West Indies, for the benefit of his health, in the year 1825; but it was not published till some years after.

XVII. About the year 1848, the Rev. J. S. Holmes, editor of the Baptist Hymn and Tune Book, applied to Dr. Bethune to write for his collection a hymn upon baptism. He remarked to his nephew, Rev. George Duffield, Jun., who was with him in his study when he sat down to compose it, “I have the vanity to think that I can write a better hymn of that kind than any I have seen in their collections ;" and the judgment of the Christian public has fully confirmed as true what he had "the vanity to think."

XIX. This hymn was found in Dr. Bethune's portfolio after his death, and was evidently written the Saturday before that event, which took place on Sunday, April 27th, 1862.

XXXVI. This piece was first published in the Independent, January 18, 1866. I may here add that most of these beautiful hymns of Mr. Burleigh's were given to me in manuscript by the author for this work.

LXIX. Dr. Rogers, in the text of his Lyra Britannica, credits this hymn to Joseph Cottle, but, in his notes at the end, he makes the proper correction, and assigns it to Mr. Davis.

LXXXI. This spirited hymn caught its inspiration from the dying words of that noble young clergyman, Rev. Dudley Atkins Tyng, rector of the Epiphany Church, Philadelphia, who died about 1854. His last words were, "Tell them to stand up for Jesus: now let us sing a hymn." As he had been much persecuted in those pro-slavery days for his persistent course in pleading the cause of the oppressed, it was thought that these words had a peculiar significance in his mind; as if he had said, "Stand up for Jesus in the person of the downtrodden slave" (Luke iv. 18).

LXXXII. This national hymn was written, I believe, about 1844. This is the date given to it by the Rev. Mr. Bird in his collection.

XCI. This first appeared in the Christian Disciple, in 1823.
XCII. This was first published in 1835.

cxI. Of this hymn Rev. Leonard Bacon, D.D., thus remarks : "It is unsurpassed in the English or any other language. Perhaps it is as near perfection as an uninspired composition can be. The thought, the feeling, the diction, the versification are all exquisite."

CXXXIX. In the preface to the edition of 1861, Dr. Lyons says, "The Christian Songs, published in Philadelphia some years ago, are all contained in this volume, together with eight sacred and fifteen other poems not included in the last, West Haverford edition, 1860.

CXLII.-CXLIII. These two hymns were given to me in manuscript by Mr. Mackellar for this collection.

CXLVIII. Of this beautiful piece a member of the English Parliament thus wrote to an American friend-after saying of General Morris that "his many songs and ballads are household words in every home in England"—" But what, after all, are all the throat-warblings in the world to one such heartsong as My Mother's Bible? It possesses the true test of genius, touching with sympathy the human heart equally in the palace and the cottage." See my Compendium of American Literature, p. 505.

CL. This most beautiful hymn, which has been so much altered and abridged in all our hymn-books, is here printed as the author gave it to me in his own hand. It first appeared in the Episcopal Recorder, Philadelphia, June 3rd, 1826, when the Rev. George T. Bedell was the editor.

CLI. This hymn has been printed in many of our books without the first stanza; hence it may be often found by the line, O cease my wandering soul. Perhaps, when singing it, the first stanza might be omitted; but it should always be printed, as it is the very subject on which the other stanzas are founded.

CLIX. This hymn originally begun with "Happy, Saviour," and is thus printed in some collections. Not only with the consent, but the approbation of the author, I have transposed the words. I may add that most of these hymns Dr. Nevin gave me in manuscript for this collection.

CLXVII. This was translated from Robert II. of France.

CLXXI. In connection with this hymn-the first, I believe, the author wrote (about 1831)—I have heard the following anecdote from two or three sources, so that I presume it is substantially correct. An editor of a religious periodical, accidentally meeting with young Mr. Palmer, asked him if he could not give him a piece of poetry for his forthcoming number. Mr. Palmer replied that he had in his pocket the manuscript of a hymn which he had just written, and which he might have if he wished. The editor took it, and, after carefully reading it, said, "Mr. Palmer, this hymn will hand your name down to all coming time." The judgment of the Christian Church, wherever the English language is spoken, has confirmed this prediction.

CLXXIII. This first appeared in the Congregationalist, Boston, September 7th, 1867.

CLXXXIII. Although these lines are not exactly in keeping with the general contents of this selection, I give them a place in it because they are so eminently characteristic of my noble friend the author, who preached and laboured so long and so unremittingly against intemperance and slavery. Against the former, at the greatest personal sacrifice; for a majority of the trustees of his church being interested in the liquor traffic, either as distillers or wholesale dealers, his salary was withheld from him for many years, and he had to support himself and family by lecturing and writing. But he would not relinquish his pulpit, and determined that that pulpit should be free, uttering this noble sentiment-"If I must be either a pulpit slave or a plantation slave,-send me to the plantation." At length the Supreme Court of Massachusetts awarded to him all his salary for so many years unpaid, together with the interest that had accrued thereon.

CLXXXVI. This was written for the opening of the Independent Congregational Church, Barton Square, Salem, Massachusetts, December 17th, 1824.

CLXXXVIII. I may here state that this little piece of such finished beauty was dictated by the author, to whom it was my

privilege to minister during a long illness, as he sat up in his bed but two days before his death.

CLXXXIX. This hymn was written in 1837, and first published in the Boston Observer, 1838.

CCVIII. I often used to wonder how so good a man could write, and how so many other good people could sing, the second line of this now noble national lyric; for it was written at a time (about 1840) when we as a nation were not only by our practice giving the lie to our professed principles, by holding millions of our fellow-men in the vilest slavery, but when no citizen of a so-called free state, of known anti-slavery sentiments, could travel in most of the slave states without danger of the grossest personal violence, and often of his life. But God be praised that all that is now changed; that this good author was then permitted to write for times better than he then knew; and that now we can all sing this national hymn rejoicing in its beauty because of its truth.

CCXLVII. These are the last seven stanzas of the piece entitled "My Psalm."

CCL. This hymn first appeared in the Boston Congregationalist, August 16th, 1867.

CCLI. These are four stanzas out of seven of a piece entitled "Doing Good true Happiness."

DAMS, JOHN QUINCY, born in Braintree, Massachusetts, 1767: graduated at Harvard University, 1787 from 1794 to 1801 minister to the Netherlands, to England, and Prussia: in 1806 Professor of Rhetoric in Harvard University: in 1809 minister to Russia in 1813 at the head of five commissioners to negotiate peace with Great Britain: in 1817 Secretary of State under President Munroe: from 1824 to 1829 President of the United States in 1831 he was elected a representative to Congress. In this sphere of public duty he achieved the proudest triumphs of his life as the undaunted champion of the right of petition. For years and years, aided chiefly by that earlier and still bolder friend of the slave, Hon. Joshua R. Giddings of Ohio, he withstood the combined assaults of the slaveholders and their northern allies. At length their labours were crowned with success, and petitions for the abolition of slavery were received, read, and referred to a committee. On the 21st of Feb. 1848, this pure and noble patriot, when at his post in the House of Representatives, and while rising to address the Speaker, was struck with paralysis. He lingered till the evening of the next day, when he expired. Read a Memoir of his Life, by Hon. Josiah Quincy. A sketch of his life and public services, somewhat extended, will be found in my Compendium of American Literature.

ALEXANDER, REV. JAMES WADDELL, D.D., eldest son of Dr. Archibald Alexander, born in 1804; was successively