guished by the decease of two celebrated doctors, Hassan al Basry and Ebn Syrin. The memory of these pious men is still held in great veneration amongst the Arabs, who regard them as saints; and their tombs, which are in old Bassorah, attract the respect and regard of the whole population. The merit of the two poets, Farazdak and Jareer, on the contrary, has not been able to preserve them from oblivion. Their nation has lost, along with the taste for letters, the recollection of ancient literary illustrations, and they are at present absolutely unknown in the very places where they were once so celebrated,

The ancient critics, who have compared Farazdak and Jareer, discovered in the style of the former more pomp and artifice, in that of the latter more ease and nature. "The poems of Jareer," say they, "made a more lively impression upon their auditors, and were most popular." Jareer once asked a learned person, which was the best poet, he or Farazdak. "You are the best in the eyes of the vulgar," he replied; "but in the opinion of the learned, Farazdak is superior." "Victory!" shouted Jareer; "by the Master of the Caaba, my condition is the best, for out of a bundred, there is not one who is learned."

The partisans of Jareer add that his love-pieces have most grace and delicacy, and that he succeeded in a species of composition which Farazdak did not treat with equal success, namely, the funeral elegy. On the death of Nawar, the cousin and first wife of Farazdak, some of Jareer's verses were recited at her tomb.

372

SELECTIONS.

MAJOR GENERAL CLAUDE MARTINE.

General Martine, a man so well known in India, both by his eccentricity and his riches, was the son of a silk-manufacturer at Lyons in France, in which city he was born, and in which some of his father's family still reside.

At an early age he expressed a dislike to follow his father's inactive profession, and determined to choose one more congenial to his disposition. He accordingly enlisted in the French army, and soon distingished himself so much, that he was removed from the infantry to the cavalry, and afterwards appointed a trooper in Count Lally's body-guard, a small corps select men, that was formed for the purpose of accompanying that officer to Pondicherry, of which place he had then been appointed governor.

Soon after Lally's arrival at Pondicherry, he began to exercise his power with such oppressive severity, and to enforce the discipline of the army with such a rigid minuteness, that his conduct excited the disgust and detestation of the whole settlement. Several re

monstrances were drawn up against him, and transmitted to France; and many officers of distinction resigned their appointments. He nevertheless persevered in his injudicious system of discipline, with an unremitting strictness, unmindful of the representations of some officers who were in his confidence, and totally blind to the dangers he was thus foolishly drawing on himself, till it was too late to avert them. Though he must have been sensible that he had lost the affections of the army, yet he seemed not aware of the consequences to which that loss might lead. The troops were so dissatisfied, that when the English army laid siege to Pondicherry, great numbers deserted from the garrison; and at last his own body-guard went over in a body to the enemy, carrying their horses, arms, &c. along with them. This corps was well received by the English commanders, by whom Martine was soon noticed for the spirit and ability which he displayed on many occasions. On the return of the British army to Madras, after the surrender of Pondicherry, Martine obtained permission of the Madras government to raise a company of chasseurs from among the French prisoners, of whom he got the command, with the rank of ensign in the Company's service.

A few weeks after he received this appointment, he was ordered to proceed with his chasseurs to Bengal. On their passage, the ship in which they were embarked sprung a leak, and Martine, by great fortitude

i

and perseverance, but with much difficulty, saved himself and some of his men, in one of the ship's boats. The ship foundered off Point Guadawar, the promontory which separates the coast of Coromandel from that of Orissa; and thence Martine and his men proceeded in the ship's boat to Calcutta, which place they reached, after surmounting many dangers and great hardships.

He was received with much kindness by the Bengal government, and appointed a cornet of cavalry, in which service he continued until he had risen by regular succession to the rank of captain in the line, when he got a company of infantry.

Shortly after this promotion, he was employed by government to survey the north-east districts of Bengal, being an able draftsman, and in every respect well qualified for that purpose. When he had completed his journey to the north-east district, he was sent to Oude, in order to assist in surveying that province. While employed in this service, he resided chiefly at Lucknow, where he amused himself in showing his ingenuity in several branches of mecha nics, and his skill in gunnery, which gave the Nabob Vizir Sujah-ud-Dowlah so high a notion of the value of his services, that he solicited and obtained permission from the Governor and council of Calcutta, to appoint him superintendant of his artillery park and arsenal. Martine was so well satisfied with this ap