8vo. [2], 120pp. Without half-title. Modern brown cloth, lettered in gilt to spine. Short closed tear to creased title page, single early manuscript correction to text, scattered spotting.

The first edition of John Scott-Waring's (1747-1819) account of the affairs of the East India Company for the decade between 1771 and 1781, published in response to accusations of misconduct, maladministration, and unlawful execution, levelled at his patron, Warren Hastings (1732-1818) during his tenure as Governor-General of Bengal. Scott defended Hastings with remarkable zeal, issuing a plethora of laudatory pamphlets and articles with the financial backing of his employer. In 1795, when Hastings was acquitted of all charges, Scott presented him with an expense bill for a staggering £21,850.