ing the friendly mediation of the Czar (G. Rose,
"Diaries," ii, 43, 157). Romilly ("Mems.," i, 427) calls the Ministry a
thing of no account in comparison with Pitt, and says it was universally
despised.

[655] Romilly Memoirs, i, 427.

[656] Sichel, "Sheridan," i, 440. Spencer Stanhope declared Pitt's
speech the finest he ever heard. His wife wrote to their son: "He (Pitt)
spoke for two hours, but unless he can be prevailed upon to give it
himself, as the shorthand-writers were excluded, the speech will be lost
for ever. Your father thinks it will be made out by some of his friends
and submitted to his inspection; therefore, tho' we may lose much, we
shall not lose the whole" (A. M. W. Stirling, "Annals of a Yorkshire
House," ii, 282).

[657] "Dumouriez and the Defence of England against Napoleon," by J. H.
Rose and A. M. Broadley.

[658] Lyon, "Hist. of Dover," p. xxxiii.

[659] Hansard, i, 1899-1902.

[660] "Mems. of Lady Hester Stanhope," i, 174.

[661] Lady Hester's second brother.

[662] G. Rose, "Diaries," ii, 70-2; Desbriere, "Projets de
Debarquement," iii, 98-105; Wheeler and Broadley, "Napoleon and the
Invasion of England," ii, ch. 14; Cornwallis ("Corresp.," iii, 500)
thought ill of our chances if the French landed, but he doubted if they
could. (_Ibid._, iii, 503.)

[663] Pitt MSS., 157.

[664] "Dropmore P.," vii, 193, 196.

[665] Pretyman MSS. It is in answer to the one referred to in "Dropmore
P.," vii, 209.

[666] "Dropmore P.," vii, 211-14.

[667] Pretyman MSS.

[668] "Creevey Papers," i, 25-7.

[669] Pretyman MSS.

[670] Stanhope, iv, 139-44.

[671] Pretyman MSS.

[672] From Mr. A. M. Broadley's MSS.

[673] Stanhope, iv, App. viii-ix.

[674] G. Rose, "Diaries," i, 4.

[675] Stanhope, iv, 177.

[676] Pitt thoroughly approved of Castlereagh taking the India Board
under Addington in July 1802; in October he entered the Cabinet
("Private Papers of Wilberforce," 131).

[677] Wraxall (iii, 281) with his usual bias says that Pitt "affected"
to desire the inclusion of Fox.

[678] "Life of Wilberforce," iii, 168, 182, 184, 211, 212.

[679] _Ibid._, iii, 230-4; Pitt MSS., 189.

CHAPTER XXIII

PITT AND NAPOLEON

I made a mistake about England, in trying to conquer it. The
English are a brave nation. I have always said that there are
only two nations, the English and the French; and I made the
French.--NAPOLEON TO MACNAMARA (1814), _Lord Brought