William Pitt the Younger was born on May 28, 1759 in Kent, England. The youngest Pitt was the fourth of five children born to William Pitt the Elder and his wife Lady Hester Grenville. William was always Pitt the Elder's favorite son. His father was made Earl of Chatham in 1766. As a result, William's political status later in life was affected by his father's earlier position. Pitt was a frail and sickly child and had inherited gout. Gout is a form of arthritis that causes sudden, severe attacks of pain, redness, and tenderness in the joints. Due to his multiple illnesses, he was homeschooled. By the age of seven, William was advanced in all his subjects and already spoke Latin fluently. William had an extraordinary understanding of all subjects taught to him and was willing to learn anything new. Pitt's father observed how well his son had excelled and decided that the time had come for young William to have a chance to go even further in his studies. Therefore, in 1773, at the age of fourteen, William Pitt the Younger was to attend Pembroke Hall School at Cambridge University. He received a master's degree without examination in 1776. In 1773, during his first year of school, Pitt suffered an attack of gout and a bottle of port a day as remedy. Port is the most toxic wine of all and the prescribed remedy probably exacerbated the problem. Pitt was only fourteen years old but he continued to drink throughout his life. While in college, Pitt made friends with high-ranking members of society, which also allowed him to excel in his political career. While studying, Pitt attended meetings of Parliament. Pitt was apparently preparing for a role in Parliament. On one occasion he was introduced to Charl... middle of paper ... 23. Pitt drank heavily and died of cirrhosis of the liver at the age of forty-six. His debts amounted to £40,000, these were paid by the nation, pensions were granted to his three nieces and a public funeral was voted for, which took place on 22 February at Westminster Abbey. Pitt had an image of strictness and seemed to have manners that were disgusting. He trained himself to present himself with calm and self-control. Most of his followers admired and obeyed him but did not like his personality. The men found him and the king felt much more comfortable with someone else. Pitt had few close friends but he enjoyed company and spent much of his free time with the younger parliamentarians. Almost all of Pitt's life was spent in Parliament; he was Prime Minister for almost nineteen years out of the twenty-five years he served in Parliament..