To Murray and Lord Egmont and other champions of the treaties, Pitt replied in a speech of most admirable and ready wit that flashed from him for the space of an hour and half; and accompanied with action that would have added reputation to Garrick. He said, the Attorney-General had spoken so long, not because he had not thought enough to shorten his discourse, but glad to lose the question in the immensity of matter. However, he hoped that the King of Prussia, who, it seems, was so well informed of our Debates, would not hear the application of this fable, and that Murray had treated him like a _Fera Naturæ_. But, in fact, these treaties from simple questions had become all things to all men. As a man with sleight of hand presents a card to the company, ’tis yours--now yours--and very pleasantly takes the money out of the pockets of all the spectators. But whatever explanations were used to pervert its meaning, the Act of Settlement did intend to divest the Crown of the power of declaring war for Foreign Dominions. He would quote poetry; for truth in verse was as good as if delivered in the dullest prose-- Corruption’s gilded hand May put by Justice. MEAS. FOR MEAS. If to make war eventually was a breach of that act, as a juror he would find these treaties such a violation. The very payment of money to Hesse and levying troops was an overt-act--but a daring Ministry had assumed to be the Parliament of Great Britain! He desired to know whether the 12,000 men formerly stipulated for England from Muscovy were to be included in the 55,000 now engaged for Hanover. If included, the bargain was still dearer--and we were to give 500,000_l._ to 30,000 men to invite them to live upon murder and rapine!--but this shifting measure, like a diamond, the more brilliant the more it shone. “But come,” said he, “let us consider this northern star, that will not shine with any light of its own--Great Britain must be the sun of all this solar system:--could Russia, without our assistance, support her own troops? She will not prove the star of the Wise Men--they must go with presents. ’Tis a miserable star, that you must get to shine, that you must rub up; but the real wise man-- “Quæ desperat tractata nitescere posse, relinquit.