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THE

EUROPEAN MAGAZINE,

AND

LONDON REVIEW;
FOR JANUARY, 1784.

Maxons of the Right Honourable WILLIAM PITT, firft Lord Commiffioner of the Treafury, and Chancellor of his Majefty's Exchequer.

Embellished with an elegant engraved LIKENESS.

THERE is not in the whole world a nobler school of eloquence, patriot ifm, and a proper knowledge of the world than the British houfe of commons. Itaffords the ampleft fcope to all the paffons, and urges on the ambitious and virtuous to inftances of perfonal eminence and public fpirit. On this theatre variety of new characters inceflantly come forward, and, by their good or bad qualities, merit the approbation or cenfure of contemporaries. Here the arts of legiflation are acquired, all the primary rights and claims of mankind accidentally compared, arranged and harmonized, and the great and complicated fcience of government at once taught and reduced to practice.

It is in this famous school that the numerous and illustrious race of heroes and flatefmen, who grace and immortalize the British annals, had the rudiments of all thofe virtues and qualities which gave elevation and ftability to their characters. The genius of our conflitution ever according with the ardour, the magnanimity, and the enterprize of the fublimeft minds, has kindled from time to time, and kept alive thofe facred regards for the rights of humanity, and that generous contempt of danger and death which uniformly second and accompany all the exertions of patriotilm.

Among thofe intrepid and confiftent affertors of liberty and independance, one of the laft, and none of the leaft, was the celebrated father of the prefent premier. And while the biftory of this country oc

cupies the attention, or interefts the hearts of men, the talents, the public fpirit, and the political measures of Chatham will be related with admiration and remembered with gratitude.

This renowned flatesman had two fons, the prefent Lord Chatham, and his brother, who occupies the important fituation of prime minifter. He was the fondest and moft affiduous of fathers. Amidft the greateft public concerns, a complication of bodily infirmities, and the rapid decline of life, he tended their rifing minds and cherished their opening understandings with the tendereft and moft anxious fohcitude and delight. And from his own babits of life, it was natural to draw their education as he did, with a steady attention to thofe general and public objects which had always poffeffed to laudable a share of his own."

The different talents which was likely to mark their future conduct did not efcape his penetration. The one from an invincible modefty, which was apt to embarass him from his infancy, notwithflanding every prefage of a vigorous intellect, he forefaw was not calculated to excel in the arts of public fpeaking. In the other he perceived the rudiments of parts but little adapted to fucceed in any other fphere. To the tuition of a fon, whofe genius' feemed fo very fimilar to bis own, he therefore applied himself with much ala crity and fatisfaction.

This very young and extraordinary fatefman was born on the eighth of May,

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in the memorable year of 1759, when the glory of his father's adminiftration was at its height, when the British flag was every where triumphant, when our arms were victorious, our merchants fuccesful, our enemies humbled, cur dependencies fecure, and our people happy. Nor was the prefent first commiflioner of the treafury perhaps the leaft extraordinary production of this wonderful year.

No ara, however, could poffibly be more aufpicious to the birth of great talents. Nor did thofe difcover themselves by fuch puerilities as are calculated only or chiefly to flatter paternal fondnefs. Attention, affiduity and correctnefs in accomplishing the feveral talks impofed for ftoring his young understanding with the various elements of grammar and fcience, were the principal indications of genius , which distinguified his earlier years.

But no fooner was his knowledge of the claffics deemed fufficient to qualify him for the higher walks of literature, and the feveral branches of philofophy, than he was fent with that view to the univerfity of Cambridge. This was the choice of his father, for very obvious reafons; Oxford, the fifter univerfity, has been long branded with high prerogative principles, with monaftic manners, and with fuch a taste for a certain fcholaftic mode of reafoning as is by no means adapted to the genius of popular eloquence. His father, who wished to render his own powers of excellence immortal by thofe of the fon, preferred Cambridge for its attachment to the old whig fyftem of politics, for its liberal attentions to the faculties of youth, and for a variety of qualities by which it appeared to him a much fuperior feminary of learning than the other. Indeed the reputation of both owes much to the prejudices and affiduities of the natives; as every language and branch of literature and fcience may be acquired with equal advantage, both in this and many other countries. It is by fuch petty preferences as thefe that the literati of one nation are fo generally the ridicule of another.

It was here then that the character of Mr. Pitt began to form, and where the leffons he had received from his father took their first effect. What fpecimens he had given of his elocution or political addrefs, is not generally known, but the gentlemen of the univerfity were foon pretty generally impreffed with an apprebenfion that he was destined to be at the head of whatever line of life he thould be inclined to prefer. Young and unexperienced as he then was, many of his moft

intimate contemporaries proposed him. 23 no improper perfon to reprefent that ancient and learned body in parliament. This, however, being a contested election he politely declined, and was chofen member for Poole.

In the houfe of commons he was foon diftinguished both by his eloquence and his principles. He took an immediate and decided part with that illuftrious band of patriots, who, united by the great and imminent dangers which threatened the country, and animated by the enthusiasm of public fpirit, ftruggled fo long, fo ar. dently, and fo magnanimoully, to recover the fallen credit and reftore the expiring vigour of the British empire. The firft fpeech he delivered in parliament arrefted the attention and conciliated the fympathy of his honourable audience to a wonder ful degree. Nothing had ever a finer or more immediate effect. It astonished and over-powered the house! The genius of his immortal father was, in fome refpects, recognized, and felt in the tropical language, the bold conceptions, the elegant manner, the animated fentiments, and the conflitutional regards of a boy.

That administration, which had been fo long fupported by fecret influence, which had rafhly difmembered the empire and deftroyed its unanimity, which had ruined our commerce, increafed our debt and exhaufted our refources, was now evidently on the decline, and the eloquence and addrefs of our young orator and politician did not a little contribute to precipitate its downfall. All fides of the house were equal admirers of his powers. He was littened to with admiration and rapture. The national fpirit recovered with the name of Pitt. The miniftry faw their tottering fituation. The infpiration and impetuofity of a Chatham fhook their best defence to the bafe, though but announced by a boy. The numerous and refpectable admirers of the father were confequently, at leaft in this inftance, willing to bring forward and even to exaggerate the prouifing merits of the fon.

In return for the complaifance of the people, who immediately hailed him the faviour of a finking flate, he entered warmly into their caufe, and publicly pledged himself the champion of their rights. His motion for a committee of the houfe to confider or confult the most proper means of accomplishing a more equal reprefentation of them in parlia ment, did him the greatest credit. The propofitions, as in hit have been expected, was rejected, but it was attended with

this good effect, that the subject from that comment attracted and continues to attract the most general and folicitqus attention. He propofed a fimilar but more fpecific meafure laft year, which, however, had no better fuccefs. It is moft earnestly to be wifhed, the friends of the people may never grow languid or indifferent in their caufe, and that an object fo near their hearts, and of fo much magnitude and intereft, may never lofe the hold which it now has of the public enquiry, folicitude and concern, until the reafonable and confitational defires of the people be fubflantiated by the fanétion of the legiflature, and have their full effect.

Mr. Pitt fufficiently qvinced his fagacity and attention to his own importance in that change of adminiftration, which hap. pened in confequence of Lord North's difmillion from the fervice of the public. He forefaw the revolution, and gave every alliftance in his power to gratify the eager defires of the public, by an event which they had fo long and earnestly requefted in vain. To the great leaders of this arduous and fuccefsful oppofition, however, his carriage became fuddenly and ftrangely diftant and referved; and in the general arrangement, which immediately fucceed. ed, be refufed being made a lord of the admiralty, though tendered to him with the moft flattering marks of refpect, and the ftrongeft affurances of future advance

ment.

The fyftem of politics adapted and purfed by the Rockingham adminiftration, differed from that of his father, as well as from that to which he profeffed himself the frongeft attachment very immaterially. With the new miniftry, however, he never afted cordially or from the heart. Whether he thought his noble relation, Lord Mahon, neglected, or his own metits and popularity not fufficiently cherish ed or encouraged, is uncertain; but he not only avoided all official connection, but whatever could be mifconftrued into political friendship with that party. It is well known Lord Shelburne claims all the merits of his tuition, and perhaps what the public attributed to pride or caprice, might chiefly originate in an implicit and dutiful fubmiffion to the fratagems and intrigues of his lordship.

perfonal character, feemed to be the keyone of an arch, not defined to furvive him. This glorious ftructure, like every mortal one, carried in its own bowels the feeds of diffolution. Sound and fubftantial as the foundation was, what could be expeded from materials which wanted adhefion. A conteft between the then firft commiffioner of the treafury, and one of his majesty's fecretaries of ftate, proved fatal to that connection and intereft. The confequence was a feceffion from the cabinet. This made room for the fubject of thefe memoirs; and, undoubtedly, nothing promifed fo complete a remedy to the fchifm now effected in his majefly's counfels, as affigning to Mr. Pitt an oftenfible office in adminiftration. He was accordingly promoted in June, 1782, to be chancellor and under treasurer of his majelly's exchequer, and fworn of his majefty's moft honourable privy council.

This department is one of the most important under the crown; its object is the finances of the country, and it involves, on that account, all our numerous refources. It confèquently connects, with an ample andextenfive patronage, a business peculiarly complicated and immenfe. The various emoluments which it accumulates are enormous, and make an adequate recompenfe for the indefatigable induftry, and great refponfibility it fuppofes. Mete official details, the form or routine of duty, however, depends but little on the chancellor, as it is ftatedly executed by thofe bred and appointed for the purpofé.

A chancellor of the exchequer, at the age of twenty-three, was a natural object of public curiofity and fpeculation. The multitude gazed on him as a fupernatural being, endowed with the power of working miracles. Never did any man entér on the fervice of his country with a larger flock of popularity; all the predilection fo juftly and univerfally entertained for the father, was, on this occafion, naturally transferred to the fon. His very youth, or inexperience, which feemed the only impediment to his official capacity, operated by a frange caprice of the human mind in his favour. To thofe, however, who envied his appointment, this idol of his country, this fatefman by birth, this redeemer of his father's fame, this inheriThe death of the Marquis of Rocking- tor of a Chatham's genius, patriotifm and ham forms no inconfiderable epoch in the oratory, appeared no more than the illpolitical hiftory of this country. The mi-farred puppet of a miniftry, without folnifterial arrangement of that amiable and patriotic nobleman was formed on a broad and folid bafis.. But the many elevated and princely qualities which adorned his

dity, union, or credit; and all that profufion of applaufe, which attended the commencement of his official character, was-confequently confidered only as fo

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