friendships prove him to have been
a man of appreciative intelligence. He had proved his courage in his
youth as a soldier at Campen and Minden; he had maintained his courage in
1780 when he faced and was wounded by the pistol of Fullarton. But his
gifts, whatever they were, were not of the quality nor the quantity to
make a leader of men. He could not form a Ministry for himself, and he
was not an element of stability in any Ministry of which he was a member.
The Administration formed by the alliance of Rockingham and Shelburne
could boast of many brilliant names, and showed itself laudably anxious
to add to their number. In an Administration which had Fox for a
Secretary of State, Burke for Paymaster-General of the Forces, and
Sheridan for Under-Secretary of State, the Vice-Treasurership of Ireland
was offered to Pitt.

[Sidenote: 1782--Fox's quarrel with Pitt]

Pitt declined the offer. He had made up his mind that he would not
accept a subordinate situation. Conscious of his ability, he was
prepared to wait. He had not to wait long. During the four agitated
months of life allowed to the Rockingham Administration Pitt
distinguished himself by a motion for reform in the representative system
which was applauded by Fox and by Sheridan, but which was defeated by
twenty votes. Peace and reform were always passions deeply seated at the
heart of Pitt; it was ironic chance that associated him hereafter so
intimately with war and with antagonism to so many methods of reform in
which he earnestly believed. When the quarrels {225} between Fox and
Shelburne over the settlement of the American war ended after
Rockingham's death in July, 1782, in the withdrawal from the Ministry of
Fox, Burke, and the majority of the Rockingham party, Pitt rightly saw
that his hour had come. Fox resigned rather than serve with Shelburne,
Pitt accepted Shelburne, and made Shelburne's political existence
possible a little longer. With the aid of Pitt, Shelburne could hold on
and let Fox go; without Pitt, Fox would have triumphed over Shelburne.
From this moment began the antagonism between Fox and Pitt which was to
last for the remainder of their too brief lives. At the age of
twenty-three Pitt found himself Chancellor of the Exchequer, and one of
the most conspicuous men in the kingdom. Fox, who was ten years older,
was defeated by the youth whose rivalry had been predicted to Fox when
the youth was yet a child.

Pitt's triumph la