Page 279 - Early English Adventurers in the Middle East_Neat

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THE ENGLISH ON THE EAST COAST OE INDIA 279

tlie dinner table in the factory, Nathaniel Foxcroft gave utter­
'
ance to the proposition that no king had any right to his
throne except that conferred by might and that a private
man’s interest came before that of the sovereign. Hank
treason this seemed to the Royalist factors, whose loyalty
had probably taken a deeper shade from the incidents in
which most of them had participated before leaving Eng­
land. Perhaps, too, they felt that if there was to be a struggle
it would be as well to have it on this issue which would
enlist for them sympathy at home. They were, at all
}
events, prompt to take advantage of the Agent’s indiscre­
tion. With Winter as leader they decided upon a course of
action which was virtually a coup d’etat.
The first move in the game was a denunciation of the
Foxcrofts as traitors to the two independent members of
the Council—Jeremy Samebrooke and William Dawes.
These worthies when pressed to accept a formal charge
declined to take action on the ground that the Agent could
not properly be impugned. Failing a legal means of secur­
ing the downfall of intruders the conspirators resorted to
open violence. With Chuseman, the Captain of the garri­
son, on their side, the execution of their plans was easy.
Selecting their time well they delivered their blow on
Saturday morning at the hour for prayers. George Fox-
croft, hearing that trouble was brewing, drew his rapier and
in the company of Samebrooke and Dawes, rushed down­
stairs to the courtyard, where the soldiers were drawn up
fully armed with their pistols ready to fire. He was met
with cries of “ For the King ! For the King ! Knock them
T
down! Fire ! ” He advanced and commenced to expostu­
late, when Chuseman rushed at him and having fired his
pistol without effect closed with the Agent and threw him