numbered amongst her acquaintance some of the early Methodists. Under the instruction of his aunt, the mind of William became subject to serious impressions. His mother, it appears, was afraid that if he remained with his uncle and aunt he would become a Methodist, and she went to London to bring home her son, to reside with her in Hull. William much esteemed his uncle and aunt, and left their house with regret.

When William returned home, efforts were made by his mother and others to remove that seriousness of mind which he then manifested. He was urged to go with his friends to the theatre, balls, and card-parties.

When he first went to the play-house he was almost forced to go there. He afterwards stated that, no pains were spared to stifle the religious convictions which he had received while residing with his uncle. At length, his mistaken friends succeeded in their efforts; and the allurements of worldly pleasure banished his seriousness. His talents and amiability when he was only a boy, made him a general favourite in company. When he was seventeen years old he went as a student to St. John's College, Cambridge. Here he was exposed to the bad influences of evil companions. His tutors were irreligious men, who encouraged him in the neglect of his studies, and in wasting his time in frivolity. He was liberally supplied with money, and was a great favourite, on account of his agreeable manners and lively conversation, with his college companions. But he was preserved from falling into the commission of, what are usually regarded as, gross acts of wickedness.

After Mr. Wilberforce left College he went to reside in London, and became a frequent attendant at the House of Commons; and he resolved to seek to be elected a member of Parliament. When he attained his majority of twentyone years, the event was celebrated with great rejoicings. An ox was roasted in one of his fields at Hull, and the townsmen were invited to the festivities. The following month there was a general election, and Mr. Wilberforce offered himself as a candidate to represent the town of

Hull. After a sharp contest he was elected; but his election cost him between eight and nine thousand pounds. The electors in Hull were then guilty of being paid for their votes; and we regret, that many of them have continued the unlawful and wicked practice, of selling their votes.

Mr. Wilberforce now entered upon public life, became a companion of many of the most influential members of the House of Commons: by his talents as a public speaker, he excited much attention; and became a frequent visitor in the highest circles of fashion.

At the general election in the Spring of the year 1784, Mr. Wilberforce was elected to represent the town of Hull, and was also elected to represent the West Riding of Yorkshire. He took his seat as a member for the West Riding.

In the latter end of this year he went abroad in company with his mother, sister, two other female relatives, and the Rev. Isaac Milner. While Mr. Wilberforce was on the continent he had frequent conversations with his companion Isaac Milner, on the subject of religion; by which his mind was awakened to consider the importance of his spiritual interests. Mr. Wilberforce also derived much benefit from reading Doddridge's "Rise and Progress of Religion." His mind was gradually brought to make a right decision, and to seek earnestly the salvation of his soul.

He now began to read his Bible carefully; he also read other good books; gave up the company of the ungodly; sought the advice of the pious and judicious, and resolved to devote himself to the service of God. Thus he now entered upon an entire change of life; and although he renounced the pleasures which the votaries of fashion and the lovers of the world so highly value, he found more of pleasure and true happiness by becoming truly religious ; as appears from the letters which in the years 1785 and 1786, he wrote to his friends.

Mr. Wilberforce had now entered upon a new course of life, and was, by many of his former associates, designated

a Methodist. He attended the ministry of pious men in the Church of England, and sought the company of such persons as were truly religious; and kept a journal in which he recorded his religious experience. He also, soon after he gave himself to be God's servant, took an active part in the formation of a Society for the Suppression of Vice and the Reformation of Manners; and commenced his long continued, laborious, and talented efforts for the abolition of the Slave-trade.

At that time it was lawful for Englishmen to fit up vessels and send persons in them to the coast of Africa, to buy or get, in any way they could, men, women, and children, put them in chains, and stow them like pigs in the ship ; and carry them to the West Indies, or other places abroad, and sell them as slaves. Most horrible cruelties were thus committed; parents and children, husbands and wives, were most cruelly torn from each other, many died from suffocation and other causes on board the slave ships, some became frantic with grief, and preferred death to living in slavery. For many years Mr. Wilberforce, aided by other benevolent persons, laboured to excite public indignation against the Slave-trade, and to obtain from the Parliament an act for the abolition of the horrible traffic. It was not however until after Mr. Wilberforce and others had continued their exertions, both in and out of Parliament, for the long period of twenty years, that the legislature passed an act to abolish the Slave-trade. This act was not to abolish slavery in the West Indies, but merely to render it unlawful for British subjects to go to Africa or elsewhere, and obtain human beings to be sold into slavery. Slavery was not abolished in the West Indies until more than thirty years after. For this, however, Mr. Wilberforce ardently laboured to the close of his life ; and had the happiness of hearing just before his death that the House of Commons had resolved on the abolition of Slavery in the West Indies, and on the payment to the owners of the slaves of the sum of twenty millions of pounds, of British currency, as compensation for the freedom to be given to their slaves.

In the year 1797, Mr. Wilberforce published his views on the nature and duties of religion, in a work entitled, "Practical Christianity." This has had a very extended sale, and has been translated and published in the French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, and German languages, and has been many times reprinted in this country and in America. In the year 1798, Mr. Wilberforce's mother died; and there was reason to hope that, during the latter years of her life, she had been led to seek the salvation of her soul, and died a true Christian.

Mr. Wilberforce was liberal in his charitable contributions. He delighted in rendering his assistance to promote religious and benevolent objects. Many poor clergymen, schools, and religious institutions, received from him large pecuniary aid. He was wealthy, and he freely used his money in doing good.

For twenty-eight years Mr. Wilberforce continued to represent the West Riding of Yorkshire in the House of Commons. He then declined the honour of being again appointed to represent the county, on account of the labour of rightly attending to the laborious services required from the representative of so large a body of electorsbut he consented to be returned to represent the small borough of Bramber. He continued to be a member of Parliament until the year 1825, when the infirmities of age and of his feeble constitution, occasioned him to retire from public duties. He was a member of the House of Commons for the long period of forty-four years; and took a prominent part in the discussions of the House. He was one of the most eloquent and persuasive speakers, and had great influence in the House, and with a large portion of the people.

After his retirement from Parliament, Mr. Wilberforce sustained some very heavy losses, by which his property was so reduced that he was obliged greatly to retrench his expenses; and indeed to give up his residence and land at Highwood Hill, which he had recently purchased ; and where he had purposed residing to the termination of his life. He bore those reverses with great calmness

and resignation, and refused to accept several large offers of pecuniary aid, which were generously made by persons of great wealth. Mr. Wilberforce preferred to retain his independence, by reducing his expenditure to the limit of his reduced means, to the acceptance of the proffered kindness of his friends. After he had given up keeping an establishment of his own, he usually resided with his sons, clergymen of the Established Church. One of them residing at East Farleigh, in Kent, and the other in the Isle of Wight.

In the spring of 1833, he visited Bath, for the purpose of deriving benefit from the medicinal springs. After having been there two months, it was thought advisable that he should go to London, for medical advice. He arrived in London on the 19th of July. For a few days his health seemed to improve. He was cheerful, and enjoyed such happiness as can only result from the possession of true religion. But the improvement was of short duration; for on Monday the 29th of July, he died, aged 73 years and 11 months.

When his death was made known, many persons were desirous that his funeral should be accompanied with public honours. Many of the members of both Houses of Parliament, signed a request that his body might be interred in Westminster Abbey; and this honour was conferred on his remains.

His funeral procession was attended by the members then attending the House of Lords, and the House of Commons. One of the Princes of the Royal Family, the Lord Chancellor, the Speaker of the House of Commons, and other persons of high rank were pall-bearers. The number of private carriages in the funeral procession was very great-and a large concourse of persons assembled to testify their respect to the deceased. Public subscriptions were raised to erect monuments to his memory. One was placed in Westminster Abbey-a Yorkshire County Asylum for the indigent Blind was erected, and a magnificent column was reared in the town of Hull, to commemorate his talents and benevolent