eptember 1 he suddenly dissolved the parliament
elected in 1774, and writs were issued for a new parliament to meet on
October 31. The suddenness of the dissolution and the shortness of the
time allowed for the new elections were held to operate in favour of the
court. Nor did George neglect other means of securing his authority, for
he told North that the general election cost at least twice as much as
any other since his accession.[146] Rodney headed the poll for
Westminster, but Fox secured the second seat, defeating a ministerial
candidate. Bristol, doubly offended by Burke's efforts on behalf of
Irish trade and catholic relief, rejected him as its member, and he was
provided with a seat by Rockingham. Windsor refused to re-elect Keppel,
and it is asserted that George so far forgot his position as to go into
the shop of a silk-mercer of the borough, and say in his hurried way:
"The queen wants a gown, wants a gown. No Keppel! No Keppel!"[147] Among
the new members were Sheridan, the dramatist, and manager and part-owner
of Drury lane theatre, one of Fox's friends, who became famous as an
orator, and William Pitt, the second son of the great Chatham, who was
returned for Appleby on Sir James Lowther's nomination in January, 1781,
when he was in his twenty-second year. From early youth Pitt showed
signs of a remarkable genius which was carefully cultivated by his
father. Conscious of his ability, he was reserved in manner, though he
was warmly attached to his intimate friends and talked freely with them.
He lived wholly for the service of his country, and took no part in the
pleasures or vices of his contemporaries, save that he habitually drank
far too much port wine. He joined the opposition, and ranged himself
with his father's old followers who acted under Shelburne's leadership.
On all questions of importance he spoke with lofty eloquence, and his
speeches, often splendid as oratory, had the surpassing excellence of
appealing to his hearers by raising them to a higher level of thought
and feeling than that from which they had previously regarded the matter
in debate. His voice was rich, his words well chosen, and he was
singularly happy in sarcasm.

The king's influence was strong in the new parliament. Sir Fletcher
Norton, a bad-tempered and unprincipled man, who had deeply offended him
by his speech with reference to the civil list in 1777, was again
proposed as speaker by the opposition, and was rejected by 203