Wraxall writes, after hearing Mr. Pitt's first speech:

Even his friends could not always induce | wrote to Lord Auckland that there were him to listen to reason and remonstrance," insurmountable objections" to marriage though they sometimes held him down in his on his part. A curious correspondence seat by the skirts of his coat, in order to pre- ensued. But Pitt still kept to the word vent the ebullition of his violence or indigna-insurmountable." What this meant notion. Gentle, mild, and amenable to argument in private society, of which he formed body can explain. It is singular that Pitt the delight and the ornament, he was often made the solemn speaker of the House intemperate and reprehensibly personal in of Commons his confidant in this affair, Parliament. Fox, however irritated, never surely as improper a person to impart a forgot that he was a chief; Burke, in his most love-tale to as Cato. sublime flights, was only a partisan. The countenance of the latter, full of intellect, but destitute of softness, and which rarely relaxed into a smile, did not invite approach or conciliation. His enmities and prejudices, though they originated in principle as well as in conviction, yet became tinged with the virulent spirit of party; and were eventually in many instances inveterate, unjust, and insurmountable. Infinitely more respectable than Fox, he was nevertheless far less amiable. Exempt from his defects and irregularities, Burke wanted the suavity of Fox's manner, his amenity, and his placability. The one procured more admirers, the other possessed more friends.

We now turn to Wraxall's portrayal of the character of Pitt, the greatest orator that ever enchanted the House of Commons. Lord Campbell relates that when he was reporting Pitt's speech on the Peace of Amiens, Pitt made quotation from his favorite Virgil, and delivered it with such wonderful pathos that Lord Campbell could not hold his pen to write down what he said. It must have been something extraordinary to shake the iron nerves of plain John Campbell.

Pitt was the greatest peace minister England ever possessed, with the exception perhaps of Sir Robert Walpole. Walpole at last was forced into the Span ish war by the clamor of the people, just as Pitt was thrust into the war with France. Pitt had not only been successful at home, but he had deprived France of her ascendancy in Holland, and de feated Spain in her attack on Nootka Sound, and these victories were gained by diplomatic means. He was not so successful in his attempt to make the empress Catherine restore Oczacow to the Turks. The empress stood to her guns, saying, "Dogs who bark, very seldom bite," and gained her end.

All then beheld in him at once a future Minister, and the Opposition, overjoyed at such an accession of strength, vied with each other in their encomiums, as well as in their predictions of his certain elevation. Burke exclaimed that, "he was not merely a chip of the old block, but the old block itself." Nor did Fox do less justice to the talents of this new competitor for power, popularity, and employment. Having carried him to Brookes's Club, a few days afterwards, Pitt was elected a member of that society; which then com. prehended almost all the men of rank and great talents throughout the kingdom, who were engaged in Parliamentary opposition to Ministers. It is a fact, that Pitt remained during several years a member of Brookes's ;" but he rarely if ever appeared there after he came into office. So nice was his tact, so deep his penetration, and in so different a mould was he cast from Fox, that even on his first reception in St. James's Street, though it was of the most flattering description, he was not dazzled nor won by it. Fox himself soon whom play had no attractions, and who beheld perceived the coldness of his new ally, for

a faro table without emotion; though neither
he nor Burke were probably aware of the pro-
found and regulated, but soaring ambition,
which animated him to aspire, without passing
through any intermediate stage, to occupy the
first employments of the State.

ambition. At the death of Lord Rock-
Pitt speedily gained the object of his
ingham the secession of Fox and his
friends left Lord Shelburne, the prime
minister appointed by the king, in a sit-
uation of great difficulty. The "school-
boy"
"Pitt was appointed chancellor of the
exchequer and leader of the House of
Commons. This took place in July, 1782.
When Parliament met in the winter, the
celebrated coalition was formed to drive
Lord Shelburne out of office. On the
first night of the great debate, when the
ministry was defeated by a majority of
sixteen, Pitt's speech was considered a
failure even by Mr. Pretyman, his former
tutor. But on the second night, when

Pitt, it is said, was wedded to his coun: try. Wraxall relates that it was reported he admired a daughter of Lord Auckland, but that he abandoned his intention of marriage. This is the fact. Miss Eleanor Eden was very beautiful, as those who have seen her portrait can testify. Pitt paid her great attention, but suddenly death.

Pitt was a member of Brookes's at the time of his

Lord John Cavendish moved a censure on
the government with respect to the terms
of peace, Pitt spoke, to use an expression
of Lord Townshend's on another occa-
sion, "like an angel." He retaliated on
Fox with the bitterest scorn.

Pitt spoke as follows:
:-

The triumphs of party, with which this selfappointed Minister seems so highly elate, shall never seduce me to any inconsistency which the busiest suspicion shall presume to glance at. I will never engage in political enmities without public cause. I will never forego such enmities without the public approbation; nor will be questioned and cast off in the face of this House by one virtuous and dissatisfied friend. If [he added] this baneful alliance is not already formed; if this ill-omened marriage is not already solemnized, I know a just and lawful impediment, and in the name of the public safety, I here forbid the banns. Wraxall writes:

The following is a spirited translation by Sir Theodore Martin of this inspired quotation:

"Fortune, who with malicious glee

Her merciless vocation plies,
Benignly smiling now on me,

Now on another, bids him rise,
And in mere wantonness of whim
Her favors shifts from me to him.
I laud her, whilst by me she holds;
But if she spread her pinions swift
I wrap me in my virtue's folds,
And yielding back her every gift
Take refuge in the life so free
Of bare but honest poverty."

of oratorical acting is not to be found in antiquity. Even if we suppose the whole passage to have been studied and prepared, yet the delicacy of the omission is not less admirable.

To raise the

The ministry were defeated again and resigned. Mr. Pitt was offered the predismissal of the coalition from office, Mr. miership, but he wisely refused. On the Pitt was appointed prime minister. How he fought the good fight against overwhelming odds, dissolved Parliament, and scattered his opponents to the winds, is well known to our readers. He continued for years the most popular of ministers, until the calamities of the war with France raised great discontent against him. We believe Pitt disliked war. finances of England to their former prosperity, to cultivate the arts of peace, was the object of his life. We cannot but think that he was forced into the war with France by the united voice of the king and the people. Alas! all wars are popu lar at first. When he resigned office in 1801, it was partly that Addington might make peace which he could not. On his resuming office, everything went wrong on the Continent. The coalition which he had formed against France ended in failure, and the battle of Austerlitz undoubtedly broke his mighty heart.

Wilberforce says Pitt was the wittiest man he ever knew, yet how few of his sayings are recorded! Once when arriv ing late at dinner, he apologized for the lateness of his arrival on the ground that he had to wait to hear Addington finish his speech, and "you know," he said, "that the doctor always travels with his own horses." On another occasion he went to visit his friend Plumer Ward at his villa near Moulsey; Pitt found fault with the dreariness of the situation, and asked him how he could live there. "It is a mere question of money," said Plumer Ward. Well!" said Pitt, "and how much do they give you?”

Of his stately bearing the following anecdote is told.

Michael Angelo Taylor, walking with a friend, declared his intention of cutting Pitt. Just then Pitt came sailing down St. James's Street, nodded to Angelo Taylor's friend, but took no notice of little Michael. "There," said Michael Angelo, "you see I've cut him!" "I'm very glad you told me your intention," said his friend, 'else Í should have thought he cut you."

Wraxall writes of Sheridan:

He possessed a ductility and versatility of

talents, which no public man in our time has equalled; and these intellectual endowments were sustained by a suavity of temper that seemed to set at defiance all attempts to ruffle or discompose it. Playing with his irritable or angry antagonist, Sheridan exposed him by sallies of wit, or attacked him with classic ele gance of satire; performing this arduous task in the face of a crowded assembly, without losing for an instant either his presence of mind, his facility of expression, or his good humor. He wounded deepest, indeed, when he smiled; and convulsed his hearers with laughter while the object of his ridicule or animadversion was twisting under the lash.

Sheridan had various difficulties to struggle with, he was without distinguished birth, connections, or fortune, and it was by his unaided talent alone that he vanquished such obstacles.

shall be blessed or cursed with a large extension of suffrage, the "oftener if needs be" party will be masters of the

situation.

It is related by Lord Holland that there never was so amusing a scene in the House of Commons as the dispute between Sheridan and Dundas respecting the meaning of the word malheureux. Dundas and Sheridan were totally igno rant of the French language. Lord Auckland had presented a demand to the States-General of Holland, that ces malheureux, the regicides, should be given up to the sword of the law. Sheridan moved a vote of censure on Lord Auckland. Dundas defended Lord Auckland on the ground that " mollyroo" only meant an "unfortunate gentleman"! Erskine At this period of his life, when he was not when he went with a friend to France at also had no knowledge of French, and, more than thirty-three years of age, his coun tenance and features had in them something the peace of Amiens, he sent out letters peculiarly pleasing; indicative at once of in- of invitation for a dinner, nobody came. tellect, humor, and gaiety. All these charac-"This is your confounded French, Ersteristics played about his lips when speaking, and operated with inconceivable attraction; for they anticipated, as it were, to the eye the effect produced by his oratory on the ear; thus opening for him a sure way to the heart, or the understanding. Even the tones of his voice, which were singularly mellifluous, aided the general effect of his eloquence; nor was it accompanied by Burke's unpleasant Irish accent. Pitt's enunciation was unquestionably more imposing, dignified and sonorous. Fox displayed more argument, as well as vehemence; Burke possessed more fancy and enthusiasm; but Sheridan won his way by a sort of fascination. At thirty-three, it might be said of his aspect, as Milton does of the fallen angel's form,

kine," said his companion. "Not a bit of it," said Erskine. "Isn't Vendredi Wednesday?"

Pitt seems to have disliked and dreaded Sheridan more than any other of his op ponents. His sneers at him about his theatrical occupations had been answered by Sheridan with a crushing reply, comparing Pitt to the Angry Boy in Ben Jonson's "Alchymist." When Sheridan nobly came forward during the mutiny at the Nore to support the government, Pitt showed not the slightest signs of grati tude. Sheridan's career unfortunately closed in the darkest fashion. Drink and dissipation deprived him of his means of livelihood, and hurried him to his tomb.

His face had not yet lost All her original brightness. The witty sayings attributed to SheriThis extraordinary man [writes Wraxall] as dan are innumerable. Perhaps one of the he approached the confines of old age, sunk most amusing was, when rolling drunk in with each successive year in general estimathe gutter, his calling out to a passer-by, perfect, as I believe they did, they neverthe tion. Admitting that his faculties remained "Take me to Kensington; I am Mr. Wil-less became overcast from the effects of inberforce!" But there are two anecdotes toxication, licentiousness and habits of dissitold of him which are very suggestive at pation. How different, we must own, was the the present time. Sheridan, surveying a tenor of Fox's life after the period of his remeeting like one of those that now some- treat to St. Anne's Hill! Divided during times assemble in Trafalgar Square, said: many months of the year between rustic occu"I wonder what it is that these good peo-pations, elegant literature, and the company ple want. It can't be liberty; that they seem to have plenty of. I think it must be property; that they seem rather in want of." When asked what his principles were at an election, he invariably responded, "I am for universal suffrage, annual parliaments and oftener if needs time, disliked Sheridan, whom he tried You can't beat," said Sheridan, "an oftener if needs be man." When we

be." 64

of a few friends, Fox (a green apron frequently himself in pruning or nailing up his own fruitfastened round his waist) amused and employed trees. But Fox outlived his vices; those of Sheridan accompanied him to the tomb.

George Selwyn, the great wit of the

These wretches.