Wilkins was the firft European who acquired a knowledge of the Sanfcreet language; and is confequently intitled to the high praise of having firft opened the ich mine of Hindu literature. |