das, "replenish his ftomach with abundance of food, and take an obvious method to prevent its escape." This idea was eagerly applauded by all prefent; and it is impoffible to fay what good effects it might have produced, had it been adopted. But as it involved an operation in furgery, not admitted into regular practice, the medical gentlemen prefent refufed to act; and their plea was allowed to be perfectly good by Sir John Mitford, who declared, that in no cafe whatever ought a profeffional man to advance a fingle ftep without a precedent; and, leaft of all, in fo delicate and momentous an affair, as the ftopping up of a Prime Minister. An end was thus put to all further proceedings, and the Council broke up, leaving the poor Minister in the moft deplorable state of mind. It was now towards the middle of the third day of his illness, when he began to entertain very ferious thoughts of dying, which agitated him extremely."Ah, George!" faid he, feizing Mr. Rofe's hand, "I fear I have been a fad dog, and have much to anfwer for." The Under-Secretary fhook his head, but faid nothing. "I with, George," continued the Premier, "I could recolle&t fome of the good actions I have done; it would be fome relief to me at the prefent moment to think of them. My memory, alas! fails me: but canft thou not affift me to recall fome of my good deeds, my dear friend?" As he faid this, he looked up very tenderly in Mr. Rofe's face; who, with correfponding looks of fympathy, flowly passed the back of his hand over his eyes, to wipe away the precious drops of pity that were overflowing them." Ah! my dear mafter," faid this faithful fquire," your good works are without number. Do they not extend over all the Continent? Is not the red book a durable and ample memorial of your your good works and your charity? But why do I go fo far for examples? I have only to point to myself. Did you not find me a purfer, and have you not made me a Minifter of State* You found me dealing out my flops, with my ink-horn at my button-and, lo! by your favours, have I acquired gold and filver, lands and forefts, with power over many cities." "Oh! do not torture me," exclaimed the Minifter, "with the recital of my crimes. Tell me-oh! if poffible, tell me if I ever raifed one worthy man into power, or ever employed one individual in the fervice of the State from pure motives. I employed you, indeed, and others, whom I tremble to think of; and grievously I fear muft I answer for it. Laft night, methought, I faw the angry fhade of my father, which frowned on me as it paffed, but deigned not to fpeak, It feemed to reproach me with my degeneracy, with the bafenefs of my affociates, and the perfidious duplicity of my conduct. I am feized with horror, when I view the injuries I have done mankind. I am” He was proceeding, in a very folemn tone of voice, when the Under-Secretary clapped his hand on his mouth, and entreated him, for the love of God, to hold his tongue, as there were people in the room. Then turning round to the phyfician, he whispered him not to mention a word he had heard, as the Minister was evidently out of his fenfes. This learned perfon, however, very properly confidered that Mr. Pitt's laft fpeech was as neceffary to be given to the public as that of Averfbaw, or any other great man, who raises himfelf, by his abilities, over the reft of his species. And It is fuppofed by many, that the wonderful rife of this quondam ip-cheefe has made him very proud of his own abilities. This is not the cafe. One day, when Mr. R. was inviting a gentleman of great and acknowledged talents to dine at his houfe, he told him that he would ask another fenfible man to meet him. A highwayman, who was hanged for murder, our our readers, we truft, will rejoice that he judged in that manner. We omit that part of the learned phyfician's report which relates to the medicines he prefcribed for his illuftrious patient. It may be proper, however, to mention, that a large bolus of opium was found to have confiderable effect in quieting the violence of his emotions, by inducing a kind of itupor. While this lasted, it is incredible what odd conceits he took up, miftaking the names and qualities of perfons and things. He in fifted that a veffel which ftood under the bed was the river Scheldt, and he eagerly defired that Mr. Burke might be called to drink up the contents, to prevent the French, as he faid, from giving them away. A little fcabby cat having got into the room, he charged Mr. Rofe to take particular care of it; fwearing it was worth fifty thousand men, and fifty millions of money and that if the Catholic King perfified in his attempts to fteal it, he would raife an army, and destroy all the cats and dogs in Spain *! "And that hero fhall be my General !" he exclaim-' ed, pointing to Mr. Jenkinfon; who immediately protefted he was no General, but a Senator." I cry you mercy," faid the Premier; " I took you for Alexander the Great." Mr. Canning, grieved to fee his friend making fuch mistakes, asked him if he knew who he was?——“ O yes," replied the Minifter, "perfectly well; you are the tame magpye that flew out of Sheridan's parlour into Lord Hawkesbury's pantry t." Upon this, poor Mr. Canning fell a-crying, and could not be comforted, till the housekeeper brought him a flice of bread and butter, fprinkled with fugar! An allufion to the armament against Spain, on account of our trade in fkins at Nootka. This young gentleman, before he enlifted under the banners of the Minifter, is faid to have received a great deal of political inftruction from Mr. Sheridan. Ι My My Lord Hawkesbury, hearing his name mentioned, ftept up; but the moment Mr. Pitt faw him, he covered his head with a blanket, roaring out that the devil himself was at length come to fetch him. And fo great was his terror, that the virtuous Nobleman was obliged to leave the room. The violent agitation into which the Minifter was thrown, brought on a furious fit of his diforder, accompanied with what our friend the physician calls a colliquative fweat; which weakened him fo much, that it was thought neceffary to dismiss all the vifitors, and fend for a clergyman. Fortunately, Dr. Prettyman, his old preceptor, entered the room at the very moment he was wanted. This venerable Prelate had taken care to inftil into the mind of his pupil, in early youth, thofe upright principles for which he has been remarkable in his maturer age. He had efpecially inftructed him never to utter a falfehood-unlefs his intereft evidently required it. And the grateful pupil had defervedly rewarded him with the mitre of Lincoln. The good man faw at once that no time was to be loft, the Minister's nofe being now exceedingly pointed, and of a dark blue colour at the tip. He therefore fat him down on the bedfide, and kindly taking hold of the Minifter's hand, afked him how he felt himself; to which he replied, that he feared all was over with him. The Bifhop then asked him if he was afraid to die. The Minifter made no answer, but only fhook his head, and wept. The Divine was exceedingly moved to obferve fuch fymptoms of apprehenfion, and began to inquire if any thing troubled his confciénce. The poor Premier fobbed moft piteously, and remained feveral minutes almost choaked with fomething that appeared too big for utterance. At length, he fighed out, with dreadful figns of horror and agony, war, the war!" The The Bishop hereupon began to adminifter confola tion; reminding the Premier, that the war (as he himfelf had often proved) was a war for religion, and was therefore the most meritorious of all things." No, no," faid the Minifter, with a deep groan; "fuch prétences will not avail me now. Religion cannot be ferved by war." The aftonished Divine afked him haftily, if he was not a Chriftian then, or what religion he was of? To which the Premier replied, that he did not recollect. The furprise of the pious Churchman may be easily conceived. However, he thought it ufelefs to enter into any difpute, and therefore propofed to read fome prayers. For this purpofe, he drew out his book; but in turning it over, he found that, inftead of the Book of Common Prayer, he had, in his hafte, brought away Swift's Effay on Political Lying; and there being no prayer-book in Downing Street, the fervice was of courfe given up. It was fuggefted to the Bifhop to pronounce a prayer from niemory; and he inftantly afked Mr. Pitt if he would join in the Lord's Prayer. But the Premier, miftaking his meaning, warmly aufwered, that he hoped neither Lords nor Commons would join in any prayer or remonftrance without his confent. The right reverend Divine, neverthelefs, began the prayer; but, by reafon of imperfect recollection, from want of practice, he blended it with parts of the Creed, and fcraps of the thirty-nine Articles, in fuch a manner, that the dying Premier afked, with emotion, if it was kind thus to torment him in his last moments with difcourfes as unintelligible as his own acts of Parliament ? The worthy Prelate, however, preferved his temper; and, in the spirit of meeknefs, afked him if he forgave his enemies? to which the Premier replied, that he was fure no man had fo many to forgive. He faid, he thought it almost impoffible to bring his mind to fo extenfive an act; never having forgiven an injury in the courfe of his life. He was pofitive he could not for give |