Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1874-03-05
ANECDOTES OF PITT

Mr. Pitt used to come home to dinner
after his Cabinet work good deal ex
hausted, and required port wine, OF
which he generally drank bottle
during dinner in a rapid succession OF
/ glasses but as soou rs this stimulus
restored his strength he drank no more.
His conversation then became gay,
good natured and humorous, and he
would tell all sorts Of amusing stories ;
some of them about the colonel of Ma
piers regiment, the Forty-third. This
was General Smith, an uncle of Sir
Sidney; and certainly hulnorists, as
appeared by stories Mr.. Pitt used to
tell of him.
One was, that during the fears pro
duced by the apprehension of the
French invasion, the general sent by
extraordinary express parcel supposed
to contain important news, but which
turned out to- be the nightcap of a
member of the Government, who had
left it behind when on a visit to the
general Another story was that, when
he commanded on the south coast. he
sent dispatch to Pitt Announcing that
two French ships were then actually
landing troops in three places. ~
MIR. Pitt liked practical fnn, and used
to encouraged. One instance, which
Napier gives, shows Pitlin point of
view singular, and little to be antici-
pated OF so generally solemn a person
age. They-Lady Hester, James Stan
hope and Napier had resolved to
blachen his face with burnt Cork, which
he most strenuously resisted. Fairly in
the fray, servant annonced that Lord
Castlereagh and Lord Liverpool had
called, desiring to see him on hnpor-
tant business. let them wait in the
outer room, said the great minister,
instantly returning to the battle, catch
ing up a cushion sand beIaboring his
attackers, who proved too many for him
and after prolonged struggle got him
down, and began daubing his face
when, with a look Of well assumed con
tidencs in his powers of still resisting,
he said "Stop; this won't do; l could
easily beat you all, but we must not
keep these grandeeg waiting any
longer" SO they were obliged to get
towel and basin Of water to wash him
clean before Ae received the
grandees. Being thus made decent,
the basin was hid behind the sofa, and
the two lords ushered in. Then
sudden change and entirely new phase
OF manner appeared, to Napiers great
surprise and admiration.
Lord Liverpool's manner was as usual
mean-looking, bending, nervous and
altogether pitiful. Lord Castlereagh,
Napier said he had well known from
his childhood; had often been engaged
with him i'll such athletic sports as
pitching the stone, bar, and so on; and
he looked upon him as model of calm
grace combined With great strength.
What then, was his surprise when he
saw both him and Lord Liverpool
humbly bending as they approached the
man who had so recently been maltrea
ted with such an excess of fun!
But it was Mr.. Pitts sudden change
of manner and look which most entirely
fixed his attention. His tall, ungainly,
bony figure seemed to grow up to the
ceiling-his head thrown back, his
eyes fixed immovable in one position,
IS if gazing into the heavens, and
totally regardless Ct the two bending
figures before Lin. For sometime
they spoke, and he made now and then
short observation; but finally, with an
abrupt stiff inclination of his body, but
without casting his eyes down, dis
missed them. And then, turning
around with a laugh, caught up his
cushion and renewed the fight.
Napier described to me another
instance of what he called Mr.. Pitt
power of countenance. Some time
after the visit to Putney, while walking
across the parade ground of the Horse
Guards, he saw Mr.. Pitt talking to
some gentlemen, evidently upon business
which interested him; Napier caught
his eye, while still some forty yards
distant Pitt gave him smile and
nod of recognition, but on Napier ad
vancing toward him, his colntenance
difficult to describe, but Enthusiastically
saying, "Pass on; this is no time 70
| foo.cry. Lord Broaghanas AutoJ;o
gsv5dy.