the miscellaneous writings and speeches-3-第35章

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dministration。　　The　whole　history　of　that　administration　was　of　a　piece　with　the　commencement。　　Almost　every　month　brought　some　new　disaster　or　disgrace。　　To　the　war　with　France　was　soon　added　a　war　with　Spain。　　The　opponents　of　the　minister　were　numerous；　able；　and　active。　　His　most　useful　coadjutors　he　soon　lost。　　Sickness　deprived　him　of　the　help　of　Lord　Harrowby。　　It　was　discovered　that　Lord　Melville　had　been　guilty　of　highly　culpable　laxity　in　transactions　relating　to　public　money。　　He　was　censured　by　the　House　of　Commons；　driven　from　office；　ejected　from　the　Privy　Council；　and　impeached　of　high　crimes　and　misdemeanours。　　The　blow　fell　heavy　on　Pitt。　　It　gave　him；　he　said　in　Parliament；　a　deep　pang；　and；　as　he　uttered　the　word　pang；　his　lip　quivered；　his　voice　shook；　he　paused；　and　his　hearers　thought　that　he　was　about　to　burst　into　tears。　　Such　tears　shed　by　Eldon　would　have　moved　nothing　but　laughter。　　Shed　by　the　warm…hearted　and　open…hearted　Fox；　they　would　have　moved　sympathy；　but　would　have　caused　no　surprise。　　But　a　tear　from　Pitt　would　have　been　something　portentous。　　He　suppressed　his　emotion；　however；　and　proceeded　with　his　usual　majestic　self…　possession。　His　difficulties　compelled　him　to　resort　to　various　expedients。　　At　one　time　Addington　was　persuaded　to　accept　office　with　a　peerage；　but　he　brought　no　additional　strength　to　the　government。　　Though　he　went　through　the　form　of　reconciliation；　it　was　impossible　for　him　to　forget　the　past。　　While　he　remained　in　place　he　was　jealous　and　punctilious；　and　he　soon　retired　again。　　At　another　time　Pitt　renewed　his　efforts　to　overcome　his　master's　aversion　to　Fox；　and　it　was　rumoured　that　the　King's　obstinacy　was　gradually　giving　way。　　But；　meanwhile；　it　was　impossible　for　the　minister　to　conceal　from　the　public　eye　the　decay　of　his　health；　and　the　constant　anxiety　which　gnawed　at　his　heart。　　His　sleep　was　broken。　　His　food　ceased　to　nourish　him。　　All　who　passed　him　in　the　Park；　all　who　had　interviews　with　him　in　Downing　Street；　saw　misery　written　in　his　face。　　The　peculiar　look　which　he　wore　during　the　last　months　of　his　life　was　often　pathetically　described　by　Wilberforce；　who　used　to　call　it　the　Austerlitz　look。　Still　the　vigour　of　Pitt's　intellectual　faculties；　and　the　intrepid　haughtiness　of　his　spirit；　remained　unaltered。　　He　had　staked　everything　on　a　great　venture。　　He　had　succeeded　in　forming　another　mighty　coalition　against　the　French　ascendency。　　The　united　forces　of　Austria；　Russia；　and　England　might；　he　hoped；　oppose　an　insurmountable　barrier　to　the　ambition　of　the　common　enemy。　　But　the　genius　and　energy　of　Napoleon　prevailed。　　While　the　English　troops　were　preparing　to　embark　for　Germany；　while　the　Russian　troops　were　slowly　coming　up　from　Poland；　he；　with　rapidity　unprecedented　in　modern　war；　moved　a　hundred　thousand　men　from　the　shores　of　the　Ocean　to　the　Black　Forest；　and　compelled　a　great　Austrian　army　to　surrender　at　Ulm。　　To　the　first　faint　rumours　of　this　calamity　Pitt　would　give　no　credit。　　He　was　irritated　by　the　alarms　of　those　around　him。　　〃Do　not　believe　a　word　of　it；〃　he　said：　　〃It　is　all　a　fiction。〃　　The　next　day　he　received　a　Dutch　newspaper　containing　the　capitulation。　　He　knew　no　Dutch。　　It　was　Sunday；　and　the　public　offices　were　shut。　　He　carried　the　paper　to　Lord　Malmesbury；　who　had　been　minister　in　Holland；　and　Lord　Malmesbury　translated　it。　　Pitt　tried　to　bear　up；　but　the　shock　was　too　great；　and　he　went　away　with　death　in　his　face。　The　news　of　the　battle　of　Trafalgar　arrived　four　days　later；　and　seemed　for　a　moment　to　revive　him。　　Forty…eight　hours　after　that　most　glorious　and　most　mournful　of　victories　had　been　announced　to　the　country　came　the　Lord　Mayor's　day；　and　Pitt　dined　at　Guildhall。　　His　popularity　had　declined。　　But　on　this　occasion　the　multitude；　greatly　excited　by　the　recent　tidings；　welcomed　him　enthusiastically；　took　off　his　horses　in　Cheapside；　and　drew　his　carriage　up　King　Street。　　When　his　health　was　drunk；　he　returned　thanks　in　two　or　three　of　those　stately　sentences　of　which　he　had　a　boundless　command。　　Several　of　those　who　heard　him　laid　up　his　words　in　their　hearts；　for　they　were　the　last　words　that　he　ever　uttered　in　public：　　〃Let　us　hope　that　England；　having　saved　herself　by　her　energy；　may　save　Europe　by　her　example。〃　This　was　but　a　momentary　rally。　　Austerlitz　soon　completed　what　Ulm　had　begun。　　Early　in　December　Pitt　had　retired　to　Bath；　in　the　hope　that　he　might　there　gather　strength　for　the　approaching　session。　　While　he　was　languishing　there　on　his　sofa　arrived　the　news　that　a　decisive　battle　had　been　fought　and　lost　in　Moravia；　that　the　coalition　was　dissolved；　that　the　Continent　was　at　the　feet　of　France。　　He　sank　down　under　the　blow。　　Ten　days　later　he　was　so　emaciated　that　his　most　intimate　friends　hardly　knew　him。　　He　came　up　from　Bath　by　slow　journeys；　and；　on　the　11th　of　January　1806；　reached　his　villa　at　Putney。　　Parliament　was　to　meet　on　the　21st。　　On　the　20th　was　to　be　the　parliamentary　dinner　at　the　house　of　the　First　Lord　of　the　Treasury　in　Downing　Street；　and　the　cards　were　already　issued。　　But　the　days　of　the　great　minister　were　numbered。　　The　only　chance　for　his　life；　and　that　a　very　slight　chance；　was　that　he　should　resign　his　office；　and　pass　some　months　in　profound　repose。　　His　colleagues　paid　him　very　short　visits；　and　carefully　avoided　political　conversation。　　But　his　spirit；　long　accustomed　to　dominion；　could　not；　even　in　that　extremity；　relinquish　hopes　which　everybody　but　himself　perceived　to　be　vain。　　On　the　day　on　which　he　was　carried　into　his　bedroom　at　Putney；　the　Marquess　Wellesley；　whom　he　had　long　loved；　whom　he　had　sent　to　govern　India；　and　whose　administration　had　been　eminently　able；　energetic；　and　successful；　arrived　in　London　after　an　absence　of　eight　years。　　The　friends　saw　each　other　once　more。　　There　was　an　affectionate　meeting；　and　a　last　parting。　　That　it　was　a　last　parting　Pitt　did　not　seem　to　be　aware。　　He　fancied　himself　to　be　recovering；　talked　on　various　subjects　cheerfully；　and　with　an　unclouded　mind；　and　pronounced　a　warm　and　discerning　eulogium　on　the　Marquess's　brother　Arthur。　　〃I　never；〃　he　said；　〃met　with　any　military　man　with　whom　it　was　so　satisfactory　to　converse。〃　　The　excitement　and　exertion　of　this　interview　were　too　much　for　the　sick　man。　　He　fainted　away；　and　Lord　Wellesley　left　the　house；　convinced　that　the　close　was　fast　approaching。　And　now　members　of　Parliament　were　fast　coming　up　to　London。　　The　chiefs　of　the　opposition　met　for　the　purpose　of　considering　the　course　to　be　taken　on　the　first　day　of　the　session。　　It　was　easy　to　guess　what　would　be　the　language　of　the　King's　speech；　and　of　the　address　which　would　be　moved　in　answer　to　that　speech。　　An　amendment　condemning　the　policy　of　the　government　had　been　prepared；　and　was　to　have　been　proposed　in　the　House　of　Commons　by　Lord　Henry　Petty；　a　young　nobleman　who　had　already　won　for　himself　that　place　in　the　esteem　of　his　country　which；　after　the　lapse　of　more　than　half　a　century；　he　still　retains。　　He　was　unwilling；　however；　to　come　forward　as　the　accuser　of　one　who　was　incapable　of　defending　himself。　　Lord　Grenville；　who　had　been　informed　of　Pitt's　state　by　Lord　Wellesley；　and　had　been　deeply　affected　by　it；　earnestly　recommended　forbearance；　and　Fox；　with　characteristic　generosity　and　good　nature；　gave　his　voice　against　attacking　his　now　helpless　rival。　　〃Sunt　lacrymae　rerum；〃　he　said；　〃et　mentem　mortalia　tangunt。〃　　On　the　first　day；　therefore；　there　was　no　debate。　　It　was　rumoured　that　evening　that　Pitt　was　better。　　But　on　the　following　morning　his　physicians　pronounced　that　there　were　no　hopes。　　The　commanding　faculties　of　which　he　had　been　too　proud　were　beginning　to　fail。　　His　old　tutor　and　friend；　the　Bishop　of　Lincoln；　informed　him　of　his　danger；　and　gave　such　religious　advice　and　consolation　as　a　confused　and　obscured　mind　could　receive。　　Stories　were　told　of　devout　sentiments　fervently　uttered　by　the　dying　man。　　But　these　stories　found　no　credit　with　anybody　who　knew　him。　　Wilberforce　pronounced　it　impossible　that　they　could　be　true。　　〃Pitt；〃　he　added；　〃was　a　man　who　always　said　less　than　he　thought　on　such　topics。〃　　It　was　asserted　in　many　after…dinner　speeches；　Grub　Street　elegies；　and　academic　prize　poems　and　prize　declamations；　that　the　great　minister　died　exclaiming；　〃Oh　my　country！〃　　This　is　a　fable；　but　it　is　true　that　the　last　words　which　he　uttered；　while　he　knew　what　he　said；　were　broken　exclamations　about　the　alarming　state　of　public　affairs。　　He　ceased　to　breathe　on　the　morning　of　the　23rd　of　January；　1806；　the　twenty…fifth　anniversary　of　the　day　on　which　he　first　took　his　seat　in　Parliament。　　He　was　in　his　forty…seventh　year；　and　had　been；　during　near　nineteen　years；　First　Lord　of　the　Treasury；　and　undisputed　chief　of　the　administration。　　Since　parliamentary　government　was　established　in　England；　no　English　statesman　has　held　supreme　power　so　long。　　Walpole；　it　is　true；　was　First　Lord　of　the　Treasury　during　more　than　twenty　years：　　but　it　was　not　till　Walpole　had　been　some　time　First　Lord　of　the　Treasury　that　he　could　be　properly　called　Prime　Minister。　It　was　moved　in　the　House　of　Commons　that　Pitt　should　be　honoured　with　a　public　funeral　and　a　monument。　　The　motion　was　opposed　by　Fo