.JET. 27.] WILLIAM PITT. 323 



thrown back, his eyes fixed immovably in one posi- 

 tion as if gazing into the heavens, and totally regard- 

 less of the two bending figures before him. For some 

 time they spoke, and he made now and then a short 

 observation ; but finally, with an abrupt stiff inclina- 

 tion of his body, but without casting his eyes down, 

 dismissed them. And then, turning round with a 

 laugh, caught up his cushion and renewed the fight. 



Napier described to me another instance of what he 

 called Mr Pitt's power of countenance. Some time 

 after the visit to Putney, while walking across the 

 parade-ground of the Horse Guards, he saw Mr Pitt 

 talking to some gentlemen, evidently upon business 

 which interested him. Napier caught his eye while 

 still some forty yards distant. Pitt gave him a smile 

 and nod of recognition, but on Napier advancing 

 laughing towards him, his countenance assumed a 

 commanding fierceness of expression, difficult to de- 

 scribe, but unmistakably saying, " Pass on : this is no 

 time for foolery." 



Napier concluded this account of Pitt, which I have 

 given in his own words, by telling me a good deal 

 about Fox, whom he had frequently met, not only at 

 his own father's at Clifton, but in Fox's own house, 

 or, more frequently, at the Duke of York's, which 

 then stood on the present site of Stafford House, 

 where Fox lived when he was Prime Minister. I 

 much regret that I did not make more copious notes 

 of what he related to me, as I had done in the case 

 of Pitt. But 1 well remember that he told me that 



