tioned to the party, so that those kept at home in the morning might join the ride there if they pleased. On coming home from these rides, they used to put on dry clothes, and to hold a Cabinet, for all the party were members of the Cabinet, except me and, I think, the Duke of Montrose. At dinner Mr. Pitt drank little wine; but it was at that time the fashion to sup, and he then took a great deal of port-wine and water.

In the same month I also met Mr. Pitt at the Lord Mayor's dinner; he did not seem ill. On that occasion I remember he returned thanks in one of the best and neatest speeches I ever heard in my life. It was in very few words. The Lord Mayor had proposed his health as one who had been the Saviour of England, and would be the Saviour of the rest of Europe. Mr. Pitt then got up, disclaimed the compliment as applied to himself, and added, England has saved herself by her exertions, and the rest of Europe will be saved by her example!' That was all; he was scarcely up two minutes; yet nothing could be more perfect.

"I remember another curious thing at that dinner. Erskine was there. Now Mr. Pitt had always over Erskine a great ascendency-the ascendency of terror. Sometimes, in the House of Commons, he could keep Erskine in check by merely putting out his hand or making a note. At this dinner, Erskine's health having been drank, and Erskine rising to return thanks, Pitt held up his finger, and said to him across the table, Erskine! remember that they are drinking your health as a distinguished Colonel of Volunteers.' Erskine, who had intended, as we heard, to go off upon Rights of Juries, the State Trials, and other political points, was quite put out; he was awed like a school-boy at school, and in his speech kept strictly within the limits enjoined him."

I will here add some other reminiscences, which refer to exactly the same period-that is, October and November, 1805.

From the Note-book of Lord Fitzharris.'

"I met Pitt at Lord Bathurst's, in Gloucestershire, where he passed some days. We went to church at Cirencester. In discoursing afterwards on the beauties of our Liturgy, he selected the Thanksgiving Prayer as one particularly impressive and comprehensive. The one 'In Time of War and Tumults,' he thought admirably well drawn up, as well as that for the Parliament; but added, with respect to the first of the two, that he never in hearing it could divest himself of the analogy between 'abate their pride, assuage their malice,' and the line in the song of 'God save the King,' 'Confound their politics, frustrate their knavish tricks.' I observed that Pitt was constantly taking down and quoting from Lucan, of which author he appeared to be extremely fond. Nothing could be more playful, and, at the same time, more instructive, than Pitt's conversation on a variety of subjects while sitting in the library at Cirencester. You never would have guessed that the man before you was Prime Minister of the country, and one of the greatest that ever filled that situation. His style and manner were quite those of an accomplished idler." 2

From the Anecdote-book of Lord Eldon.

"I went with Mr. Pitt, not long before his death, from Roehampton to Windsor. Among much conver

2 Already published in a note to the Malmesbury Diaries, vol. iv. p. 347.

sation upon various subjects, I observed to him that his station in life must have given him better opportunities of knowing men than almost any other person could possess; and I asked whether his intercourse with them, upon the whole, led him to think that the greater part of them were governed by reasonably honourable principles or by corrupt motives. His answer was, that he had a favourable opinion of mankind upon the whole, and that he believed that the majority was really actuated by fair meaning and intention." 3

3 Twiss's Life of Lord Eldon, vol. i. p. 498.

CHAPTER XLIII.

1805-1806.

Mission of Lord Harrowby to Berlin - Pitt at Bath His criticism upon Lord Mulgrave's and Mr. Canning's Poems on the Victory of Trafalgar - Napoleon in Vienna - Battle of Austerlitz - Treaty of Presburg Effect of the intelligence on Pitt-Anxiety of his friends His illness at Putney - - His last letter-His interview with Lord Wellesley, and his opinion of Sir Arthur - Notes of the Hon. James Hamilton Stanhope - Narrative of the Bishop of Lincoln-Death of Pitt.

THE victory at Trafalgar seems to have given to the British public and to Pitt himself better hopes of the war in Germany. Wholly unconnected as were these two transactions, it is not surprising that men flushed with a great triumph at sea should not so readily despair of some similar success by land. It was thought that the events at Ulm would be soon retrieved. It was thought that the remains of the Austrian armies combining with the Russian would prove an overmatch to the French. It was thought that the King of Prussia, weary of his long wavering, would at last take part with Austria, and throw his sword into the scale.

The accession of the Cabinet of Berlin to one or other of the contending parties was, indeed, felt by both as a point of most vital importance. Napoleon

had lured it for some months past by the promise of Hanover. Pitt had endeavoured to arouse it by urging the dangers which impended to the independence of Germany and to its own. He also made the most liberal offers of subsidy if Prussia should be induced to join the cause of the Allies. To give the greater weight to his representations and his offers, he determined to send out a member of his own Cabinet, who had recently filled the office of Secretary for Foreign Affairs. This was Lord Harrowby, who was accordingly induced to undertake a special mission to Berlin, attended by Mr. Hammond, Under Secretary at the Foreign Office.

Meanwhile Mr. Pitt was much pressed by his physicians to make a journey to Bath, and he also hoped to find time for one or two short visits to his friends.

Mr. Pitt to Lord Carrington.

"DEAR CARRINGTON,

"Downing Street, Nov. 19, 1805.

"I should be most happy to be able now to fix a time for coming to you at Wycombe; but I may probably be kept all this week in daily expectation of hearing from Harrowby. As soon as I have done so (if the accounts are such as to admit of it), I mean to run down for a fortnight to Bath; and perhaps to repeat my visit there before Christmas, after coming back to town for a few days. All this, however, must depend a good deal on intermediate events. If you