3 February 1812

William Wilberforce, London, to John Ryland, Jr., Bristol,  3 February 1812.

My dear Sir

  I am truly hurt at having given you a moments pain by not having answerd yr former Letter.  Yet let the Incident have one good Effect – that of preventing your ever again harbouring any such Notion as that of my misconstruings, much less taking ill anything be what it what it might, which you might write to me.  I think I may venture once for all to declare that this is improbable because knowing as well as I do the motives by which you are actuated, even if I should think you erroneous in yr notions of conduct, I should be sure your Intentions were good, & I should respect them accordingly – my silence arose solely from the want of time, a Cause I grieve to say which has made me very uncivil to many others as well as to you.  I beg yr pardon for it, & trust you will do me ye justice to believe that nothing is farther from my mind than to treat you with anythg like Disrespect or Inattention – I still am as much pressd for time – Therefore excuse my not now entering into a discussion of ye Subject as nothg is to be done till next year – I will only say, that I think there is room enough in ye East Indies for all Denominations of Xtians, & it will certainly be my earnest Endeavour to secure free Scope for ye Exertions of all – 

  Believe me w[ith] real Esteem & Regard 

  W Wilberforce

Revd J Riland [sic]

P.S.   Certainly he must be a strange man who could expect conscientious Dissenters to join in applying for a Church Estab.t in India – 

At the top of the first page Wilberforce has added another postscript:

PS conceive my Situation--engagd often in public Meetgs committees &c in ye Morng – in ye [?]– at times in ye aftn & Evgs – Then I have a lengthy action which requires much [?]

Text:  Wilberforce-Ryland Letters, shelfmark MS. G97a, Bristol Baptist College Library, f. 3.