524 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1810. 



ance. He was able to take but 

 very little nourishment ; his powers 

 of digestion were greatly impaired; 

 and scarcely any thing would re- 

 main on his stomach. He seldom 

 spoke, and displayed an anxiety to 

 follow the directions of his physi- 

 cians, " to be as quiet as possible, 

 and completely to divest his mind 

 of all public business." He desired 

 the bishop of Lincoln, who re- 

 mained with him from the period 

 of his return from Bath to the day 

 of his death, to open all his letters, 

 and to communicate only such 

 parts of them as he should consi- 

 der it necessary for him to know. 



On the 17th, the physicians ad- 

 mitted that Mr. Pitt was much 

 weaker, but still maintained that 

 there were no unfavourable symp- 

 toms. At the same time, they de- 

 clared their opinion, that he would 

 not be able to attend to business in 

 less than two months, and express- 

 ed a doubt of his "ability to take 

 an active part in the House of 

 Commons during the winter. 



The bishop of Lincoln was, na- 

 turally, very urgent with the phy- 

 sicians to allow him to apprise Mr. 

 Pitt of the probable duration of 

 his confinement, in order that he 

 might decide on the propriety of 

 resigning, or of retaining his office. 

 But the physicians were unani- 

 mously and decidedly of opinion, 

 that nothing should be said to 

 their patient on the subject. Mr. 

 Pitt daily grew worse; and on 

 Monday, the 20th, the physicians 

 declared " the symptoms were un- 

 promising, and his situation was 

 hazardous," In theevening of that 

 day he became much worse ; and 

 his mind, as is usual in cases of 

 extreme debility, occasionally 

 wandered. Sir Walter Farquhar 



passed the night by his bed-side, 

 and at four o'clock on Wednesday 

 morning, he called up the bishop 

 of Lincoln, telling him he was 

 much alarmed, and could now no 

 longer object to any communica- 

 tion which the bishop might think 

 proper to make him. The bishop, 

 who appears never to have enter- 

 tained those hopes which the me- 

 dical attendants encouraged, had 

 continually pressed the physicians 

 to permit him to intimate to Mr. 

 Pitt, that his situation was preca- 

 rious, in order that he might re- 

 ceive his instructions respecting 

 his affairs and papers, and call his 

 attention to religious duties ; but 

 they had constantly affirmed, that 

 they saw no danger, and could not 

 sanction any proceeding which 

 might create agitation of mind ; 

 as such agitation might be pro- 

 ductive of serious mischief. 



The bishop immediately went to 

 Mr. Pitt's bed-side, and told him 

 he found it to be his duty to in- 

 form him, that his situation was 

 considered as precarious, and re- 

 quested his leave to read prayers 

 to him, and to administer the sa- 

 crament. Mr. Pitt looked earnest- 

 ly at the bishop for a few moments, 

 and then, with perfect composure, 

 turned his head to sir Walter Far- 

 quhar, who stood on the other 

 side of the bed, and slowly said, 

 " How long do you think 1 have 

 to live?" The physician answered, 

 he could not say, and expressed 

 a faint hope of his recovery. A 

 half smile on Mr. Pitt's counte- 

 nance shewed that he placed this 

 language to its true account. In 

 answer to the bishop's request to 

 pray with him, Mr. Pitt said, " I 

 fear I have, like too many other 

 men, neglected prayer too much 



