The life of William Wilberforce / by his sons, Robert Isaac Wilberforce and Samuel Wilberforce ; abridged from the London edition by Caspar Morris.

  • Wilberforce, Robert Isaac, 1802-1857.
Date:
1839
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The life of William Wilberforce / by his sons, Robert Isaac Wilberforce and Samuel Wilberforce ; abridged from the London edition by Caspar Morris. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    occupied by Scrope and Morland's bank, in Pall Mall, and afterwards on the premises of a man named Goostree, now the Shakspeare Gallery. They were about twenty-five in number, and for the most part were young men who had passed together through the University, and whom the general election of 1780 had brought at the same time into public life. Pitt was an habi- tual frequenter of the club at Goostree's, supping there every night during the winter of 1780-81. Here their intimacy increased every day. He was the wittiest man I ever knew, and what was quite peculiar to himself, had at all times his wit under entire control. Others appeared struck by the unwonted association of brilliant images ; but every possible combination of ideas seemed always present to his mind, and he could at once produce whatever he desired. I was one of those who met to spend an evening in memory of Shakspeare, at the Boar's Head, East Cheap. Many pro- fessed wits were present, but Pitt was the most amusing of the party, and the readiest and most apt in the required al- lusions. He entered with the same energy into all our dif- ferent amusements ; we played a good deal at Goostree's, and I well remember the intense earnestness which he dis- played when joining in those games of chance. He perceived their increasing fascination, and soon after suddenly aban- doned them for ever. It was by this vice that he was himself most nearly in- snared. A brief diary of this period records more than once the loss of £100 at the faro table. He was weaned from it in a most characteristic manner. We can have no play to-night, complained some of the party at the club, for St. Andrew is not here to keep bank. Wilberforce, said Mr. Bankes, (who never joined himself,) if you will keep it I will give you a guinea. The playful challenge was ac- cepted, but as the game grew deep, he rose the winner of £600. Much of this was lost by those who were only heirs to future fortunes, and could not therefore meet such a call without inconvenience. The pain he felt at their annoyance cured him of a taste which seemed but too likely to become predominant. In spite of his life of gayety, Mr. Wilberforce attended closely to the House of Commons. He was esteemed a more active member of parliament than any of his predeces- sors. From the first he was an independent man : he had entered parliament as the opponent of the war with America,