Private Papers of William Wilberforce

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PRIVATE PAPERS OF WILLIAM WILBERFORCE

[Illustration: WILLIAM WILBERFORCE, M.P. FOR THE COUNTY OF YORK.]

PRIVATE PAPERS OF WILLIAM WILBERFORCE

Collected and Edited, with a Preface, by

A. M. WILBERFORCE

With Portraits

London 1897

PREFACE

William Wilberforce is remembered on account of his long and successful efforts for the Abolition of the Slave Trade. In a House of Commons that counted Pitt, Fox, Burke, and Sheridan amongst its members, he held a front rank both as a speaker and debater. Of one of his speeches in 1789 Burke said, "it equalled anything he had heard in modern times, and was not, perhaps, to be surpassed in the remains of Grecian eloquence." And Pitt said, "Of all the men I ever knew Wilberforce has the greatest natural eloquence." But an even greater power than his oratory was perhaps the influence that he acquired over all ranks of society. Friendship is often the means by which influence is gained, and Wilberforce's friendship with Pitt, beginning long before his anti-Slave Trade days and continued till the end of Pitt's life, was no doubt the source of a strong personal influence.

It has been said that nothing in history is more creditable and interesting than Pitt's long and brotherly intimacy with Wilberforce, widely as they differed in their views of life.

To give an idea of the terms of their friendship these letters, possibly mislaid by the biographers of Wilberforce, from Pitt to Wilberforce are now published.[1]

Lord Rosebery thought the letters "among the most interesting we possess of Pitt," and we gladly acceded to his wish to print a few copies privately.

The Rev. W. F. Wilberforce has kindly consented to the publication of the matured estimate of Pitt's character mentioned in the "Life of Wilberforce," with an intimation that "it might hereafter appear in a separate form."

Other letters from some of the most distinguished men of the time show the many and varied interests of Wilberforce's life, and seem to us too valuable to remain hidden in obscurity.

The home letters published are from Wilberforce to his daughter Elizabeth, and to his son Samuel, afterwards Bishop of Oxford and Winchester. The letters to the latter are from the collection of 600 letters written by the father to the son.

A. M. WILBERFORCE.

LAVINGTON, September 1, 1897.

CONTENTS

PAGE

LETTERS FROM PITT 1

SKETCH OF PITT BY W. WILBERFORCE 43

LETTERS FROM FRIENDS 83

HOME LETTERS 163

ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE

1. WILLIAM WILBERFORCE, M.P. FOR THE COUNTY OF YORK Frontispiece. (From a picture by J. Rising.)

2. WILBERFORCE OAK Facing page 17 (At the foot of an old tree at Hollwood, after a conversation with Pitt, Wilberforce resolved to give notice in the House of Commons of his intention to bring forward the Abolition of the Slave Trade.)

3. THE RIGHT HONOURABLE WILLIAM PITT Facing page 79 (From a plate taken from an original drawing by the late Mr. Sayers.)

4. BIRTHPLACE OF WILLIAM WILBERFORCE AT Facing page 163

5. SAMUEL WILBERFORCE, AGED 29 " 245 (From a drawing by George Richmond.)

LETTERS FROM PITT

LETTERS FROM PITT.

THE first of Pitt's letters to Wilberforce is "perhaps the only one extant that is racy of those rollicking times when the 'fruits of Pitt's earlier rising' appeared in the careful sowing of the garden beds with the fragments of Ryder's opera hat."[2]

"GRAFTON STREET, "July 31, 1782.