Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Vol III, No 13, 1851Various
General
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Vol III, No 13, 1851
Various
American literature -- Periodicals; Civilization -- Periodicals; Culture -- Periodicals
In appearance he was more fitted to appear as a republican
representative, than as an embassador from a powerful sovereign to the
most polished court in Europe; his manners were so unpolished, his form
so inelegant, and his address so unrefined. He rendered valuable support
to the English monarchy, and won the confidence of the shrewd and
calculating Queen Caroline, as well as the esteem of the sagacious and
prudent States-general. A trustworthy authority has styled him "a great
master of the commercial and political interests of this country," and
accorded him the merits of unwearied zeal, industry, and capacity. With
such advantages, he might well confess, without much regret, that he had
never learned to dance, and could not pride himself on making a bow.
Though blunt and unpolished, he was extremely agreeable in conversation;
abounding in pleasant anecdote, and entertaining reminiscences; fond of
society, affable to every one, sumptuous in his hospitality, and not
less estimable in his domestic than in his social relations. Though he
wrote, and printed, and spoke lessons of political wisdom, that met with
the fate of entire disregard, it is impossible not to admire the
unselfish zeal that would almost immediately afterward induce him to
write, print, and speak similar instructive lessons, to the same set of
negligent scholars.
There is a statement which having found its way into such an authority
as "Chandler's Debates," has been incorporated in works pretending to
historical accuracy. On a debate arising out of the Bill for the
Encouragement and increase of Seamen, in 1740, Pitt is represented as
attacking Mr. Horace Walpole for having ventured on a reference to his
youth. The fact is, that these debates were imaginary or constructed on
a very slight foundation. Dr. Johnson, as is well known, before he had
obtained his colossal reputation, drew up fictitious reports of what
took place in the House of Commons.
Mr. Walpole having in a discussion been severely handled by Pitt,
Lyttleton, and the Granvilles, all of whom were much his juniors,
lamented that though he had been so long in business, young men should
be found so much better informed in political matters than himself. He
added that he had at least one consolation in remembering that his own
son being twenty years of age, must be as much the superior of Pitt,
Lyttleton, and the Granvilles, as they were wiser than himself. Pitt
having his youth thus mercilessly flung in his face, got up in a rage,
commencing--"With the greatest reverence to the gray hairs of the
gentleman," but was stopped by Mr. Walpole pulling off his wig, and
disclosing a grizzled poll beneath. This excited very general laughter,
in which Pitt joined with such heartiness, as quite to forget his anger.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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