1 12 HISTORY OF THE SIKHS.
2 When once firmly established in his kingdom,
3 Shere Singh employed himself in his favorite pursuit
4 of hunting, and the affairs of the state were pru-
5 Ha dently and wisely conducted in his absence by
6 ably. Dhyan Singh, the prime minister.
7 Shere Singh had always been addicted to plea-
8 sure, and indulged in the use of spirits to a free
9 extent before he became Maharajah. He was,
10 however, of a mild, affable disposition, and his
11 failing was readily overlooked among a people who
12 consider drinking as one of their amusements, and
13 often measure a man’s physical powers by the
14 quantity of liquor he can consume at a sitting
15 This used to be no uncommon test, even in coun-
16 tries pretending to greater civilization than the
17 Sikhs; and in the days of Burns, the Scottish
18 poet, the last man who fell below the table was
19 considered the “king among them a’.” After a
20 time, however, Shere Singh threw off all restraint
21 (runand, and became a complete drunkard and debauchee.
22 The prime minister who had raised the prince to
23 the throne of Lahore and rejoiced in his good
24 Dhym Sigh fortune, could ill endure to witness the altered
25 in digpleased, conduct of Shere Singh, who, from being a mild,
26 just prince, became a drunken tyrant; moreover,
27 to increase the growing dislike on the part of
28 Dhyan Singh, Shere Singh had not only released
29 The Scindin. the Scindinwala Lena Singh, but recalled Uttur
30 pala sece"*l Singh and Ajeet Singh. He restored them to
31 their confiscated estates and heaped fresh favors on
32 them. He was guided by their advice in every-
33 His character.