We’re wrapping up on the curious year of 1797, when Britain saw success at sea against its external enemies, but also a terrible threat from within its own Royal Navy, in the mutinies at Spithead and the Nore. It saw economic problems and the struggle to keep funding the war, both resolved by more touches of William Pitt’s financial genius. It also saw Pitt negotiating for peace with France, failing, and having to reconcile himself to war.

And, at a personal level, it saw Pitt having to deal with his marital prospects, ultimately dashed, quite possibly because of his sexual orientation.

Illustration: ‘The nuptial-bower; - with the evil-one, peeping at the charms of Eden' (Eleanor Eden; William Pitt; Charles James Fox)

Music: Bach Partita #2c by J Bu licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivatives (aka Music Sharing) 3.0 International License