Our friend very frequently saw Mr. Pitt subsequently in life, and observed that his external carriage and demeanour remained unaltered. Yet he had opportunity of knowing from those who lived with Pitt in the greatest familiarity and intimacy, that in the privacy of retirement, he was condescending and affable, even to playfulness, and would read with glee the lighter kinds of poetry to the ladies.—One expression can never be forgotten, which was used by the man who knew him best, namely, his private secretary.—“Mr. Pitt was so very amiable in private and domestic life, that it was like living with an angel.”
So much has been said and written on the subject of Mr. Pitt, that it seems at first superfluous to discuss it further. But these are the Sexagenarian’s opinions on this great man.
“My own fortunes were too deeply implicated in his, to pass the æra of his memorable life with very slight mention.—I always admired, and as far as I could, supported his principles.—I exerted all my powers in behalf of the great and anxious questions, which exercised his firm and lofty mind, at the most momentous crisis which, perhaps, this country ever saw; when the acknowledgment of being the advocate of Pitt, and of the measures prompted, guided, and matured by him, was attended with personal risk, or at least with menaces and with alarms. I boast of being one of these same alarmists; but I had noble support and honourable associates, whose genius, talents, virtue, and integrity, might well endure to be weighed in the opposite scale with those who, perhaps, whilst they felt alarm themselves, from a far different source, affected the language of ridicule, disdain, and security. Their alarm was, lest Mr. Pitt and his band of real patriots, should frustrate the attempts of his adversaries, and save his country. But he did save it; and I humbly and gratefully thank the Supreme Disposer of human events, that I have been permitted to see the successful, the glorious termination, of that wise and sagacious system of politics, contrived by his wisdom, prosecuted by his firmness, and sanctioned by the wise and good of every nation in Europe. With respect to myself I was, indeed, but a very humble instrument, but I played the best part I could, and had the gratification, the happiness of knowing, that Mr. Pitt thought my labours effectual.—That he did think so appeared in the event.—I had substantial marks of his good opinion and friendship.”
Multiplicat tamen hunc, gravitas autoris, honorem,
Et majestatem, res data, dantis habet.
CHAPTER X.
Mr. Pitt’s tutor was so intimately connected with every thing relating to his illustrious friend, that we cannot any where more properly introduce what appears in our manuscript about him. This eminent person’s mind is of far too high a stamp to experience any thing like mortification or chagrin at the mention of his origin, and the rank of his forefathers. It has, indeed, been said, that some remoter branch of the family had been of the rank of baronet. Be this as it may, when our friend first went to the university, he spent a part of the day where he remembered seeing the name, connected with some lucrative mercantile concern. This he afterwards found was the father, who, on his son’s elevation, retired from business to a very respectable and comfortable residence in the place where he had lived so long and so reputably; and died not long since, full of years and peace. On our friend’s arrival at Cambridge Dr. P. was soon pointed out to him, and he was at first very unfavourably impressed with his forbidding appearance. His countenance was, to his apprehension, strongly marked with harshness and austerity. This idea weighed so deeply upon his mind that afterwards, when in the Senate House under examination for his degree, Professor ⸺ thought he was not likely to have justice done him, and desired Dr. ⸺ to see what he could do, he was so much under the influence of prejudice against him that he declined it, to his most obvious disadvantage.
He felt himself, however, bound in duty and gratitude, to acknowledge that never were first impressions more fallacious.—He was afterwards admitted to the Bishop on terms of familiarity, indeed we may say friendship, and a more amiable, courteous, excellent man never lived. But to expatiate on these qualities here, would be wandering from the course. Fortunately for Dr. ⸺, Pembroke was the college selected for Mr. Pitt’s place of education.—The society could then boast of no other person equally qualified to superintend the studies of a youth, so circumstanced, and so endowed. It was perfectly natural, that a great intimacy should be progressively formed and cemented between the instructor and the pupil, and it is alike honourable to both, that this attachment continued without interruption, to the very last moment of Mr. Pitt’s too abbreviated life.
Among his other qualities and accomplishments Dr. ⸺ had one, by the exercise of which he had attained the highest distinctions in the power of the university to bestow; and which could not fail of being peculiarly useful and important to Mr. Pitt in his situation of Chancellor of the Exchequer. This was a remarkable acuteness and knowledge with respect to every thing connected with numerical computations.—This talent was of course exercised to good account.—Mr. Pitt was not at all backward in acknowledging the merits of his early instructor, and the claims of his friend. If we mistake not, his first preferment was a Prebend in Westminster; this was not held long, before in quick succession it was followed by a Canon Residentiaryship, a Deanery, and a Bishopric.