1808. ] 
who lived in the reign of Henry VI. was 
the common anceftor of the lately enno- 
bled families of Chatham, Camelford, and 
Rivers; and his defcendant John appears 
to have been a clerk of the exchequer dur- 
ing the time of Elizabeth. 
The town of Blandford, in Dor‘tfhire, 
was the precife {pot where the Piits were 
originally fituaje, and Thomas Pitt, go- 
vernor of Fort St. George, the firft of 
that name who attained any confiderable 
eminence. Having refided for feveral 
years at Fort St. George, at a time when 
the company was a mere mercantile body, 
and their chief officers factors and traders, 
he purchafed for 20,400]. fterling that ex- 
traordinary large diamond called the re- 
gent, weighing 127 carats, which he fold 
to the King of France for 135,000l., and - 
which at prefent occupies a con{picious 
place in the imperial diadem of Bona- 
parte. This enabled him to acquire a 
confiderable eftate at Boconnock, in Corn- 
wall; yet his grand-children were not all 
amply provided for, as William Pitt (af- 
terwards Earl of Chatham) inherited but 
a very fcanty patrimony, and although he 
had recourfe to the profeffion of arms for 
fupport, never rofe higher than a cornet 
of horfe. What was wanting, however, 
in. wealth, was moft abundantly fupplied 
by talents, for nature appears to have la- 
vifhed upon him her choiceft fore, and 
to have formed him on the model of an- 
cient times. 
Having oppofed Sir Robert Walpole, 
that minifter, with exemplary meannels, 
deprived him of his commiffion; but this 
proved no obftacle to his advancement in 
the ftate, for in.1756 he became minifter. 
His adminiftration forms the moft illuftri- 
Ous pertion of eur annals, and it is me- 
morab.e in every point of view. During 
that period,—{o able were his plans, and 
fo original, and yet judicious, the maa- 
ner in which they were executed, that, 
notwithftanding a marked oppofition in 
the cabinet, the nation united in his 
fupport. Defpiling narrow prejudices, 
he was the firft to call forth all the re- 
fources of the empire, by employing in- 
di(criminately all iis inhabitants; and with 
this collested ma!s he {mote the French 
monarchy with fuch a deadly blow, that 
it could never have recovered its prifiine 
greamefs, had he not remained unfup- 
ported in that quarter where he ought to 
have experienced the molt cordial pro- 
tection. It was tnus that the early por- 
tion of thereign of George ILI. became 
clouded by his difmiflion, and men of 
Memoirs of the Right Ion. William Pitt. 135 
penetration began to augur the moft finif- 
ter events. 
Retired, but not difgraced, the hopes 
and the withes of the people fill followed 
him; nordid he ever betray their attache 
ment, for he perfeveted to the laft moment 
of his exiftence in thofe principles which 
he had early avowed. Two of the great 
objects with which his noble 
conftantly aCtuated during the latter pe- 
riod of his lite, appear to have been a 
reform in parliament, without which be 
prognofticated the moit fatal refults, and 
an immediate conclufion to the American 
war, the evils arifing out ef waich he but 
too clearly anti icipated. 
He may be faid to have dic d as he had 
lived, inthe fervice of his country : for 
having fainted away in conlequence of his 
violent exertions im the houie of peers, 
he was feized with adeadly malady, which 
fpeedily conducied him to his grave. 
The demife of William Piet, Earl of 
Chatham, was lamented by all parties ; 
as dering his adminiftration no inroads 
had been made on public liberty, and as 
he had no enemies but the enemies of his 
country, his death was confidered as a 
public calamity by the. whole empire. 
The parliament, that very parliament 
which had cefpifed his counfels, unani- 
moufly voted that he fhould be buried at 
the public expence, and his remains were 
accordinaly.depotited in Weftminfter Ab- 
bey; while a penfion of qgoool. per an- 
/hum wes granted to his heirs, and an. 
nexed in perpetuity tothe tile which he 
had fo glorioufly acquired for them, ra- 
ther than himéelf. 
William, his feeand fos, born in the 
midft of a war with France, appeared at 
a moft aufpicious epoch, and came into 
the world as if to wiinefs the triumphs 
of his native country, under the aulpices 
of hisillufirious parent, who then happily 
prefided over our countels, 
The prefeni eari, being deftined for the 
army, and James-Charles for the fea fer- 
vice, Lord Chatham det:rmined to breed 
the fecond fon in the paternal man&on at 
Hayes, and the prefeflion to which he 
aeftined him was bisown, that of a flatef- 
man. Having accordingly confided the 
care of the two fons already mentioned 
to the care of others; he took William 
under his owa immicdiate infpection, snd 
the rapid progrefs of this wonderful boy 
feemed to cheer the folitude e, and illume 
the declining days, of this veteran po- 
litician, whd already augured his future 
talgnts and fuccefs, and amidft the groves 
$2 ef 
mind was 
