He and his brother*, John Hiley, were sent together, at a proper age, to Cheam school, where they remained for some time, under the Rev. Mr. Gilpin; and it is not a little remarkable, that in all their future pursuits, whether in search of knowledge, in the mazes of politics, or in the career of preferment, they have never been once separated. The two brothers afterwards went to Winchester school, over which Dr. Wharton at that period presided; thence they repaired to Dr. Goodenough's at Ealing; and finally they removed to Oxford, where their father himself had been bred.

In the mean time, the political tenets of Dr. A. had led to a connexion with the family of the late Earl of Chatham, whose friend and physician he was, which in the end produced the aggrandisement of

his own.

The Doctor entertained a high opinion of the abilities and integrity of the first Mr. Pitt, who, to an cloquence far more resplendent than that of his younger son, added great practical talents, a scorn of oppression, and a noble pride, which made him spurn at every thing that bore the semblance of corruption.

During the latter part of Lord Chatham's life he lived in great intimacy with that nobleman, and such was the confidence subsisting between them, that,

*This gentleman, so called after his maternal grandfather, was left a considerable fortune by a relation while an infant in the cradle. † Mr. Gilpin entertained a high notion of Mr. Henry Addington's abilities, in consequence of which he very candidly advised his father to finish his education at some great public school.

when a negotiation was opened with the late Earl of Bute respecting his return to power, he acted as the plenipotentiary of the ex-minister*,

It

* "In the very week of this transaction (a negotiation concerning France) an extraordinary affair happened relative to our hero, which afterwards furnished a subject of much disquisition. It was a transaction between the Earl of Bute and Lord Chatham. As the affair is involved in considerable obscurity, I will first simply state the facts, as they appear upon the face of the evidence.

"Sir James Wright, an intimate friend of Lord Bute, and Dr. Addington, an eminent physician, who attended the Earl of Chatham, had repeatedly entertained each other with political conversation, in which the names of their respective patrons were introduced. The frequent recurrence of this theme was, it seems, first animadverted upon by Sir James, or one of his friends ; and it was thought proper in consequence to communicate the purport

of these conversations to Lord Bute. Thus the circumstance is related in one part of the account, published in Sir James's own name; though elsewhere he seems to say, that the communication was made at the immediate request of Dr. Addington. Lord Bute, in answer, wished the Doctor to be requested to assure Lord Chatham, that if he should think proper to take an active part in administration, he should have his most hearty concurrence and sincere good wishes." He said, "For his own part, nothing but the most imminent danger to this country should induce him to take a part in the government of it, in conjunction with an able and upright administration." In the mean time, Dr. Addington did not choose to engage in so extraordi. nary an affair, without having his commission in writing. Sir James accordnigly sent him a letter next morning, containing the above sentiments. Dr. Addington says, in his narrative, that Sir James added verbally, that "Lord Bute was willing to engage in such an administration as Secretary of State, and that no objection could be made to Lord Camden, or more than one of Lord Chatham's friends." This addition is peremptorily denied

by

It may be naturally supposed that this of course led to an intimacy between their families, and we accordingly find that the young Pitts and the young Addingtons early in life cultivated a friendship with each other, which received a fresh increase when Mr. William Pitt became a member of the Society of Lincoln's Inn, and Mr. Henry Addington entered his name as a student, and eat commons at the same hall.

by Sir James, who ascribes it to Dr. Addington's confounding the hypothetical conversation that preceded the negotiation with the negotiation itself.

"The answer Lord Chatham dictated to Sir James's letter, which is very full and explicit, I shall beg leave to add. "Lord Chatham heard, with particular satisfaction, the favourable sentiments, on this subject, of the noble Lord with whom you have talked with regard to the impending ruin of the kingdom. He fears all hope is precluded: but adds, that zeal, duty, and obedience, may outlive hope; that, if any thing can prevent the consummation of public ruin, it can only be new counsels and new counsellors, without further loss of time; a real change, from a sincere conviction of past errors, and not a mere palliation, which must prove fruitless." In answer to Dr. Addington's verbal communication, which was not made till after writing the above note, Lord Chatham affirmed, that "it was impossible for him to serve the King and country with either Lord Bute or Lord North ;" and he desired Dr. Addington, if any one asked about it," to bear witness that he said so."

The expression, "real change," in the note, struck, it seems, both Sir James and his patron, as pointing at that nobleman. An answer was accordingly immediately returned, in which Lord Bute disclaimed having seen the King for many years, or known any thing of public affairs but from common conversation or the newspapers. At the same time Sir James informed Dr. Addington, that his stay in town could be of no service.-The History of the Life of William Pitt, Earl of Chatham, p. 263.

Mr. Addington, who was thus destined for the bar, might in time have obtained a silk gown, and perhaps, have risen to the dignity of a Welch judge; but he soon found that a wig of another kind suited his head far better than that of the president of a provincial judicature: nor was he mistaken in his hopes. The brilliant career of his young friend already pointed to the first offices of the state, and Mr. Addington was drawn up to power and consequence in the vortex of his successful ambition.

We soon find him occupying a seat in parliament, declaiming against Mr. Fox's coalition with Lord North, opposing the India bill of that gentleman, and smoothing his friend's way, by an oily eloquence rather than a transcendant oratory, to the summit of power*. No sooner was this attained on the part of Mr. Pitt, than Mr. Addington began to taste those crumbs of comfort, in the shape of official emoluments, which he is now enabled so plentifully to bestow but a more lucrative situation awaited him,

* The Addingtons exerted themselves in a very particular manner during the King's illness. At that critical moment the opinion of Dr. Addington, who had paid much attention to cases of insa nity, was of great weight. When examined before the House of Lords, he drew a favourable inference from his Majesty's "not having had any previous melancholy;" and held forth the prospect of speedy convalescence. In short, his hopes, afterwards so happily realised, are supposed to have had no common influence over the political faith of Mr. Pitt, and to have tended not a little to give stability to his tottering power.

The Recordership of Devizes in Wiltshire, secured a seat for that borough in the House of Commons, while, at the same time, he became a Lord of Trade and Plantations, &c.

which, after a warm struggle, he obtained in 1789, in a manner highly honourable to himself.

Mr. (now Lord) Grenville, was at this period Speaker of the House of Commons; and it was deemed necessary that he should be elevated to one of the highest departments in the state. The friends of Mr. Addington immediately pointed the latter out as a proper person to succeed him. The Marquis of Graham accordingly, on Monday July 8, 1789, after a high eulogium on his talents, moved. "that he should take the chair." Sir Gilbert Elliot was proposed by Mr. Welbore Ellis, afterwards Lord Mendip, and on the division the numbers appeared, for Mr. Addington 215, for Sir Gilbert Elliot 142-majority 73. Mr. Addington accordingly assumed the insignia of office; but, when he addressed the King on the occasion, he was pleased to observe, with becoming modesty, " that he felt himself unequal to the arduous task which the partiality of that house had imposed upon him, and hoped his Majesty would be pleased, by his royal disapprobation of their present choice, to afford his faithful Commons an opportunity of electing a person better qualified to discharge the duties of an office so important."

On the convocation of a new Parliament, a few months after, Mr. Addington was unanimously reelected, and the subject of India affairs soon afforded a very apposite opportunity for the exercise of his talents and industry, more especially when the question was agitated, whether the impeachment of Warren

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