t gave an impression of size. He was one of the
world's big little men--the type of Aaron Burr, Alexander Hamilton,
Benjamin Harrison and John D. Long. In the House of Commons he lost no
time in making his presence felt. He was assertive, theatrical,
declamatory--still, he usually knew what he was talking about. His
criticisms of the Government so exasperated Sir Robert Walpole that
Walpole used to refer to him as "that terrible cornet of horse."
Finally, Walpole had him dismissed from the Army. This, instead of
silencing the young man, really made matters worse, and George the
Second, who patronized the Opposition when he could not down it, made
him groom of the bedchamber to the Prince of Wales. This was an office
lined with adipose, with no work to speak of.

The feeling is that Pitt revealed his common clay by accepting the
favor. He was large enough to get along without such things.

In most of the good old "School Speakers" was an extract from a speech
supposed to have been delivered by Pitt on the occasion of his being
taunted by Horace Walpole on account of his youth. Pitt replied in
language something like this: "It is true that I am young, yet I'll get
over that; but the man who is a fool will probably remain one all his
days."

The speech was reported by a lout of a countryman, Samuel Johnson by
name, who had come up to London to make his fortune, and found his first
work in reporting speeches in the House of Commons. Pitt did not write
out his speeches for the press, weeks in advance, according to
latter-day methods; the man who reported them had to have a style of his
own--and certainly Johnson had. Pitt was much pleased with Johnson's
reports of his speeches, but on one occasion mildly said, "Ah, Mr.
Johnson--you know--I do not exactly remember using that expression!"

And Samuel Johnson said, "Sir, it is barely possible that you did not
use the language as I have written it out; but you should." Just how
much Johnson we get in Pitt's printed speeches, is still a topic for
debate.

Pitt could think on his feet, while Samuel Johnson never made but one
speech and broke down in that. But Johnson could write, and the best of
Pitt's speeches are those reported by Ursa Major in a style superbly
Johnsonese. The member from Old Sarum once sent Johnson two butts of
Canary and a barrel of whitebait, as a token of appreciation for his
skill in accurate reporting.

Pitt followed the usual course of successful r