him." Accordingly he obtained a feat in the house of Commons, as reprefentative for the borough of Old Sarum. He foon diftinguithed himfelf in Parliament, and particularly spoke with great eloquence against the Spanish convention in 1738. He also oppofed the bill for registering seamen, which was brought into parliament in 1740, as a very arbitrary and indefenfible act; upon which Mr. Horatio Walpole thought proper to attack him with fome perfonal farcafins. He reflected upon his youth; -and obferved, that the difcovery of truth was very little promoted by pompous diction and theatrical emotion. Thefe infinuations expofed him to a fevere reply. Mr. Pitt, ftanding up again, faid, "he would not undertake to determine whether youth could be justly imputed to any man as a reproach; but he affirmed, that the wretch, who after having feen the confequences of repeated errors, continues ftill to blunder, and whofe age has only added obftinacy to fupidity, is furely the object of either abhorrence or contempt, and deferves not that his grey head thould fecure him from infults: much more is he to be abhorred, who, as he has advanced in age, has receded from virtue, and becomes more wicked with lefs temptation; who prostitutes himfelf for money which he cannot enjoy; and fpends the remains of his life in the ruin of his country."

Some time before this Mr. Pitt had been appointed a groom of the bed-chamber to Frederick prince of Wales, but that office he refigned in 1745. In confideration of his oppofition to the meafures of the miniftry in parliament, on various occafions, the duchefs dowager of Marlborough left him a legacy of ten thousand pounds, "upon account,” as her Will expreffes it," of his merit in the noble defence he has made for the fupport of the laws of England, and to prevent the ruin of his country."

In

In 1746, Mr. Pitt was made joint vice-treafurer of Ireland, and the fame year treafurer and paymafter-general of the army, and a privy counsellor. But, in 1755, he ftrongly opposed the continental connexions which were entered into by the miniftry; though he afterwards relaxed upon that fubject, finding that power was not to be obtained without complying with the king's views and prejudices as elector of Hanover. After having refigned his former places, and been some time out of office, on the 4th of December, 1756, he was appointed fecretary of ftate for the fouthern department,..

In this fituation he obtained the confidence of the publick to a very high degree; but, in confequence of fome court intrigues, and his not being willing to comply with all the private views of the king, which were fometimes very inconfiftent with the real interefts of the nation, he received a royal command to refign his office. . Some other of his friends, and particularly Mr. Legge, chancellor of the exchequer,, were alfo removed from their pofts. But the people of England, attracted by the confummate eloquence of Mr. Pitt, by his fingular difinterestednefs, and the fuppofed purity of his views, united to look to him, as to the perfon in whom they confided, for the falvation of their country. Indeed, the whole nation feemed to rife up as one man, in vindication of the character of the difplaced patriots. The most refpectable cities and corporations prefented them with the freedom of their refpective bodies; and addreffes were fent up from all parts of the kingdom, foliciting their restoration to their different employments. King George II. therefore, found it neceffary.to, comply with the wishes of the people; and accordingly on the 29th of June, 1757, Mr. Pitt was again appointed fecretary of state. Mr. Legge was alfo again made chancellor

B 2

pre

chancellor of the exchequer. Mr. Pitt was now confidered as prime minifter; and this office, it has been remarked, he held, till October 5, 1761, with fuch honour to himself, fuch glory to the nation, and fo greatly to the fatisfaction of the people in general, as never any minifter in this kingdom before experienced. The miniftry which ceded him had been unfortunate and unpopular. They had carried on the war, in which the nation was then engaged, without ability, and without fpirit. But never was the great fcene of things fo fuddenly shifted, as one of his biographers remarks, as after Mr. Pitt came into power. "Whatever comprehenfive genius, extended intelligence, deep political knowledge, and indefatigable industry could effect, was ours. From torpid. fupineness, we aftonished the enemy with unremitted activity. Not a fhip, not a man, was fuffered to remain unemployed. Europe, America, Africa, felt the influence of Mr. Pitt's character in an inftant. His glory, in the mean time, advanced, like a regular fabrick. Gradual in its commencement, it however discovered, to the difcerning eye, a grandeur of defign, and promised the most magnificent effect. By degrees, it difclofed beauty, utility, and majefty; it outstretched the eye of the fpectator, and hid its head among the clouds." Under the aufpices of Mr. Pitt, Amherst and Bofcawen reduced Cape Breton; Wolfe and Saunders triumphed at Quebeck; Goree and Senegal were fubjugated to the crown of Great Britain; the French were ruined in the Eaft Indies, and their armies defeated in Europe; Belleifle was rent from their monarchy, their coafts were infulted and ravaged, their fleets deftroyed, their trade annihilated, and their ftate reduced even to bankruptcy.

On

On the 25th of October, 1760, died George II. king of Great Britain, in the feventy-feventh year of his age, and was fucceeded by his grandfon, now George III. eldest fon to Frederick prince of Wales. The new king afcended the throne with great advantages. His being a native of England prejudiced the people in his favour; and at the time of his acceffion Great Britain was in a very high degree of reputation and profperity. The popularity of Mr Pitt had at this time arifen to a great height; but his popularity appeared to give no fatisfaction to the king. As Mr. Pitt had conducted the war againft France with fuch eminent ability, fo her also received the most accurate information of the hoftile intentions and private intrigues of the court of Spain; and he therefore propofed in council an immediate declaration of war againft that kingdom. He urged his reafons for this meafure with his ufual energy; afferting, that "this was the time for humbling the whole houfe of Bourbon;" and that if this opportunity were let flip, it might never be recovered. But he was over-ruled in the council, all the members of which declared themselves of a contrary opinion, excepting his brother-in-law earl Temple. Mr. Pitt now found the decline of his influence; and it was foon too manifeft to the nation, that the earl of Bute, who had a confiderable fhare in directing the education of the new king, had acquired an afcendancy in the royal favour that was extremely injurious to the real interefts of the kingdom.

It has been obferved, that at the critical moment, in which Mr. Pitt's imagination" was fired with its largeft, and most comprehenfive plan, he found himself fuddenly and invincibly prevented. In the councils, that were held upon this bufinefs, he demonftrated, in a manner he apprehended the most

B 3

incon

inconteftible, the hoftile difpofitions of Spain. He expatiated upon the alarming nature of the family compact, of the conclufion of which he had received the fulleft intelligence. He told them, that this was the inftant to attack Spain, unprepared and with advantage. Even while they deliberated, the time would be paft. Now the was willing to temporize. But, as foon as her treasure was fafe in her harbours, he prophefied, with the utmost confidence, fhe would keep terms with us no longer. Beyond that time, we might endeavour to defer hoftilities in vain. Thefe things, however, with whatever elfe he could urge, were to no purpofe."" It had been the glory of Mr. Pitt's adminiftration to abolish the fpirit of party, and to introduce into the fenate an unanimity hitherto unexperienced. The ambition of lord Bute brought things back again to their original chaos, and gave new life to all the bitterness and implacability of faction."

Mr. Pitt, finding his influence in the cabinet at an end, declared, that as he was called to the miniftry by the voice of the people, to whom he confilered himself as accountable for his conduct, he would no longer remain in a fituation which made him refponfible for meafures that he was no longer allowed to guide." Accordingly he refigned the feals on the 5th of October, 1761. On the rith of the fame month his refignation was fignified in the Gazette, together with the creation of ladv Hefter Pitt, his wife, baronefs of Chatham; and his own acceptance of an annuity of three thousand pounds, which was to be continued during his own life, that of his lady, and his eldeft fon.

On the 22d of the fame month, the following vote was paffed in the Common Council of the city of London: "Refolved, That the thanks of this court be given to the Right Hon. William Pitt,

for