The King received his minister with the respect which he had always accorded to him. Pitt bowed low; they exchanged a few courteous pleasantries and then the King broached the subject, to discuss which he had sent for his minister.
"I have been considering the French offer of a negotiated peace," said the King. "It would seem that the country is growing tired of war and some of my ministers are of the opinion that now is the time to let counsels take the place of arms.”
"Your Majesty has considered that the nation has never known trade as it does now?”
"I know," said the King firmly, 'that many of my ministers feel the burden of taxation on certain members of the community to be too great.”
"Your Majesty will doubtless explain to them that all progress must be paid for.”
"We have had great benefits and I am the first to admit this. We have done well and now perhaps is the time to call a halt.”
"Your Majesty can we be sure that the French are sincere?”
"We can attempt to find out.”
"It is my belief that if we are to have peace with France, Sire, it is not for us to negotiate terms but to dictate them, and they should be in our favour.”
"They would yield all North America and a large share of their Indian interests; and all they ask is possession of Minorca. This could be called terms decidedly in our favour.”
Pitt was momentarily silent. The war was his war. He had conceived it; he had carried it through; and he saw it as the answer to England's problems. When he had taken charge, England had been a little island off the coast of Europe with a population of only seven million and there were twenty-seven million Frenchmen just across the Channel. British stock was low; it was linked with that of Hanover through its kings; Pitt had believed that if some drastic action were not promptly taken the country would sink to such insignificance that it could scarcely have been called a country. It might even have been a dependency of France. Then he had outlined his plans to the late King; he had been given power, and what had happened? He had turned the sphere of influence from Europe, where he knew no great gains could ever be firmly consolidated and had cast his eyes on wider horizons. He had dreamed of an Empire and had created one. In a few short years England had risen from an inconsiderable little kingdom to the greatest power in the world.
The people in the streets knew this. They were singing Rule Britannia and Hearts of oak; they walked with pride and dignity; and commerce was thriving in the City of London. The people of London had no doubt who had brought this about. It was Pitt who had wiped out nepotism, who had shown the King that armies could not be led by princes, simply because they were his sons.
Pitt had carved out an Empire and the country was reaping the benefits of prosperity.
No one was more aware of this than Pitt. He said slowly: "I had been considering the necessity of declaring war on Spain.”
The King looked startled.
"I have just learned that France and Spain are preparing to make a secret treaty.”
"For what reason?" demanded the King.
"Your Majesty will remember the strong family connection between the two houses. Two Bourbon kings are a kind of family compact. And the reason? Because Spain wishes to attack Portugal, who has always been an ally of ours. I see Your Majesty feels as I do. A hasty peace could be a disaster to England ... particularly when we are in such a masterly position. I could never persuade my government to make peace in such a way that I know some of Your Majesty's ministers are clamouring for.”
Pitt's manner suggested that the matter was closed; and the King was still too inexperienced, too in awe of this man to contradict him.
**** When Pitt called a Cabinet meeting and put forward his proposals for war on Spain, he was met by a chorus of disapproval. Far from declaring war on Spain the cabinet wanted peace with France. Pitt pointed out the disadvantages of negotiating peace. England was rapidly rising; she was the greatest power; there was no need to consider peace at this juncture. It was the French who earnestly needed it. To agree to sit down and arrange peace terms was to give up a game which they were winning. He would only agree to a peace which brought about the utter humiliation of France; and this they could do by remaining in the field a little longer. But to agree to work out a peace and give concessions on both sides which such an arrangement would inevitably involve was throwing away a hard-won advantage.
Lord Bute spoke against him; and everyone knew that Bute had the King behind him.
"I suggest that we immediately withdraw our ambassador from Madrid," insisted Pitt.
Fox rose to express an adverse opinion and for some minutes these two formidable adversaries faced each other; and to his shocked amazement Pitt discovered that Fox had many supporters.
Led by Fox, George Grenville (one of Pitt's own brothers-in-law), Lord Hardwicke, the Duke of Bedford and Bute, his critics stood against him. To his dismay he found that only his two other brothers-in-law, Richard Lord Temple and James Grenville stood with him; the cabinet had defeated the great Pitt. That had seemed inconceivable and in this he was aware of the hand of Bute. Pitt could see no alternative but resignation.
In the streets it was whispered with awe: "Pitt has resigned." The people of the capital were incensed. Pitt was their hero. They remembered the days when trade had been poor, when there had been no work for thousands. Pitt had made London one of the great ports of the world. And Pitt had been turned out! It was not to be endured.
Who had turned him out, they wanted to know? It was the Scotsman. They did not want Scotsmen in England. Let them go back where they belonged, which was beyond the Border. They wanted Englishmen who knew what was best for England; they wanted Mr. Pitt, the Great Commoner.
They were proud of Mr. Pitt. He was no duke nor earl; he did not seek honours for himself; he sought trade and prosperity for England. And the Scotsman and his mistress had turned out Pitt.
They were sure it was the Scotsman who was responsible for this. There had been jokes about the Scotsman and the Princess Dowager for years. These intensified; they grew a little more lewd, a little more cruel. Lord Bute, riding through the streets, was recognized and mud was thrown at his carriage.
"Go back where you belong. And take the lady with you. We can do without you both.”
Bute was shocked.
"We don't want Scotch coal burned in the King's chamber. We don't want Newcastle coal either.
We want Pitt coal." It was a phrase which had come into being a few months ago and appealed to the people. They wanted Pitt coal and were going to have it.
Bute went to the King at the earliest opportunity and said that they must find some means of bringing Pitt back into the Government. The people wanted it. They were getting restive and he felt it would be unwise to go so strongly against their wishes.
"Whatever a new ministry did would be abused by the people," he told the King. "They are determined to have Pitt back and I think we should recall him.”
The King was in complete agreement, for he too deplored the resignation of Pitt.
"It was not what we intended," said Bute, 'but the man is arrogant; he could not allow anything but his own desires. Therefore he thinks to discountenance us by resigning.”
"Which," pointed out George, 'he has done.”
"There is only one thing left to us," added Bute.
"If Your Majesty summoned Pitt we might come to a compromise. He could state his terms for rejoining the cabinet and I have no doubt that he is as eager to come back as we are to have him.”