whom William was the second. He was born May 8, 1759, at a time when his father's glory was at its zenith. On the accession of his present majesty, that great statesman, in consequence of new arrangements, chiefly occasioned by the rising influence of the earl of Bute, retired from the station which he had so honourably filled; and consigning his other sons to the care of tutors, he devoted his own time to the education of William, on a strong and well-founded persuasion (as he was in the habit of saying,) that he would one day increase the glory of the name of Pitt." His classical knowledge Mr. Pitt acquired under the care of a private tutor at Burton Pynsent, the seat of his father; and the earl took great pleasure in teaching him, while still a youth, to argue with logical precision, and to speak with elegance and force. He judiciously accustomed him to the practice of making accurate inquiries respecting every subject that caught his attention, and taught him not to remain satisied with a superficial observation of appearances. That he might enjoy all the bene. fits of instruction which this country could give him, and, at the same time, by a rapid progress in the preliminary studies, qualify himself early for the senate, he was taken, between fourteen and fifteen years of age, from his father's roof, and the care of a very enlightened and worthy clergyman, Mr. (now Dr.) Wilson, and sent to Pembroke college, Cambridge, where he was admitted under the tuition of Messrs. Turner and Prettyman, both very able men, and willing to second to the utmost of their power, the intentions of his father. Mr. Pretty man was also his private instructor, and a better choice could not have been made, as far as classical and mathematical knowledge were concerued. For eloquence he could not look up to either of his instructors; but his father's example and precepts required no farther assistance on that head. In Cambridge he became a model to the young nobility and fellowcommoners; and it was not doubted that, if the privileges of his rank had not exempted him from the usual exercises for the batchelor's degree, he would have been found among the first competitors for aca demical honours. On his admission, according to custom, to his master's degree, the public orator found it needless to search into genealogy, or even to dwell much upon the virtues of his father, for the eyes of the university were fixed on the youth: the enraptured audience assented to every encomium, and each breast was filled with the liveliest presages of his future greatness. Mr. Pitt was afterwards entered a student of Lincoln's inn, made a rapid progress in his legal stu dies, and was called to the bar, with every prospect of success. We are informed, that he once or twice went the Western circuit, and appeared as junior counsel in several causes. He was, however, destined to fill a more important station in the government of his country, than is usually obtained through the channel of the law. At the general election, 1780, we find him nominated by some of the most respectable persons in Cambridge as a candidate to repre sent that university; but notwithstanding the high character he had obtained there, he found very few to second his pretensions. In the following following year, however, he was field vacated his seat for Cambridge returned for the borough of Appleby, by the interest of sir James Lowther. On taking his seat in the house of commons, he enlisted himself on the side of the party which had constantly opposed the minister, lord North, and the American war, and which regarded him with a degree of veneration; recognising in his person the genius of his illustrious father, revived and acting, as it were, in him. His first speech was in favour of col. Barre's motion for substituting a set of other gentlemen, than what the minister (lord North) had appointed, as commissioners for auditing the public accompts, at the head of whom was John Elwes, esq.; and one of the first acts, in which he took the lead in that house, was extremely well calculated to increase his popularity; this was his motion for a committee, to consult upon the most effectual means to accomplish a more equal representation of the people in parliament. On the death of the marquis of Rockingham, the old whig party fell into a state of disunion, nearly bordering upon dissolution. A new arrangement took place soon after, and lord Shelburne became the first lord of the treasury, assisted by Mr. Pitt, who astonished the country, and, indeed, all Europe, by the phenomenon of a chancellor of the exchequer at the age of twentythree! This administration, however, of which he was one of the most distinguished members, was short-lived. On its dissolution, and the coalition ministry being formed, Mr. Mans by accepting the office of solicitor. general, and his return for the university was unsuccessfully op posed by Mr. Pitt, who was treated with contempt by many of the heads and members of the college. One of them almost threw the door in his face, and wondered at the impudence of the young man, thus to come down and disturb the peace of the university! From such a scene he retired in a few days in disgust; and afterwards went abroad for some time, visiting France, Italy, and several of the German courts. A few months, however, changed the scene; the British dominions in India having long been in an alarm.. ing situation, it was generally ad mitted that an immediate remedy was indispensably necessary to preserve them. On this occasion, Mr. Fox, then secretary of state, formed, digested, and brought forward his famous India bill, which he carried through its several stages in the lower house with a high hand; but it being rejected by the lords, the coalition ministry was thrown out, and lord North with his new allies were accordingly dismissed, and that too in a very unusual manner; and Mr. Pitt, the new premier, who had in the interim re-appeared on the great theatre of politics, was assisted by lord Thurlow, as keeper of the great seals-arrangements, which, at that time, were, however, only considered as tem. porary. He now astonished the commer. cial and political world, by his own India bill! He had, however, the mortification to find the majority of the the house of commons against him; and he was placed in the peculiar situation of a minister acting with a minority, and that in opposition to the strongest union of talents ever combined against any ministration. He, however, remained firm in his scat amidst a general confusion; and though the house had petitioned his majesty to dismiss him and his coadjutors, our young premier ventured to inform the representatives of the nation, that their petition could not be complied with! This struggle between the commons and the crown was of the greatest importance; but the people at large were of opinion, that the former encroached upon the regal prerogatives; and on the question being, in a manner, thrown into their hands by a dissolution of parliament, a new one was returned, which changed the majority in favour of the premier; who had again repaired in confidence to Cambridge, where he was received with open arms by the heads of the university, and now carried his election, in conjunction with lord Euston, who was supported by the interest of the duke of Graf. ton, chancellor of the university, To notice the various public measures brought forward by this active minister, would far exceed the bounds of a memoir so limited in its object as the present. They are incorporated in the history of his country, and at present familiarly recollected by his contemporaries. --The following, however, are some of the dates of the principal incidents in his life, which, as they form part of our history, are par ticularly detailed in the Annual Re gister of the times. They will be sufficient to guide the inquiry of our readers. He came first into parliament for the borough of Appleby, 23d Ja nuary, 1781, upon the interest of sir James Lowther; and on the 10th of July, 1782, being two months more than twenty-three years of age, he became chancellor of the exchequer, lord Shelburne being first lord of the treasury March 31, 1803, he announced is resignation, and the coalition m nistry was formed. On the 18th of November, 1783, Mr. Fox pro duced his celebrated India bill, and in consequence of the contest upon this subject was defeated by Pitt, who met the parliament as m nister a second time, Jan. 12, 1784, Mr. Fox and lord North being dis missed, Dec. 18, 1783. On the 26th of January, 1784, a meeting at the St. Alban's Tavern, of the most independent members of parliament, proposed an union of par. ties to Mr. Pitt and the duke of Portland, which it was found impos. sible to effect upon equal terms. On the 9th of March, 1787, he voted for the impeachment of Mr. Hastings. The important debates on the regency commenced Dec. 10, 1788, and his letter to the prince of Wales on that subject, was written December 30, but the necessity for coming to extreme measures was prevented by the fortunate recovery of his majesty. Shortly after, Nootka Sound became an ob ject of contention with Spain, and we were involved in a short contest with Russia respecting Oczakow. The French revolution, which has nearly nearly subverted all the powers of Europe, then broke out, and his majesty having sent a message to parliament, on the 12th of February, 1793, respecting the aggression on Holland, war was immediately commenced with - France, for the conduct of which, and the administration of the go. . vernment of the country, during a long period of the greatest difficulty, Mr. Pitt, must claim his highest praise. On the consequences of that war it is impossible now to speak, for they are not yet complete; and, if Mr. Pitt was not as triumphantly successful as his father, he yet called forth all the energies of his country, against an enemy whose power has been rarely, if ever, equalled, and extended the naval greatness of Britain beyond all example of naval power in all times. In 1794 were passed the Bills for suspending the habeas corpus act, and the suppression of popular societies, and on the 2d of October in that year, occurred the trials of Hardy, Tooke, aud others, for high treason. ir. Pitt having favoured reform in parliament, and proposed a plan for that purpose, the 2d of May, 1783; afterwards, on the 20th of May, 1797, on the motion of Mr. Grey, stated his reasons for not acceding to a reform. Shortly after succeeded the mutiny at the Nore. In July, 1798, were opened the negotiations with the French, plenipotentiaries and lord Malmesbury, at Lisle, which were shortly after broken off. In 1799, an address to his majesty, proposing an union of the two kingdoms of England and Ireland, was voted by both houses of parliament, and in 1800 that plan was ratified by the Irish parliament, which constitues one of the most important events of the present reign, by concentrating the energies of two great countries under one imperial monarch. In the same year the first consul of France made overtures of peace, which were rejected, and Mr. Pitt gave the reasons for the conduct of ministry, in one of the ablest and most cloquent specches that was ever delivered in any assembly. In 1801, Mr. Pitt resigned his official situation as minister, which he had held so long, on the avowed occasion of the impossibility of carrying into effect his views with respect to catholic emancipation, which he had considered as a grand object in forming the union. During the interval of his retiring from office, and becoming minister for the last time, he lived in great retirement, sold his seat at Holwood, in Kent, and occupied a small house in Baker-street, where his sinecure of the wardenship of the Cinque Ports, was his sole revenue. In 1802 he defended the treaty of Amicns, and gave his firm support to the administration of his successor, Mr. Addington; but, in 1801, after the breaking out of hostilities with France, thinking that ministry unequal to the vigorous prosecution of hostilities, he opposed the Additional Force Bills, for the defence of the country, and even joined Mr. Fox in several motions against the ministry, succeeded in overthrowing it, and became chancellor of the exchequer, and first lord of the treasury again, May 12, 1804. In 1805 the character of his great colleague, lord Melville, was vio 3 lently lently attacked in the house of commons, and notwithstanding the able defence of the minister, a resolution passed the house, by the casting vote of the speaker, which afterwards led to his impeachment, on which he was afterwards acquitted. Mr. Pitt's own conduct was inquired into by the house, on the subject of an advance of 40,000l. of the public money, to Messrs. Boyd, and Co. in 1796, by a loan upon scrip, and he was by all parties acquitted of any improper or interested views in this transaction, and a bill of indemnity for his conduct was passed. This year was full of labour and difficulty to Mr. Pitt, and replete with disaster to the arms of those allies, whose assistance he had procured for this country against France. His constitution became greatly enfeebled, and in the autumn of this year he was afflicted with the disorder which terminated his existence Jan. 21, 1806. In grateful remembrance of his services, parliament not only voted a public funeral, the particulars of which we have detailed in another place, but also a sum of 40,0001. for payment of his debts. He was not of age when his father died, and it is most honourable to his memory, that an attack having been made upon some part of the conduct of his beloved parent, he wrote a very vigorous pamphlet in his defence, and he was remarkable for his filial and pious attention to his mother, who survived lord Chat. ham many years, and lived to enjoy the proud satisfaction of beholding her son's greatness. His skill in measures of finance, was acknowledged by his bitterest enemies, and there can be little doubt, that by the operation of his plan for the reduction of the m tional debt, had not the war of the French revolution commenced. he would have raised this country, its commerce, and its wealth, to a pitch of greatness almost beyond hope. The plan of reducing the debt by a sinking fund, it is admitted is not the invention of the minister, but it is his praise to have adopt. ed it, and to have persevered in it. Plans of economy are not of diffic discovery, it is only the fortitude which adheres to them in all trials, that is rare or dificult. In all de tails of business, and particularly i2 opening the budget, Mr. Pitt was eminently skilful; his statements were not only the most perspicuous and connected, but the most animating and impressive. His preci. sion of language upon all such occasions was admirable; he said every thing that he ought, every thing in its right place, and every thing with a powerful and appropriate emphasis of manner and of diction. Not a figure was dropped in his calculations, not an illustration, nor even a word wanting in his speech. It was the characteristic of his style to be always accurate, fluent, firm, dignified, energetic, grand, as occasion suited. In fluency and correctness no orator ever equalled him. He was so fastidiously accurate, that in the most unpremeditated speech, if any interruption occurred to suspend the thread of his dis course, he would resume it as if reading from a book, just at the word where he had left off, pursuing the sentence to the end. Yet with 'all this fastidious accuracy, he never was deficient in dignity, strength, or animation. His sarcasm was bitter, pointed, and excruciatingly severe. Amongst |