the miscellaneous writings and speeches-3-第29章

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ercised　daily　in　this　way　during　ten　years；　should　have　acquired　an　almost　unrivalled　power　of　putting　his　thoughts；　without　premeditation；　into　words　well　selected　and　well　arranged。　Of　all　the　remains　of　antiquity；　the　orations　were　those　on　which　he　bestowed　the　most　minute　examination。　　His　favourite　employment　was　to　compare　harangues　on　opposite　sides　of　the　same　question；　to　analyse　them；　and　to　observe　which　of　the　arguments　of　the　first　speaker　were　refuted　by　the　second；　which　were　evaded；　and　which　were　left　untouched。　　Nor　was　it　only　in　books　that　he　at　this　time　studied　the　art　of　parliamentary　fencing。　　When　he　was　at　home；　he　had　frequent　opportunities　of　hearing　important　debates　at　Westminster；　and　he　heard　them；　not　only　with　interest　and　enjoyment；　but　with　a　close　scientific　attention　resembling　that　with　which　a　diligent　pupil　at　Guy's　Hospital　watches　every　turn　of　the　hand　of　a　great　surgeon　through　a　difficult　operation。　　On　one　of　these　occasions；　Pitt；　a　youth　whose　abilities　were　as　yet　known　only　to　his　own　family　and　to　a　small　knot　of　college　friends；　was　introduced　on　the　steps　of　the　throne　in　the　House　of　Lords　to　Fox；　who　was　his　senior　by　eleven　years；　and　who　was　already　the　greatest　debater；　and　one　of　the　greatest　orators；　that　had　appeared　in　England。　　Fox　used　afterwards　to　relate　that；　as　the　discussion　proceeded；　Pitt　repeatedly　turned　to　him；　and　said；　〃But　surely；　Mr　Fox；　that　might　be　met　thus；〃　or；　〃Yes；　but　he　lays　himself　open　to　this　retort。〃　　What　the　particular　criticisms　were　Fox　had　forgotten；　but　he　said　that　he　was　much　struck　at　the　time　by　the　precocity　of　the　lad　who；　through　the　whole　sitting；　seemed　to　be　thinking　only　how　all　the　speeches　on　both　sides　could　be　answered。　One　of　the　young　man's　visits　to　the　House　of　Lords　was　a　sad　and　memorable　era　in　his　life。　　He　had　not　quite　completed　his　nineteenth　year；　when；　on　the　7th　of　April　1778；　he　attended　his　father　to　Westminster。　　A　great　debate　was　expected。　　It　was　known　that　France　had　recognised　the　independence　of　the　United　States。　　The　Duke　of　Richmond　was　about　to　declare　his　opinion　that　all　thought　of　subjugating　those　states　ought　to　be　relinquished。　　Chatham　had　always　maintained　that　the　resistance　of　the　colonies　to　the　mother　country　was　justifiable。　　But　he　conceived；　very　erroneously；　that　on　the　day　on　which　their　independence　should　be　acknowledged　the　greatness　of　England　would　be　at　an　end。　　Though　sinking　under　the　weight　of　years　and　infirmities；　he　determined；　in　spite　of　the　entreaties　of　his　family；　to　be　in　his　place。　　His　son　supported　him　to　a　seat。　　The　excitement　and　exertion　were　too　much　for　the　old　man。　　In　the　very　act　of　addressing　the　peers；　he　fell　back　in　convulsions。　　A　few　weeks　later　his　corpse　was　borne；　with　gloomy　pomp；　from　the　Painted　Chamber　to　the　Abbey。　　The　favourite　child　and　namesake　of　the　deceased　statesman　followed　the　coffin　as　chief　mourner；　and　saw　it　deposited　in　the　transept　where　his　own　was　destined　to　lie。　His　elder　brother；　now　Earl　of　Chatham；　had　means　sufficient；　and　barely　sufficient；　to　support　the　dignity　of　the　peerage。　　The　other　members　of　the　family　were　poorly　provided　for。　　William　had　little　more　than　three　hundred　a　year。　　It　was　necessary　for　him　to　follow　a　profession。　　He　had　already　begun　to　eat　his　terms。　　In　the　spring　of　1780　he　came　of　age。　　He　then　quitted　Cambridge；　was　called　to　the　bar；　took　chambers　in　Lincoln's　Inn；　and　joined　the　western　circuit。　　In　the　autumn　of　that　year　a　general　election　took　place；　and　he　offered　himself　as　a　candidate　for　the　university；　but　he　was　at　the　bottom　of　the　poll。　　It　is　said　that　the　grave　doctors；　who　then　sate　robed　in　scarlet；　on　the　benches　of　Golgotha；　thought　it　great　presumption　in　so　young　a　man　to　solicit　so　high　a　distinction。　　He　was；　however；　at　the　request　of　a　hereditary　friend；　the　Duke　of　Rutland；　brought　into　Parliament　by　Sir　James　Lowther　for　the　borough　of　Appleby。　The　dangers　of　the　country　were　at　that　time　such　as　might　well　have　disturbed　even　a　constant　mind。　　Army　after　army　had　been　sent　in　vain　against　the　rebellious　colonists　of　North　America。　　On　pitched　fields　of　battle　the　advantage　had　been　with　the　disciplined　troops　of　the　mother　country。　　But　it　was　not　on　pitched　fields　of　battle　that　the　event　of　such　a　contest　could　be　decided。　　An　armed　nation；　with　hunger　and　the　Atlantic　for　auxiliaries；　was　not　to　be　subjugated。　　Meanwhile　the　House　of　Bourbon；　humbled　to　the　dust　a　few　years　before　by　the　genius　and　vigour　of　Chatham；　had　seized　the　opportunity　of　revenge。　　France　and　Spain　were　united　against　us；　and　had　recently　been　joined　by　Holland。　　The　command　of　the　Mediterranean　had　been　for　a　time　lost。　　The　British　flag　had　been　scarcely　able　to　maintain　itself　in　the　British　Channel。　　The　northern　powers　professed　neutrality；　but　their　neutrality　had　a　menacing　aspect。　　In　the　East；　Hyder　had　descended　on　the　Carnatic；　had　destroyed　the　little　army　of　Baillie；　and　had　spread　terror　even　to　the　ramparts　of　Fort　Saint　George。　　The　discontents　of　Ireland　threatened　nothing　less　than　civil　war。　　In　England　the　authority　of　the　government　had　sunk　to　the　lowest　point。　　The　King　and　the　House　of　Commons　were　alike　unpopular。　　The　cry　for　parliamentary　reform　was　scarcely　less　loud　and　vehement　than　in　the　autumn　of　1830。　　Formidable　associations；　headed；　not　by　ordinary　demagogues；　but　by　men　of　high　rank；　stainless　character；　and　distinguished　ability；　demanded　a　revision　of　the　representative　system。　　The　populace；　emboldened　by　the　impotence　and　irresolution　of　the　government；　had　recently　broken　loose　from　all　restraint；　besieged　the　chambers　of　the　legislature；　hustled　peers；　hunted　bishops；　attacked　the　residences　of　ambassadors；　opened　prisons；　burned　and　pulled　down　houses。　　London　had　presented　during　some　days　the　aspect　of　a　city　taken　by　storm；　and　it　had　been　necessary　to　form　a　camp　among　the　trees　of　Saint　James's　Park。　In　spite　of　dangers　and　difficulties　abroad　and　at　home；　George　the　Third；　with　a　firmness　which　had　little　affinity　with　virtue　or　with　wisdom；　persisted　in　his　determination　to　put　down　the　American　rebels　by　force　of　arms；　and　his　ministers　submitted　their　judgment　to　his。　　Some　of　them　were　probably　actuated　merely　by　selfish　cupidity；　but　their　chief；　Lord　North；　a　man　of　high　honour；　amiable　temper；　winning　manners；　lively　wit；　and　excellent　talents　both　for　business　and　for　debate；　must　be　acquitted　of　all　sordid　motives。　　He　remained　at　a　post　from　which　he　had　long　wished　and　had　repeatedly　tried　to　escape；　only　because　he　had　not　sufficient　fortitude　to　resist　the　entreaties　and　reproaches　of　the　King；　who　silenced　all　arguments　by　passionately　asking　whether　any　gentleman；　any　man　of　spirit；　could　have　the　heart　to　desert　a　kind　master　in　the　hour　of　extremity。　The　opposition　consisted　of　two　parties　which　had　once　been　hostile　to　each　other；　and　which　had　been　very　slowly；　and；　as　it　soon　appeared；　very　imperfectly　reconciled；　but　which　at　this　conjuncture　seemed　to　act　together　with　cordiality。　　The　larger　of　these　parties　consisted　of　the　great　body　of　the　Whig　aristocracy。　　Its　head　was　Charles；　Marquess　of　Rocking