Pitt was not present on this occasion, he and his neighbour, Lord
Carrington, on whom in 1802 he bestowed the command of Deal Castle,
being busy in organizing the local Volunteers. As Constable of Dover
Castle, Pitt summoned the delegates of the Cinque Ports to meet him
there to discuss the raising of local corps; and he gave the sum of
L1,000 towards their expenses. Dover contributed L885; Sandwich, L887;
Margate, L538, and so on. As Lord Warden, he also took steps to secure
a large number of recruits for the new Army of Reserve, and he further
instructed local authorities to send in returns of all men of military
age, besides carts, horses, and stock, with a view to the "driving" of
the district in case of a landing.[658] At Walmer he kept open house for
officers and guests who visited that coast. By the end of the year 1803
more than 10,000 Kentishmen had enrolled as Volunteers, and 1,040 in the
Army of Reserve, exclusive of Sea Fencibles serving on gunboats. For the
whole of Great Britain the totals were 379,000 and 31,000
respectively.[659] Pitt's joke at the expense of a battalion which laid
more stress on privileges than drills, has become historic. Its
organizers sent up a plan containing several stipulations as to their
duties, with exceptions "in case of actual invasion." Pitt lost patience
at this Falstaff-like conduct, and opposite the clause that they were on
no account to be sent out of the country he wrote the stinging
comment--"except in case of invasion."

The pen of Lady Hester Stanhope gives life-like glimpses of him during
the endless drills between Deal and Dover. She had fled from the
levelling vagaries of Earl Stanhope at Chevening to Lady Chatham at
Burton Pynsent; but that home being now broken up, Pitt offered to
install her at Walmer Castle. He did so with some misgiving; for her
queenly airs and sprightly sallies, however pleasing as a tonic,
promised little for comfort and repose. But the experiment succeeded
beyond all hope. She soon learnt to admire his serenity, while his home
was the livelier for the coming of this meteoric being. Her complexion
was dazzlingly bright. Her eyes, usually blue, would flash black, as did
those of Chatham in moments of excitement. Her features, too, had a
magical play of expression, lighting up at a pleasing fancy, or again
darting forth scorn, with the April-like alternations that irradiated
and overclouded the brow of her grandsire. Kinglake, who saw her h