the miscellaneous writings and speeches-3-第44章

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o　himself　in　genius　was　to　be　found；　and　was　so　far　from　being　willing　to　admit　all　his　ablest　subjects　to　office　that　he　was　bent　on　excluding　them　all。　A　few　months　passed　before　the　different　parties　which　agreed　in　regarding　the　government　with　dislike　and　contempt　came　to　an　understanding　with　each　other。　　But　in　the　spring　of　1804　it　became　evident　that　the　weakest　of　ministries　would　have　to　defend　itself　against　the　strongest　of　oppositions；　an　opposition　made　up　of　three　oppositions；　each　of　which　would；　separately；　have　been　formidable　from　ability；　and　which；　when　united；　were　also　formidable　from　number。　　The　party　which　had　opposed　the　peace；　headed　by　Grenville　and　Windham；　and　the　party　which　had　opposed　the　renewal　of　the　war；　headed　by　Fox；　concurred　in　thinking　that　the　men　now　in　power　were　incapable　of　either　making　a　good　peace　or　waging　a　vigorous　war。　　Pitt　had；　in　1802；　spoken　for　peace　against　the　party　of　Grenville；　and　had；　in　1803；　spoken　for　war　against　the　party　of　Fox。　　But　of　the　capacity　of　the　cabinet；　and　especially　of　its　chief；　for　the　conduct　of　great　affairs；　he　thought　as　meanly　as　either　Fox　or　Grenville。　　Questions　were　easily　found　on　which　all　the　enemies　of　the　government　could　act　cordially　together。　　The　unfortunate　First　Lord　of　the　Treasury；　who　had；　during　the　earlier　months　of　his　administration；　been　supported　by　Pitt　on　one　side；　and　by　Fox　on　the　other；　now　had　to　answer　Pitt；　and　to　be　answered　by　Fox。　　Two　sharp　debates；　followed　by　close　divisions；　made　him　weary　of　his　post。　　It　was　known；　too；　that　the　Upper　House　was　even　more　hostile　to　him　than　the　Lower；　that　the　Scotch　representative　peers　wavered；　that　there　were　signs　of　mutiny　among　the　bishops。　　In　the　cabinet　itself　there　was　discord；　and；　worse　than　discord；　treachery。　　It　was　necessary　to　give　way：　　the　ministry　was　dissolved；　and　the　task　of　forming　a　government　was　entrusted　to　Pitt。　Pitt　was　of　opinion　that　there　was　now　an　opportunity；　such　as　had　never　before　offered　itself；　and　such　as　might　never　offer　itself　again；　of　uniting　in　the　public　service；　on　honourable　terms；　all　the　eminent　talents　of　the　kingdom。　　The　passions　to　which　the　French　revolution　had　given　birth　were　extinct。　　The　madness　of　the　innovator　and　the　madness　of　the　alarmist　had　alike　had　their　day。　　Jacobinism　and　anti…Jacobinism　had　gone　out　of　fashion　together。　　The　most　liberal　statesman　did　not　think　that　season　propitious　for　schemes　of　parliamentary　reform；　and　the　most　conservative　statesman　could　not　pretend　that　there　was　any　occasion　for　gagging　bills　and　suspensions　of　the　Habeas　Corpus　Act。　　The　great　struggle　for　independence　and　national　honour　occupied　all　minds；　and　those　who　were　agreed　as　to　the　duty　of　maintaining　that　struggle　with　vigour　might　well　postpone　to　a　more　convenient　time　all　disputes　about　matters　comparatively　unimportant。　　Strongly　impressed　by　these　considerations；　Pitt　wished　to　form　a　ministry　including　all　the　first　men　in　the　country。　　The　Treasury　he　reserved　for　himself；　and　to　Fox　he　proposed　to　assign　a　share　of　power　little　inferior　to　his　own。　The　plan　was　excellent；　but　the　King　would　not　hear　of　it。　　Dull；　obstinate；　unforgiving；　and；　at　that　time　half　mad；　he　positively　refused　to　admit　Fox　into　his　service。　　Anybody　else；　even　men　who　had　gone　as　far　as　Fox；　or　further　than　Fox；　in　what　his　Majesty　considered　as　Jacobinism；　Sheridan；　Grey；　Erskine；　should　be　graciously　received；　but　Fox　never。　　During　several　hours　Pitt　laboured　in　vain　to　reason　down　this　senseless　antipathy。　　That　he　was　perfectly　sincere　there　can　be　no　doubt：　　but　it　was　not　enough　to　be　sincere；　he　should　have　been　resolute。　　Had　he　declared　himself　determined　not　to　take　office　without　Fox；　the　royal　obstinacy　would　have　given　way；　as　it　gave　way；　a　few　months　later；　when　opposed　to　the　immutable　resolution　of　Lord　Grenville。　　In　an　evil　hour　Pitt　yielded。　　He　flattered　himself　with　the　hope　that；　though　he　consented　to　forego　the　aid　of　his　illustrious　rival；　there　would　still　remain　ample　materials　for　the　formation　of　an　efficient　ministry。　　That　hope　was　cruelly　disappointed。　　Fox　entreated　his　friends　to　leave　personal　considerations　out　of　the　question；　and　declared　that　he　would　support；　with　the　utmost　cordiality；　an　efficient　and　patriotic　ministry　from　which　he　should　be　himself　excluded。　　Not　only　his　friends；　however；　but　Grenville；　and　Grenville's　adherents；　answered；　with　one　voice；　that　the　question　was　not　personal；　that　a　great　constitutional　principle　was　at　stake；　and　that　they　would　not　take　office　while　a　man　eminently　qualified　to　render　service　to　the　commonwealth　was　placed　under　a　ban　merely　because　he　was　disliked　at　Court。　　All　that　was　left　to　Pitt　was　to　construct　a　government　out　of　the　wreck　of　Addington's　feeble　administration。　　The　small　circle　of　his　personal　retainers　furnished　him　with　a　very　few　useful　assistants；　particularly　Dundas；　who　had　been　created　Viscount　Melville；　Lord　Harrowby；　and　Canning。　Such　was　the　inauspicious　manner　in　which　Pitt　entered　on　his　second　administration。　　The　whole　history　of　that　administration　was　of　a　piece　with　the　commencement。　　Almost　every　month　brought　some　new　disaster　or　disgrace。　　To　the　war　with　France　was　soon　added　a　war　with　Spain。　　The　opponents　of　the　minister　were　numerous；　able；　and　active。　　His　most　useful　coadjutors　he　soon　lost。　　Sickness　deprived　him　of　the　help　of　Lord　Harrowby。　　It　was　discovered　that　Lord　Melville　had　been　guilty　of　highly　culpable　laxity　in　transactions　relating　to　public　money。　　He　was　censured　by　the　House　of　Commons；　driven　from　office；　ejected　from　the　Privy　Council；　and　impeached　of　high　crimes　and　misdemeanours。　　The　blow　fell　heavy　on　Pitt。　　It　gave　him；　he　said　in　Parliament；　a　deep　pang；　and；　as　he　uttered　the　word　pang；　his　lip　quivered；　his　voice　shook；　he　paused；　and　his　hearers　thought　that　he　was　about　to　burst　into　tears。　　Such　tears　shed　by　Eldon　would　have　moved　nothing　but　laughter。　　Shed　by　the　warm…hearted　and　open…hearted　Fox；　they　would　have　moved　sympathy；　but　would　have　caused　no　surprise。　　But　a　tear　from　Pitt　would　have　been　something　portentous。　　He　suppressed　his　emotion；　however；　and　proceeded　with　his　usual　majestic　self…　possession。　His　difficulties　compelled　him　to　resort　to　various　expedients。　　At　one　time　Addington　was　persuaded　to　accept　office　with　a　peerage；　but　he　brought　no　additional　strength　to　the　government。　　Though　he　went　through　the　form　of　reconciliation；　it　was　impossible　for　him　to　forget　the　past。　　While　he　remained　in　place　he　was　jealous　and　punctilious；　and　he　soon　retired　again。　　At　another　time　Pitt　renewed　his　efforts　to　overcome　his　master's　aversion　to　Fox；　and　it　was　rumoured　that　the　King's　obstinacy　was　gradually　giving　way。　　But；　meanwhile；　it　was　impossible　for　the　minister　to　conceal　from　the　public　eye　the　decay　of　his　health；　and　the　constant　anxiety　which　gnawed　at　his　heart。　　His　sleep　was　broken。　　His　food　ceased　to　nourish　him。　　All　who　passed　him　in　the　Park；　all　who　had　interviews　with　him　in　Downing　Street；　saw　misery　written　in　his　face。　　The　peculiar　look　which　he　wore　during　the　last　months　of　his　life　was　often　pathetically　des