and bankruptcy. In 1756, the Seven Years' war be-
gan, and hostilities recommenced in India. But the
contest was now an unequal one; the French had
weakened their prestige, they had surrendered a large
part of their possessions, they had forfeited the confi-
dence of most of their allies. In 1757, Clive captured
Chandarnagar, and with the fall of that place the
French lost their foothold in Bengal. The relies of
their power in the Carnatic and the Dekkan were all
that now remained for the English to destroy.

At last the court of Versailles resolved to make
some effort to strengthen the position of France in
the East. Dupleix had been recalled by the order of
Louis XV. Godehue had been sent to make peace,
as the representative of the court as well as of the
company; but when the opportunity was gone, it was
decided that an attempt should be made to regain
what had been abandoned, to win back what had been
lost. In 1756, the Count Lally-Tollendal was ap-
pointed commander of the forces in India, and he was
sent out with instructions to overthrow the ascendency
which the English had gained in that country.

If only zeal had been required, Lally might have
accomplished the task. He had been bred to hate
England, as Hannibal was taught to bate Rome. His
father, Sir Gerard Lally, was an Irishman, who took
up arms in behalf of James II., and when the cause
was lost he sought refuge in France. He became an
officer in the French army and served with credit, but
his zeal in the service of his adopted country did not
make him forget his loyalty to the House of Stuart.
Amid all the fugitives who dreamed of the day when
the king should have his own again, and when his
followers should return in triumph to England, under

-433-