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could hear Pitt without perceiving him to be a man of high； intrepid； and
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commanding spirit； proudly conscious of his own rectitude and of his own
intellectual superiority； incapable of the low vices of fear and envy； but too
prone to feel and to show disdain。 Pride； indeed； pervaded the whole man；
was written in the harsh； rigid lines of his face； was marked by the way in
which he walked； in which he sate； in which he stood； and； above all； in
which he bowed。 Such pride； of course； inflicted many wounds。 It may
confidently be affirmed that there cannot be found； in all the ten thousand
invectives written against Fox； a word indicating that his demeanour had
ever made a single personal enemy。 On the other hand； several men of
note who had been partial to Pitt； and who to the last continued to approve
his public conduct and to support his administration； Cumberland； for
example； Boswell； and Matthias； were so much irritated by the contempt
with which he treated them； that they complained in print of their wrongs。
But his pride； though it made him bitterly disliked by individuals； inspired
the great body of his followers in Parliament and throughout the country
with respect and confidence。 They took him at his own valuation。 They
saw that his self…esteem was not that of an upstart； who was drunk with
good luck and with applause； and who； if fortune turned； would sink from
arrogance into abject humility。 It was that of the magnanimous man so
finely described by Aristotle in the Ethics； of the man who thinks himself
worthy of great things； being in truth worthy。 It sprang from a
consciousness of great powers and great virtues； and was never so
conspicuously displayed as in the midst of difficulties and dangers which
would have unnerved and bowed down any ordinary mind。 It was closely
connected； too； with an ambition which had no mixture of low cupidity。
There was something noble in the cynical disdain with which the mighty
minister scattered riches and titles to right and left among those who
valued them； while he spurned them out of his own way。 Poor himself； he
was surrounded by friends on whom he had bestowed three thousand； six
thousand； ten thousand a year。 Plain Mister himself； he had made more
lords than any three ministers that had preceded him。 The garter； for which
the first dukes in the kingdom were contending； was repeatedly offered to
him； and offered in vain。
The correctness of his private life added much to the dignity of his
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public character。 In the relations of son； brother； uncle； master； friend； his
conduct was exemplary。 In the small circle of his intimate associates； he
was amiable； affectionate； even playful。 They loved him sincerely； they
regretted him long； and they would hardly admit that he who was so kind
and gentle with them could be stern and haughty with others。 He indulged；
indeed； somewhat too freely in wine； which he had early been directed to
take as a medicine； and which use had made a necessary of life to him。 But
it was very seldom that any indication of undue excess could be detected
in his tones or gestures； and； in truth； two bottles of port were little more
to him than two dishes of tea。 He had； when he was first introduced into
the clubs of Saint James's Street； shown a strong taste for play； but he had
the prudence and the resolution to stop before this taste had acquired the
strength of habit。 From the passion which generally exercises the most
tyrannical dominion over the young he possessed an immunity； which is
probably to be ascribed partly to his temperament and partly to his
situation。 His constitution was feeble； he was very shy； and he was very
busy。 The strictness of his morals furnished such buffoons as Peter Pindar
and Captain Morris with an inexhaustible theme for merriment of no very
delicate kind。 But the great body of the middle class of Englishmen could
not see the joke。 They warmly praised the young statesman for
commanding his passions； and for covering his frailties； if he had frailties；
with decorous obscurity； and would have been very far indeed from
thinking better of him if he had vindicated himself from the taunts of his
enemies by taking under his protection a Nancy Parsons or a Marianne
Clark。
No part of the immense popularity which Pitt long enjoyed is to be
attributed to the eulogies of wits and poets。 It might have been naturally
expected that a man of genius； of learning； of taste； an orator whose
diction was often compared to that of Tully； the representative； too； of a
great university； would have taken a peculiar pleasure in befriending
eminent writers； to whatever political party they might have belonged。 The
love of literature had induced Augustus to heap benefits on Pompeians；
Somers to be the protector of nonjurors； Harley to make the fortunes of
Whigs。 But it could not move Pitt to show any favour even to Pittites。 He
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was doubtless right in thinking that； in general； poetry； history； and
philosophy ought to be suffered； like calico and cutlery； to find their
proper price in the market； and that to teach men of letters to look
habitually to the state for their recompense is bad for the state and bad for
letters。 Assuredly nothing can be more absurd or mischievous than to
waste the public money in bounties for the purpose of inducing people
who ought to be weighing out grocery or measuring out drapery to write
bad or middling books。 But； though the sound rule is that authors should
be left to be remunerated by their readers； there will； in every generation；
be a few exceptions to this rule。 To distinguish these special cases from the
mass is an employment well worthy of the faculties of a great and
accomplished ruler； and Pitt would assuredly have had little difficulty in
finding such cases。 While he was in power； the greatest philologist of the
age； his own contemporary at Cambridge； was reduced to earn a livelihood
by the lowest literary drudgery； and to spend in writing squibs for the
〃Morning Chronicle〃 years to which we might have owed an all but
perfect text of the whole tragic and comic drama of Athens。 The greatest
historian of the age； forced by poverty to leave his country； completed his
immortal work on the shores of Lake Leman。 The political heterodoxy of
Porson； and the religious heterodoxy of Gibbon； may perhaps be pleaded
in defence of the minister by whom those eminent men were neglected。
But there were other cases in which no such excuse could be set up。
Scarcely had Pitt obtained possession of unbounded power when an aged
writer of the highest eminence； who had made very little by his writings；
and who was sinking into the grave under a load of infirmities and sorrows；
wanted five or six hundred pounds to enable him； during the winter or two
which might still remain to him； to draw his breath more easily in the soft
climate of Italy。 Not a farthing was to be obtained； and before Christmas
the author of the English Dictionary and of the Lives of the Poets had
gasped his last in the river fog and coal smoke of Fleet Street。 A few
months after the death of Johnson appeared the Task； incomparably the
best poem that any Englishman then living had produceda poem； too；
which could hardly fail to excite in a well constituted mind a feeling of
esteem and compassion for the poet； a man of genius and virtue； whose
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means were scanty； and whom the most cruel of all the calamities incident
to humanity had made incapable of supporti