"putting the best construction on his words and actions." More of this I shall have the honour of explaining to you. Unless you still keep to your intention of coming to town to-morrow, I shall certainly transmit you the copy of the evidence to Hayes. If you do come to town, you shall find it on your table in Bond-street; where I shall very soon beg the favour of your permission to assure you in person of the respectful affection with which I am, Sir,

Your most obliged,

GEO. ONSLOW.

GEORGE ONSLOW, ESQ. TO MR. PITT.

DEAR SIR,

House of Commons, Wednesday, 4 o'clock,
February 19, 1766.

You must have wondered very much at hearing nothing from me, either of the rest of the evidence, or of the day appointed for the important debate. The truth is, I could not till this moment get the evidence, though I expected it all day yesterday. I have now not been able to get that of yesterday, which was indeed not very essential to the present question, being chiefly produced for facts relative to the Spanish trade.

Friday is fixed for the debate, when we shall be happy to find your health will enable you to do that service to the public you always wish to do, and which your attendance that day will particularly do. Indeed, I do persuade myself, that what you will see that day will greatly tend to your cure. That it may be by some means very speedily effected, is the prayer of every lover of his country, but of none more than him who has the honour to be, dear Sir,

Your truly obliged servant,

GEORGE ONSLOW.

JAMES BOSWELL, ESQ. (1) TO MR. PITT.

SIR,

St. James Street, February 19, 1766.

I HAVE had the honour to receive your most obliging letter, and can with difficulty restrain

(1) This characteristic letter was written a few days after Mr. Boswell's arrival in England. In 1765, after making the tour of the continent, he sailed to Corsica, travelled over every part of that island, and obtained the friendship of the illustrious Pascal Paoli, in whose palace he resided during his stay. In 1768, he gave to the world his "Account of Corsica, with a Journal of a Tour to that Island;" of which performance Dr. Johnson thus expresses his opinion-"Your journal is in a very high degree curious and delightful: you express images which operated strongly upon yourself, and you have impressed them with great force upon your readers. I know not whether I could name any narrative, by which curiosity is better excited, or better gratified."

myself from paying you compliments on the very genteel manner in which you are pleased to treat me. But I come from a people among whom even the honest arts of insinuation are unknown. However you may by political circumstances be in one view a simple individual, yet, Sir, Mr. Pitt will always be the prime minister of the brave, the secretary of freedom and of spirit; and I hope that I may with propriety talk to him of the views of the illustrious Paoli. (1)

Be that as it may, I shall very much value the honour of being admitted to your acquaintance. I am, with the highest esteem, Sir,

Your most obedient and

most humble servant,

JAMES BOSWell.

(1) The following is Napoleon Buonaparte's account of his distinguished countryman :-" In 1755, Pascal Paoli was appointed first magistrate and general of Corsica. He had been educated at Naples, and was a captain in the service of King Don Carlos. He was tall, young, handsome, learned, and eloquent. In 1769, a French army, commanded by Marshal de Vaux, landed in Corsica. The inhabitants fought resolutely; but, driven to the south of the island, Paoli embarked, June 16, in an English ship at Porto Vecchio, landed at Leghorn, crossed the continent, and repaired to London, where he was every where received with tokens of the greatest admiration, both by the people and their princes." Mémoires, tom. iv. p. 36.

MR. PITT TO LADY CHATHAM.

Friday, past one, February 21, 1766.(1)

My love will, I trust, be better pleased to hear of me from the fountain-head than by hearsay.

(1) On this day, the resolutions of the committee of the whole House, appointed to consider of the papers relative to the disturbances in America, on account of the Stamp-act, were taken into consideration; and, after a debate which lasted till one in the morning, and a division of 275 against 167, leave was given to bring in a bill to repeal the said act. No report of Mr. Pitt's speech on this memorable occasion has been preserved in any collection of debates; but the following account of what passed in the course of these discussions is contained in a letter from Lord Charlemont to Mr. Flood

"Mr. Pitt has spoken several times: his first speech was nearly two hours long. He began by abusing the late ministry, and in particular George Grenville, who did not choose to answer him. He then found fault with the present also, insinuating that they were under ill influences; I say influences in the plural, because I would not be understood to mean only that influence which is most suspected.' By this he is supposed to have hinted at the too great influence of the Duke of Newcastle. He then spoke to the American affair, and boldly and distinctly declared, that the act of taxation was illegal; that the colonies could only be taxed by their representatives; and concluded by insisting, that the act should be repealed as illegal. This produced a warm debate: the majority of the House seemed to be of opinion that, if the tax were to be taken off, it should be done upon a supposition that it was too heavy for the colonies to bear, but that the rescinding of the act should be accompanied by an explicit declaration of the right of taxation. Heavens, what a fellow is this Pitt! I had his bust before; but nothing less than his statue shall content me now."

It was during these debates on the Stamp-act, that Mr. Burke, who in January had taken his seat for Wendover, under the auspices of the Marquis of Rockingham, made his parliamentary début. Lord Charlemont states, that Mr. Pitt, who followed him in the debate, complimented him by observing, "that the

Thank God, I am able to send a good account of myself, legs excepted; more properly, one leg only excepted. I must get up to the House as I can; when in my place, I feel I am tolerably able to remain through the debate, and cry Aye! to the repeal, with no sickly voice.

I wish I could have had the comfort of hearing that poor little Hester was better. Thank Heaven, my love and the rest of her babes are as well as when we parted. Till the dear hour of meeting, adieu.

W. PITT.

LADY CHATHAM TO MR. PITT.

Hayes, past nine, Saturday,
February 22, 1766.

Joy to you, my dear love.

sands is yours, under Heaven,

The joy of thouwho has crowned

young member had proved a very able advocate; he had himself intended to enter at length into the details, but he had been anticipated, with so much ingenuity and eloquence, that there was little left for him to say; he congratulated him on his success, and his friends on the value of the acquisition they had made." Dr. Johnson also, in writing to Mr. Bennet Langton, a few days after, says, in reference to the Literary Club, " have the loss of Burke's company since he has been engaged in public business, in which he has gained more reputation than perhaps any man at his first appearance ever gained before. He made two speeches for repealing the Stamp-act, which were publicly commended by Mr. Pitt, and have filled the town with wonder."-See Boswell's Johnson, vol. ii. p. 321. ed. 1835.

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