intended to attack Dublin Castle and seize the person of the lord
lieutenant, who was to be held as a hostage; but they dared not make the
attempt, and after parading the streets for a few hours were dispersed
by the spontaneous action of a few determined officers with a handful of
troops, but not before Lord Kilwarden, the chief justice, and several
other persons, had been cruelly murdered by Emmet's followers. Futile as
the rising was, it sufficed to show that union was not a sovereign
remedy for Irish disaffection.

Meanwhile the relations between the prime minister and his predecessor
had been growing less and less cordial. Throughout the year 1801 Pitt
was still the friend and informal adviser of the ministry, and it is
difficult to overrate the value of his support as a ground of confidence
in an administration, personally popular, but known to be deficient in
intellectual brilliance. In 1802 he generally stood aloof, and though in
June of that year he corrected the draft of the king's speech, he
absented himself from parliament, for he was dissatisfied with the
measures adopted by government. His dissatisfaction was known to his
friends, and in November a movement was set on foot by Canning to induce
Addington to withdraw in Pitt's favour; but Pitt, though willing to
resume office, refused to allow the ministry to be approached on the
subject. He preferred to wait till a general wish for his return to
power should be manifested. In December he visited Grenville at
Dropmore, and expressed a certain discontent with the government.[13] It
was his intention still to treat the ministers with tenderness, but to
return to parliament and criticise their policy. It is easy to see that
his object at this date was not to drive the government from office, but
to give rise to a desire to re-enlist his own talents in the service of
the country, and thus prepare the way for a peaceable resumption of the
position he had abandoned in the preceding year.

[Pageheading: _NEGOTIATIONS FOR PITT'S RETURN._]

No sooner had rumours of Pitt's willingness to resume office reached
Addington in the last days of December, than he opened negotiations with
Pitt with a view to effecting this object. Pitt did not receive his
overtures very warmly. He doubtless wished to be brought back because he
was felt to be indispensable, without any appearance of intrigue. Time
was in his favour, and he allowed the negotiations to proceed slowly. As
the