Sidebilder
PDF
ePub

man

infatuated persons in our own coun- their heads, and proper stimulants try, who were fitter subjects for to their prejudices and passions. He Bedlam than for Newgate, threw the could make them regard a disaster people into a general panic The as a fortunate escape ; and a galling great trembled for their honours- tax as a blessed expedient. No statesthe wealthy for their riches—the ever took a firmer hold on numerous dependents of the court the minds of the people ; and at the for their places and pensions. Every momeut this is written, two-thirds oue seemed to feel the dagger of an of the nation still revere him as the assassin at his back, and the band of greatest minister England ever posa robber in his pocket. Every one

sessed. felt himself called upon, with his His oratory was the grand pillar life and fortune, to assist the minis- of bis reputation. His reep-toned ter who had the courage to encounter voice- bis warm and forcible uiterthese terrible calamities. He might ance-his slow, distinct, measured equip the most expensive armaments; enunciation- bis elevated and orhe might undertake the most fruitless namented style-liis long, involved, expeditions ; he might chastise with and seemingly, premeditated sena ròd sharper than the law, the in- tences, impressed bis hearers with solent murmurs of discontent; he an opinion of bis profoundness and might accumulate tax upon tax, and dignity. Every period was delivered Joan upon loan. He was met withi with pomp; every sentiment breathed full support, and encouraged by ac

air

of importance. His declamations. When a due lapse of clamation was always suited to the time had dispelled the panic, and feelings of his audience, and was men, venturing to look around, found always received with bursts of apno dagger at their back but the plause. Their attention

was still dagger of new penal stalutes, no more forcibly attracted by the pointband in their pockets but the hand of ed sarcasm in which he delighted. the tax-gatherer, they were amazed His irony was keen, direct, and cruat their own security. They thank- elly persevering. He never left his ed heaven for their miraculous es- victim, however conteinptible, till he cape, and prostrated themselves be- had broken every limb on the fore the saviour of his country.

wheel * Such were the favourable gales The impression produced by which swelled the sails of Pitt, the striking qualities of his oratory, throughout his long course. But' made its defects pass unperceived. l'e must not undervalue the talents The tritest idea acquired importance which could take advantage of them. from the pomp with which it was He knew the people of England : he enounced : and the distance of the could apply suitable arguments to commencenient of the period from

the * This disposition was remarkably exemplified in the terrible blows which he inflicted on poor Sir John Sinclair, a most inoffensive agriculturalist, who is no more capable of injuring a great mmister than is one of lus sheep. The barovet, in evil hour, would needs be a politician and an opposition orator; an arubition which he dearly atoned by the loss of his great glory, the Presidentship of tile Board of Agricutitare, and by such cha-tisement in the House of Commons as exceeded the utmost wrath of au infuriated pedagogue.

au

the conclusion, caused their want of As a war-minister, his lustre correspondence to escape unobserved. shone far less bright. The naval Amidst the miserable and abortive achievements, indeed, were such as attempts at haranguing, which usu- we might expect from the superior ally disgrace the house of commons; maritime commerce and skill of half-sentences, stammerings, sirrings, Great Britain. But all the enterprovincialisms, tasteless repetitions, prizes by land were ill-conceived, and, mutterings, whispers, occasionally in-. with one exception, worse executed. terspersed with ear-rending ebulli- The commanders were ill-selected ; tions; the oratory of Pitt shone like the troops ill-appointed ; the points a coinet, amidst the twinkling stars. of attack chosen vithout judgment;

As a minister of finance, his and secrecy never preserved, even dexterity was unrivalled. He had a when most essential. He meditated peculiar penetration in discovering great enterprizes ; but his means where taxes might be imposed, and a were never equal to his ends. Destill greater skill in rendering the feat and disgrace were the portion most obnoxious acceptable. His re- of his armies; and his expeditions putation in this department was became the ridicule of Europe. The greatly increased by his dexterity in gigantic success of Bonaparte proarithmetical calculations, and the ra- duced the inost uneasy sensations pidiiy with which he caught up and in his mind : and his most intimate appropriated the ideas of those with friends assure us, that he actually whom he conversed. The practised felt those apprehensions of invasion accountant was amazed to see bim- which he attempted to infuse into self surpassed in those operations his countrymen. which had formed the business of his There was a sternness and oh. life : and the merchant, the manu- stinacy in his character, which often facturer, and the mechanic, who con- subdued oppositiou, but always exversed with him, reported with ad- cited enemies. It exasperated while miration that he understood their it overawed the court; and it conrespective callings better than them- verted his political contests into priselves. By these arts he led the vale animosilies. To those at a dismonied world.

tance, it bore the appearance of In his principles, with regard to firmness ; but several transactions compierce, he was the avowed fol- dictated by this spirit drew on his lower of Adam Smith ; but he durst character ine reproach of boyish obnot, amidst the difficulties in which stimacy and pititul revenge*. war involved him, enter into an open his firmness bound to him his parcontest with the prejudices of the tizans, his harshess often disgusted commercial system ; and he could them, and it was observed that no only venture to weaken a few links man had more political or fewer in the chain of the wavigation laws. private triends. There are also instances in which his Yet he could become submissive ideas fell stort of his master.

and pliant, when the interests of

his Such was his conduct to the unfortunate hawkers ; and his expulsion of his old antagonist Horne Tooke, under the unjustifiable and ridiculous pretext that a man once in orders can never become a member of the loose of commons,

Why do the still more sacred bishops set in the house of parliament ?

[ocr errors]

his ambition, his ruling passion, were head and his right arm, which he at stake. He could be gracious and brandished with great violence, but affable when he had any particular in the same uniform directions. end in view. His original principles His private life was little redropped from him as he entered the markable, yet had considerable effect threshold of the court ; and all men upon liis political reputation. Of a smiled at his attempt to preserve an

cool temperament, he felt little inappearance of cousistency, by lea- clination towards the female sex, and ving to his dependants the task of was considered wholly free from the overthrowing some popular questions, . vice of incontinence-a circumstance while he himself remained in the which procured him a high character minority. He carried through his for unspotted morality, and rendered favourite measure, the Union with him the idol of grave and religious Ireland, by promising emancipatiou persous throughout the nation. In to the Catholics; and when the court bis latter years, this inipression was refused to make good his word, he sonjewhat diminished by the discocould not but resign. . But the want very that he was intemperately adof power was intolerable ; and lie dicied to the pleasures of the bottle. quickly gave up bis pledge to reco- But men were willing to tra afer the ver bis station.

blame of this defect to tlie bad examThis last step caused his sun, ple of an intimate political friend. long so brilliant, to set amidst im- "Heivtrusted the whole management penetrable gloom. Untaught by his of his private fortune to his servants ; father's sorrows, lie quarrelled with and their careless profusion always his most respectable friends, and left him entungled in necessities. Atthrew himself defenceless into the ter his resignation, he expressed to arms of the court. Bereft of bis some of his confidential friends lois independence, forsaken by the con- resolution of returning to his original fidence of the nation, unsupported profession, the bar, and of endeaby the miserable dependents with vouring to retrieve liis ruined fortune. whom be had surrounded himself, Had be executed this intention, inand unfortunate in all his dearest stead of again accepting his political enterprizes, the agitations of his station on degrading terms, he would proud spirit overpowered the fee- have been recorded to posterity as an bleness of an exhausted bódy; and unrivalled model of magnanimity, he fell at an early age, amidst and would have re-ascended liis forthe pangs of disappointed ambi- mer elevation with redoubled splention.

dour. His figure was tall, bis bones At college he excelled in malarge, his habit spare. His features thematics, and delighted through life were prominent and coarse; and his to employ bis leisure intervals in the mouth, which was always open as he perusal of the Latin classics ; but his walked, expressed to those who early and incessant application to bumet, without knowing him, any thingsiness prevented him from acquiring rather than the qualities of a great a profound knowledge of any branch minister, or a wise' man. His ges- of learning. His public declamations tures were ungraceful. Even when in favour of religion, were ardeut; he barangued, he chiefly moved bis but his private convictions were never

sound,

sound, and his expiring moments were not those of confidence.

The talents of Mr. Pitt were great; and his station among statesmen

eminent.

Another Character of Mr. Pitt, written by the Right Honourable George Canning, and intended to accompany a Bust.

The character of this illustrious statesman early passed its ordeal. Scarcely had he attained the age at which reflection commences, than Europe with astonishment beheld him filling the first place in the conucils of his country, and managing the vast mass of its concerns, with all the vigour and steadiness of the most matured wisdom. Dignity--strengthdiscretion-these were among the masterly qualities of his mind at its first dawn. He had been nurtured a statesman, and his knowledge was of that kind which always lay ready for practical application. Not dealNot dealing in the subtleties of abstract politics, but moving in the slow, steady procession of reason, his conceptions were reflective, and his views correct. Habitually attentive to the concerns of government, he spared no pains to acquaint himself with whatever was connected, however minutely, with its prosperity. He was devoted to the state. Its interests engrossed all his study, and engaged all his care. It was the element alone in which he seemed to live and move. He allow ed himself but little recreation from his labours. His mind was always on its station, and its activity was unremitted.

He did not hastily adopt a measure, nor hastily abandon it. The plan

struck out by him for the preservation of Europe, was the result of prophetic wisdom and profound policy. But, thoughf defeated in many respects by the selfish ambition and short-sighted imbecility of foreign powers, whose rulers were too venal or too weak to follow the flight of that mind which would have taught them to outwing the storm-the policy involved in it has still a secret operation on the conduct of surrounding states. His plans were full of energy, and the principles which inspired them looked beyond the consequences of the hour.

In a period of change and convulsion the most perilous in the history of Great Britain, when sedition stalked abroad, and when the emissaries of France, and the abettors of her regicide factions, formed a league powerful from their number, and formidable by their talent-in that awful crisis-the promptitude of his measures saved his country.

He knew nothing of that timid and wavering cast of mind which dares not abide by its own decision. He never suffered popular prejudice or party clamour to turn him aside from any measure which his deliberate judgment had adopted. He had a proud reliance on himself, and it was justified. Like the sturdy warrior leaning on his own battle-axe, con-scious where his strength lay, he did not readily look beyond it.

As a debater in the house of commons, his speeches were logical and argumentative; if they did aot often abound in the graces of metaphor, or sparkle with the brilliancy of wit, they were always animated, elegant, and classical. The strength of his oratory was intrinsic, it presented the rich and abundant resource of a clear discernment and a correct taste. His speeches

are

are stamped with inimitable marks of Character and Talents of the late originality. When replying to his op

Mr. For. ponents, his readiness was not more [From “ The Epics of the Ton.”] conspicuous than his energy. He Charles James Fox derived from was always prompt, and always dig- nature a vigorous capacity, which nified. He could sometimes bave re- was early improved by a liberal educourse to the sportiveness of irony ; cation. His conceptions were rapid, but he did not often seek any other his fancy brilliant: the indulgence aid than was to be derived from an of his father gave him an open and arranged and extensive knowledge of fearless address ; and a continual his subject. This qualified him fully intercourse with the circles of gaiety to discuss the arguinents of others, and fashion, rendered bis expression and forcibly to defend bis own. Thus fluent, unconstrained, and elegant. armed, it was rarely in the power of He seemed born an orator, and deshis adversaries, mighty as they were, tined by nature to shine in the polito beat him from the field. His elo- tical sphere. His temper, frank, quence occasionally rapid-electric- candid, and generous, was calculated and vehement--was always chaste- to gain him many friends, and to winning—and persuasive-pot awing disarm the animosity of every eneinto acquiescence, but arguing into my. There was nothing in it to inconviction. His understanding was spire awe, or to excite mistrust; no bold and comprehensive. Nothing one was thrown to an uncomfortable seemed too remote for its reach, or distance. He seemed born to live too large for its grasp.

with ease and good humour, and to Unallured by dissipation, and un- communicate these agreeable feelswayed by pleasure, he never sacri- ings to all around him. ficed the national treasure to the one, His more advanced education or the national interest to the other. tended to blast the fruitful plants To his unswerving integrity, the most which shot up in so rich a soil, and authentic of all testimony is to be to give room and luxuriance to every found, in that unbounded public con- weed. His youth was a continued fidence, which followed him through- course of dissipation. Those hours out the whole of his political career. of vigour and ardour, wbich ought

Absorbed, as he was, in the pur- to have been spent in the labours of suits of public life, he did not neglect the closet, were devoted to the to prepare himself in silence for that gaming table, the amour, the midhigher destination, which is at once night debauch. The habits thus the incentive and reward of human contracted, gradually became irrevirtue. His talents, superior and splen- sistible. He could only by starts did as they were, never made hin for- confine himself to serious studies : getful of that eternal wisdom from he needed dissipation to refresh his which they emanated. The faith and mind: he became incapable of that fortitude of his last moments were , steady attention to business, without affecting and exemplary.

which it is impossible to conduct the In his forty-seventh year, and in affairs of a great and active pation. the meridian of his fame, he died on His introduction into political life the 23d of January, 1806.

was not peculiarly fortunate. His father, indeed, enjoyed the reputa

)

« ForrigeFortsett »