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papa。〃 A letter is extant in which Lady Chatham； a woman of considerable
abilities； remarked to her lord； that their younger son at twelve had left far
behind him his elder brother； who was fifteen。 〃The fineness；〃 she wrote；
〃of William's mind makes him enjoy with the greatest pleasure what
would be above the reach of any other creature of his small age。〃 At
fourteen the lad was in intellect a man。 Hayley； who met him at Lyme in
the summer of 1773； was astonished； delighted； and somewhat overawed；
by hearing wit and wisdom from so young a mouth。 The poet； indeed； was
afterwards sorry that his shyness had prevented him from submitting the
plan of an extensive literary work； which he was then meditating； to the
judgment of this extraordinary boy。 The boy； indeed； had already written a
tragedy； bad of course； but not worse than the tragedies of his friend。 This
piece is still preserved at Chevening； and is in some respects highly
curious。 There is no love。 The whole plot is political； and it is remarkable
that the interest； such as it is； turns on a contest about a regency。 On one
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side is a faithful servant of the Crown； on the other an ambitious and
unprincipled conspirator。 At length the King； who had been missing；
reappears； resumes his power； and rewards the faithful defender of his
rights。 A reader who should judge only by internal evidence would have
no hesitation in pronouncing that the play was written by some Pittite
poetaster at the time of the rejoicings for the recovery of George the Third
in 1789。
The pleasure with which William's parents observed the rapid
development of his intellectual powers was alloyed by apprehensions
about his health。 He shot up alarmingly fast； he was often ill； and always
weak； and it was feared that it would be impossible to rear a stripling so
tall； so slender； and so feeble。 Port wine was prescribed by his medical
advisers： and it is said that he was； at fourteen； accustomed to take this
agreeable physic in quantities which would； in our abstemious age； be
thought much more than sufficient for any full…grown man。 This regimen；
though it would probably have killed ninety…nine boys out of a hundred；
seems to have been well suited to the peculiarities of William's
constitution； for at fifteen he ceased to be molested by disease； and；
though never a strong man； continued； during many years of labour and
anxiety； of nights passed in debate and of summers passed in London； to
be a tolerably healthy one。 It was probably on account of the delicacy of
his frame that he was not educated like other boys of the same rank。
Almost all the eminent English statesmen and orators to whom he was
afterwards opposed or allied； North； Fox； Shelburne； Windham； Grey；
Wellesley； Grenville； Sheridan； Canning； went through the training of
great public schools。 Lord Chatham had himself been a distinguished
Etonian： and it is seldom that a distinguished Etonian forgets his
obligations to Eton。 But William's infirmities required a vigilance and
tenderness such as could be found only at home。 He was therefore bred
under the paternal roof。 His studies were superintended by a clergyman
named Wilson； and those studies； though often interrupted by illness； were
prosecuted with extraordinary success。 Before the lad had completed his
fifteenth year； his knowledge both of the ancient languages and of
mathematics was such as very few men of eighteen then carried up to
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college。 He was therefore sent； towards the close of the year 1773； to
Pembroke Hall； in the university of Cambridge。 So young a student
required much more than the ordinary care which a college tutor bestows
on undergraduates。 The governor； to whom the direction of William's
academical life was confided； was a bachelor of arts named Pretyman；
who had been senior wrangler in the preceding year； and who； though not
a man of prepossessing appearance or brilliant parts； was eminently acute
and laborious； a sound scholar； and an excellent geometrician。 At
Cambridge； Pretyman was； during more than two years； the inseparable
companion； and indeed almost the only companion of his pupil。 A close
and lasting friendship sprang up between the pair。 The disciple was able；
before he completed his twenty…eighth year； to make his preceptor Bishop
of Lincoln and Dean of St Paul's； and the preceptor showed his gratitude
by writing a life of the disciple； which enjoys the distinction of being the
worst biographical work of its size in the world。
Pitt； till he graduated； had scarcely one acquaintance； attended chapel
regularly morning and evening； dined every day in hall； and never went to
a single evening party。 At seventeen； he was admitted； after the bad
fashion of those times； by right of birth； without any examination； to the
degree of the Master of Arts。 But he continued during some years to reside
at college； and to apply himself vigorously； under Pretyman's direction； to
the studies of the place； while mixing freely in the best academic society。
The stock of learning which Pitt laid in during this part of his life was
certainly very extraordinary。 In fact； it was all that he ever possessed； for
he very early became too busy to have any spare time for books。 The work
in which he took the greatest delight was Newton's Principia。 His liking
for mathematics； indeed； amounted to a passion； which； in the opinion of
his instructors； themselves distinguished mathematicians； required to be
checked rather than encouraged。 The acuteness and readiness with which
he solved problems was pronounced by one of the ablest of the moderators；
who in those days presided over the disputations in the schools； and
conducted the examinations of the Senate House； to be unrivalled in the
university。 Nor was the youth's proficiency in classical learning less
remarkable。 In one respect； indeed； he appeared to disadvantage when
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compared with even second…rate and third…rate men from public schools。
He had never； while under Wilson's care； been in the habit of composing in
the ancient languages： and he therefore never acquired that knack of
versification which is sometimes possessed by clever boys whose
knowledge of the language and literature of Greece and Rome is very
superficial。 It would have been utterly out of his power to produce such
charming elegiac lines as those in which Wellesley bade farewell to Eton；
or such Virgilian hexameters as those in which Canning described the
pilgrimage to Mecca。 But it may be doubted whether any scholar has ever；
at twenty； had a more solid and profound knowledge of the two great
tongues of the old civilised world。 The facility with which he penetrated
the meaning of the most intricate sentences in the Attic writers astonished
veteran critics。 He had set his heart on being intimately acquainted with all
the extant poetry of Greece； and was not satisfied till he had mastered
Lycophron's Cassandra； the most obscure work in the whole range of
ancient literature。 This strange rhapsody； the difficulties of which have
perplexed and repelled many excellent scholars； 〃he read；〃 says his
preceptor； 〃with an ease at first sight； which； if I had not witnessed it； I
should have thought beyond the compass of human intellect。〃
To modern literature Pitt paid comparatively little attention。 He knew
no living language except French； and French he kn