the miscellaneous writings and speeches-3-第33节

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them；　and　told　them　that；　if　he　broke　it；　the　Crown　would　immediately　pass　to　the　House　of　Savoy。　　It　was　not　until　after　an　interregnum　of　several　weeks　that　he　regained　the　full　use　of　his　small　faculties；　and　that　a　ministry　after　his　own　heart　was　at　length　formed。　The　materials　out　of　which　he　had　to　construct　a　government　were　neither　solid　nor　splendid。　　To　that　party；　weak　in　numbers；　but　strong　in　every　kind　of　talent；　which　was　hostile　to　the　domestic　and　foreign　policy　of　his　late　advisers；　he　could　not　have　recourse。　　For　that　party；　while　it　differed　from　his　late　advisers　on　every　point　on　which　they　had　been　honoured　with　his　approbation；　cordially　agreed　with　them　as　to　the　single　matter　which　had　brought　on　them　his　displeasure。　　All　that　was　left　to　him　was　to　call　up　the　rear　ranks　of　the　old　ministry　to　form　the　front　rank　of　a　new　ministry。　　In　an　age　pre…eminently　fruitful　of　parliamentary　talents；　a　cabinet　was　formed　containing　hardly　a　single　man　who；　in　parliamentary　talents；　could　be　considered　as　even　of　the　second　rate。　　The　most　important　offices　in　the　state　were　bestowed　on　decorous　and　laborious　mediocrity。　　Henry　Addington　was　at　the　head　of　the　Treasury。　　He　had　been　an　early；　indeed　a　hereditary；　friend　of　Pitt；　and　had　by　Pitt's　influence　been　placed；　while　still　a　young　man；　in　the　chair　of　the　House　of　Commons。　　He　was　universally　admitted　to　have　been　the　best　speaker　that　had　sate　in　that　chair　since　the　retirement　of　Onslow。　　But　nature　had　not　bestowed　on　him　very　vigorous　faculties；　and　the　highly　respectable　situation　which　he　had　long　occupied　with　honour　had　rather　unfitted　than　fitted　him　for　the　discharge　of　his　new　duties。　　His　business　had　been　to　bear　himself　evenly　between　contending　factions。　　He　had　taken　no　part　in　the　war　of　words；　and　he　had　always　been　addressed　with　marked　deference　by　the　great　orators　who　thundered　against　each　other　from　his　right　and　from　his　left。　　It　was　not　strange　that；　when；　for　the　first　time；　he　had　to　encounter　keen　and　vigorous　antagonists；　who　dealt　hard　blows　without　the　smallest　ceremony；　he　should　have　been　awkward　and　unready；　or　that　the　air　of　dignity　and　authority　which　he　had　acquired　in　his　former　post；　and　of　which　he　had　not　divested　himself；　should　have　made　his　helplessness　laughable　and　pitiable。　　Nevertheless；　during　many　months；　his　power　seemed　to　stand　firm。　　He　was　a　favourite　with　the　King；　whom　he　resembled　in　narrowness　of　mind；　and　to　whom　he　was　more　obsequious　than　Pitt　had　ever　been。　　The　nation　was　put　into　high　good　humour　by　a　peace　with　France。　　The　enthusiasm　with　which　the　upper　and　middle　classes　had　rushed　into　the　war　had　spent　itself。　　Jacobinism　was　no　longer　formidable。　　Everywhere　there　was　a　strong　reaction　against　what　was　called　the　atheistical　and　anarchical　philosophy　of　the　eighteenth　century。　　Bonaparte；　now　First　Consul；　was　busied　in　constructing　out　of　the　ruins　of　old　institutions　a　new　ecclesiastical　establishment　and　a　new　order　of　knighthood。　　That　nothing　less　than　the　dominion　of　the　whole　civilised　world　would　satisfy　his　selfish　ambition　was　not　yet　suspected；　nor　did　even　wise　men　see　any　reason　to　doubt　that　he　might　be　as　safe　a　neighbour　as　any　prince　of　the　House　of　Bourbon　had　been。　　The　treaty　of　Amiens　was　therefore　hailed　by　the　great　body　of　the　English　people　with　extravagant　joy。　　The　popularity　of　the　minister　was　for　the　moment　immense。　　His　want　of　parliamentary　ability　was；　as　yet；　of　little　consequence：　　for　he　had　scarcely　any　adversary　to　encounter。　　The　old　opposition；　delighted　by　the　peace；　regarded　him　with　favour。　　A　new　opposition　had　indeed　been　formed　by　some　of　the　late　ministers；　and　was　led　by　Grenville　in　the　House　of　Lords；　and　by　Windham　in　the　House　of　Commons。　　But　the　new　opposition　could　scarcely　muster　ten　votes；　and　was　regarded　with　no　favour　by　the　country。　　On　Pitt　the　ministers　relied　as　on　their　firmest　support。　　He　had　not；　like　some　of　his　colleagues；　retired　in　anger。　　He　had　expressed　the　greatest　respect　for　the　conscientious　scruple　which　had　taken　possession　of　the　royal　mind；　and　he　had　promised　his　successors　all　the　help　in　his　power。　　In　private　his　advice　was　at　their　service。　　In　Parliament　he　took　his　seat　on　the　bench　behind　them；　and；　in　more　than　one　debate；　defended　them　with　powers　far　superior　to　their　own。　　The　King　perfectly　understood　the　value　of　such　assistance。　　On　one　occasion；　at　the　palace；　he　took　the　old　minister　and　the　new　minister　aside。　　〃If　we　three；〃　he　said；　〃keep　together；　all　will　go　well。〃　But　it　was　hardly　possible；　human　nature　being　what　it　is；　and；　more　especially；　Pitt　and　Addington　being　what　they　were；　that　this　union　should　be　durable。　　Pitt；　conscious　of　superior　powers；　imagined　that　the　place　which　he　had　quitted　was　now　occupied　by　a　mere　puppet　which　he　had　set　up；　which　he　was　to　govern　while　he　suffered　it　to　remain；　and　which　he　was　to　fling　aside　as　soon　as　he　wished　to　resume　his　old　position。　　Nor　was　it　long　before　he　began　to　pine　for　the　power　which　he　had　relinquished。　　He　had　been　so　early　raised　to　supreme　authority　in　the　state；　and　had　enjoyed　that　authority　so　long；　that　it　had　become　necessary　to　him。　　In　retirement　his　days　passed　heavily。　　He　could　not；　like　Fox；　forget　the　pleasures　and　cares　of　ambition　in　the　company　of　Euripides　or　Herodotus。　　Pride　restrained　him　from　intimating；　even　to　his　dearest　friends；　that　he　wished　to　be　again　minister。　　But　he　thought　it　strange；　almost　ungrateful；　that　his　wish　had　not　been　divined；　that　it　had　not　been　anticipated；　by　one　whom　he　regarded　as　his　deputy。　Addington；　on　the　other　hand；　was　by　no　means　inclined　to　descend　from　his　high　position。　　He　was；　indeed；　under　a　delusion　much　resembling　that　of　Abon　Hassan　in　the　Arabian　tale。　　His　brain　was　turned　by　his　short　and　unreal　Caliphate。　　He　took　his　elevation　quite　seriously；　attributed　it　to　his　own　merit；　and　considered　himself　as　one　of　the　great　triumvirate　of　English　statesmen；　as　worthy　to　make　a　third　with　Pitt　and　Fox。　Such　being　the　feelings　of　the　late　minister　and　of　the　present　minister；　a　rupture　was　inevitable；　and　there　was　no　want　of　persons　bent　on　making　that　rupture　speedy　and　violent。　　Some　of　these　persons　wounded　Addington's　pride　by　representing　him　as　a　lacquey；　sent　to　keep　a　place　on　the　Treasury　bench　till　his　master　should　find　it　convenient　to　come。　　Others　took　every　opportunity　of　praising　him　at　Pitt's　expense。　　Pitt　had　waged　a　long；　a　bloody；　a　costly；　an　unsuccessful　war。　　Addington　had　made　peace。　　Pitt　had　suspended　the　constitutional　liberties　of　Englishmen。　　Under　Addington　those　liberties　were　again　enjoyed。　　Pitt　had　wasted　the　public　resources。　　Addington　was　carefully　nursing　them。　　It　was　sometimes　but　too　evident　that　these　compliments　were　not　unpleasing　to　Addington。　　Pitt　became　cold　and　reserved。　　During　many　months　he　remained　at　a　distance　from　London。　　Meanwhile　his　most　intimate　friends；　in　spite　of　his　declarations　that　he　made　no　complaint；　and　that　he　had　no　wish　for　office；　exerted　themselves　to　effect　a　change　of　ministry。　　His　favourite　disciple；　George　Canning；　young；　ardent；　ambitious；　with　great　powers　and　great　virtues；　but　with　a　temper　too　restless　and　a　wit　too　satirical　for　his　own　happiness；　was　indefatigable。　　He　spoke；　he　wrote；　he　intrigued；　he　tried　to　induce　a　large　number　of　the　supporters　of　the　government　to　sign　a　round　robin　desiring　a　change；　he　made　game　of　Addington　and　of　Addington's　relations　in　a　succession　of　lively　pasquinades。　　The　minister's　partisans　retorted　with　equal　acrimony；　if　not　with　equal　vivacity。　　Pitt　could　keep　out　of　the　affray　only　by　keeping　out　of　politics　altogether；　and　this　it　soon　became　impossible　for　him　to　do。　　Had　Napoleon；　content　with　the　first　place　among　the　Sovereigns　of　the　Continent；　and　with　a　military　reputation　surpassing　that　of　Marlborough　or　of　Turenne；　devoted　himself　to　the　noble　task　of　making　France　happy　by　mild　administration　and　wise　legislation；　our　country　might　have　long　continued　to　tolerate　a　government　of　fair　intentions　and　feeble　abilities。　　Unhappily；　the　treaty　of　Amiens　had　scarcely　been　signed；　when　the　restless　ambition　and　the　insupportable　insolence　of　the　First　Consul　convinced　the　great　body　of　the　English　people　that　the　peace；　so　eagerly　welcomed；　was　only　a　precarious　armistice。　　As　it　became　clearer　and　clearer　that　a　war　for　the　dignity；　the　independence；　the　very　existence　of　the　nation　was　at　hand；　men　looked　with　increasing　uneasiness　on　the　weak　and　languid　cabinet　which　would　have　to　contend　against　an　enemy　who　united　more　than　the　power　of　Louis　the　Great　to　more　than　the　genius　of　Frederick　the　Great。　　It　is　true　that　Addington　might　easily　have　been　a　better　war　minister　than　Pitt；　and　could　not　possibly　have　been　a　worse。　　But　Pitt　had　cast　a　spell　on　the　public　mind。　　The　eloquence；　the　judgment；　the　calm　and　disdainful　firmness；　which　he　had；　during　many　years；　displayed　in　Parliament；　deluded　the　world　into　the　belief　that　he　must　be　eminently　qualified　to　superintend　every　department　of　politics；　and　they　imagined；　even　after　the　miserable　failures　of　Dunkirk；　of　Quiberon；　and　of　the　Helder；　that　he　was　the　only　s