the miscellaneous writings and speeches-3-第25章

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ed。　　Pit　was　suffering　from　indisposition：　　he　did　not　rise　till　his　own　strength　and　that　of　his　hearers　were　exhausted；　and　he　was　consequently　less　successful　than　on　any　former　occasion。　　His　admirers　owned　that　his　speech　was　feeble　and　petulant。　　He　so　far　forgot　himself　as　to　advise　Sheridan　to　confine　himself　to　amusing　theatrical　audiences。　　This　ignoble　sarcasm　gave　Sheridan　an　opportunity　of　retorting　with　great　felicity。　　〃After　what　I　have　seen　and　heard　to…night；〃　he　said；　〃I　really　feel　strongly　tempted　to　venture　on　a　competition　with　so　great　an　artist　as　Ben　Jonson；　and　to　bring　on　the　stage　a　second　Angry　Boy。〃　　On　a　division；　the　address　proposed　by　the　supporters　of　the　government　was　rejected　by　a　majority　of　sixteen。　But　Pitt　was　not　a　man　to　be　disheartened　by　a　single　failure；　or　to　be　put　down　by　the　most　lively　repartee。　　When　a　few　days　later；　the　opposition　proposed　a　resolution　directly　censuring　the　treaties；　he　spoke　with　an　eloquence；　energy；　and　dignity　which　raised　his　fame　and　popularity　higher　than　ever。　　To　the　coalition　of　Fox　and　North　he　alluded　in　language　which　drew　forth　tumultuous　applause　from　his　followers。　　〃If；〃　he　said；　〃this　ill…omened　and　unnatural　marriage　be　not　yet　consummated；　I　know　of　a　just　and　lawful　impediment；　and；　in　the　name　of　the　public　weal；　I　forbid　the　banns。〃　The　ministers　were　again　left　in　a　minority；　and　Shelburne　consequently　tendered　his　resignation。　　It　was　accepted；　but　the　King　struggled　long　and　hard　before　he　submitted　to　the　terms　dictated　by　Fox；　whose　faults　he　detested；　and　whose　high　spirit　and　powerful　intellect　he　detested　still　more。　　The　first　place　at　the　board　of　Treasury　was　repeatedly　offered　to　Pitt；　but　the　offer；　though　tempting；　was　steadfastly　declined。　　The　young　man；　whose　judgment　was　as　precocious　as　his　eloquence；　saw　that　his　time　was　coming；　but　was　not　come；　and　was　deaf　to　royal　importunities　and　reproaches。　　His　Majesty；　bitterly　complaining　of　Pitt's　faintheartedness；　tried　to　break　the　coalition。　　Every　art　of　seduction　was　practised　on　North；　but　in　vain。　　During　several　weeks　the　country　remained　without　a　government。　　It　was　not　till　all　devices　had　failed；　and　till　the　aspect　of　the　House　of　Commons　became　threatening；　that　the　King　gave　way。　　The　Duke　of　Portland　was　declared　First　Lord　of　the　Treasury。　　Thurlow　was　dismissed。　　Fox　and　North　became　Secretaries　of　State；　with　power　ostensibly　equal。　　But　Fox　was　the　real　prime　minister。　The　year　was　far　advanced　before　the　new　arrangements　were　completed；　and　nothing　very　important　was　done　during　the　remainder　of　the　session。　　Pitt；　now　seated　on　the　opposition　bench；　brought　the　question　of　parliamentary　reform　a　second　time　under　the　consideration　of　the　Commons。　　He　proposed　to　add　to　the　House　at　once　a　hundred　county　members　and　several　members　for　metropolitan　districts；　and　to　enact　that　every　borough　of　which　an　election　committee　should　report　that　the　majority　of　voters　appeared　to　be　corrupt　should　lose　the　franchise。　　The　motion　was　rejected　by　293　votes　to　149。　After　the　prorogation；　Pitt　visited　the　Continent　for　the　first　and　last　time。　　His　travelling　companion　was　one　of　his　most　intimate　friends；　a　young　man　of　his　own　age；　who　had　already　distinguished　himself　in　Parliament　by　an　engaging　natural　eloquence；　set　off　by　the　sweetest　and　most　exquisitely　modulated　of　human　voices；　and　whose　affectionate　heart；　caressing　manners；　and　brilliant　wit；　made　him　the　most　delightful　of　companions；　William　Wilberforce。　　That　was　the　time　of　Anglomania　in　France；　and　at　Paris　the　son　of　the　great　Chatham　was　absolutely　hunted　by　men　of　letters　and　women　of　fashion；　and　forced；　much　against　his　will；　into　political　disputation。　　One　remarkable　saying　which　dropped　from　him　during　this　tour　has　been　preserved。　　A　French　gentleman　expressed　some　surprise　at　the　immense　influence　which　Fox；　a　man　of　pleasure；　ruined　by　the　dice…box　and　the　turf；　exercised　over　the　English　nation。　　〃You　have　not；〃　said　Pitt；　〃been　under　the　wand　of　the　magician。〃　In　November　1783　the　Parliament　met　again。　　The　government　had　irresistible　strength　in　the　House　of　Commons；　and　seemed　to　be　scarcely　less　strong　in　the　House　of　Lords；　but　was；　in　truth；　surrounded　on　every　side　by　dangers。　　The　King　was　impatiently　waiting　for　the　moment　at　which　he　could　emancipate　himself　from　a　yoke　which　galled　him　so　severely　that　he　had　more　than　once　seriously　thought　of　retiring　to　Hanover；　and　the　King　was　scarcely　more　eager　for　a　change　than　the　nation。　　Fox　and　North　had　committed　a　fatal　error。　　They　ought　to　have　known　that　coalitions　between　parties　which　have　long　been　hostile　can　succeed　only　when　the　wish　for　coalition　pervades　the　lower　ranks　of　both。　　If　the　leaders　unite　before　there　is　any　disposition　to　union　among　the　followers；　the　probability　is　that　there　will　be　a　mutiny　in　both　camps；　and　that　the　two　revolted　armies　will　make　a　truce　with　each　other；　in　order　to　be　revenged　on　those　by　whom　they　think　that　they　have　been　betrayed。　　Thus　it　was　in　1783。　　At　the　beginning　of　that　eventful　year；　North　had　been　the　recognised　head　of　the　old　Tory　party；　which；　though　for　a　moment　prostrated　by　the　disastrous　issue　of　the　American　war；　was　still　a　great　power　in　the　state。　　To　him　the　clergy；　the　universities；　and　that　large　body　of　country　gentlemen　whose　rallying　cry　was　〃Church　and　King；〃　had　long　looked　up　with　respect　and　confidence。　　Fox　had；　on　the　other　hand；　been　the　idol　of　the　Whigs；　and　of　the　whole　body　of　Protestant　dissenters。　　The　coalition　at　once　alienated　the　most　zealous　Tories　from　North；　and　the　most　zealous　Whigs　from　Fox。　　The　University　of　Oxford；　which　had　marked　its　approbation　of　North's　orthodoxy　by　electing　him　chancellor；　the　city　of　London；　which　had　been　during　two　and　twenty　years　at　war　with　the　Court；　were　equally　disgusted。　　Squires　and　rectors；　who　had　inherited　the　principles　of　the　cavaliers　of　the　preceding　century；　could　not　forgive　their　old　leader　for　combining　with　disloyal　subjects　in　order　to　put　a　force　on　the　sovereign。　　The　members　of　the　Bill　of　Rights　Society　and　of　the　Reform　Associations　were　enraged　by　learning　that　their　favourite　orator　now　called　the　great　champion　of　tyranny　and　corruption　his　noble　friend。　　Two　great　multitudes　were　at　once　left　without　any　head；　and　both　at　once　turned　their　eyes　on　Pitt。　　One　party　saw　in　him　the　only　man　who　could　rescue　the　King；　the　other　saw　in　him　the　only　man　who　could　purify　the　Parliament。　　He　was　supported　on　one　side　by　Archbishop　Markham；　the　preacher　of　divine　right；　and　by　Jenkinson；　the　captain　of　the　Praetorian　band　of　the　King's　friends；　on　the　other　side　by　Jebb　and　Priestley；　Sawbridge　and　Cartwright；　Jack　Wilkes　and　Horne　Tooke。　　On　the　benches　of　the　House　of　Commons；　however；　the　ranks　of　the　ministerial　majority　were　unbroken；　and　that　any　statesman　would　venture　to　brave　such　a　majority　was　thought　impossible。　　No　prince　of　the　Hanoverian　line　had　ever；　under　any　provocation；　ventured　to　appeal　from　the　representative　body　to　the　constituent　body。　　The　ministers；　therefore；　notwithstanding　the　sullen　looks　and　muttered　words　of　displeasure　with　which　their　suggestions　were　received　in　the　closet；　notwithstanding　the　roar　of　obloquy　which　was　rising　louder　and　louder　every　day　from　every　corner　of　the　island；　thought　themselves　secure。　Such　was　their　confidence　in　their　strength　that；　as　soon　as　the　Parliament　had　met；　they　brought　forward　a　singularly　bold　and　original　plan　for　the　government　of　the　British　territories　in　India。　　What　was　proposed　was　that　the　whole　authority；　which　till　that　time　had　been　exercised　over　those　territories　by　the　East　India　Company；　should　be　transferred　to　seven　Commissioners　who　were　to　be　named　by　Parliament；　and　were　not　to　be　removable　at　the　pleasure　of　the　Crown。　　Earl　Fitzwilliam；　the　most　intimate　personal　friend　of　Fox；　was　to　be　chairman　of　this　board；　and　the　eldest　son　of　North　was　to　be　one　of　the　members。　As　soon　as　the　outlines　of　the　scheme　were　known；　all　the　hatred　which　the　coalition　had　excited　burst　forth　with　an　astounding　explosion。　　The　question　which　ought　undoubtedly　to　have　been　considered　as　paramount　to　every　other　was；　whether　the　proposed　change　was　likely　to　be　beneficial　or　injurious　to　the　thirty　millions　of　people　who　were　subject　to　the　Company。　　But　that　question　cannot　be　said　to　have　been　even　seriously　discussed。　　Burke；　who；　whether　right　or　wrong　in　the　conclusions　to　which　he　came；　had　at　least　the　merit　of　looking　at　the　subject　in　the　right　point　of　view；　vainly　reminded　his　hearers　of　that　mighty　population　whose　daily　rice　might　depend　on　a　vote　of　the　British　Parliament。　　He　spoke；　with　even　more　than　his　wonted　power　of　thought　and　language；　about　the　desolation　of　Rohilcund；　about　the　spoliation　of　Benares；　about　the　evil　policy　which　had　suffered　the　tanks　of　the　Carnatic　to　go　to　ruin；　but　he　could　scarcely　obtain　a　hearing。　　The　contending　parties；　to　their　shame　it　must　be　said；　would　listen　to　none　but　English　topics。　　Out　of　doors　the　cry　against　the　ministry　was　almost　universal。　　Town　and　country　were　united。　　Corporations　exclaimed　against　the　violation　of　the　charter　of　the　gre