the miscellaneous writings and speeches-3-第36节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ons　that　Pitt　should　be　honoured　with　a　public　funeral　and　a　monument。　　The　motion　was　opposed　by　Fox　in　a　speech　which　deserves　to　be　studied　as　a　model　of　good　taste　and　good　feeling。　　The　task　was　the　most　invidious　that　ever　an　orator　undertook：　　but　it　was　performed　with　a　humanity　and　delicacy　which　were　warmly　acknowledged　by　the　mourning　friends　of　him　who　was　gone。　　The　motion　was　carried　by　288　votes　to　89。　The　22d　of　February　was　fixed　for　the　funeral。　　The　corpse　having　lain　in　state　during　two　days　in　the　Painted　Chamber；　was　borne　with　great　pomp　to　the　northern　transept　of　the　Abbey。　　A　splendid　train　of　princes；　nobles；　bishops；　and　privy　councillors　followed。　　The　grave　of　Pitt　had　been　made　near　to　the　spot　where　his　great　father　lay；　near　also　to　the　spot　where　his　great　rival　was　soon　to　lie。　　The　sadness　of　the　assistants　was　beyond　that　of　ordinary　mourners。　　For　he　whom　they　were　committing　to　the　dust　had　died　of　sorrows　and　anxieties　of　which　none　of　the　survivors　could　be　altogether　without　a　share。　　Wilberforce；　who　carried　the　banner　before　the　hearse；　described　the　awful　ceremony　with　deep　feeling。　　As　the　coffin　descended　into　the　earth；　he　said；　the　eagle　face　of　Chatham　from　above　seemed　to　look　down　with　consternation　into　the　dark　house　which　was　receiving　all　that　remained　of　so　much　power　and　glory。　All　parties　in　the　House　of　Commons　readily　concurred　in　voting　forty　thousand　pounds　to　satisfy　the　demands　of　Pitt's　creditors。　　Some　of　his　admirers　seemed　to　consider　the　magnitude　of　his　embarrassments　as　a　circumstance　highly　honourable　to　him；　but　men　of　sense　will　probably　be　of　a　different　opinion。　　It　is　far　better；　no　doubt；　that　a　great　minister　should　carry　his　contempt　of　money　to　excess　than　that　he　should　contaminate　his　hands　with　unlawful　gain。　　But　it　is　neither　right　nor　becoming　in　a　man　to　whom　the　public　has　given　an　income　more　than　sufficient　for　his　comfort　and　dignity　to　bequeath　to　that　public　a　great　debt；　the　effect　of　mere　negligence　and　profusion。　　As　first　Lord　of　the　Treasury　and　Chancellor　of　the　Exchequer；　Pitt　never　had　less　than　six　thousand　a　year；　besides　an　excellent　house。　　In　1792　he　was　forced　by　his　royal　master's　friendly　importunity　to　accept　for　life　the　office　of　Warden　of　the　Cinque　Ports；　with　near　four　thousand　a　year　more。　　He　had　neither　wife　nor　child；　he　had　no　needy　relations：　　he　had　no　expensive　tastes：　　he　had　no　long　election　bills。　　Had　he　given　but　a　quarter　of　an　hour　a　week　to　the　regulation　of　his　household；　he　would　have　kept　his　expenditure　within　bounds。　　Or；　if　he　could　not　spare　even　a　quarter　of　an　hour　a　week　for　that　purpose；　he　had　numerous　friends；　excellent　men　of　business；　who　would　have　been　proud　to　act　as　his　stewards。　　One　of　those　friends；　the　chief　of　a　great　commercial　house　in　the　city；　made　an　attempt　to　put　the　establishment　in　Downing　Street　to　rights；　but　in　vain。　　He　found　that　the　waste　of　the　servants'　hall　was　almost　fabulous。　　The　quantity　of　butcher's　meat　charged　in　the　bills　was　nine　hundredweight　a　week。　　The　consumption　of　poultry；　of　fish；　and　of　tea　was　in　proportion。　　The　character　of　Pitt　would　have　stood　higher　if　with　the　disinterestedness　of　Pericles　and　of　De　Witt；　he　had　united　their　dignified　frugality。　The　memory　of　Pitt　has　been　assailed；　times　innumerable；　often　justly；　often　unjustly；　but　it　has　suffered　much　less　from　his　assailants　than　from　his　eulogists。　　For；　during　many　years；　his　name　was　the　rallying　cry　of　a　class　of　men　with　whom；　at　one　of　those　terrible　conjunctures　which　confound　all　ordinary　distinctions；　he　was　accidentally　and　temporarily　connected；　but　to　whom；　on　almost　all　great　questions　of　principle；　he　was　diametrically　opposed。　　The　haters　of　parliamentary　reform　called　themselves　Pittites；　not　choosing　to　remember　that　Pitt　made　three　motions　for　parliamentary　reform；　and　that；　though　he　thought　that　such　a　reform　could　not　safely　be　made　while　the　passions　excited　by　the　French　revolution　were　raging；　he　never　uttered　a　word　indicating　that　he　should　not　be　prepared　at　a　more　convenient　season　to　bring　the　question　forward　a　fourth　time。　　The　toast　of　Protestant　ascendency　was　drunk　on　Pitt's　birthday　by　a　set　of　Pittites　who　could　not　but　be　aware　that　Pitt　had　resigned　his　office　because　he　could　not　carry　Catholic　emancipation。　　The　defenders　of　the　Test　Act　called　themselves　Pittites；　though　they　could　not　be　ignorant　that　Pitt　had　laid　before　George　the　Third　unanswerable　reasons　for　abolishing　the　Test　Act。　　The　enemies　of　free　trade　called　themselves　Pittites；　though　Pitt　was　far　more　deeply　imbued　with　the　doctrines　of　Adam　Smith　than　either　Fox　or　Grey。　　The　very　negro…drivers　invoked　the　name　of　Pitt；　whose　eloquence　was　never　more　conspicuously　displayed　than　when　he　spoke　of　the　wrongs　of　the　negro。　　This　mythical　Pitt；　who　resembles　the　genuine　Pitt　as　little　as　Charlemagne　of　Ariosto　resembles　the　Charlemagne　of　Eginhard；　has　had　his　day。　　History　will　vindicate　the　real　man　from　calumny　disguised　under　the　semblance　of　adulation；　and　will　exhibit　him　as　what　he　was；　a　minister　of　great　talents；　honest　intentions；　and　liberal　opinions；　pre…eminently　qualified；　intellectually　and　morally；　for　the　part　of　a　parliamentary　leader；　and　capable　of　administering　with　prudence　and　moderation　the　government　of　a　prosperous　and　tranquil　country；　but　unequal　to　surprising　and　terrible　emergencies；　and　liable；　in　such　emergencies；　to　err　grievously；　both　on　the　side　of　weakness　and　on　the　side　of　violence。　。。。

MISCELLANEOUS　POEMS；　INSCRIPTIONS；　ETC。

EPITAPH　ON　HENRY　MARTYN。　（1812。）　Here　Martyn　lies。　　In　Manhood's　early　bloom　The　Christian　Hero　finds　a　Pagan　tomb。　Religion；　sorrowing　o'er　her　favourite　son；　Points　to　the　glorious　trophies　that　he　won。　Eternal　trophies！　not　with　carnage　red；　Not　stained　with　tears　by　hapless　captives　shed；　But　trophies　of　the　Cross！　for　that　dear　name；　Through　every　form　of　danger；　death；　and　shame；　Onward　he　journeyed　to　a　happier　shore；　Where　danger；　death；　and　shame　assault　no　more。　。。。

LINES　TO　THE　MEMORY　OF　PITT。　（1813。）　Oh　Britain！　dear　Isle；　when　the　annals　of　story　Shall　tell　of　the　deeds　that　thy　children　have　done；　When　the　strains　of　each　poet　shall　sing　of　their　glory；　And　the　triumphs　their　skill　and　their　valour　have　won。　When　the　olive　and　palm　in　thy　chaplet　are　blended；　When　thy　arts；　and　thy　fame；　and　thy　commerce　increase；　When　thy　arms　through　the　uttermost　coasts　are　extended；　And　thy　war　is　triumphant；　and　happy　thy　peace；　When　the　ocean；　whose　waves　like　a　rampart　flow　round　thee；　Conveying　thy　mandates　to　every　shore；　And　the　empire　of　nature　no　longer　can　bound　thee；　And　the　world　be　the　scene　of　thy　conquests　no　more：　Remember　the　man　who　in　sorrow　and　danger；　When　thy　glory　was　set；　and　thy　spirit　was　low；　When　thy　hopes　were　o'erturned　by　the　arms　of　the　stranger；　And　thy　banners　displayed　in　the　halls　of　the　foe；　Stood　forth　in　the　tempest　of　doubt　and　disaster；　Unaided；　and　single；　the　danger　to　brave。　Asserted　thy　claims；　and　the　rights　of　his　master；　Preserved　thee　to　conquer；　and　saved　thee　to　save。　。。。

A　RADICAL　WAR　SONG。　（1820。）　Awake；　arise；　the　hour　is　come；　For　rows　and　revolutions；　There's　no　receipt　like　pike　and　drum　For　crazy　constitutions。　Close；　close　the　shop！　　Break；　break　the　loom；　Desert　your　hearths　and　furrows；　And　throng　in　arms　to　seal　the　doom　Of　England's　rotten　boroughs。　We'll　stretch　that　tort'ring　Castlereagh　On　his　own　Dublin　rack；　sir；　We'll　drown　the　King　in　Eau　de　vie；　The　Laureate　in　his　sack；　sir；　Old　Eldon　and　his　sordid　hag　In　molten　gold　we'll　smother；　And　stifle　in　his　own　green　bag　The　Doctor　and　his　brother。　In　chains　we'll　hang　in　fair　Guildhall　The　City's　famed　recorder；　And　next　on　proud　St　Stephen's　fall；　Though　Wynne　should　squeak　to　order。　In　vain　our　tyrants　then　shall　try　To　'scape　our　martial　law；　sir；　In　vain　the　trembling　Speaker　cry　That　〃Strangers　must　withdraw；〃　sir。　Copley　to　hang　offends　no　text；　A　rat　is　not　a　man；　sir：　With　schedules；　and　with　tax　bills　next　We'll　bury　pious　Van；　sir。　The　slaves　who　loved　the　income　Tax；　We'll　crush　by　scores；　like　mites；　sir；　And　him；　the　wretch　who　freed　the　blacks；　And　more　enslaved　the　whites；　sir。　The　peer　shall　dangle　from　his　gate；　The　bishop　from　his　steeple；　Till　all　recanting；　own；　the　State　Means　nothing　but　the　People。　We'll　fix　the　church's　revenues　On　Apostolic　basis；　One　coat；　one　scrip；　one　pair　of　shoes　Shall　pay　their　strange　grimaces。　We'll　strap　the　bar's　deluding　train　In　their　own　darling　halter；　And　with　his　big　church　bible　brain　The　parson　at　the　altar。　Hail　glorious　hour；　when　fair　Reform　Shall　bless　our　longing　nation；　And　Hunt　receive　commands　to　form　A　new　administration。　Carlisle　shall　sit　enthroned；　where　sat　Our　Cranmer　and　our　Secker；　And　Watson　show　his　snow…white　hat　In　England's　rich　Exchequer。　The　breast　of　Thistlewood　shall　wear　Our　Wellesley's　star　and　sash；　man：　And　many　a　mausoleum　fair　Shall　rise　to　honest　Cashman。　Then；　then　beneath　the　nine…tailed　cat　Shall　they　who　used　it　writhe；　sir；　And　curates　lean；　and　rectors　fat；　Shall　dig　the　ground　they　tithe；　sir。　Down　with　your　Bayleys；　and　your　Bests；　Your　Giffords；　and　your　Gurneys：　We'll　clear　the　island　of　the　pests