But all his triumphs abroad were insufficient to secure him against the vicissitudes of faction at home. In 1760 the king died, and the dependents of his successor George Ill. began to look with eagerness for a change. It is hinted also, that Pitt was not too agreeable to some of his col leagues. The great and uniform success of all his enter prises had exalted his reputation to a height, which it was painful for a competitor to contemplate; and his habit of seeing every obstacle give way to the commanding effort of his will had strengthened in him that rigidness of man ner, that imposing inflexibilty of purpose, which his friends might dignify as the natural expression of a lofty and self-dependent mind, but which his enemies did not fail to brand with the name of arrogance, or domineering ambition. The court sought a cause of quarrel with him; and one was not long in occurring. By the accuracy of his intelligence, he had discovered the existence of that family-compact between the French and Spanish branches of the house of Bourbon, the secret influence of which had rendered abortive some recent attempts at making peace. With his characteristic decision, Pitt immediately moved for a declaration of war against Spain, and a vigorous at tack on her foreign possessions : he judged it better to surprize the enemy than be surprized by him ; and the treachery of Spain seemed to authorize the omission of preliminary complaints and negotiations. The rest of the cabinet thought otherwise ; the question was debated keenly, Pitt's opinion was overruled, and hints were given that his concurrence was no longer indispensable. The popularity of a young king, and the national desire for peace, warranted them in such proceedings ; but it was against the minister's principle to incur responsibility where he had not the management : he resigned his office in Oc tober, 1761. The applauses of all good men accompani ed him in his retreat ; he had the character of the most able and virtuous of statesmen. His private fortune was likewise increased by an annuity of conferred on him at his resignation, to last during his life, and that of his lady. The total inattention he had always manifested to his individual interest, while managing the concerns of the public, rendered this annuity a necessary gift. His lady was farther honoured with the rank of the peerage, conferred on her by the title of Baroness of Chatham.
Again reduced to a private station, Pitt attended chiefly to his duties in parliament ; and, without uniting himself to any party in the state, he kept a watchful eye over the public conduct of ministers, delivering his sentiments in the same fearless spirit, which had hitherto distinguished all his public exhibitions. When the peace of Paris, which his own exertions had done so much to bring about, was to be concluded in 1762, he expressed himself warmly against the terms of it,—against the smallness of the be nefit likely to result to England from the commanding at titude she had maintained throughout the latter years of the war. On the question of General Warrants, arising from the case of Wilkes, in 1764, he delivered an animat ed speech against the legality of such exertions of official prerogative,—reminding his hearers " that an Englishman's house was his castle, defended, not indeed by battlements and bulwarks, but by the impassable though unseen bar rier of law : it might be a straw-built shed, into which every wind of heaven might enter ; but the king could not, the king dared not." That his popularity remained undi minished was evinced by a fact striking enough in itself, and more so as it regarded him. Sir William Pynsent of Burton-Pynsent, in the county of Somerset, passed over his own family, in order to bequeath an estate of £3000 a-year to this distinguished patriot. Already had the com mencement of his political life been dignified by a similar tribute of approbation : it must have been doubly gratify ing to find the same testimony still more unequivocally re newed, when the busiest and most dangerous part of it was past.
Pitt was again to be a minister, but never so happy a one as he had been already. In 1766, the necessities of the government once more called him to a share in it ; the formation of a new cabinet was entrusted to him, but the undertaking did not prosper in his hands. His brother-in law and old associate Lord Temple, his friend the Marquis of Rockingham, could not enter into his views, or act along with him ; and the Great Commoner had offended many of his favourers by accepting of a peerage. He was made Earl of Chatham, and Baron of Burton-Pynsent, prior to his entrance upon office. Of his ministry Mr. Burke has left us a curious and often-quoted description. The meni bers of it were the most heterogeneous and discordant ; the results they produced betrayed the feebleness of their union. Chatham resigned in two years,—disgusted with the un towardness of his coadjutors, and tired of useless exertions to bend their clashing principles to a conformity with his own.
This was the last time he appeared in office : his strength and health were exhausted ; years and excessive labour had increased the violence of his constitutional disorder ; he wanted retirement and repose. His peerage had shut. against him the habitual scene of his parliamentary exer tions ; he was not a constant attendant in the house of Lords ; but when some great question called him forth from his retreat, the fire of his genius still shone with unabated brilliancy. The chief theme of his oratory, from this pe riod, was the quarrel with the American colonies, the in terests and claims of which now began to occupy the prin cipal share of the public attention. Chatham resisted the imposition of taxes on them ; he warmly seconded the re peal of the stamp act. But when war had been undertaken, above all when France had taken part in it, he was reso lute for continuing in arms, at whatever risk. The memo rable scene in which he displayed his anxiety on this head is well known. On-the 7th of April, 1773, the Duke of Richmond having moved an address to the king, in which the necessity of admitting the independence of America was broadly insinuated, Chatham deprecated such a con summation in the strongest terms. " 1 rejoice," said he, " that the grave has not closed upon me, that I am still alive to lift up my voice against the dismemberment of this ancient and noble monarchy. Pressed down as I am by the load of infirmity, I am little able to assist my country in this most perilous conjuncture ; but, my lords, while I have sense and memory, I never will consent to tarnish the lustre of this nation by an ignominious surrender of its rights and fairest possessions. Shall a people, so lately the terror of the world, now fall prostrate before the house of Bourbon ? It is impossible ! In God's name, if it is absolutely necessary to declare either for peace or war, and if peace cannot be preserved with honour, why is not war commenced without hesitation ? I am not, I confess, well informed of the resources of this kingdom, but I trust it has still sufficient to maintain its just rights, though I know them not. Any state, my lords, is better than de spair. Let us at least make one effort ; and if we must fall, let us fall like men." The duke replied, and Chatham made an eager effort to rise that he might speak farther— but in vain—his voice was neN er more to be heard in that senate which it had so often dignified and delighted ; he staggered, laid his hand upon his bosom, fainted, and was caught in the arms of the lords who sat near him and sprang to his assistance. They carried him into an adjoining room, and the house immediately adjourned. Medical assistance being procured, he was conveyed to his villa at Hayes, in Kent ; where he lingered only till the following 11th of Nay, and then died, in the seventieth year of his age.