the miscellaneous writings and speeches-3-第30章

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ties　consisted　of　the　great　body　of　the　Whig　aristocracy。　　Its　head　was　Charles；　Marquess　of　Rockingham；　a　man　of　sense　and　virtue；　and　in　wealth　and　parliamentary　interest　equalled　by　very　few　of　the　English　nobles；　but　afflicted　with　a　nervous　timidity　which　prevented　him　from　taking　a　prominent　part　in　debate。　　In　the　House　of　Commons；　the　adherents　of　Rockingham　were　led　by　Fox；　whose　dissipated　habits　and　ruined　fortunes　were　the　talk　of　the　whole　town；　but　whose　commanding　genius；　and　whose　sweet；　generous；　and　affectionate　disposition；　extorted　the　admiration　and　love　of　those　who　most　lamented　the　errors　of　his　private　life。　　Burke；　superior　to　Fox　in　largeness　of　comprehension；　in　extent　of　knowledge；　and　in　splendour　of　imagination；　but　less　skilled　in　that　kind　of　logic　and　in　that　kind　of　rhetoric　which　convince　and　persuade　great　assemblies；　was　willing　to　be　the　lieutenant　of　a　young　chief　who　might　have　been　his　son。　A　smaller　section　of　the　opposition　was　composed　of　the　old　followers　of　Chatham。　　At　their　head　was　William；　Earl　of　Shelburne；　distinguished　both　as　a　statesman　and　as　a　lover　of　science　and　letters。　　With　him　were　leagued　Lord　Camden；　who　had　formerly　held　the　Great　Seal；　and　whose　integrity；　ability；　and　constitutional　knowledge　commanded　the　public　respect；　Barre；　an　eloquent　and　acrimonious　declaimer；　and　Dunning；　who　had　long　held　the　first　place　at　the　English　bar。　　It　was　to　this　party　that　Pitt　was　naturally　attracted。　On　the　26th　of　February　1781；　he　made　his　first　speech；　in　favour　of　Burke's　plan　of　economical　reform。　　Fox　stood　up　at　the　same　moment；　but　instantly　gave　way。　　The　lofty　yet　animated　deportment　of　the　young　member；　his　perfect　self…possession；　the　readiness　with　which　he　replied　to　the　orators　who　had　preceded　him；　the　silver　tones　of　his　voice；　the　perfect　structure　of　his　unpremeditated　sentences；　astonished　and　delighted　his　hearers。　　Burke；　moved　even　to　tears；　exclaimed；　〃It　is　not　a　chip　of　the　old　block；　it　is　the　old　block　itself。〃　　〃Pitt　will　be　one　of　the　first　men　in　Parliament；〃　said　a　member　of　the　opposition　to　Fox。　　〃He　is　so　already；〃　answered　Fox；　in　whose　nature　envy　had　no　place。　　It　is　a　curious　fact；　well　remembered　by　some　who　were　very　recently　living；　that　soon　after　this　debate　Pitt's　name　was　put　up　by　Fox　at　Brookes's。　On　two　subsequent　occasions　during　that　session　Pitt　addressed　the　House；　and　on　both　fully　sustained　the　reputation　which　he　had　acquired　on　his　first　appearance。　　In　the　summer；　after　the　prorogation；　he　again　went　the　western　circuit；　held　several　briefs；　and　acquitted　himself　in　such　a　manner　that　he　was　highly　complimented　by　Buller　from　the　bench；　and　by　Dunning　at　the　bar。　On　the　27th　of　November　the　Parliament　reassembled。　　Only　forty…　eight　hours　before　had　arrived　tidings　of　the　surrender　of　Cornwallis　and　his　army；　and　it　had　consequently　been　necessary　to　rewrite　the　royal　speech。　　Every　man　in　the　kingdom；　except　the　King；　was　now　convinced　that　it　was　mere　madness　to　think　of　conquering　the　United　States。　　In　the　debate　on　the　report　of　the　address；　Pitt　spoke　with　even　more　energy　and　brilliancy　than　on　any　former　occasion。　　He　was　warmly　applauded　by　his　allies；　but　it　was　remarked　that　no　person　on　his　own　side　of　the　house　was　so　loud　in　eulogy　as　Henry　Dundas；　the　Lord　Advocate　of　Scotland；　who　spoke　from　the　ministerial　ranks。　　That　able　and　versatile　politician　distinctly　foresaw　the　approaching　downfall　of　the　government　with　which　he　was　connected；　and　was　preparing　to　make　his　own　escape　from　the　ruin。　　From　that　night　dates　his　connection　with　Pitt；　a　connection　which　soon　became　a　close　intimacy；　and　which　lasted　till　it　was　dissolved　by　death。　About　a　fortnight　later；　Pitt　spoke　in　the　committee　of　supply　on　the　army　estimates。　　Symptoms　of　dissension　had　begun　to　appear　on　the　Treasury　bench。　　Lord　George　Germaine；　the　Secretary　of　State；　who　was　especially　charged　with　the　direction　of　the　war　in　America；　had　held　language　not　easily　to　be　reconciled　with　declarations　made　by　the　First　Lord　of　the　Treasury。　　Pitt　noticed　the　discrepancy　with　much　force　and　keenness。　　Lord　George　and　Lord　North　began　to　whisper　together；　and　Welbore　Ellis；　an　ancient　placeman　who　had　been　drawing　salary　almost　every　quarter　since　the　days　of　Henry　Pelham；　bent　down　between　them　to　put　in　a　word。　　Such　interruptions　sometimes　discompose　veteran　speakers。　　Pitt　stopped；　and；　looking　at　the　group；　said；　with　admirable　readiness；　〃I　shall　wait　till　Nestor　has　composed　the　dispute　between　Agamemnon　and　Achilles。〃　After　several　defeats；　or　victories　hardly　to　be　distinguished　from　defeats；　the　ministry　resigned。　　The　King；　reluctantly　and　ungraciously；　consented　to　accept　Rockingham　as　first　minister。　　Fox　and　Shelburne　became　Secretaries　of　State。　　Lord　John　Cavendish；　one　of　the　most　upright　and　honourable　of　men；　was　made　Chancellor　of　the　Exchequer。　　Thurlow；　whose　abilities　and　force　of　character　had　made　him　the　dictator　of　the　House　of　Lords；　continued　to　hold　the　great　seal。　To　Pitt　was　offered；　through　Shelburne；　the　Vice…Treasurership　of　Ireland；　one　of　the　easiest　and　most　highly　paid　places　in　the　gift　of　the　crown；　but　the　offer　was；　without　hesitation；　declined。　　The　young　statesman　had　resolved　to　accept　no　post　which　did　not　entitle　him　to　a　seat　in　the　cabinet：　　and；　in　a　few　days　later；　he　announced　that　resolution　in　the　House　of　Commons。　　It　must　be　remembered　that　the　cabinet　was　then　a　much　smaller　and　more　select　body　than　at　present。　　We　have　seen　cabinets　of　sixteen。　　In　the　time　of　our　grandfathers　a　cabinet　of　ten　or　eleven　was　thought　inconveniently　large。　　Seven　was　an　usual　number。　　Even　Burke；　who　had　taken　the　lucrative　office　of　paymaster；　was　not　in　the　cabinet。　　Many　therefore　thought　Pitt's　declaration　indecent。　　He　himself　was　sorry　that　he　had　made　it。　　The　words；　he　said　in　private；　had　escaped　him　in　the　heat　of　speaking；　and　he　had　no　sooner　uttered　them　than　he　would　have　given　the　world　to　recall　them。　　They；　however；　did　him　no　harm　with　the　public。　　The　second　William　Pitt；　it　was　said；　had　shown　that　he　had　inherited　the　spirit；　as　well　as　the　genius；　of　the　first。　　In　the　son；　as　in　the　father；　there　might　perhaps　be　too　much　pride；　but　there　was　nothing　low　or　sordid。　　It　might　be　called　arrogance　in　a　young　barrister；　living　in　chambers　on　three　hundred　a　year；　to　refuse　a　salary　of　five　thousand　a　year；　merely　because　he　did　not　choose　to　bind　himself　to　speak　or　vote　for　plans　which　he　had　no　share　in　framing；　but　surely　such　arrogance　was　not　very　far　removed　from　virtue。　Pitt　gave　a　general　support　to　the　administration　of　Rockingham；　but　omitted；　in　the　meantime；　no　opportunity　of　courting　that　Ultra…Whig　party　which　the　persecution　of　Wilkes　and　the　Middlesex　election　had　called　into　existence；　and　which　the　disastrous　events　of　the　war；　and　the　triumph　of　republican　principles　in　America；　had　made　formidable　both　in　numbers　and　in　temper。　　He　supported　a　motion　for　shortening　the　duration　of　Parliaments。　　He　made　a　motion　for　a　committee　to　examine　into　the　state　of　the　representation；　and；　in　the　speech；　by　which　that　motion　was　introduced；　avowed　himself　the　enemy　of　the　c