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of principle, univerfally took bribes to fupply their wants ; and the delinquencies ofthe Brahmans were doubled, to make good the new demands of the afophs, overand above their former profits. Owing to this fyftern, although the Sultan had laidjon many new taxes, the actual receipts of the treafury never equalled thofe in thetime of his father. The amildars, under various pretexts of unavoidable emergencyreported prodigious outftanding balances: while they received, as bribes from the cul-tivators, a part of the deductions fo made. Although the taxes actually paid by thepeople to government were thus much lighter than they had been in the adminiltrationof Hyder, the indufirious cultivator was by no means in fo good a condition asformerly. The molt frivolous pretexts were received, as fuflicient caufe for com-mencing a criminal profecution againft any perfon fuppofed to be rich ; and nothingbut a bribe could prevent an accul’ed individual from ruin. Tippoo certainly had con-fiderable talents for war ; but his fondnefs for it, and his engaging with an enemy fomuch his fuperior in the art, brought on his deftruCtion ; while his early habits of con-tending with the Marattah plunderers had given him a ferocity and barbarity, that mullprevent every confiderate perfon from pitying his overthrow'. The policy in which hefucceeded belt, was in attaching to him the Lower Muffultnans. He poffeffed in thehighelt degree all the cant, bigotry, and zeal, fo well fitted for the purpofe, and whichfome few men of abilities have fucceeded in alfuming ; but with him, I believe, they werenatural. None of his Muffultnans have entered into our fervice, although many ofthem are in great want; and they all retain a high refpeCl for his memory, confideringhim as a martyr, who died in the defence of their religion.
Though Tippoo had thus fecured the affeCtions of many of his fubjects, and thoughhe was perhaps confcious of good intentions, and fondly imagined that his governmentwas fit to be a pattern to all others; yet whoever fees his private apartments, will befenfible, that the mind of the defpotic monarch was torn with apprehenfion. Such is,perhaps, the univerfal ftate of men of this defcription; and although a knowledge ofthe circumftance may not be fuflicient to prevent the ambitious from grafping at thispower, nor to induce the perfon who has once polfelfed it to return to the calm ofprivate life, yet it may be fome confolation to the perfons expofed to its baneful in-fluence to know, that their ruler enjoys lefs fecurity and tranquillity of mind thanthemfelves.
From the principal front of the palace, which ferved as a revenue office, and as aplace from whence the Sultan occafionally fhewed himfelf to the populace, the chiefentry into the private fquare was through a ftrong narrow paffage, wherein were chainedfour tigers ; which, although fomewhat tame, would in cafe of any difturbance becomeunruly. Within thefe was the hall in which Tippoo wrote, and into which very fewperfons, except Meer Saduc, were ever admitted. Immediately behind this was thebed chamber, which communicated with the hall by a door and two windows, and wasfhut up on every other fide. The door was ftrongly fecured on the in fide, and a clofeiron grating defended the windows. The Sultan, left any perfon fhould fire upon himwhile in bed, flept in a hammock, which was fufpended from the roof by chains, mfuch a fituation as to be invifible through the window's, hi the hammock were founda fword and a pair of loaded piftols.
The only other paffage from the private fquare was into the zenana, or women’sapartments. This has remained perfectly inviolate under the ufual guard of eunuchs,and contains about fix hundred women, .belonging to the Sultan, and to his late father.A great part of thefe are flaves, or attendants on the ladies; but they are kept inequally ftrict confinement with their miftreffes. The ladies of the Sultan are about
4 H 2 ‘ eighty