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Robert Clive
Robert Clive (September 29, 1725 - November 22, 1774), later known as Baron Clive was the statesman and general who established the empire of British India.
Robert Clive was born at Styche, the family estate, in the parish of Moreton Say, Market Drayton, Shropshire. We learn from his second speech in the British House of Commons in 1773, that as the estate yielded only �500 a year, his father followed the profession of the law also. The Clives, or Clyves, were one of the oldest families in the county of Shropshire, having held the manor of that name in the reign of Henry II. One Clive was Irish chancellor of the exchequer under Henry VIII; another was a member of the Long Parliament; Robert's father for many years represented Montgomeryshire in parliament. His mother, to whom he was tenderly attached, and who had a powerful influence on his career, was a daughter, and with her sister Lady Sempill co-heir, of Nathaniel Gaskell of Manchester. Robert was their eldest son. With his five sisters, all of whom married, he always maintained the most affectionate relations. His only brother survived to 1825.
Young Clive was the despair of his teachers. Sent from school to school, and for only a short time at the Merchant Taylors' School, which then as now had a high reputation, he neglected his books for perilous adventures. But he was not so ignorant as his biographers represent. He could read Horace in after life; and he must have laid in his youth the foundation of that clear and vigorous English style which marked all his despatches, and made Lord Chatham declare of one of his speeches in the House of Commons that it was the most eloquent he had ever heard. From his earliest years, however, his ambition was to lead his fellows; but he never sacrificed honour, as the word was then understood, even to the fear of death.
At eighteen he was sent out to Madras as a "factor" or "writer" in the civil service of the East India Company. The detention of the ship in Brazil for nine months enabled him to acquire the Portuguese language, which, at a time when few or none of the Company's servants learned the vernaculars of India, he often found of use.
For the first two years of his residence he felt miserable. He sufferred keenly the separation from home; he continually broke through the restraints imposed on young "writers"; and he was rarely out of trouble with his fellows, with one of whom he fought a duel. Thus early, too, the effect of the climate on his health began to show itself in those fits of depression during one of which he afterwards prematurely ended his life. The story is told of him by his companions, though he himself never spoke of it, that he twice snapped a pistol at his head in vain. His one solace was found in the governor's library, where he sought to make up for past carelessness by a systematic course of study. He had just come of-age when in 1746 Madras capitulated to Labourdonnais during the War of the Austrian Succession. The breach of that capitulation by Dupleix, then at the head of the French settlements in India, led Clive, with others, to escape from the town to the subordinate Fort St David, some 20 miles to the south. There, disgusted with the state of affairs and the purely commercial duties of an East Indian civilian, as they then were, Clive obtained an ensign's commission.
At this time India was ready to become the prize of the first conqueror who to the dash of the soldier added the skill of the administrator. For the forty years since the death of the emperor Aurangzeb, the power of the Great Mogul had gradually fallen into the hands of his provincial viceroys or subadhars. The three greatest of these were the nawab of the Deccan, or south and central India, who ruled from Hyderabad, the nawab of Bengal, whose capital was Murshidabad, and the nawab or wazir of Oudh. The prize lay between Dupleix, who had the genius of an administrator, or rather intriguer, but was no soldier, and Clive, the first of a century's brilliant succession of those "soldier-politicals", as they are called in the East, to whom Great Britain owed the conquest and consolidation of what becamne its greatest dependency. Clive successively established British ascendancy against French influence in the three great provinces under these nawabs. But his merit lies especially in the ability and foresight with which he secured for his country, and for the good of the natives, the richest of the three, Bengal.
First, as to Madras and the Deccan, Clive had hardly been able to commend himself to Major Stringer Lawrence, the commander of the British troops, by his courage and skill in several small engagements, when the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748) forced him to return to his civil duties for a short time. An attack of the malady which so severely affected his spirits led him to visit Bengal, where he was soon to distinguish himself. On his return he found a contest going on between two sets of rival claimants for the position of viceroy of the Deccan, and for that of nawab of the Carnatic, the greatest of the subordinate states under the Deccan. Dupleix, who took the part of the pretenders to power in both places, was carrying all before him. The British had been weakened by the withdrawal of a large force under Admiral Boscawen, and by the return home, on leave, of Major Lawrence. But that officer had appointed Clive commissary for the supply of the troops with provisions, with the rank of captain. More than one disaster had taken place on a small scale, when Clive drew up a plan for dividing the enemy's forces, and offered to carry it out himself.
The pretender, Chanda Sahib, had been made nawab of the Carnatic with Dupleix's assistance, while the British had taken up the cause of the more legitimate successor, Mahommed Au. Chanda Sahib had left Arcot, the capital of the Carnatic, to reduce Trichinopoly, then held by a weak English battalion. Clive offered to attack Arcot in order to force Chanda Sahib to raise the siege of Trichinopoly. But Madras and Fort St David could supply him with only 200 Europeans and 300 sepoys. Of the eight officers who led them, four were civilians like Clive himself, and six had never been in action. His force had but three field-pieces. The circumstances that Clive, at the head of this handful, had been seen marching during a storm of thunder and lightning, frightened the enemy into evacuating the fort, which the British at once began to strengthen against a siege. Clive treated the great population of the city with so much consideration that they helped him, not only to fortify his position, but to make successful sallies against the enemy. As the days passed on, Chanda Sahib sent a large army under his son and his French supporters, who entered Arcot and closely besieged Clive in the citadel.
Macaulay gives the following brilliant account of the siege:
Raja Sahib proceeded to invest the fort, which seemed quite incapable of sustaining a siege. The walls were ruinous, the ditches dry, the ramparts too narrow to admit the guns, and the battlements too low to protect the soldiers. The little garrison had been greatly reduced by casualties. It now consisted of 120 Europeans and 200 sepoys. Only four officers were left, the stock of provisions was scanty, and the commander who had to conduct the defence under circumstances so discouraging was a young man of five and twenty, who had been bred as a book-keeper. During fifty days the siege went on, and the young captain maintained the defence with a firmness, vigilance and ability which would have done honour to the oldest marshal in Europe. The breach, however, increased day by day. Under such circumstances, any troops so scantily provided with officers might have been expected to show signs of insubordination; and the danger was peculiarly great in a force composed of men differing widely from each other in extraction, colour, language, manners and religion. But the devotion of the little band to its chief surpassed anything that is related of the Tenth Legion of Caesar, or the Old Guard of Napoleon. The sepoys came to Clive, not to complain of their scanty fare, but to propose that all the grain should be given to the Europeans, who required more nourishment than the natives of Asia. The thin gruel, they said, which was strained away from the rice would suffice for themselves. History contains no more touching instance of military fidelity, or of the influence of a commanding mind. An attempt made by the governor of Madras to relieve the place had failed; but there was hope from another quarter. A body of 3000 Mahrattas, half soldiers, half robbers, under the command of a chief named Murari Rao had been hired to assist Mahommed Au; but thinking the French power irresistible, and the triumph of Chanda Sahib certain, they had hitherto remained inactive on the frontiers of the Carnatic. The fame of the defence of Arcot roused them from their torpor; Murari Rao declared that he had never before believed that Englishmen could fight, but that he would willingly help them since he saw that they had spirit to help themselves. Raja Sahib learned that the Mahrattas were in motion, and it was necessary for him to be expeditious. He first tried negotiations - he offered large bribes to Clive, which were rejected with scorn; he vowed that if his proposals were not accepted, he would instantly storm the fort, and put every man in it to the sword. Clive told him, in reply, with characteristic haughtiness, that his father was a usurper, that his army was a rabble, and that he would do well to think twice before he sent such poltroons into a breach defended by English soldiers. Raja Sahib determined to storm the fort. The day was well suited to a bold military enterprise. It was the great Mahommedan festival, the Muharram, which is sacred to the memory of Husain, the son of Ali. Clive had received secret intelligence of the design, had made his arrangements, and, exhausted by fatigue, had thrown himself on his bed. He was awakened by the alarm, and was instantly at his post. The enemy advanced, driving before them elephants whose foreheads were armed with iron plates. It was expected that the gates would yield to the shock of these living battering-rams. But the huge beasts no sooner felt the English musket balls than they turned round and rushed furiously away, trampling on the multitude which had urged them forward. A raft was launched on the water which filled one part of the ditch. Clive perceiving that his gunners at that post did not understand their business, took the management of a piece of artillery himself, and cleared the raft in a few minutes. Where the moat was dry, the assailants mounted with great boldness; but they were received with a fire so heavy and so well directed, that it soon quelled the courage even of fanaticism and of intoxication. The rear ranks of the English kept the front ranks supplied with a constant succession of loaded muskets, and every shot told on the living mass below. The struggle lasted about an hour; 400 of the assailants fell; the garrison lost only five or six men. The besieged passed an anxious night, looking for a renewal of the attack. But when day broke, the enemy were no more to be seen. They had retired, leaving to the English several guns and a large quantity of ammunition.
In India, we might say in all history, there is no parallel to this exploit of 1751 till we come to the siege of Lucknow in 1857. Clive, now re-inforced, followed up his advantage, and Major Lawrence returned in time to carry the war to a successful issue. In 1754 the first of the Carnatic treaties was made provisionally, between T. Saunders, the Company's resident at Madras, and M. Godeheu, the French commander, in which the English protege, Mahommed Ali, was virtually recognized as nawab, and both nations agreed to equalize their possessions. When war again broke out in 1756, and the French, during Clive's absence in Bengal, obtained successes in the northern districts, his efforts helped to drive them from their settlements. The Treaty of Paris (1763) formally confirmed Mahommed Ali in the position which Clive had won for him. Two years after, the Madras work of Clive was completed by a firman from the emperor of Delhi, recognizing the British possessions in southern India.
The siege of Arcot at once gave Clive a European reputation. Pitt pronounced the youth of twenty-seven who had done such deeds a "heaven-born general," thus endorsing the generous appreciation of his early commander, Major Lawrence. When the court of directors voted him a sword worth �700, he refused to receive it unless Lawrence was similarly honoured. He left Madras for home, after ten years' absence, early in 1753, but not before marrying Miss Margaret Maskelyne, the sister of his friend Nevil Maskelyne who was afterwards well-known as Astronomer Royal.
All Clive's correspondence proves him to have been a good husband and father, at a time when society was far from pure, and scandal made havoc of the highest reputations. In after days, when Clive's uprightness and stern reform of the Company's civil and military services made him many enemies, a biography of him appeared under the assumed name of Charles Carracioli, Gent. All the evidence is against the probability of its scandalous stories being true. Clive as a young man occasionally indulged in loose or free talk among intimate friends, but beyond this nothing has been proved to his detriment.
After Clive had been two years in England the state of affairs in India made the directors anxious for his return. He was sent out, in 1756, as governor of Fort St David, with the reversion of the government of Madras, and he received the commission of lieutenant-colonel in the king's army. He took Bombay on his way, and there commanded the land force which captured Gheria, the stronghold of the Mahratta pirate, Angria. In the distribution of prize money which followed this expedition he showed no little self-denial. He took his seat as governor of Fort St David on the day on which the nawab of Bengal captured Calcutta, and thither the Madras government at once sent him, with admiral Watson. He entered on the second period of his career.
Since, in August 1690, Job Charnock had landed at the village of Sutanati with a guard of one officer and 30 men, the infant capital of Calcutta had become a rich centre of trade. The successive nawabs or viceroys of Bengal had been friendly to it, till, in 1756, Suraj-ud-Dowlah succeeded his uncle at Murshidabad. His predecessor's financial minister had fled to Calcutta to escape the extortion of the new nawab, and the English governor refused to deliver up the refugee. Enraged at this, Suraj-ud-Dowlah captured the old fort of Calcutta on 20 June 1756, and plundered it of more than two millions sterling. Many of the English fled to ships and dropped down the river. The 146 who remained were forced into the Black Hole in the stifling heat of the sultriest period of the year. Only 23 came out alive.
The fleet was as strong, for those days, as the land force was weak. Disembarking his troops some miles below the city, Clive marched through the jungles, where he lost his way owing to the treachery of his guides, but soon invested Fort William, while the fire of the ships reduced it, on 2 January 1757. On 4 February he defeated the whole army of the nawab, which had taken up a strong position north of Calcutta. The nawab hastened to conclude a treaty, under which favourable terms were conceded to the Company's trade, the factories and plundered property were restored, and an English mint was established. In the accompanying agreement, offensive and defensive, Clive appears under the name by which he was always known to the natives of India, Sabut Jung, or "the daring in war". The hero of Arcot had, at Angria's stronghold, and now again under the walls of Calcutta, established his reputation as the first captain of the time. With 600 British soldiers, 800 sepoys, 7 field-pieces and 500 sailors to draw them, he had routed a force of 34,000 men with 40 pieces of heavy cannon, 50 elephants, and a camp that extended upwards of four miles in length.
His own account, in a letter to the archbishop of Canterbury, gives a modest but vivid description of the battle, the importance of which has been overshadowed by Plassey.
In spite of his double defeat and the treaty which followed it, the madness of the nawab burst forth again. As England and France were once more at war, Clive sent the fleet up the river against Chandernagore, while he besieged it by land. After consenting to the siege, the nawab sought to assist the French, but in vain. The capture of their principal settlement in India, next to Pondicherry, which had fallen in the previous war, gave the combined forces prize to the value of �130,000. The rule of Suraj-ud-Dowlah became as intolerable to his own people as to the British. They formed a confederacy to depose him, at the head of which was Jafar Ali Khan, his commander-in-chief. Associating with himself Admiral Watson, Governor Drake and Mr Watts, Clive made a treaty in which it was agreed to give the office of viceroy of Bengal, Behar and Orissa to Jafar, who was to pay a million sterling to the Company for its losses in Calcutta and the cost of its troops, half a million to the British inhabitants of Calcutta, �200,000 to the native inhabitants, and �70,000 to its Armenian merchants.
Up to this point all is clear. Suraj-ud-Dowlah was hopeless as a ruler. His relations alike to his master, the merely titular emperor of Delhi, and to the people left the province open to the strongest. After the "Black Hole", the battle of Calcutta, and the treachery at Chandernagore in spite of the treaty which followed that battle, the East India Company could treat the nawab only as an enemy. Clive, it is true, might have disregarded all native intrigue, marched on Murshidabad, and at once held the delta of the Ganges in the Company's name. But the time was not ripe for this, and the consequences, with so small a force, might have been fatal. The idea of acting directly as rulers, save under native charters and names, was not developed by events for half a century. The political morality of the time in Europe, as well as the comparative weakness of the Company in India, led Clive not only to meet the dishonesty of his native associate by equal dishonesty, but to justify his conduct by the declaration, years after, in parliament, that he would do the same again.
It became necessary to employ the richest Bengali trader, Omichund, as an agent between Jafar Ali and the British officials. Master of the secret of the confederacy against Suraj-ud-Dowlah, the Bengali threatened to betray it unless he was guaranteed, in the treaty itself, �300,000. To dupe the villain, who was really paid by both sides, a second, or fictitious treaty, was shown him with a clause to this effect. This Admiral Watson refused to sign; "but," Clive deponed to the House of Commons, "to the best of his remembrance, he gave the gentleman who carried it leave to sign his name upon it; his lordship never made any secret of it; he thinks it warrantable in such a case, and would do it again a hundred times; he had no interested motive in doing it, and did it with a design of disappointing the expectations of a rapacious man." Such was Clive's own defence of the one act which, in a long career of abounding temptations, was of questionable honesty.
The whole hot season of 1757 was spent in these negotiations, till the middle of June, when Clive began his march from Chandernagore, the British in boats, and the sepoys along the right bank of the Hugli. That river above Calcutta is, during the rainy season, fed by the overflow of the Ganges to the north through three streams, which in the hot months are nearly dry. On the left bank of the Bhagirathi, the most westerly of these, 100 miles above Chandernagore, stands Murshidabad, the capital of the Mogul viceroys of Bengal, and then so vast that Clive compared it to the London of his day. Some miles farther down is the field of Plassey, then an extensive grove of mango trees, of which enough yet remains, in spite of the changing course of the stream, to enable the visitor to realize the scene. On 21 June 1757 Clive arrived on the bank opposite Plassey, in the midst of that outburst of rain which ushers in the south-west monsoon of India. His whole army amounted to 1100 Europeans and 2100 native troops, with 9 field-pieces. The nawab had drawn up 18,000 horse, 50,000 foot and 53 pieces of heavy ordnance, served by French artillerymen. For once in his career Clive hesitated, and called a council of sixteen officers to decide, as he put it, "whether in our present situation, without assistance, and on our own bottom, it would be prudent to attack the nawab, or whether we should wait till joined by some country power ?" Clive himself headed the nine who voted for delay; Major (afterwards Sir) Eyre Coote led the seven who counselled immediate attack. But, either because his daring asserted itself, or because, also, of a letter that he received from Jafar Ali, as has been said, Clive was the first to change his mind and to communicate with Major Eyre Coote. One tradition, followed by Macaulay, represents him as spending an hour in thought under the shade of some trees, while he resolved the issues of what was to prove one of the decisive battles of the world. Another, turned into verse by Sir Alfred Lyall, pictures his resolution as the result of a dream. However that may be, he did well as a soldier to trust to the dash and even rashness that had gained Arcot and triumphed at Calcutta, and as a statesman, since retreat, or even delay, would have put back the civilization of India for years. When, after the heavy rain, the sun rose brightly on 22 June 1757, the 3200 men and the 9 guns crossed the river and took possession of the grove and its tanks of water, while Clive established his head-quarters in a hunting lodge. On the 23rd the engagement took place and lasted the whole day. Except the 40 Frenchmen and the guns which they worked, the enemy did little to reply to the British cannonade which, with the 39th Regiment, scattered the host, inflicting on it a loss of 500 men. Clive restrained the ardour of Major Kilpatrick, for he trusted to Jafar Ali's abstinence, if not desertion to his ranks, and knew the importance of sparing his own small force. He lost hardly a white soldier; in all 22 sepoys were killed and 50 wounded. His own account, written a month after the battle to the secret committee of the court of directors, is not less unaffected than that in which he had announced the defeat of the nawab at Calcutta.
Suraj-ud-Dowlah fled from the field on a camel, secured what wealth he could, and came to an untimely end. Clive entered Murshidabad, and established Jafar Ali as nawab. When taken through the treasury, amid a million and a half sterling's worth of rupees, gold and silver plate, jewels and rich goods, and besought to ask what he would, Clive was content with �160,000, while half a million was distributed among the army and navy, both in addition to gifts of �24,000 to each member of the Company's committee, and besides the public compensation stipulated for in the treaty. It was to this occasion that he referred in his defence before the House of Commons, when he declared that he marvelled at his moderation. He sought rather to increase the shares of the fleet and the troops at his own expense, as he had done at Gheria, and did more than once afterwards, with prize of war.
What he did take from the grateful nawab for himself was less than the circumstances justified from an Oriental point of view, was far less than was pressed upon him, not only by Jafar Ali, but by the hundreds of native nobles whose gifts Clive steadily refused, and was openly acknowledged from the first. He followed a usage fully recognized by the Company, although the fruitful source of future evils which he himself was again sent out to correct. The Company itself acquired a revenue of �100,000 a year, and a contribution towards its losses and military expenditure of a million and a half sterling. Such was Jafar Ali's gratitude to Clive that he afterwards presented him with the quit-rent of the Company's lands in and around Calcutta, amounting to an annuity of �27,000 for life, and left him by will the sum of �70,000, which Clive devoted to the army.
While busy with the civil administration, the conqueror of Plassey continued to follow up his military success. He sent Major Coote in pursuit of the French almost as far as Benares. He despatched Colonel Forde to Vizagapatam and the northern districts of Madras, where that officer gained the battle of Condore, pronounced by Broome "one of the most brilliant actions on military record". He came into direct contact, for the first time, with the Great Mogul himself, an event which resulted in the most important consequences during the third period of his career. Shah Alam, when shakzada, or heir-apparent, quarrelled with his father Alam Gir II, the emperor, and united with the viceroys of Oudh and Allahabad for the conquest of Bengal. He advanced as far as Patna, which he besieged with 40,000 men. Jafar Ali, in terror, sent his son to its relief, and implored the aid of Clive. Major Caillaud defeated the prince's army and dispersed it. Finally, at this period, Clive repelled the aggression of the Dutch, and avenged the massacre of Amboyna, on that occasion when he wrote his famous letter, "Dear Forde, fight them immediately; I will send you the order of council to-morrow."
Meanwhile Clive never ceased to improve the organization and drill of the sepoy army, after a European model, and enlisted into it many Mahommedans of fine physique from upper India. He re-fortified Calcutta. In 1760, after four years of labour so incessant and results so glorious, his health gave way and he returned to England. "It appeared," wrote a contemporary on the spot, "as if the soul was departing from the government of Bengal". He had been formally made governor of Bengal by the court of directors at a time when his nominal superiors in Madras sought to recall him to their help there. But he had discerned the importance of the province even during his first visit to its rich delta, mighty rivers and teeming population. It should be noticed, also, that he had the kingly gift of selecting the ablest subordinates, for even thus early he had discovered the ability of young Warren Hastings, destined to be his great successor, and, a year after Plassey, made him resident at the nawab's court.
In 1760, at thirty-five years of age, Clive returned to England with a fortune of at least �300,000 and the quit-rent of �27,000 a year, after caring for the comfort of his parents and sisters, and giving Major Lawrence, his old commanding officer, who had early encouraged his military genius, �500 a year. The money had been honourably and publicly acquired, with the approval of the Company. The amount might have been four times what it was had Clive been either greedy after wealth or ungenerous to the colleagues and the troops whom he led to victory. In the five years of his conquests and administration in Bengal, the young man had crowded together a succession of exploits which led Lord Macaulay, in what that historian termed his "flashy" essay on the subject, to compare him to Napoleon Bonaparte. But there was this difference in Clive's favour, due not more to the circumstances of the time than to the object of his policy ? he gave peace, security, prosperity and such liberty as the case allowed of to millions of Indians, who had for centuries been the prey of oppression, while Napoleon's career of conquest was inspired only by personal ambition, and the absolutism he established vanished with his fall. During the three years that Clive remained in England he sought a political position, chiefly that he might influence the course of events in India, which he had left full of promise. He had been well received at court, had been made Baron Clive of Plassey, in the peerage of Ireland, had bought estates, and had got not only himself, but his friends returned to the House of Commons after the fashion of the time.
Then it was that Clive set himself to reform the home system of the East India Company, and began a bitter warfare with Mr Sulivan, chairman of the court of directors, whom in the end he defeated. In this he was aided by the news of reverses in Bengal. Vansittart, his successor, having no great influence over Jafar Ali Khan, had put Kasim Ali Khan, the son-in-law, in his place in consideration of certain payments to the English officials. After a brief tenure Kasim Ali had fled, had ordered Walter Reinhardt (known to the Mahommedans as Sumru), a Swiss mercenary of his, to butcher the garrison of 150 English at Patna, and had disappeared under the protection of his brother viceroy of Oudh. The whole Company's service, civil and military, had become demoralized by gifts, and by the monopoly of the inland as well as export trade, to such an extent that the natives were pauperised, and the Company was plundered of the revenues which Clive had acquired for them. The court of proprietors, accordingly, who elected the directors, forced them, in spite of Sulivan, to hurry out Lord Clive to Bengal with the double powers of governor and commander-in-chief.
What he had done for Madras, what he had accomplished for Bengal proper, and what he had effected in reforming the Company itself, he was now to complete in less than two years, in this the third period of his career, by putting his country politically in the place of the emperor of Delhi, and preventing for ever the possibility of the corruption to which the British in India had been driven by an evil system. On 3 May 1765 he landed at Calcutta to learn that Jafar Ali Khan had died, leaving him personally �70,000, and had been succeeded by his son, though not before the government had been further demoralized by taking �100,000 as a gift from the new nawab; while Kasim Ali had induced not only the viceroy of Oudh, but the emperor of Delhi himself, to invade Behar. After the first mutiny in the Bengal army, which was suppressed by blowing the sepoy ringleader from a gun, Major Munro, "the Napier of those times", scattered the united armies on the hard-fought field of Buxar. The emperor, Shah Alam, detached himself from the league, while the Oudh viceroy threw himself on the mercy of the British.
Clive had now an opportunity of repeating in Hindustan, or Upper India, what he had accomplished for the good of Bengal. He might have secured what are now called the United Provinces, and have rendered unnecessary the campaigns of Wellesley and Lake. But he had other work in the consolidation of rich Bengal itself, making it a base from which the mighty fabric of British India could afterwards steadily and proportionally grow. Hence he returned to the Oudh viceroy all his territory save the provinces of Allahabad and Kora, which he made over to the weak emperor.
But from that emperor he secured the most important document in the whole of British history in India up to that time, which appears in the records as "firmaund from the King Shah Aalum, granting the dewany of Bengal, Behar and Orissa to the Company 1765." The date was 12 August 1765, the place Benares, the throne an English dining-table covered with embroidered cloth and surmounted by a chair in Clive's tent. It is all pictured by a Mahommedan contemporary, who indignantly exclaims that so great a "transaction was done and finished in less time than would have been taken up in the sale of a jackass". By this deed the Company became the real sovereign rulers of thirty millions of people, yielding a revenue of four millions sterling.
All this had been accomplished by Clive in the few brief years since he had avenged the "Black Hole" of Calcutta. This would be a small matter, or might even be a cause of reproach, were it not that the Company's undisputed sovereignty proved, after a sore period of transition, the salvation of these millions. The lieutenant-governorship of Bengal after Clive's time grew so large and prosperous that in 1905 it was found advisable to divide it into two separate provinces. But Clive, though thus moderate and even generous to an extent which called forth the astonishment of the natives, had all a statesman's foresight. On the same date he obtained not only an imperial charter for the Company's possession in the Carnatic also, thus completing the work he began at Arcot, but a third firman for the highest of all the lieutenancies of the empire, that of the Deccan itself. This fact is mentioned in a letter from the secret committee of the court of directors to the Madras government, dated 27 April 1768. Still so disproportionate did the British force seem, not only to the number and strength of the princes and people of India, but to the claims and ambition of French, Dutch and Danish rivals, that Clive's last advice to the directors, as he finally left India in 1767, was this:
We are sensible that, since the acquisition of the dewany, the power formerly belonging to the soubah of those provinces is totally, in fact, vested in the East India Company. Nothing remains to him but the name and shadow of authority. This name, however, this shadow, it is indispensably necessary we should seem to venerate.
On a wider arena, even that of the Great Mogul himself, the shadow was kept up till it obliterated itself in the massacre of English people in the Delhi palace in 1857; and Queen Victoria was proclaimed, first, direct ruler on the ist of November 1858, and then empress of India on 1 January 1877.
Having thus founded the empire of British India, Clive's painful duty was to create a pure and strong administration, such as alone would justify its possession by foreigners. The civil service was de-orientalised by raising the miserable salaries which had tempted its members to be corrupt, by forbidding the acceptance of gifts from natives, and by exacting covenants under which participation in the inland trade was stopped. Not less important were his military reforms. With his usual tact and nerve he put down a mutiny of the English officers, who chose to resent the veto against receiving presents and the reduction of batta at a time when two Mahratta armies were marching on Bengal. His reorganization of the army, on the lines of that which he had begun after Plassey, and which was neglected during his second visit to England, subsequently attracted the admiration of the ablest Indian officers. He divided the whole into three brigades, so as to make each a complete force, in itself equal to any single native army that could be brought against it. He had not enough British artillerymen, however, and would not make the mistake of his successors, who trained natives to work the guns, which were turned against the British.
Clive left India in February 1767. From 1772 he had to defend his actions against critics in Britain. Despite his vindication in Parliament he committed suicide at his Berkeley Square home in London on 22 November 1774.
Original text from http://1911encyclopedia.org - please update as needed


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Bob Marley tango GMT Limited Edition from RAYMOND WEIL
Celebrating one of the most influential music and cultural icons in the world with this stunning new Bob Marley tango GMT Limited Edition from RAYMOND WEIL designed in collaboration with House of Marley.
A magnificent ode to this world-class music icon, the Bob Marley tango GMT timepiece is limited to just 1,500 pieces worldwide and set to be an international success. With the first Bob Marley Caribbean Exclusive Limited Edition timepiece selling out when reaching the market in 2017, the new Bob Marley tango GMT Limited Edition designed in collaboration with House of Marley will not be around for long – so add this collector's piece to your collection while you can!
The black dial is decorated with the iconic lion head that every Marley fan will recognize. With a colour palette inspired by the Ethiopian flag, this exclusive watch features sapphire crystal with a red second hand, green GMT hand and yellow circumference circle.
The numbered case back is engraved with Bob Marley's signature and the famous "TIME WILL TELL" mention in reference to successful title from Kaya Album. Housed in a 42mm polished steel case with a GMT function, the timepiece is finished by an aluminum black and grey anodized bezel. As well as a stunning appearance, the tango GMT Bob Marley stands up to the strength of the main RAYMOND WEIL tango collection and is water resistant up to 300 meters. With a stainless steel bracelet, completed with double pusher security clasp, this Limited Edition is a must-have item for any Marley fan.
"We are honored to work with RAYMOND WEIL on the creation of this timepiece that celebrates our father's legacy and recognizes the artistic contribution of so many great musicians in this unique way,"
says Cedella Marley, daughter of Bob Marley.
"RAYMOND WEIL has always been closely linked with music and we are overjoyed to collaborate with House of Marley to honour this legendary artist", says Elie Bernheim, CEO of RAYMOND WEIL.
World renowned artist Bob Marley remains one of the 20th century's most important and influential entertainment icons. Famous for having put reggae on the global map, his lifestyle and music continue to inspire new generations illustrated by the millions of albums sold worldwide.
Produced as a 1,500 piece limited, numbered series, the tango GMT Bob Marley Limited Edition is a real tribute to the life and musical career of Bob Marley.
View the full range of Raymond Weil watches in stock on our online boutique. CLICK HERE

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The Hong Kong Federation of Insurers (HKFI) has launched the Young Insurance Executive Development Programme (YIE) in association with the Institute of Professional Education And Knowledge (PEAK) of Vocational Training Council (VTC).
Targeting university graduates or diploma holders with at least one year working experience, the Programme combines practical on-the-job-training with academic qualifications.
Trainees will work with insurance companies 4 days a week and spend 1 day on part time learning for a minimum of one year. Upon successful completion of the course, they will receive "Professional Diploma in Insurance". The tuition fee will be fully sponsored by their respective employers and trainees will also receive a monthly salary.
More than 20 life and general insurance companies have joined the Programme and offered different positions for interested candidates to apply for, ranging from actuary, claims, underwriting, policy administration, customer service, etc.
The first intake will commence in March 2015. Deadline for application will be 16 January 2015. An information session will be held on 9 January at VTC. Interested parties please contact Ms M Y Ng at 2919 1515 or email at myng@vtc.edu.hk.
For more information about the Programme, please visit http://www.hkfi.org.hk/YIE/.
Candidates successfully completed the Programme will receive "Professional Diploma in Insurance" (PDI) awarded by PEAK, VTC. They will be eligible to apply for the professional membership level of the Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance (ANZIIF) and the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII).
Full amount of tuition fee (HK$3,600 X 8 modules = HK$28,800) will be borne by the employer.
Qualified candidate will receive a monthly salary and be entitled to full time staff benefits, i.e., annual leave, employee's compensation insurance, etc.
The HKFI Educational Trust will donate no more than three scholarships at HK$10,000 each to candidates with outstanding academic and work performance.
Interested applicants should send the Application Form and materials to VTC on/before 16 January 2015. Shortlisted applicants will be interviewed by suitable insurance company(ies). Employment contract will be issued to successful applicants upon confirmation.


text:
Q: SerializationException, How to avoid UserControl consuming an Event to be serialized? I attempt to serialize an object, and it throws an exception as shown below. I assume it attempts to serialize also the UserControl that subsribes to an event of the class I try to serialize. This is not desired. So how do I avoid serializing events? (as easy as possible)
SerializationException occured:

Type 'System.Windows.Forms.UserControl' in Assembly
  'System.Windows.Forms, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral,
  PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089' is not marked as serializable.

Public Sub SendData(ByVal obj As Object)

    If Client.Connected Then
        Try
            Dim ns As NetworkStream = Client.GetStream()

            Dim bf = New BinaryFormatter()
            Dim ms = New MemoryStream()

            bf.Serialize(ms, obj)   ' < Exception here

A:
how do I avoid serializing events?

The solution is to mark the event handlers in your class with [NonSerialized] attribute.

A: It appears that your object you are passing into your routine is not serializable.  Are you passing your usercontrol to this method?  If so you will need to pass what you want to serialize which I assume might be the data structure within?   Otherwise try using the [Searilzable] attribute on your object and see if that works.

A: One option is to implement ISerializable and only serialize the stuff you want to.
Another option available to C# (I'm not sure about VB) is to make a custom add/remove code.
[NonSerialized]  // prevents the m_changed field from being serialized.
private EventHandler m_changed;

public event Changed
{
  add
  {
    m_changed += value;
  }
  remove
  {
    m_changed -= value;
  }
}

A: VB.NET will not allow  attribute on events.  Because of the way VB.NET implements events, when you serialize an object, its events get serialized too  because events are actually implemented using hidden multicast delegate fields.  Here is an example of how to remove a handler during serialization in vb:
      <NonSerialized()> _
  Private PropertyChangedHandlers As New Generic.List(Of PropertyChangedEventHandler)

  ''' <summary>
  ''' stores parameter of event in a local nonserializable variable
  ''' </summary>
  ''' <remarks></remarks>
  Public Custom Event PropertyChanged As PropertyChangedEventHandler Implements INotifyPropertyChanged.PropertyChanged
     AddHandler(ByVal value As PropertyChangedEventHandler)
        If PropertyChangedHandlers Is Nothing Then
           PropertyChangedHandlers = New Generic.List(Of PropertyChangedEventHandler)()
        End If
        PropertyChangedHandlers.Add(value)
     End AddHandler

     RemoveHandler(ByVal value As PropertyChangedEventHandler)
        If value Is Nothing Or PropertyChangedHandlers Is Nothing Then
           Return
        End If

        PropertyChangedHandlers.Remove(value)
     End RemoveHandler

        RaiseEvent(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As PropertyChangedEventArgs)
            Dim pos As Int32
            Dim count As Int32
            Dim Element As PropertyChangedEventHandler
            If Me.PropertyChangedHandlers IsNot Nothing Then
                count = PropertyChangedHandlers.Count
                If count > 0 Then
                    For pos = (count - 1) To 0 Step -1
                        Element = PropertyChangedHandlers(pos)
                        Try
                            Element.Invoke(sender, e)
                        Catch ex As Exception
                            'Ignore any error generated
                        End Try
                    Next
                End If
            End If
        End RaiseEvent
  End Event

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


KOSMOS is the first web server to provide the structural biology community with both harmonic and anharmonic analyses of macromolecular structures including DNA, RNA, and Proteins. Online users can request thermal fluctuation study or transient pathway generation by simply submitting PDB ID or uploading personal data files through the query page. All the simulation outputs have been deposited into NMA and ENI database where most of data are disclosed to the public unless users request to limit accessibility to their data. Users can also enjoy versatility of KOSMOS through advanced query by utilizing several unique applications of elastic network models for their own purpose.
Normal mode analysis (NMA) is a useful tool to understand the harmonic behaviors (thermal fluctuations) of a macromolecule around its equilibrium. It is widely believed that a few lowest modes dominantly contribute to the global and collective motions of the system. We define the simplest Hookean potential energy and then solve the eigenproblem to determine the lowest modes. For large macromolecular structures having more than several thousand residues, the coarse-grained elastic network model has been explored to produce the lowest modes within reasonable time on a PC.
Elastic Network Interpolation (ENI) is a useful tool to generate the anharmonic pathways for conformational transitions between two metastable conformations of the same macromolecule. In ENI, we do not interpolate Cartesian or internal coordinates, but rather the two sets of distances between spatially close representative atoms so that unrealistic conformations and steric clashes become less likely.
Please be aware that NMA DB and ENI DB contain all simulation results of PDBs previously requested. KOSMOS user is strongly recommended to search PDB ID of interest from either NMA DB or ENI DB before requesting a simulation through QUERY. It will be very helpful for us to manage KOSMOS effectively and efficiently.


Henry Hudson was a world renowned explorer. However, we only know about a small portion of his life. This period of his life was focused on the search for a northwest or northeast passage to the Orient. He was a very knowledgeable and determined sailor and on most expeditions it seems his crew did not have the same determination. This ultimately would lead to the disappearance of him, his son John and the loyal among his crew.


text:
NextEra jumps into fleet electrification
By Katie Fehrenbacher
Solar panels operated by NextEra Energy
NextEra Energy
The world's biggest investor-owned clean energy provider sees promise in helping its customers adopt electric vehicles.
Clean electricity giant NextEra Energy Resources, a subsidiary of NextEra Energy, announced Tuesday that it's acquired a small Oakland, California-based startup called eIQ Mobility. The startup has built a business around using data and software to enable clients, such as utilities, to make decisions about what electric trucks and cars to buy, and how to build and manage EV charging infrastructure.
The companies didn't release terms of the deal. Only two years old, elQ Mobility previously raised a seed round of funding from Schneider Electric's venture arm.
The deal highlights the growing market for companies, utilities, cities and government agencies to convert their fleets to electric vehicles in an effort to meet sustainability goals, adhere to regulations and in certain cases reduce operating costs by eliminating diesel use. (See GreenBiz's Top 25 Most Sustainable Fleets).
"In the course of us doing our research, it became clear how complicated fleet buying decisions are and customers need to tackle this in a holistic way. We needed a tool to help customers make these decisions," said Chelle Izzi, NextEra Energy's resources executive director, explaining the strategy behind the acquisition.
Izzi also noted that customers that are already buying onsite solar, solar PPAs or onsite energy storage from NextEra Energy increasingly have been asking for ways to help manage electric vehicle fleets. "I think it's going to eventually be a very large market. This is a long term commitment to be part of the solution for our customers," Izzi said.
NextEra Energy Resources customers focused on ESG (environmental, social and governance) are also beginning to be interested in looking at carbon footprints related to transportation, said Izzi. Electrifying fleets or enabling employees to adopt electric vehicles can be a good way to reduce transportation-related emissions.
While it's still early days, more organizations are adopting electric vehicles for commercial purposes, whether it's to move goods or people. Last-mile delivery — led by companies such as Amazon, UPS and FedEx — is quickly embracing electric because the routes are generally short and urban. Cities also are pushing for EV delivery vans to replace diesel ones as a way to clean up the air in neighborhoods.
Transit buses are electrifying thanks to strong mandates such as California's, which requires all transit agencies to phase out diesel buses by 2040. Companies such as Proterra, New Flyer and BYD are selling electric transit buses to cities across the U.S.
Vehicle manufacturers — from big players such as Volvo and Daimler to startups such as Lion Electric and Rivian — are building out capacity for an expected jump in demand for electric trucks and buses over the coming years. The number of available and announced models of zero emission vehicles rose by 78 percent over the course of 2020, and that figure is expected to double again by the end of 2023, according to clean transportation nonprofit CALSTART.
Katie Fehrenbacher
Senior Writer & Analyst, Transportation
@katiefehren
GM's electric delivery foray, plus other mobility trends headlining CES
Big in 2021: American jobs created by EV companies
These were 10 key sustainable transport trends of 2020
A new EV battery shows big promise
The race to mainstream electric vehicles by 2030
See all by Katie Fehrenbacher


A Homeboarder in the Sixth having become a boarder at Stelfox's It was thought right by myself and the rest of the Sixth to make the following regulation.
Those marked with an asterisk are Homeboarders.
On Wednesday December 11th the sixth dinner was held as usual at Ginger's Hotel in Bridge Street. The party consisted of all the Boarders in the Sixth with two homeboarders who were invited to join them. It was kept up till 9 o'clock with the greatest spirit.
On Thursday August 1st 1833 the annual match between the present Westminsters and the old Westminsters Club was played in Tothill Fields, in which the latter were beaten with eight wickets to go down.
On Tuesday July 30th 1833, the annual grand match between the KS and TBs was played on Tothill Fields in which the former were beaten with seven wickets to go down.
On Friday July 12th 1833 the annual cricket match was played in Tothill Fields between the Townboys who had not played in the Grand Match of the preceding year and the Lamprobaticks in which the former were beaten by 112 runs.
Those marked with an asterisk were homeboarders.


text:
Q: Capture output from git command? I am writing a script to automate setting up new projects for me.
this includes pulling down a github repository.
What I want to do is have some output from my script, then call git clone $repo
I want to show the output from that command while it is running, but then when it has run if it has run successfully replace it's output (note just the git commands output, I still want the output from before that to be there) with repository successfully cloned and if failed just leave the output there, and print repository cloning failed.
How can I do this?
Below is my current (rather simple) script.
#! /bin/bash

# -p project name

templateurl="git@bitbucket.org:xxx/xxx-site-template.git"

while getopts ":p:" opt; do #eventually I'll add more options here

case $opt in
  p)
    project=$OPTARG
    ;;
  \?)
    echo "Invalid option: -$OPTARG" >&2
    exit 1
    ;;
  :)
    echo "Option -$OPTARG requires an argument." >&2
    exit 1
    ;;
esac
done

if [ -z "$project" ]; then
    echo "Project name required"
    exit 1
fi

clear
echo "|==========================|"
echo "| New xxx Project Creator  |"
echo "|==========================|"
echo "Project: $project"

if [ -d "$project" ]; then
    echo "Directory $project already exists!"
    exit 1
fi

mkdir $project
if [ ! -d "$project" ]; then
    echo "Failed to create project directory!"
    exit 1
fi

echo "Cloning xxx Template repository"
git clone $templateurl $project

A: git clone user@server:repo localrepo > git.log 2>&1
if [[ $? eq 0 ]];
then
   echo Repository successfully cloned.
else
   cat git.log
   echo Repository cloning failed.
fi

rm git.log

Explanation:
git clone user@server:repo localrepo > git.log 2>&1
Redirects stdout and stderr streams to git.log.  > git.log redirects stdout to git.log  2>&1 redirects stderr to the same place as stdout(thus, git.log).
$? eq 0   Checks the retcode of git which should be 0 if the clone was successful.
cat git.log outputs the contents of the git.log file.

A: git clone does provide a exit code you can read with $? like follows:
git clone user@server:repo
echo $?

This will print 0 if everything worked just fine. If for example the folder is not a git repository you will get the exit code 128.
you can check if the clone worked as follows:
git clone user@server:repo localrepo --quiet
success=$?
if [[ $success -eq 0 ]];
then
    echo "Repository successfully cloned."
else
    echo "Something went wrong!"
fi

--quietwill suppress any output from git, as long as there are no errors. So if you just remove the else-branch you will get you positive output or the error produced by git.


text:
Dive into Florida's Best Tubing Destinations this Summer
Written by Nancy Devault
Florida has one of the largest concentrations of natural springs in the world. In fact, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection says the Sunshine State boasts more than 900 natural springs. About 40 are open to the public and, yes, a tube can make for a great exploration vessel. Explore Florida's waterways by hopping into a tube to drift alongside your partner. Here are our picks for the best places to go tubing in Florida.
Note: This post was originally published in 2018 and has been updated.
Rock Springs Run at Kelly Park | Apopka
Located right in Seminole County, consider Kelly Park your tubing home-turf! Wekiwa Springs converges with Rock Springs, a crater-edged creek within Kelly Park, to form the headwaters of the 17-mile-long Wekiva River leading to the St. Johns River. Rock Springs Run is a brisk 67°F stream adored by tubers and kayakers. Be sure to bring your own float or rent one at the roadside concession before entering the park (around $7 each). It's okay to use a pool noodle or float less than 5 feet in length.
This is a shorter tube run that can easily be enjoyed multiple times throughout your visit. Pack a picnic to enjoy during a break from the water.
You can also launch a canoe or kayak from Kings Landing to twist your way amongst alligators, birds, turtles, otters and rarely-seen monkeys. Like Orlando-area theme parks, Kelly Park can get packed, so arrive early before park capacity is met.
Park entry: $3-$5 per vehicle (depending on how many people are in the car)
Kelly Park / Rock Springs Run. Image credit: @travelingdandan via Instagram
Ichetucknee Springs State Park | Fort White
Considered the crown jewel of tubing destinations, Ichetucknee Springs State Parkis located about 2 1/2 hours northwest of Orlando, just beyond Alachua. Ichetucknee is actually a cluster of nine springs that collectively gush well over 200 million gallons of brisk water every day. Named as a National Natural Landmark, archaeologists discovered two Indian mounds and a village site on the grounds.
The 72-degree spring-fed water is crystal clear so you can see all the way down to the white sandy bottom. You'll discover fish, turtles and more. Ichetucknee Springs is described as a peaceful place where stress simply drifts away. To experience it, bring your own tube or rent one from either the park stand or an outside vendor. Tubing is accessible from the south entrance.
FYI: the park limits the number of daily visitors (so arrive early) and imported items, i.e. potential trash such as food and disposables.
Park entry: $6 per car; plus an option for $5.50 tram service or $7.50 shuttle service
Image credit: Florida State Parks
Blue Spring State Park | Orange City
Less than an hour from Orlando, Blue Spring is the largest spring on the St. John's River, spewing 104 million gallons of water every day. The stunning 73°F waterway is famous for its population of manatees, which migrate south during the winter.
Outdoor enthusiasts can rent tubes and launch off of a gravel bank. Florida State Parks suggests you "enter the water at the upper entry, swim to the spring boil and float back down to the main swim dock." The float run is just an eighth of a mile.
You may also want to dive within the circular spring to explore the vertical cave; take a boat cruise on the St. John's River; and enjoy a plethora of park amenities, such as birding and hiking. Rest up overnight in a cabin or tent.
Park entry: $6 per vehicle
Image credit: Florida State Parks / photo by David Montague
Rainbow Springs State Park | Dunnellon
Archaeologists believe that people have been using Rainbow Spring, Florida's fourth largest spring with a pool 250 feet wide, for nearly 10,000 years! For about 30 years starting in the 1930s, the site was a privately-owned family amusement park with gardens, waterfalls, a zoo and even a rodeo space. Eventually, the land was restored and preserved, earning a National Natural Landmark designation.
Situated about 2 ½ hours northwest of Orlando, visitors are often amazed by this spring's unusual sand boils, lush aquatic plants and brilliant white limestone, paired with remaining man-made park elements including waterfalls and azalea gardens.
Those looking to tube should access the tube-specific entrance. It's about nine miles from the main headsprings entrance. (Tubing is not allowed within the headsprings area of the park.) Once inside, rent a tube ($20) and catch the shuttle service. You'll then embark on a two-hour leisurely drift. For a longer float, start outside the park at KP Hole.
FYI: Tubing is offered on weekends only through September 28. Tubing is not available November-March.
Image credit: Stephanie Patterson
More parks to go tubing in Florida:
Madison Blue Spring State Park | Lee
Ginnie Springs | High Springs
Blackwater River State Park | Holt
Spring Creek | Marianna
Tubing in Florida at Resort Lazy Rivers
For a tubing in Florida adventure complete with resort amenities, hop in a tube and float down a man-made marvel with an overnight getaway or day use pass to a nearby Orlando resort.
Surrounded by 1,200 acres of wetlands, Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate offers several dining spots, two golf courses, a full-service spa and two pools with an 850-foot lazy river stocked with tubes. You can purchase a day pass through ResortPass, or book an overnight stay to enjoy all of the resort amenities. Hilton Orlando also offers day passes through ResortPass and has two pools and an 892-foot long lazy river with waterfalls, fountains and water cannons. You'll also be granted access to the hotel's epic pools with a spa appointment at Eforea Spa.
For something more exclusive, book an overnight getaway to access the epic waterpark and lazy river at Reunion Resort. Grande Lakes Orlando, home to The Ritz-Carlton Orlando and JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes, also boasts a winding lazy river and three unique pools, including an adults-only lap pool at The Spa.
Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek
Image credit: Hilton Orlando
Lazy River Thrill Seekers
Orlando is known as the Theme Park Capital of the World, so why not go tubing while visiting a local amusement park.
Volcano Bay boldly erupted several years ago as Universal Orlando Resort's third theme park installment. The waterpark's 30 acres embody a "Water is Life. Life is Joy." philosophy influenced by the carefree attitude of the legendary Waturi islanders of the South Pacific. The energy of these characters flood 18 stellar attractions ─ ranging from daring to serene. Be sure to take a break from the thrills with a slow tube ride down the Kopiko Wai Winding River. Or, pick up the pace by tubing through the rapids of TeAwa The Fearless River.
A beach day and/or weekend is likely on your summer bucket list. Our itinerary for Three Perfect Days in Daytona Beach includes playtime at Daytona Lagoon. This place has plenty of entertainment and gaming options. And, yes, its waterpark invites tubers to float in the lazy river.
Feature image credit: @jaylorenzo814
Orlando Resort Pools Locals Can Actually Use with Spa + Day Passes
Day Trip: Rainbow River Tubing at KP Hole
Sneak Peek: Universal's Volcano Bay


text:
Plants produce a diverse range of bioactive molecules making them rich source of different types of medicinesPlants produce a diverse range of bioactive molecules making them rich source of different types of medicines
Plants produce a diverse range of bioactive molecules making them rich source of different types of medicines. Various techniques are employed for their investigation which includes bioassays for chemical screening and their evaluation for the presence of biological activities. Isolation of pure pharmaceutically active constituents from plants remains a long tedious process. Chemical screening is performed to target isolation of new or useful type of constituents having potential activities. This procedure enables recognition of known metabolites in extracts in the earliest stages of separation and thus, is economically very important.
Tarenna asiatica (belonging to the family Rubiaceae) is a small thornless evergreen shrub growing to a height of 1-6m. It is a flowering plant mainly found in the Western Ghats and Hilly regions of India. The morphology of plant can be described by fragrant-stalkless-cream or yellow coloured corymb/chime like flowers, fruits containing two celled berries having many seeds and elliptical or elliptically-ovate leaves having dark green upper surface and paler beneath. It's an herbal plant used in Siddha medicine, where its usage is applicable as antimicrobial, antifungal, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and having analgesic properties. It is used in the treatment of many skin diseases and injuries. The paste of the leaves is applied for healing wounds whereas crushed fruits are applied to boils to promote suppuration (i.e., pus formation). 9, 10
All these pharmacological activities of the Tarenna asiatica has been studied in its previous research work using different plant parts and research models/methods 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. However, the active constituents relating to the pharmacological effects haven't been investigated, current work deals with the extraction, separation, isolation, identification and characterization of different phytoconstituents present. This information may help in development of synthetic pharmaceuticals of the active phytoconstituents resulting in enhanced pharmacological activity.
The research work begins with complete extraction via Soxhlet apparatus of Tarenna asiatica leaves using ethanol as the solvent of choice, next preliminary phytochemical screening tests of the ethanolic extract revealed the presence of alkaloids, carbohydrates, volatile oils, flavonoids, glycosides, tannins, steroids and triterpenoids as listed in Table.1
The separation of constituents was done using TLC and HPTLC methods based on their Rf values obtained which were 0.07, 0.15, 0.35, 0.64, 0.78, 0.92, 0.97 and 0.01, 0.16, 0.59, 0.73, 0.77, 0.95 respectively.
FTIR analysis of ethanolic leaf extract of Tarenna asiatica resulted in identification of different functional groups present determined from the peaks obtained. The peak values were 2975.87, 1921.89, 1661.93, 1487.37, 1142.37, 1142.35, 1088.90, 1044.51, 878.49, 695.19, 577.07, 553.28, 534.10 and 513.18; which constitutes for the following functional groups such as alkanes, alkenes, aromatic alkenes, alkyl halides, alcohols, Si-OR, S-OR, C-Cl, C-Br and S-S (disulphides) as listed in Table.4
1H NMR lead to the determination of nature of protonated compounds in the sample showing peaks at 4.8574, 3.6234, 3.6058, 3.5882, 3.5706, 3.3078, 3.3038, 3.2997, 3.2957, 3.2917, 1.1864, 1.1688 and 1.1521 which helped in the identification of following proton constituents such as R-CH=C, -C-CH-OR, -C-CH-OH, C-CH2-O-R, C-CH2-OH, CH3-O-R, CH3-OH, CH3-C-NR2, CH3-C-CO-R and CH3-C-CHO as listed in Table.5
Final determination for the identification of different phytochemical constituents present in ethanolic leaf extract of Tarenna asiatica was done using GC-MS. The results pertaining to GC-MS analysis helped in recognition of compounds such as benzaldehyde, glycerine, benzofuran-2,3-dihydro-, propane-1,3-diol 4-methyl-benzeneboronate, n-hexadecanoic acid, phytol, D-mannitol, propylene glycol monoleate and squalene as listed in Table.6. Thus, the compounds obtained were matched with National institute of Standard Technology, NIST library.
The expression "medicinal plant" incorporate different kinds of plants utilized in herbalism
EFFECT OF INVENTORY MANAGEMENT ON CUSTOMER SATISFACTION IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR
Adaptations of Plants in Invasion from Aquatic to Terrestial Habitats Plants have not always been around on land


We are continuing our series in getting the exterior of your home ready to paint. This is something we provide as a service as an Ann Arbor professional painting company, too.
Today we're going to go over step four in the painting process and that is priming. We can help with this if you're not comfortable doing it yourself!
Tomorrow, we will talk about downspout removal.
Applying primer is the fourth step in our series on how to paint your own home. Now that you've done all of the preparation, you're ready to start applying paint. If you're not comfortable doing this yourself, we're happy to help.
Of all the preparation you're doing, priming is the most important. Primer acts as a base layer to the paint. It's color neutral, so your paint will look the way you expected. Primer also helps smooth out the surface of the wood and gives the paint an even foundation. If you skip this step, your paint job can end up looking patchy and uneven.
The most important part of this process is the primer. This isn't something you want to cheap out on. You need to make sure that you selected an exterior grade primer, and oil based is the best choice for most applications.
Most of the primer can be applied with a roller and tray. You'll want to use a full size one. You'll probably have some high spots to reach. The easiest way to do so is with a roller pole, but a ladder may be suitable. All of the tight spots can be taken care of with a brush. As long as it's clean, any older brush will work fine.
Before you go ahead and primer the whole house, you'll want to make sure that the paint you bought will work. Take a little paint and put it on a small section of your home. Let it dry overnight. Once cured, use your fingernail to scratch the primer. Does it flake and peel off? If so, you'll have to reevaluate your priming procedure. Paint that won't stick requires the entire home to be coated with peel-stop primer. If it bonds, you'll only need to primer the bare wood that was exposed during scaping.
If you're working in tight spots, you'll want to take the time to mask off anything that you don't want to paint. Primer is very messy. Removing some unneeded masking tape is much easier than scraping off unintentional primer.
First, put a little primer on the roller. Use the tray to spread the paint around, keeping it evenly distributed. At first, lay down the primer by rolling only over a small area. After, work your way out to smooth out the primer. If you don't spread it enough, you'll be able to see the primer under the new paint. By feathering it, everything will look nice and smooth.
Work your way from the top of the house to the bottom. If you get any drips on the house, smooth them out with the roller. After you've covered the bulk of the house, you can go through with a brush and tackle those tight spaces.
It's important that you take the time to do the job correctly, but priming a house isn't all that difficult. Once you're done, you might be tempted to crack open a cold beer. Before you do, take the time to wash out your oil brush. Rise it and work the paint out until the water is clear. It's a bit of work, but you'll be able to re-use this brush later if you clean it properly now. Tomorrow, you'll be ready to move onto step 5: Painting.


Is it fair to say that Arab culture is "in vogue" in France? Well, these last couple of months alone would suggest so. An ELLE magazine headline wondered if "labneh is the it-girl's new obsession"; hummus had its own garden party organised on Facebook; the high-end department store Le Bon Marché held a Souk-themed exhibition; and, at this point in time you can spend hours just scrolling through all the "electro-oriental" nights being held around Paris' night scene. One particular event description – which reads like a game of taboo, where all the lexical and visual indicators of Arabness are pronounced except for the actual word Arab ("berber": check, "souk": check, "Oriental": of course, triple check) – felt like a wind of clarity. It's appropriation season: the neo-orientalist edition.


Fall in Love with Real Estate this February!
If you're not already in love with real estate, this is the time of year to do so--before Spring begins and the traditionally busy season gets underway. Consider what your plans for the year are and how I can support you in executing them. The Buzz this month highlights important and unique trends in the monthly stats, as well as significant questions like: what will the market do in 2018? A question on many of our minds in the real estate industry. As we know, the market is often changing, and I am here to keep you informed with what is happening throughout the Boulder County area.
How is it that for Boulder County single family homes the "average sale price" is UP, but the "median sale price" is DOWN?? Remember, this is just a one month snap-shot and isn't indicative of the full year trend. It just takes a couple high-end sales to skew the "average price". For instance, there was a sale in Boulder in January 2018 for $4.1M, whereas in January 2017 the highest sale price was $2.2M. Even though the median and average prices were fairly far apart last month, we normally see them converge as we head into our spring market. I really think we're going to see Boulder County home prices spiral up again in 2018. There's still enormous buyer demand and very slim supply. Click HERE to view the complete January, 2018 Stats.
Will the Prices of Homes Continue to Go Up in 2018?
Now that 2018 is underway, many of us are wondering if prices will continue to increase? According to this article in Realtor.com, "Home buyers on a budget may want to have a seat and take a few deep breaths. Home prices around the country are continuing to surge—and they're not likely to slow down any time soon." If you're considering purchasing a home, or putting yours on the market in 2018, now is the time to discuss when is the best time to do so. It seems like "People are paying above appraisals" nationally as well as here in Boulder County and across the Front Range. Reach out to me today for more information.
"A ballot measure to cap home and apartment construction along Colorado's Front Range is undergoing a formal state review, setting off alarm bells with real estate agents and homebuilders" this month as discussed in the Denver Post. Some fear overcrowding and water shortage with all the new construction going up, however, there is concern that affordability will go out the window if there is too much demand and too little supply for homes. As you can see, this is a controversial issue, and I encourage you to research this initiative to see where you stand.
Love is in the air this time of year and what better way to spice up your home then try a few new candle holders! There are some great ones in this article that I hadn't even thought of before. I really like the outdoor hanging tea lights. Which ones are your favorite?
BANFF Mountain Film Festival. March 1st, 6pm.
Frozen Dead Guys. March 9th-11th.
Bach for Kids Festival. March 18th, 2pm.
Noble Lecture Series. March 19th, 7pm.
Boulder Arts Walk. March 31st, All Day.
Did you know that you can download the Re/Max mobile app and get listings as soon as they are available? Stay in-the-know and click here to get the app today!
Copyright © 2018 boulderremax, All rights reserved.


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Dr Lucy Whalley, Vice Chancellor's Fellow from Northumbria's Department of Mathematics, Physics and Electrical Engineering
Blog post - 28 October 2021 15:07
Dr Lucy Whalley: "Batteries are a critical piece of the jigsaw in our journey towards net zero."
The world is facing an unprecedented energy challenge. While many countries around the world have committed to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, we expect global energy for demand to double from today's requirements within the same timescale. There is, therefore, an urgent need for sustainable solutions and technologies.
To help meet this need, Energy Futures - a diverse and inclusive community of over 50 academics from across various departments at Northumbria University – is driving forward innovative research-driven approaches to create a cleaner energy future for all. Energy Futures encompasses high-quality research spanning photovoltaics, thin film materials, batteries, materials characterisation, electrical power engineering, heat, sustainable design, and the built environment.
As part of our work to shine a light on climate-related research from Northumbria in the run-up to COP26 we asked Dr Lucy Whalley, Vice-Chancellor's Fellow from Northumbria's Department of Mathematics, Physics and Electrical Engineering, to tell us about her research in developing new energy technologies.
While many people use green energy sources to power their homes these sources can often be intermittent due to the weather, which means they might not always deliver electricity or heating when needed. But what if there were more efficient ways to generate and store this renewable energy?
Dr Lucy Whalley is leading research into identifying materials which will improve the light-to-electricity efficiency of solar cells, and increase the amount of energy that can be stored by rechargeable batteries.
Tell us about your area of research
I specialise in computational materials science which is a combination of physics, chemistry and software engineering. I use techniques from these fields, alongside high-performance-computing (supercomputers) to investigate why certain materials perform particularly well when integrated into energy technologies. For example, why is that some materials can efficiently generate energy from sunlight? And can we engineer new materials which will make even more efficient solar cells?
What led to your interest in this particular field of research?
Both of my parents are very socially minded. My father was a nurse and my mum worked in welfare rights so I always felt, like them, I wanted to contribute and give something back to society.
My degree was an MSci in Theoretical Physics, with particular emphasis on a branch of theory called condensed matter. I loved it but wasn't clear how I could convert my passion into helping answer some of society's most immediate questions.
After spending time as a maths teacher, I recognised that within the field of photovoltaics - which includes solar cell materials - there is an overlap between the challenge of climate change and condensed matter physics and this provided a clear direction and renewed focus for me. I knew I wanted to concentrate on addressing the challenge of achieving net zero.
I went on to study a PhD at Imperial College London, as part of the Centre for Doctoral Training in new and sustainable photovoltaics and following a very brief spell as a postdoctoral researcher came to Northumbria University in my current role.
What do you ultimately hope to achieve?
Batteries are a critical piece of the jigsaw in our journey towards net zero. Green energy sources such as wind power or solar energy are intermittent so any energy generated needs to be stored efficiently for future use when it's needed. After all, you can't expect people to wait for their cup of tea until it's windy or sunny outside.
My experiments are done on a computer and look at a very basic level of how individual atoms and electrons combine in particular ways. It's a quick way of identifying materials which might improve the efficiency of solar cells or the storage capacity of batteries and can be used to guide the work of my colleagues who make the materials.
For example, lithium chemistry is the standard technology used for batteries in electric cars but we are currently researching magnesium to see if it could provide a possible alternative.
The predicted energy density is greater in magnesium batteries than lithium so, if the technology is viable, it could increase the range of a single charge and make electric cars more attractive to buyers. This could also be an important consideration when looking at how we deal with transporting freight in the future.
Ultimately, being able to see some of the materials I'm working on now being produced and used in real life applications that will make a positive difference to climate change within my lifetime would make me extremely happy.
What has been your biggest achievement in research to date, and why?
During my PhD I developed a piece of software called effmass, which calculates the effective mass of an electron for a given material. The effective mass is a mathematical simplification which allows us to reduce all of the complex interactions between the electron and the material it is moving through into a much simpler picture – an electron in empty space with an adjusted mass. We call it an effective mass to distinguish it from the electron rest mass, which doesn't change between different materials.
I'm extremely proud of this software as developing it was a real learning curve – I had to translate my code from something quite unreadable and unusable into something that other scientists would use. Despite it being quite domain specific it has been downloaded more than 14,000 times, which underlines its usefulness to the academic community.
This touches on the topic of software sustainability, which is a topic I advocate strongly for. It is a huge waste of time and resources to reinvent the wheel writing the same piece of code again and again instead of sharing our code as a community. I take care to ensure my software is tested and documented so that it can be used by other researchers.
I'm inspired by the people who put their lives on the line for the Net Zero target.
I love working in this sector, but I recognise that I am well rewarded for my work. As well as a regular salary, I receive recognition and support from the scientific community and wider society.
But tackling climate change is not just about developing new technologies. Science can only take us so far – we also need a fundamental cultural change. We need people to embrace and adopt new technologies and we need governments to help finance and support these new technologies to help us achieve net zero. Only by everyone contributing and working together can we make a real difference and address this global problem head on.
There are people out there who recognise this and want to make a difference but face much greater criticism than the scientists or engineers. People like Greta Thunberg and Leah Namugerwa, who are putting enormous pressure on governments across the world to mitigate against climate change, but who have also received a substantial backlash of criticism from certain quarters. They carry on anyway and it's this spirit of determination that I admire, and which inspires me to carry on with my own work.
Where have you worked before and what attracted you to Northumbria?
Prior to coming to Northumbria University, I spent a number of years in academia studying material science. I also spent some time working as a maths teacher.
Northumbria has an incredibly strong relationship with industry and works closely with employers so that its research has more impact on the critical problems facing the world today. The university takes a wide-ranging approach to research, covering the initial stages of development right through to the industrial application. This approach appeals to my desire to make a more immediate difference and very much attracted me to my current role.
As someone who grew up in North Tyneside, I'm very proud that the North East is at the centre of the green revolution and there is an enormous amount of development going into low carbon technologies across the region. Being at the centre of this drive and developing new materials to support the renewables energy as it grows is very exciting. I am delighted to now be working at Northumbria University, helping to shape the future in renewable energy technologies.
Find out more about how Northumbria academics are championing a net zero future with the energy of tomorrow on our Energy Futures webpages.
Big challenge: Climate change
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Virtual reality tool that helps people to assess household carbon emissions to go on display at COP26
As the leaders of hundreds of countries prepare to descend on Scotland to join the COP26 Climate Change summit, a Northumbria University academic is busy with his own preparations to join the conference, where he will showcase his innovative virtual reality device that could help to revolutionise the construction industry.
Graduate intern contributes to growth plans for local business
A North-East enterprise set up to help organisations measure and reduce their carbon footprint has seen its growth plans supported by a graduate internship programme from Northumbria University, Newcastle.
Newcastle-based SmartCarbon Ltd has recently recruited Northumbria Master's graduate Anindya Chatterjee through the Northumbria Enterprise and Business Support 2 (NEBS2)scheme, which offe
The Climate Change Challenge – how can we live more sustainably?
Over the coming weeks you'll be hearing a huge amount in the news about COP26, but what is it, and why is it so important?
COP is the United Nations' annual climate change conference. It is the world's most significant summit on climate change and this year, it is being held in the UK for the first time.
COP stands for the Conference of Parties and this year is the 26th conference – hence CO
Major government funding injection for bioscientists of tomorrow
A new Collaborative Training Partnership (CTP), led by Procter & Gamble and including Northumbria University, has received funding as part of a £22.5m investment from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) to address skill gaps in the UK bioscience industry.


WorkCover Queensland have informed us that this issue is now resolved.
Please be aware that WorkCover Queensland are currently experiencing technical issues, and some WorkCover Queensland services including WCQ claiming through Front Desk are unavailable.
This post will be updated when further information becomes available.
UPDATE: WorkCover Queensland have informed us that this issue is now resolved.


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El municipio de Saunemin (en inglés: Saunemin Township) es un municipio ubicado en el condado de Livingston en el estado estadounidense de Illinois. En el año 2010 tenía una población de 666 habitantes y una densidad poblacional de 5,96 personas por km².

Geografía
El municipio de Saunemin se encuentra ubicado en las coordenadas . Según la Oficina del Censo de los Estados Unidos, el municipio tiene una superficie total de 111.72 km², de la cual 111,72 km² corresponden a tierra firme y (0 %) 0 km² es agua.

Demografía
Según el censo de 2010, había 666 personas residiendo en el municipio de Saunemin. La densidad de población era de 5,96 hab./km². De los 666 habitantes, el municipio de Saunemin estaba compuesto por el 97,6 % blancos, el 0,15 % eran afroamericanos, el 0,3 % eran amerindios, el 0,3 % eran asiáticos, el 0,6 % eran de otras razas y el 1,05 % eran de una mezcla de razas. Del total de la población el 3,3 % eran hispanos o latinos de cualquier raza.

Referencias

Enlaces externos

Municipios de Illinois
Localidades del condado de Livingston (Illinois)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Last weekend's draw at Arsenal and a shock Champions League loss at Red Star Belgrade have somewhat stalled the momentum Liverpool built across an unbeaten start in the league.
"Everybody is searching for [fluidity]… but we are here to get results," Klopp said.
"The Champions League final was last season and we were the better team for the first 25 minutes. It doesn't help now, but that's the impression people have.
"We have to start again, and the other teams don't get worse. A little moan about the situation is great, but we are really ambitious and want whatever we can get.
"With new signings, it sounds like automatically you win the Champions League or the Premier League or whatever. But the other teams don't sleep. They improve, and we do as well.
"We have 27 points. We have to not be satisfied but see it in the right way, be positive. It's like we win a game and we have to say sorry for not winning it in a City way or whatever.
"We don't want to lose football games and if it happens you always have to show a reaction. That's clear," he said.


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2014 2015 Acura Honda Industry News
Report: Acura TLX sales brought to a halt after rollaway concerns
December 10, 2014 December 10, 2014 Chris Chin 2015 Acura TLX, Acura, Acura TLX, Recalls, TLX
Acura's new TLX sedan comes with an in-house nine-speed automatic transmission, which is Honda's first new transmission since their six-speed
2014 2015 Acura ECO News Featured Industry News Top Stories
Acura prices 2015 TLX starting at $30,995
July 3, 2014 Chris Chin 2014, 2015 Acura TLX, Acura TLX, Luxury, Pricing, Sales, Sedans
Acura officially announced that the 2015 TLX sedan will start at just $30,995 without the mandatory $895 destination charge. Sales
2014 Acura Industry News
All wheel steering Acura TLX headed to the New York Auto Show
March 21, 2014 March 24, 2014 Sawyer Sutton 2014 New York Auto Show, 2014 New York International Auto Show, 2014 NYIAS, 2015 Acura TLX, Acura TLX Concept, Honda, Luxury, luxury sedans, sports sedans, VTEC
Straight out of Acura comes news that they will be offering a production version of the TLX concept that made
2013 2014 Auto Shows Honda Industry News
Acura releases a teaser for the TLX Concept due at Detroit
December 26, 2013 December 26, 2013 Chris Chin 2014 Detroit Auto Show, 2014 Detroit Motor Show, 2014 NAIAS, 2014 North American International Auto Show, 2015 Acura TLX, Acura TLX, Auto Shows, Detroit Auto Show, Detroit Motor Show, Luxury, NAIAS, North American International Auto Show, Sedans, Sports Cars
It was recently learned that Acura will be revealing a new concept at Detroit after the North American International Auto
2013 2014 2015 Acura Honda Industry News
Report: New Acura TL replacement due in 2015, to be called TLX, launches next summer
August 20, 2013 Chris Chin 2013, 2015 Acura TLX, Acura TL, Acura TLX, Luxury, Sedans, Sports Cars
Acura is reportedly making a major change to its lineup by replacing one of its most important models with a


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I like and am grateful for books that make me laugh. The extremes of the early Tom Sharpe novels, Riotous Assembly and Indecent Exposure (much funnier than the Wilt novels for me), the glory that is Catch 22, the continuing inventiveness and wit of Carl Hiaasen, the over-the-top characters of Janet Evanovich – they're uplifting, life affirming, even when (as in Hiaasen and Heller's case) they're frequently conveying a serious underlying message. The Mortdecai Trilogy, a hit when it first appeared back in the 70s,. is long – 519 pages of smallish print covering three connected novels: Don't point that thing at me, After you with the pistol and Something nasty in the woodshed. It belongs unmistakably in the Humour section of bookshops and libraries and it should have been an extended delight.
I won't bother with a 'but' because the 'should have been' indicates that it didn't live up to the hype. Oh it's funny alright, very funny in lots of places, and it's brilliantly crafted as Bonfiglioli prepares and delivers his gags, observations, asides and other jeux de mots with careful precision. The writing, in fact, is immaculate. He also shows great respect for the reader, often addressing him/her directly and, as he sprays quotations and references about – in French, Italian and Latin – there's an implicit assumption that you (i.e. the reader) share his elevated cultural space, understand his terms of reference, and feel as comfortable as he and his protagonist do in a context of luxury and sophistication.
That protagonist is The Honourable Charlie Mortdecai and he's obviously a character in the Wodehouse comic tradition, a louche art dealer caught up in some very dark and dubious activities, pursued by various nasty people and yet surviving through his wits and an indomitable insistence on enjoying the better things in life, many of which are delivered through the good offices of his … er … assistant, Jock Strapp. The plots are convoluted but, in a way, that doesn't matter because they're all vehicles to enable Charlie, who's the first person narrator, to shine. And shine he does. He's erudite, cultured, witty, highly intelligent and supremely articulate. Bonfiglioli was himself an art dealer and Charlie draws on the fine detail of his knowledge of the business to justify his elevated position in the world of aesthetics and its corrupt underbelly.
Why, then, with all these positives, do I have reservations about the book? Well, it's actually because Charlie is so relentlessly funny, so concerned to turn his phrases with such care, so persistent with his self-deprecation that, after the first book, he begins to lose his impact. There's only Charlie, Charlie's judgements of other people, Charlie's measured, carefree approach to situations which actually threaten his life, Charlie's bons mots and one-liners, Charlie being resolutely Charlie. And we know him so well by then that the jokes become predictable, in a way repetitive. And, in fact, his solipsistic view of and approach to everything becomes tiresome. It's all about Charlie. He's never boring but it's easy to see that he could be. Perhaps that's what's behind Julian Barnes's opinion that Bonfiglioli was 'a writer capable of a rare mixture of wit and imaginative unpleasantness'.
"Harrow," he said civilly. I glanced at his tie.
"Surely you mean Clifton? Oh, yes, sorry, I see; harro to you too."
It's the old, Chinese velly solly joke, but here it's more. As the conversation continues, we see the words 'colonels' and 'bereave', but it's nothing to do with the army or death because they mean 'coroners' and 'believe'.
A muscle in his face twitched, almost as though he were a British cavalry officer who is trying to puzzle out whether someone has made a joke and, if so, whether or not it would be good form to smile.
If you want a good tuck-in in Oxford you have to go to places like Pembroke, Trinity or St Edmund Hall, where they play rugger and hockey and things like that and, if you're spotted reading a book, someone takes you aside and has a chat with you.
The coffee having arrived (how hard it is to write without the ablative absolute), we guzzled genteelly for a while.
It seems perverse of me to lavish praise on this and yet, in the end, express dissatisfaction. At first, I settled into enjoying this character and his insights, his attitudes to life and luxury and, above all, his facility with words. But the books need something else – nothing necessarily heavy or serious but something to still now and again, the discreet stridency (yes, that's deliberate) of his overwhelming presence.
The books are classics, they're great fun and many reviewers have written of reading and re-reading them again and again. So it's my own fault. I should have stopped after the first novel and not come back to the others until I'd read something completely different. With so many books in the TBR pile, 519 pages is quite a commitment.