'A Journey from Bengal to England, through the Northern part of India, Kashmire, Afghanistan, and Persia, and into Russia, by the Caspian-Sea. By George Forster. In the Civil Service of the Honourable the East-India Company in Two Volumes. Vol. II.' [‎235] (248/314)

FORSTER’S TRAVELS. . 235
the clofe of this prince’s reign, his body and his mind indi
cated equal figns of diforder, which was fuppofed to have been
caufed or augmented by domeftic treachery, and the effe£ts of
exceffive fatigue.
+ -
Conspiracy and rebellion arofe all around him, and he had
no fooner quelled the infurredfions of a province, than his de
parture was marked by the murder of the officers and fucceffive
revolts. Seeing his authority endlefsly trampled on, and that
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partial punifhment was inefficient to give it ftrength, he gave
loofe to a perhaps confiitutional ferocity, which had been tem
pered by his underftanding, but which thefe events inflamed
to madnefs, and often inftigated to the indifcriminate extirpa
tion of a diftrift. But what feemed mofl: to embitter and dif-
turb his mind, was the perfidy of his family the defedtion of
thofe from whom he had vainly expefted aid and attachment.
His favorite fon and apparent fucceflbr, had been entrufted with
the regency of Perfia, during the expedition to Hindoftan, and
prefuming on the diftant occupations of his father, he had pre
pared meafures, it is alledged, to afcend the throne.
The increafing malady,* of Nadir, fharpened by public and
domellic calamity, ultimately rendered him a monfter of cruelty ;
and his rage extending ufually to thofe, whofe offices required
. * An extreme coflivenefs.