time member for the greatest county in England, and being also the personal intimate of the Prime Minister, might be supposed likely to have been able, if he had made the endeavour, to succeed in obtaining the object of his wishes. Nor could the world, always sufficiently acute in discerning the faults and infirmities of those who profess to have more respect than ordinary for religion, have failed to notice the inconsistency of eagerness for worldly aggrandizement in one, whose principles ought to have moderated his desire of earthly distinctions, and to have rendered him even jealous of an advancement which would be likely to augment his temptations, and thereby increase the danger of his making shipwreck of his faith.
If such were my conclusions in the circumstances in which I was then placed, how much have they been strengthened since 1 have been blessed with a family! No one who forms his opinions from the word of God can doubt, that in proportion to a man's rank and fortune the difficulty of his progress in the narrow road and his ultimate admission into heaven is augmented; and no Christian can possibly doubt its being a parent's first duty to promote his children's spiritual advancement and everlasting happiness; but were the comfort in this life only, the object in view, no one at my time of life who has contemplated life with an observant eye, and who has looked into the interior of family life, can entertain a doubt that the probability of passing through the world with comfort, and of forming such connexions as may be most likely to ensure the enjoyment of domestic and social happiness, is far greater in the instance of persons of the rank of private gentlemen, than of that of noblemen who are naturally led to associate with people of their own rank-the sons being led to make fortune their primary object in the forming of matrimonial connexions that they may be able to maintain their stations in society. As for the daughters, private gentlemen of moderate fortunes, and clergymen, and even still more mercantile men, have few opportunities of cultivating an intimacy with them, and are afraid of venturing upon a connexion for life with partners whose opinions and habits have been formed on a scale disproportionate to the resources of people of moderate fortunes.
Ante-room, Mr. Wilberforce's de- Edgeworth, Miss, her Tales,
Bible Society established, 245,
306.
East India, interest for, 128, 298,
Elwes, John, (the miser,) 492.
Burke, Right Hon. Edmund, his | Escape, providential, 253.
death-bed approbation of 'Prac-
tical Christianity,' 183.
Burleigh, Lord, his reply to Wal-
singham, 270.
Carey, Dr. his character, 369.
Challenged, 113.
Christian Observer, established,
207.
Charities, Wilberforce's, 205,
227.
Female Anti-Slavery Associa-
tions, objections to, 494.
Favours, government, 199.
Finley, visit to, in Newgate, 241.
Franklin, Dr. Benjamin, 28, 169.
French levity, 492.
French Revolutionary principles,
spread of, 121.
Fox, Right Hon. C., death of, 279,
491.
Gaming, cured of, 20.
Gurney, Joseph John, Esq., 408,
483, 498; his character of Mr.
Wilberforce, 508, 525.
Habeas Corpus Suspension Bill,
145.
Hale, Sir Matthew, 103.
Hayti, interest for, 427.
Heber, Reginald, (afterwards
Bishop of Calcutta,) his first
introduction to Wilberforce,
285.
Jay, John, Esq. (American en-
voy,) 141.
Jay, William, 213.
Johnson, Dr. 492, 523.
Knox, Alexander, Esq. 337.
La Fayette, Marquis de, reasons
for supporting the motion for
his release, 171.
Latrobe, Rev. C. Ignatius, his
letter on the origin of the Abo-
lition of the Slave Trade, 62.
Londonderry, Marquis of, his
death, 464, 491.
Loss of fortune, 510.
Mackintosh, Sir James, 507.
Marriage, 185.
Martyn, Rev. Henry, his char-
acter of Mr. Wilberforce, 257.
Maynooth College, 287, 300.
Methodists, 208, 217.
Middle Passage Bill, 71.
Milner, Dr. Isaac, accompanies
Wilberforce to Nice, 34; his
religious principles, 37.
Mimicry, Wilberforce cured of
the practice of, by Lord Cam-
den, 23.
More, Hannah, 80, 33.
More, Martha, (sister of Han-
nah,) her death, 447.
Nelson, Lord, 208.
Newgate, visit to, 241.
Newton, Rev. John, visit to, 46;
letters to and from, 46, 149,
212, 261.
Owen, Robert, Esq. of Lanark,
359.
Paine, Thomas, 122.
Paley, Archdeacon, 121.
Parental feelings, 451.
Patronage, government, use and
abuse of, 199.
Perceval, Right Hon. Spencer,
273, 305; his assassination,
344.
Pitt, Right Hon. William, 22;
visits France with Wilber-
force, 26; advised to become
a suitor for Neckar's daughter,
28; political quarrel, 144;
renewal of friendship, 149;
his duel with Tierney, 197;
last illness, and death, 272.
Popery, 287.
'Practical Christianity,' work on,
131; published, 179.
George IV.) interviews with,
Richmond, Rev. Legh, 212, 309. | Unwin, Rev. John, 53.
Roman Catholic Emancipation,
Scott, Rev. Thomas, 87, 207,
347.
Sedition Bills, 154. Yorkshire
meeting in support of, 156.
Sheridan, Richard Brinsley, Esq.
491.
Sierra Leone, 193.
Slave Trade, Mr. Wilberforce's
condemnation of, at the age of
fourteen, 16; causes which
led him to the Abolition of, 61;
Wilberforce brings forward
the question of Abolition, 79;
Slave Trade Abolition Bill
passes the Commons, but is
lost in the Lords, 260; Aboli-
tion Bill passes both Houses,
284.
Society for the Reformation of
Manners, establishment of, 59.
Southey, Robert, LL. D., 339,
433, 434, 438.
Stael, Madame de, 377.
Sunday newspapers, 211.
Sunday travelling, 305.
Swearing reproved, 100.
Sunday Association, 193.
Test and Corporation Acts, 89.
Thornton, John, Esq. letter from,
Venn, Rev. John, 131, 238.
W.
Waterloo, battle of, 401.
Watts, Dr. Isaac, his 'Hymns
for Children,' 500.
Wesley, Rev. John, 85; his 'last
words,' 99.
Wesley, Rev. Charles, 326.
Whitefield, Rev. George, 149.
WILBERFORCE WILLIAM,
1768. Transferred, on the
death of his father, to the
care of his uncle at Wim-
bledon, 14; his early ac-
quaintance with Scripture,
and habits of devotion, 15.
1771. Removed, by his mother,
from the care of his uncle,
to Hull, 15; enters into the
gayeties and amusements of
that town, 15; his talents
for general society, and skill
in singing, 16.
1773. His early abomination
of the Slave Trade, 16.
1776. Entered at St. John's
College, Cambridge, 16;
picture of his college life by
the Rev. T. Gisborne, 17;
by himself, and by Lord
Clarendon, 17.
1780. Resolves to enter upon
public life, and canvasses
for the town of Hull, 18;
repairs to London to secure
the non-resident freemen,
18; frequents the gallery of
the House of Commons, 18;
forms an intimacy with
Mr. Pitt, 18; his coming of
age celebrated, 18; returned
for Hull, 19; comes to Lon-
don, and elected a member
of the leading clubs, and
immersed in politics and
fashion, cured of gambling,
20.
1781. Makes his first speech
in the House of Commons,
21; residence at Rayrigg,
on the banks of Winder-
mere, 21.
1782. Opposes Lord North's
administration, 23.
1783. Cured by Lord Camden
of the art of mimicry, 23;
his dangers from the temp-
tation of ambition, 23; fo-
reign tour with Pitt and
Eliot, 26.
1784. Great meeting at York
against the coalition, 30;
forms the project of standing
for Yorkshire, 31; suddenly
proposed to represent the
county, 32; elected for Hull,
32; travels to Nice, accom-
panied by Isaac Milner, 34.
1787. Establishes the Society
for the Reformation of Man-
ners, 59; travels round the
country to insure the suc-
cess of his plan, 60; de-
votes himself to the Aboli-
tion of the Slave Trade, 61.
1789. New year, commences
a time-account, 75; pre-
pares to move for the Aboli-
tion, 78; brings the question
before the House, 79; visits
Hannah More, 80; visit to
Cheddar-assists in the es-
tablishment of schools there,
81.
1790. Supports Test Act, 90;
re-elected for Yorkshire, 92.
1791. Moves the Abolition
question, 96.
1792. In personal danger from
Kimber, 114; French citi-
zenship conferred on him by
the Convention, 117.
1793. His first great difference
with Pitt, 123; is prevented
from speaking against war
with France, 124; brings
forward his plan of national
religious instruction for In-
dia, 128; begins his work
on Practical Christianity,'
131.
1795. Temporary alienation of
Pitt, 143; and displeasure
of his friends and consti-
tuents, 144; cut by the
King at the levee, 144;
the country against him,
144; his intercourse with
Pitt renewed, 153; his
constituents displeased, 150;
tour in Yorkshire, 152; at-
tends the Yorkshire meet-
ing in support of the Trea-
son and Sedition Bills, 157;
gives notice that he will re-
new his Abolition motion,
160.
1796. Obtains leave to bring
in his Abolition Bill, 161;
supports Quakers' Relief
Bill, 163; sets off for Hull,
164; canvasses the county,
165; is re-elected, 165;
supports motion for release
of La Fayette, 171.
1797. Illness, visit to Bath,
175; 'Practical Chris-
tianity' published, 179; re-
solves to marry, 185; his
marriage, 187; engaged in
establishing the Church
Missionary Society, 192.
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