Memoir s^ of the Life of the Right Hon. IFw. Pitt. 



621 



he never omiKcd alten(rm<^ chapel The first of these letters was written, 

 moiiiiiifi; aii'l eveniiijGf, or duiing in the by Lord Chatham to Mr. Pi(t, xi]X)n 

 piil.lic iiall, except wlien pieve'uted by his going to theJJiiivcrsjty in 1773 '"" 



indisposition. Nor did he pass a single 

 evening out of tiie college wall^. In- 

 deed, most of his time was spent with 

 me ; and exclusively of the satisfac- 

 tion I had in sujv:rintending the educa- 

 tion of V. young man of las imcommon 

 abilities and thirst for improvement, 

 his sweetaess of temper and vivacity of 

 disposition, endeared him to me in a 

 degree, which I should in vain attempt 

 to express. 



.Towards the latter end of the j'ear 

 Jg'JG, Mr. Pitt began to mix with other 

 young men of his own age and station 

 in life, then resident at Cambridge ; • 

 and no one was ever more admired and 

 beloved by his acquaintance and friends. 

 He was always the most lively person 

 in company, abounding in playful wit 

 and (juick repartee ; but never known 

 to excite pain, or to give just ground of 

 offence. Even those, who, from differ- 

 ence in political sentiment, or from any 

 other cause, were not disposed to do 

 him more than justice, could not but 

 allow, (liat as a companion he was un- 

 rivalled. Though his society was uni- 

 versally sought, and from the age of 

 seventeen or eighteen he constantly 

 {)assed his evenings in company, he 

 steadily avoided every species of irre- 

 gularity ; and he continued to pursue 

 his studies with ardent zeal and unre- 

 mitted diligence, during his whole 

 residence in the University, which was 

 protracted to the unusual length of 

 nearly seven years, but with consider- 

 able intervals of absence. In the course 

 of this time, I never knew him spend 

 an idle day, nor did he ever fail to at- 

 tend me at the appointed hour. At this 

 early period there was the same firm- 

 ness of principle, and rectitude of 

 conduct, which marked his character 

 iu the more advanced stages of life. 



LETTERS OF THE FIRST LORD 

 CHATHAM. 



In May, I77S, Mr. 'Pitt lost his great 

 and excellent father, at a period when 

 his advice and assistance would have 

 been of the highest importance to him. 

 I am hapj)y to ha^'e it in my power to 

 insert the following letters, which 

 strongly mark the affectionate heart 

 and amiable cliaraeter of one of the 

 abl(!st and most disinterested statesmen 

 the woi'ld ever produced: and at the 

 same time sliew ttie opinion he enter- 

 taincil, and the expectations he had 

 formed, of the subject of these Metnoirs. 



Monthly Mag. No. 35G. 



Burton Pymcnt, Oct. 'Jfli, 1773." ' 



Thursday's post brought us no letter 

 from lUe dear traveller : we trust this day 

 will prove more satisfactory ; it is the liap- 

 py day that g-ave us your brother, aud will 

 not be less in favo-jr with all here, if it 

 should give us about four o'clock, an epis- 

 tle from my dear William. By that hour, 

 I reckon, wc shall be warm iu our cups, 

 and shall not fail to pour forth, with re- 

 newed joy, grateful libations over the 

 much-wished tidings of your prosperous 

 progress towards your destination. We 

 compute, that yesterday brought you to 

 the venerable aspect of alma mater; and 

 that you are invested to-day with the torja 

 virilis. Your race of manly virtue a ;d 

 useful knowledge is now begun, aud may 

 the favour of heaven smile upon the noble 

 career ! 



Little was really disappointed at 



not being iu time to see you, a good mark 

 for my young vivid friend. He is just as 

 much compounded of the elements of air 

 and^^re as he was. A due proportion of 

 terrestrial solidity will, I trust, come, and 

 make him perfect. How happy, my loved 

 boy, is it, that your mamma and I can tell 

 ourselves, there is at Cambridge one, with- 

 out a beard, " aud all the elements so 

 mixed in him, that nature might stand up, 

 and say, This is a man." I now take leave 

 for to-day, not meaning this for-what James 

 calls a regular letter, but a flying thought, 

 that wings itself towards my absent Wil- 

 liam. Horses are ready, and all is birth- 

 day. 



Bradshaw has shone this auspicionfs 

 raoruiug, in a very fine speech of congra- 

 tulation, but I foresee, " his sun sets weep- 

 ing in the lowly west ;" that is, a fatal bowl 

 of punch will, before night, quench this 

 luminary of oratory. Adieu again, and 

 again, sweet boy; and if you acquire 

 health and strength every time I wish them 

 to you, you will be a second Sampson, aud, 

 what is more, will, 1 am sure, keep your 

 hair. 



Every good wish attends your kind fel- 

 low-traveller aud cliumm, nor will he be 

 be forgot'iu our flowery bowl to-day. 



To this interesting letter Lady Chat- 

 ham added the followitig postscript :^— 



If more could be said expressive of feel- 

 ings, my dearest dear boy, I would add a 

 letter to this epistle, but as it is composed, 

 1 willouly sigu to its expressive contents, 

 Your fond and loving Mother, 



Hester Cuatham. 



The following letter was written by 

 Lord Chatham to Mr. Pitt, when he 

 was recovering from the illuessj which 

 has been mentioned : — 



4 1 Bmtan 



