[Rarebooks] FS: 1766 French Colonial India Revolt - Lally Arrest

[Joslin Hall Rare Books]

TITLE: "Memoire a consulter et consultation, pour le sieur Duval Dumanoir,
& M. Duval d'Espremenil, Avocat du Roi au Chatelet, Heritiers du feu Sieur
Duval de Leyrit, Gouverneur de Pondichery. Avec les Lettres que les Sieurs
Duval de Leyrit & de Lally se sont ecrites dans l'Inde, pour servir de
pieces Justificatives"

Paris; De l'Imprimerie de Michel Lambert: 1766.

Bound with- "Arrest de la Cour de Parlement, qui prive Thomas Artur de
Lally..." dated May 6th, 1766 and "Arrest de la Cour de Parlement qui
condamme Armand-Antonin-Francois Fretard de Gadeville, & Jacques-Hugues de
Chaponnay..." dated May 10th, 1766.

DISCUSSION: A sad chapter in the history of the Seven Years War, ending
with the French loss of India and the May 9th, 1766 beheading of General
Thomas-Arthur, comte de Lally, [1702-1766].

This volume is the most complete of two collections of records published
relating to the loss of French India, compiled from the official records
by the heirs of the late French Governor of India. It ranges from the
first action in which General de Lally's troops were engaged through the
withdrawal of the French from India.

De Lally was the son of an Irish Jacobite and a French noblewoman who
joined the French army while still in his teens. In 1744 he was put in
command of the "Irish Brigade" at Fontenoy, and was awarded a field
promotion to brigadier. Following several more years of distinguished
service, in 1756 General de Lally was given command of the French
expedition to India at the outbreak of the Seven Years War.

It would have been better had he stayed home.

De Lally reached Pondicherry, the capitol of French India, in 1758.
Following initial successes he met a series of defeats and setbacks,
including a failed siege at Madras. Capable as a soldier but proud and
disdainful as a man, de Lally was roundly disliked by his men and
officers, as well as the local Indian citizenry, a situation which cannot
have helped the military campaign. The end came when he retreated to
Pondicherry, was besieged there by a British army, and finally surrendered
the city, and French presence in India, in 1761. The stage was set for
almost two centuries of English rule in India, and General de Lally was
shipped back to England as a prisoner of war.

Again, it would have been better had he stayed put.

France had just lost the entirety of India, a scapegoat was needed, and de
Lally didn't have enough friends at court to avoid being charged with
treason. A more moderate man would have stayed, safe in England, but de
Lally demanded to be paroled so that he could return to France and defend
himself. The resulting trial reached its predictable end after almost two
years and on May 6th, 1766, de Lally was sentenced to be beheaded, a
sentence which was carried out three days later, on May 9th.

Bound at the end of this copy are two very rare pamphlets- the official
text of the Court's condemnation of de Lally, dated 6 May, 1766, and a
four page official act of the courts levying fines against some officers
in General de Lally's regiment, dated May 10th, 1766, the day after the
General was beheaded.

A scarce book.

DESCRIPTION: Hardcover. 7.75"x10", viii +579 + 8 + 4 pages. In a nice
period binding of full mottled calf, with a gilt decorated spine featuring
floral motifs. Marbled pastedowns but this copy has evidently had the
matching endsheets removed.

CONDITION NOTES: Some light cover wear, the outer hinges are split and the
hinges themselves are a bit tender.

PRICE: $400. net.

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