THE REV. DOCTOR CAREY,

PROFESSOR OF ORIENTAL LANGUAGES IN THE COLLEGE OF FORT WILLIAM,

CALCUTTA, &c. &c.

BY THE REV. JOHN DYER,

SECRETARY OF THE BAPTIST MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

WILLIAM CAREY was born at the village of Paulerspury, about three miles from Towcester, in Northamptonshire, on the 17th of August, 1761. His father was clerk of the parish, and kept a small free-school in the village, in which he gave his son an ordinary English education.

In the year 1783, he was publicly baptized at Northampton, in the river Nen, by the late Dr. Ryland, which led to his settlement, in 1786, as pastor of the small Baptist church at Moulton, near that town.

To say nothing of natural history, which, from his childhood, had been a favourite pursuit, he found means, amidst all his indigence and obscurity, to attain no small acquaintance with languages, both ancient and modern. The precise extent of his acquirements at this period, it is now difficult, if not impossible, to ascertain, but it appears certain that he was able, before he left this country for India, to read his Bible in at least seven languages, including his native tongue.

In the year 1787, Mr. Carey, having been invited to become pastor of the Baptist church at Leicester, removed thither, and entered on his new charge early in the following year. In this more public station, his zeal and unremitted labours endeared

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him to men of piety, while his eager pursuit of learning attracted the notice and secured the respect of all who could appreciate true worth and intellectual vigour. Among these, the Rev. Thomas Robinson, for many years the useful and exemplary vicar of St. Mary's in that town, treated him with peculiar `kindness, gave him free access to his library, and thus laid the foundations of a friendship, equally honourable to both parties, which subsisted till the death of Mr. Robinson.

Previously to the entrance of Mr. Carey on the duties of a Christian pastor, certain ministers of the denomination to which he belonged had mutually agreed, at the suggestion of the Rev. John Sutcliff, of Olney, to devote an hour, on the evening of the first Monday in every month, to social prayer, for the revival of religion and the success of the gospel. This proposal was adopted at a meeting held at Nottingham in June, 1784, and it was so congenial with the feelings of Mr. Carey, that, not content with holding a meeting at the stated period, he established, among his own friends at Leicester, an additional service of the same character, which, for the convenience of some of their number who resided in the country, was held on the market day. To the great subject of missions, indeed, his mind was drawn with increasing earnestness from day to day, and he conversed on this interesting theme with his brethren in the ministry, till they became imbued with similar views. On a visit to Birmingham, he introduced his favourite topic in the company of one of the friends of the late excellent Samuel Pearce, who urged him to prepare his thoughts for publication, accompanying the request with an offer of ten pounds toward's the expense. On his return home, Mr. Carey met at Northampton his friends, Fuller, Sutcliff, and Ryland, to whom he communicated what had passed. He importuned one of them to undertake the publication in his stead; but, as they severally

declined the task, he fulfilled it himself soon after, by sending his "Enquiry" to the press. In April, 1791, sermons bearing on the same subject were delivered by Messrs. Fuller and Sutcliff, at a public meeting held at Clipston. Carey himself was chosen to preach the following year at Nottingham, where he poured forth all the energy of his soul in a discourse from Isaiah liv. 2, from which he enforced on his brethren the duty, first, to expect great things; and, secondly, to attempt great things. The effect was decisive: after the public service had ended, the ministers and a few other friends met, and resolved that a Society should be formed at their next meeting, for propagating the gospel among the heathen. "Accordingly," says Dr. Ryland, "on October 2, 1792, I witnessed, in a little back parlour at Kettering, the formation of a small Society, which began with a subscription of £13. 2s. 6d., and of which this William Carey was the founder."

When this infant Society resolved to venture on the bold step of sending forth one or two individuals into the heathen world, it was quite natural that they should think of Mr. Carey in the first instance. The obstacles in the way of such an enterprise, were then far greater than now. The individuals thus associated, had but little influence beyond the small provincial circle in which they moved. Not one among them was at all acquainted with the details of business necessarily involved in such an undertaking; and the great disinclination of Mrs. Carey to leave her native land, formed, in his case, a great and peculiar difficulty. But he consulted not with flesh and blood. Brethren," said he, when, at the close of a day spent in fasting and prayer, the decisive question was proposed, if he were willing to go forth on this untried and hazardous service: " Brethren, if you send me among cannibals, I will go!" Thus, in the spirit of simple faith in the Redeemer, he

commenced that sublime and benevolent career, in which for forty years he was enabled to persevere, so much to the benefit of his fellow-men, and to the glory of God his Saviour.

While the conductors of the new Society were yet undecided as to the sphere to be selected for their operations, they heard of a Mr. Thomas, who had spent some years in Bengal, and who was endeavouring to raise a fund in London for a mission to that part of our colonial empire. This determined their course. Mr. Thomas was chosen as the colleague of Mr. Carey; they were solemnly designated to the missionary enterprise at Leicester, on the 20th of May, 1793; and on the 13th of June following, the two missionaries embarked on board a Danish Indiaman, accompanied by Mr. Carey's whole family, his wife having given her consent, if accompanied by her sister, and the latter also being willing to join the party.

On their arrival at Calcutta, in November 1793, two events occurred, both highly discouraging. They discovered that a native, in whom they expected to meet with a convert to Christianity, had relapsed into idolatry; and a small investment which they had taken with them as a means of their support and establishment was sunk, with the boat which contained it, in the Hooghly. Mr. Carey was thus left, with his wife and children, in a foreign land, far distant from his native country, among people of a strange speech, and suddenly deprived of nearly all means of subsistence. But, even in this extremity, his faith in God did not fail. He proposed to avail himself of his skill in the cultivation of land, for the support of his family; and quitting Calcutta, with his family, in an open boat, on the 6th of February, 1794, he went forth, like Abraham of old, not knowing whither he went. After proceeding on the river a distance of about forty miles, they reached at nightfall Deharta, the residence of the late Charles Short, Esq. By

this gentleman, though an entire stranger, and by no means disposed to favour Mr. Carey's religious views, the whole party were received and entertained for several months with the kindest hospitality; and with him, the sister of Mrs. Carey was not long afterwards united in marriage.

In the year 1799, four additional missionaries were sent out to join him: two of whom died soon after their arrival; of the others, Mr. (now Dr.) Marshman, had been previously engaged in the instruction of youth; and Mr. Ward was a printer, whose aid, it was anticipated, would soon be required in providing the natives with a translation of the Scriptures into their own language, on which Mr. Carey had been diligently employed. But here again, providence appeared to thwart their intended operations. The authorities at Calcutta refused permission to the younger missionaries to proceed up the country and join Mr. Carey at Mudnabatty. Hence he was compelled, at a considerable pecuniary sacrifice, to relinquish the appointment he held there, and remove to the neighbourhood of Calcutta. This led to their residence in the small Danish settlement of Serampore, a place which has since derived its chief importance from its being the seat of this mission. This removal, however undesirable at the time, was evidently conducive to the establishment and future prosperity of their undertaking. Their object was recognized and approved by the Danish governor, Colonel Bie; adequate protection was afforded them; the town and surrounding country were more populous than Mr. Carey's former station; and, above all, far greater facilities were enjoyed for printing the Sacred Scriptures in the native languages.

In 1801, Mr. Carey's success in the study of the vernacular languages of India, recommended him for an honourable and lucrative appointment under government. To provide the