Anecdotes of the life of ... William Pitt, earl of Chatham [by J. Almon]. With his speeches in parliament, Volume 3

Front Cover

From inside the book

Selected pages

Common terms and phrases

Popular passages

Page 351 - ... a cabinet so variously inlaid; such a piece of diversified Mosaic ; such a tesselated pavement Without cement ; here a bit of black stone, and there a bit of white ; patriots and courtiers, king's friends and republicans ; whigs and tories ; treacherous friends and open enemies : that it was indeed a very curious show 5 but utterly unsafe to touch, and unsure to stand on.
Page 11 - The Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Common Council, Of the City of London...
Page 351 - ... malevolence. But what I do not presume to censure I may have leave to lament. For a wise man, he seemed to me at that time to be governed too much by general maxims. I speak with the freedom of history, and I hope without offence. One or two of these maxims, flowing from an opinion not the most indulgent to our unhappy species, and surely a little too general, led him into measures that were greatly mischievous to himself, and for that reason, among others, perhaps fatal to his country ; —...
Page 351 - ... enemies ; that it was indeed a very curious show ; but utterly unsafe to touch, and unsure to stand on. The colleagues whom he had assorted at the same boards, stared at each other, and were obliged to ask, " Sir, your name? Sir, you have the advantage of me; Mr. Such-a-one, I beg a thousand pardons...
Page 353 - For even then, sir, even before this splendid orb was entirely set, and while the western horizon was in a blaze with his descending glory, on the opposite quarter of the heavens arose another luminary, and for his hour became lord of the ascendant.
Page 345 - France sunk beneath him. With one hand he smote the house of Bourbon, and wielded in the other the democracy of England. The sight of his mind was infinite ; and his schemes were to affect, — not England, not the present age only, — but Europe and posterity.
Page 350 - ... and sanctifies a great character, will not suffer me to censure any part of his conduct. I am afraid to flatter him ; I am sure I am not disposed to blame him. Let those, who have betrayed him by their adulation, insult him with their malevolence.
Page 350 - Another scene was opened, and other actors appeared on the stage. The state, in the condition I have described it, was delivered into the hands of Lord Chatham, a great and celebrated name, — a name that keeps the name of this country respectable in every other on the globe.
Page 352 - When his face was hid but for a moment, his whole system was On a wide sea, without chart or compass.
Page 258 - I can take upon me to assure you, notwithstanding insinuations to the contrary from men with factious and seditious views, that his Majesty's present administration have at no time entertained a design to propose to Parliament to lay any further taxes upon America for the purpose of raising a revenue ; and that it is at present their intention to propose, the next session of Parliament, to take off the duties upon glass, paper, and colours, upon consideration of such duties having been laid contrary...

Bibliographic information