Wesley Corpus

Hymns and Sacred Poems (1749), Vol. 21 Baker list, 171 Editorial Introduction: This two-volume collection was gathered by Charles Wesley, and is composed entirely of his own work over the last decade. The stimulus for the collection was the need to demonstrate to the parents of Sarah (Sally) Gwynne that he could provide sufficient financial support in their proposed marriage. The formal proposal to raise subscribers for printing the two-volume set was dated Dec. 18, 1748. The first subscriber was Sarah Gwynne. A copy of the proposal and an invoice for Sally's subscription were included in a letter from Charles to Sally dated Dec. 27, 1748.2 Charles copyrighted the volumes by entering them into the register at Stationer's Hall, London on July 12, 1749. The volumes sold well enough to have a second printing. The few revisions in this second edition were limited mainly to incorporating the errata suggestions into the text (pagination remains identical). There were 685 copies of this second printing remaining in the inventory at John Wesley's house, London in 1791. Sixteen of the hymns in this collection had appeared before in scattered settings, typically attached to prose pieces published by John Wesley. A seventeenth hymn published earlier is also incorporated into a larger setting in this collection (4 in volume one). These prior publications are signaled in blue font in the Table of Contents and detailed in attached notes. The manuscript precursors to nearly half of the items in these two volumes survive among Wesley's manuscript poetry collections. Their location is also detailed in attached notes. Several of the "Hymns for Christian Friends" in this second volume are actually slight rewrites of manuscript poems that Charles sent to Sally Gwynne during their courtship. Editions: Charles Wesley. Hymns and Sacred Poems. 2 vols. Bristol: Farley, 1749. 2nd Bristol: Farley, 1755-56. Note: John Wesley's personal copy of the second edition is present in the remnants of his personal library at Wesley's House, London (shelfmark, J. 10-11). John's reactions to the text and suggested corrections will be recorded in footnotes. Acknowledgment: Special thanks go to Randall McElwain for help in preparing this two-volume set for the present web publication. Wesley's House, London.