(Christopher), an eminent English poet, celebrated for his excellent translation of Virgil's Æneid, was born in the year 1699. Having studied four years at New-college, Oxford, he was presented to the living of Pimperne in Dorsetshire, which he held during the remainder of his life. He had so poetical a turn, that while he was a school-boy he wrote two large folios of manuscript poems, one of which contained an entire translation of Lucan. He was much esteemed while at the university; particularly by the celebrated Dr Young, who used familiarly to call him his son. Next to his fine translation of Virgil, Mr Pitt gained the greatest reputation by his excellent English translation of Vida's art of poetry. This amiable poet died in the year 1648, without leaving, it is said, one enemy behind him.

(William) earl of Chatham, a most celebrated British statesman and patriot, was born in November 1708. He was the youngest son of Robert Pitt, Esq.; of Boconnock in Cornwall; and grandson of Thomas Pitt, Esq.; governor of Fort St George in the East Indies, in the reign of queen Anne, who sold an extraordinary fine diamond to the king of France for £35,000l., and thus obtained the name of Diamond Pitt. His intellectual faculties and powers of elocution very soon made a distinguished appearance; but at the age of 16 he felt the attacks of an hereditary and incurable gout, by which he was tormented at times during the rest of his life.

His lordship entered early into the army, and served in a regiment of dragoons. Through the interest of the duchess of Marlborough he obtained a seat in parliament before he was 21 years of age. His first appearance in the house was as representative of the borough of Old Sarum, in the ninth parliament of Great Britain. In the 10th he represented Seaford, Aldborough in the 11th, and the city of Bath in the 12th; where he continued till he was called up to the house of peers in 1766. The intention of the duchess in bringing him thus early into parliament was to oppose Sir Robert Walpole, whom he kept in awe by the force of his eloquence. At her death the duchess left him 10,000l. on condition, as was then reported, that he never should receive a place in administration. However, if any such condition was made, it certainly was not kept on his Lordship's part. In 1746 he was appointed vice-treasurer of Ireland, and soon after paymaster general of the forces, and sworn a privy-counsellor. He discharged the office of paymaster with such honour and inflexible integrity, refusing even many of the perquisites of his office, that his bitterest enemies could lay nothing to his charge, and he soon became the darling of the people. In 1755 he resigned the office of paymaster, on seeing Mr Fox preferred to him. The people were alarmed at this resignation; and being disgusted with the unsuccessful beginning of the war, complained so loudly, that on the 4th December 1756, Mr Pitt was appointed secretary of state in the room of Mr Fox afterwards Lord Holland; and other promotions were made in order to second his plans. He then took such measures as were necessary for the honour and interest of the nation; but in the month of February 1757, having refused to assent to the carrying on a war in Germany for the sake of his majesty's dominions on the continent, he was deprived of the seals on the 5th of April following. Upon this the complaints of the people again became so violent, that on the 29th of June he was again appointed secretary, and his friends filled other important offices. The success with which the war was now conducted is universally known; yet on the 5th of October 1761, Mr Pitt, to the astonishment of almost the whole kingdom, resigned the seals into his majesty's own hands. The reason of this was, that Mr Pitt, having received certain intelligence that the family-compact was signed between France and Spain, and that the latter was about to join France against us, thought it necessary to prevent her by commencing hostilities first. Having communicated this opinion in the privy-council, the other ministers urged that they would think twice before they declared war against that kingdom. "I will not give them leave to think" (replied Mr Pitt); "this is the time, let us crush the whole house of Bourbon. But if the members of this board are of a different opinion, this is the last time I shall ever mix in its councils." I was called into the ministry by the voice of the people, and to them I hold myself answerable for my conduct. I am to thank the ministers of the late king for their support; I have served my country with success; but I will not be responsible for the conduct of the war any longer than while I have the direction of it." To this bold declaration, the lord who then presided in council made the following reply. "I find the gentleman is determined to leave us; nor can I say that I am sorry for it, since he would otherwise have certainly compelled us to leave him. But if he is resolved to assume the right of advising his majesty, and directing the operations of the war, to what purpose are we called to this council? When he talks of being responsible to the people, he talks the language of the house of commons, and forgets that at this board he is responsible only to the king. However, though he may possibly have convinced himself of his infallibility, still it remains that we should be equally convinced before we can resign our understandings to his direction, or join with him in the measure he proposes."

This conversation, which was followed by Mr Pitt's resignation, is sufficient to show the haughtiness and imperious temper of our minister. However, these very qualities were sometimes productive of great and good consequences, as appears from the following anecdote.

Preparatory to one of the secret expeditions during the war which ended in 1763 the minister had given orders to the different presiding officers in the military, navy, and ordnance departments, to prepare a large body of forces, a certain number of ships, and a proportionate quantity of stores, &c. and to have them all ready against a certain day. To these orders he received an answer from each of the officers, declaring the total impossibility of a compliance with them. Notwithstanding it was then at a very late hour, he sent immediately for his secretary; and after expressing his resentment at the ignorance or negligence of his majesty's servants, he gave the following commands:

"I desire, Mr Wood, that you will immediately go to Lord Anson; you need not trouble yourself to search the admiralty, he is not to be found there; you must pursue him to the gaming house, and tell him from me, that if he does not obey the orders of government which he has received at my hands, that I will most affluently impeach him. Proceed from him to Lord Ligonier; and though he should be bolstered with harlots, undraw his curtains, and repeat the same message. Then direct your course to Sir Charles Frederick, and assure him, that if his majesty's orders are not obeyed, they shall be the last which he shall receive from me." In consequence of these commands, Mr Wood proceeded to White's, and told his errand to the first lord of the admiralty; who intimated that the secretary of state was out of his senses, and it was impossible to comply with his wishes: "however," added he, "as madmen must be answered, tell him that I will do my utmost to satisfy him." From thence he went to the commander-in-chief of the forces, and delivered the same message. He also said that it was an impossible business; "and the secretary knows it," (added the old lord); nevertheless, he is in the right to make us do what we can; and what is possible to do, inform him, shall be done." The surveyor-general of the ordnance was next informed of Mr Pitt's resolution; and, after some little consideration, he began to think that the orders might be completed within the time prescribed. The consequence at last was, that every thing, in spite of impossibilities themselves, was ready at the time appointed.

After his resignation in 1761, Mr Pitt never had any share in administration. He received a pension of 3000l. a-year, to be continued after his decease, during the survivancy of his lady and son; and this gratuity was dignified with the title of Baronet of Chatham to his lady, and that of Baron to her heirs male. Mr Pitt at that time declined a title of nobility; but in 1766 accepted a peerage under the style of Baron Pynsent and Earl of Chatham, and at the same time he was appointed lord privy-seal.

This acceptance of a peerage proved very prejudicial to his lordship's character. However, he continued steadfast in his opposition to the measures of administration. His last appearance in the House of Lords was on the 2d of April 1778. He was then very ill and much debilitated; but the question was important, being a motion of the duke of Richmond to address his majesty to remove the ministers, and make peace with America on any terms. His lordship ship made a long speech, which had certainly overcome his spirits; for, attempting to rise a second time, he fell down in a convulsive fit; and though he recovered for that time, his disorder continued to increase till the 11th of May, when he died at his seat at Hayes. His death was lamented as a national loss. As soon as the news reached the House of Commons, which was then sitting, Colonel Baré made a motion, that an address should be presented to his majesty, requesting that the Earl of Chatham should be buried at the public expense. But Mr Rigby having proposed the erecting of a statue to his memory, as more likely to perpetuate the sense of his great merits entertained by the public, this was unanimously carried. A bill was soon after passed, by which £4000 a-year was settled upon John, now earl of Chatham, and the heirs of the late earl to whom that title may descend.—His lordship was married in 1754 to Lady Heston, sister to the earl of Temple; by whom he had three sons and two daughters.

Never perhaps was any life so multifarious as that of Lord Chatham; never did any comprise such a number of interesting situations. To bring the scattered features of such a character into one point of view, is an arduous task. The author of the history of his life has attempted to do it; and with the outlines of what he has said in summing up his character, we shall finish our biographical sketch of this wonderful man.

One of the first things that strikes us, in the recollection of Chatham's life, is the superior figure he makes among his contemporaries. Men of genius and attraction, a Carteret, a Townshend, and I had almost said a Mansfield, however pleasing in a limited view, appear evidently in this comparison to shrink into narrower dimensions, and walk a humbler circle. All that deserves to arrest the attention, in taking a general survey of the age in which he lived, is comprised in the history of Chatham. No character ever bore the more undisputed stamp of originality. Unresembled and himself, he was not born to accommodate to the genius of his age. While all around him were depressed by the uniformity of fashion, or the contagion of venality, he stood aloof. He consulted no judgment but his own; and he acted from the untainted dictates of a comprehensive soul.

The native royalty of his mind is eminently conspicuous. He felt himself born to command; and the free sons of Britain implicitly obeyed him. In him was realized the fable of Orpheus; and his genius, his spirit, his eloquence, led millions in his train, subdued the rugged savage, and disarmed the fangs of malignity and envy. Nothing is in its nature so inconsistent as the breath of popular applause: and yet that breath was eminently his during the greater part of his life. Want of success could not divert it; inconstancy of conduct could not change its tenor. The astonishing extent of his views, and the mysterious comprehension of his plans, did not in one respect set him above little things: nothing that was necessary to the execution of his designs was beneath him. In another respect, however, he was infinitely estranged to little things: swallowed up in the business of his country, he did not think of the derangement of his own private affairs; for, though indisposed to all the modes of dissipated expense, his affairs, even when his circumstances were much improved, were always deranged. But the features that seem most eminently to have characterized him, were spirit and intrepidity: they are conspicuous in every action and in every turn of his life; nor did this spirit and intrepidity leave him even at the last.

The manners of lord Chatham were easy and bland, his conversation was spirited and gay, and he readily adapted himself to the complexion of those with whom he associated. That artificial reserve, which is the never-failing refuge of feit diffidence and cowardice, was not made for him. He was unconstrained as artless infancy, and generous as the noon-day sun: yet had he something impenetrable that hung about him. By an irresistible energy of soul, he was haughty and imperious. He was incapable of associating council, and he was not formed for the sweetest bands of society. He was a pleasing companion, but an unpliant friend.

The ambition of our hero, however generous in its strain, was the source of repeated errors in his conduct. To the resignation of lord Carteret, and again, from the commencement of the year 1770, his proceedings were bold and uniform. In the intermediate period they were marked with a versatility, incident only in general to the most flexible minds. We may occasionally trace in them the indecision of a candidate, and the suppleness of a courtier. In a word, he aimed at the impossible task of flattering at once the prejudices of a monarch, and pursuing unremittingly the interests of the people.

A feature, too, sufficiently prominent in his character, was vanity, or perhaps pride and conscious superiority. He dealt surely somewhat too freely with invective. He did not pretend to an ignorance of his talents, or to manage the display of his important services. Himself was too often the hero of his tale; and the successes of the last war the burden of his song.

Patriotism was also the source of some of his imperfections. He loved his country too well; or, if that may sound absurd, the benevolence at least, that embraces the species, had not sufficient scope in his mind. He once styled himself a lover of honourable war; and in so doing he let us into one trait of his character. The friend of human kind will be an enemy to all war. He indulged too much a puerile antipathy to the house of Bourbon; and it was surely the want of expansive affections that led him to so unqualified a condemnation of American independency.

But the eloquence of lord Chatham was one of his most striking characteristics. He far outriveted his competitors, and stood alone the rival of antiquity.

His eloquence was of every kind. No man excelled him in close argument and methodical deduction; but this was not the style into which he naturally fell. His oratory was unlaboured and spontaneous; he rushed at once upon the subject; and usually illustrated it rather by glowing language and original conception, than by cool reasoning. His person was tall and dignified; his face was the face of an eagle; his piercing eye withered the nerves, and looked through the souls of his opponents; his countenance was stern, and the voice of thunder sat upon his lips: anon, however, he could descend to the easy and the playful. His voice seemed scarcely more adapted to energy and to terror, than