Among the two thousand contestants only twelve casualties occurred; in other words, twelve men lost their lives in the encounter. Of these seven were Hindus; but they died in a glorious cause and their names were handed down to posterity by the erection of a splendid malachite column on which was inscribed their names and a graceful tribute of their countrymen’s gratitude in verse. This was composed by their beloved minister, whose splendid appeal at the Great Tribunal had failed to move the hearts of their judges; but the little verse, noble in its simplicity and tender pathos, brought the unconscious tear to the eyes, not only of the admiring Native, but also to the Briton himself, who no longer grudged the Eastern his well-deserved victory.
CHAPTER III
‘Of queenly mien, of loveliest form, and eyes
Like gems set in translucent skies.
And all the beauty of the Court was dimmed
By fair Igerna: to Uther’s eyes she seemed
To stand a peerless pearl; a diamond divine;
Beyond all price, and fitted most to shine
In kingly coronet of the great on earth,
A prizeful jewel of unbounded worth.