of men, manners, and things, which were requisite to qualify him to undertake a task of such magnitude and importance;—­and with whom was I to unite?  I believed also, that it looked so much like one of the feigned labours of Hercules, that my understanding would be suspected if I proposed it.  On ruminating, however, on the subject, I found one thing at least practicable, and that this also was in my power.  I could translate my Latin dissertation.  I could enlarge it usefully.  I could see how the public received it, or how far they were likely to favour any serious measures, which should have a tendency to produce the abolition of the Slave Trade.  Upon this then I determined; and in the middle of the month of November 1785, I began my work.

By the middle of January, I had finished half of it, though I had made considerable additions.  I now thought of engaging with some bookseller to print it when finished.  For this purpose I called upon Mr. Cadell, in the Strand, and consulted him about it.  He said that as the original essay had been honoured by the University of Cambridge with the first prize, this circumstance would insure it a respectable circulation among persons of taste.  I own I was not much pleased with his opinion.  I wished the essay to find its way among useful people, and among such as would act and think with me.  Accordingly I left Mr. Cadell, after having thanked him for his civility, and determined, as I thought I had time sufficient before dinner, to call upon a friend in the city.  In going past the Royal Exchange, Mr. Joseph Hancock, one of the religious society of the Quakers, and with whose family my own had been long united in friendship, suddenly met me.  He first accosted me by saying that I was the person whom he was wishing to see.  He then asked me why I had not published my prize essay.  I asked him in return what had made him think of that subject in particular.  He replied that his own society had long taken it up as a religious body, and individuals among them were wishing to find me out.  I asked him who.  He answered, James Phillips, a bookseller, in Georgeyard, Lombard-street, and William Dillwyn, of Walthamstow, and others.  Having but little time to spare, I desired him to introduce me to one of them.  In a few minutes he took me to James Phillips, who was then the only one of them in town; by whose conversation I was so much interested and encouraged, that without any further hesitation I offered him the publication of my work.  This accidental introduction of me to James Phillips was, I found afterwards, a most happy circumstance for the promotion of the cause which I had then so deeply at heart, as it led me to the knowledge of several of those, who became afterwards material coadjutors in it.  It was also of great importance to me with respect to the work itself:  for he possessed an acute penetration, a solid judgment, and a literary knowledge, which he proved by the many alterations and additions he proposed; and which I believe I uniformly adopted, after mature consideration, from a sense of their real value.  It was advantageous to me also, inasmuch as it led me to his friendship, which was never interrupted but by his death.