passed without a division; the supplies were voted, and on the 23rd
Pitt saw that the time had come for a dissolution. A difficulty suddenly
arose, for the great seal was stolen from Thurlow's house. A new one was
promptly made, and on the 25th parliament was dissolved.

Of his coalition with North, Fox said that it could be justified only by
success. For a second time he put his political fate to the touch. He
attempted to give absolute authority to one branch of the legislature,
to enable an existing house of commons to restrain the constitutional
exercise of the prerogative, to prolong its own existence, and to hinder
an appeal to the will of the nation. Both moves were disastrous to him.
The coalition was condemned as unprincipled; whigs were offended at his
alliance with North, whom they held responsible for the American war,
tories by the alliance of North with the opponent of prerogative. His
attempt to hinder the expression of the national will by a general
election perplexed the whigs, his attack on the prerogative disgusted
the tories. His India bill alarmed chartered bodies, and was held,
unjustly it is true, but with some show of reason, to be inspired by the
wish to perpetuate the power of the whig oligarchy through corrupt
influence. Feelings of personal loyalty and of admiration for the
youthful minister who dared to fight, and was able to win, the king's
battle against such tremendous odds, combined to destroy the effect of
George's unconstitutional proceeding and to rouse enthusiasm for Pitt.
The opposition candidates were defeated in almost all the larger
constituencies; 160 of them--"Fox's martyrs" they were called--lost
their seats. The rout was complete; even Yorkshire, so long faithful to
the great houses, returned Pitt's friend, Wilberforce, the son of a
banker. One consolation they had. After an exciting struggle Fox was
re-elected for Westminster, though only as second member, and, as we
shall see, even this triumph was disputed. Fox's conduct caused the
overthrow of the whig party, and gave the government into the hands of a
minister whose high principles, not less than his supreme ability,
commanded and preserved the confidence of the nation.

FOOTNOTES:

[165] H. Grattan, _Life of Grattan_, ii., 216-20.

[166] Hoste, _Naval Tactics_, i., 153-55, ed. Boswall.

[167] Mahan, _Influence of Sea Power_, pp. 480-500; Hannay, _Rodney_,
pp. 179-213, and _Hood's Letters_, pp. 101-21, 123-30; Mundy