LESSON 31
SPEECH OF WALPOLE IN REPROOF OF MR. PITT

Sir Robert Walpole, 1676-1745, was educated at Eton and Cambridge. He entered Parliament in 1700, and soon became a good debater and skillful tactician. He was prime minister of Great Britain from 1721 to 1742, in the reigns of George I. and George II. He was an able statesman; but has been accused of employing corruption or bribery on a large scale, to control Parliament and accomplish his purposes.

I was unwilling to interrupt the course of this debate, while it was carried on with calmness and decency, by men who do not suffer the ardor of opposition to cloud their reason, or transport them to such expressions as the dignity of this assembly does not admit.

I have hitherto deferred answering the gentleman, who declaimed against the bill with such fluency and rhetoric, and such vehemence of gesture; who charged the advocates for the expedients now proposed, with having no regard to any interests but their own, and with making laws only to consume paper, and threatened them with the defection of their adherents, and the loss of their influence, upon this new discovery of their folly and ignorance. Nor, do I now answer him for any other purpose than to remind him how little the clamor of rage and petulancy of invective contribute to the end for which this assembly is called together; how little the discovery of truth is promoted, and the security of the nation established, by pompous diction and theatrical emotion.

Formidable sounds and furious declamation, confident assertions and lofty periods, may affect the young and inexperienced; and perhaps the gentleman may have contracted his habits of oratory by conversing more with those of his own age than with such as have more opportunities of acquiring knowledge, and more successful methods of communicating their sentiments. If the heat of temper would permit him to attend to those whose age and long acquaintance with business give them an indisputable right to deference and superiority, he would learn in time to reason, rather than declaim; and to prefer justness of argument and an accurate knowledge of facts, to sounding epithets and splendid superlatives, which may disturb the imagination for a moment, but leave no lasting impression upon the mind. He would learn, that to accuse and prove are very different; and that reproaches, unsupported by evidence, affect only the character of him that utters them.

Excursions of fancy and flights of oratory are indeed pardonable in young men, but in no other; and it would surely contribute more, even to the purpose for which some gentlemen appear to speak (that of depreciating the conduct of the administration), to prove the inconveniences and injustice of this bill, than barely to assert them, with whatever magnificence of language, or appearance of zeal, honesty, or compassion.

STUDY GUIDE

A. Vocabulary in Context—Answer the following questions that are related to vocabulary items in the speech.

1. This speech is a reproof of Mr. Pitt. A reproof is a way of expressing blame on someone. Why is the writer doing this to Mr. Pitt?

2. Rage is extreme anger. According to the writer, why was Mr. Pitt angry?

3. Someone who is pompous is very self-interested and only cares about himself or herself. Why did the writer say that Mr. Pitt is pompous?

4. Superlatives are comparisons between three or more things (the best, the biggest, the worst, etc). Why did the writer say that Mr. Pitt was wrong to use superlatives?

5. Zeal is a lot of excitement. What does the writer say is more important than zeal?

B. Comprehension Questions—Answer the following questions with a partner.

1. What is the mood of this speech - angry, happy, or sad? Explain.

2. The writer says in the third paragraph: “... to accuse and prove are very different”. What does this mean?

3. How do you think Mr. Pitt would feel after reading this speech? Why?

4. What do you think Mr. Pitt could learn from this speech? Explain.

5. Do you think young people usually have more zeal than older people? Why?

6. Here is an example of a superlative: My friend John is the best soccer player in our school. Make your own superlative:

C. Synonyms—Find words in the speech that have the same or similar meanings to words in this exercise.

1. argument: d _____

2. use: c ______

3. very angry: f ______

4. better than others: s __________

5. like better: p _____

6. caring for others: c _________