580 lll.STUKY OF JMjJ.A. [Book III.
AD. 17.07 A great change had taken place in the condition of tlie enemy, and the
victory, which CHve had not ventured to anticijjate before nndnight. wa« about to be forced upon liim before the day closed. As the enemy's ammunition lay
AKBiiciai exposed on the machines, i)artial exijlosions of it were repeatedly heard ilurint:
cngagfiaent ' ' i ^ n
brought on. the cannonade. A still more serious misfoiiune befell it at noon, when a heavy fall of rain rendered a great part of the powder u.seless. The fire from tiie machines immediately .slackened. Nor was this the nabobs only misfortune. For, about the very time when the ammunition failed, Meer Mudden, the best and mo.st faithful of his officers, was brought into his tent moi-tally wounded Vjy a cannon-ball, and died in his presence, after uttering a few words expressive of his own loyalty and the want of it in others. The nabob had hitherto; remained in his tent, beyond the reach of danger, alternately yielding to his fears and buoyed up with assurances of victory. He now lost all self-command, and imder the influence of terror and despair sent for Meer Jaffier. As soon as he arrived, the nabob, throwing his tm*ban on the gi-ound, implored him in the name of Ali Verdy Khan, the brother-in-law of the one and grandfather of the other, to forgive the past, and become the defender of his life and honour. Meer Jaffier readily promised all that was asked of liim, and immediately proceeded to com- plete his treachery, first by sending a message to Clive, informing him of what had oassed, and uro-ing him either to an instant or a nocturnal attack on the camp; and secondly, by urging the nabob to recall his army within the entrench- ments, and renew the engagement on the following day. The mes.sage to Clive was not delivered, as the messenger was afraid to proceed with it during the cannonade ; but the treacherous advice, backed by the influence of Roydullub, another of the leading conspirators, was, after some demur, adopted, and the fatal order was issued to retire within the camp. Mohun Loll, who was probably aware of the motives which dictated the advice, and foresaw the inevitable con- sequences, at first refused to obey, and showed that the very attempt to retire would spread an universal panic, and tlii-ow the whole army into confu-sion. His remonstrances, however, were unavailing ; and the preparations for retiring were immediately perceived in the almost total cessation of the cannonade on the part of the enemy, the j^oking of the trains of oxen to the unwieldy machines, and a gradual retrograde movement of the whole army. It was at this stage that Clive had been aroused by Kilpatrick s message.
Tiie victory 'While the detachment was driving Sinfray from the tank, the portion ot
of Plassey.
the nabob's army stationed farthest to the south-east was observed to linger behind th§ rest, and even advance in the direction of the gi"ove. The movement was at first misunderstood, and Clive haang sent a detachment to oppose their further progress, some execution was done before it was ascertained that the troops acting so suspiciously were those of Meer Jaffier, who had now at last thrown off" the ma.sk, and openly declared himself Had the issue of the battle been any longer doubtful. Jaffier's conduct would have decided it. Clive, when
O"
