responsibility of taking up the unfinished task. True, this has been "a labour of love," but a labour none the less; and I am glad to own that it has been rendered immeasurably briefer, and the stress of it less onerous, by the very generous and gracious permission to include their hymns which was most readily accorded by those writers and publishers from whom this favour was sought, and whose names are specified in the list given on the following pages. To any toward whom I have failed in this respect, through ignorance, or owing to the difficulty of obtaining addresses, or from any other cause, apology is offered for an involuntary trespass. It was not possible to reach all with whom communication was attempted; but no hymn the copyright of which I know to exist has been inserted without authority first asked and received.

To Mr. W. I. B. Holmden my special thanks are given for constant and varied help rendered by him, both to Mr. Vince and to myself, in the preparation and production of this book.

BIRMINGHAM,

SEPTEMBER, 1876.

HENRY PLATTEN.

to-

Best thanks are due, and are hereby tendered,

Mrs. ALEXANDER for Nos. 101, 487, 491.

Mrs. ALFORD for Nos. 164, 320, 336, 365, 466, from the late
Dean Alford's Poetical Works.

Mrs. G. B. CREWDSON for No. 309.

Mrs. LYNCH for Nos. 70, 117, 284, 329, from The Rivulet,
by the late Rev. T. T. Lynch.

Miss A. L. WARING for Nos. 270, 306.

Rev. Sir H. W. BAKER, Bart. for Nos. 218, 446, from
Hymns Ancient and Modern.

Rev. Canon BAYNES for Nos. 120, 179, 232, 322, 405, from
The Canterbury Hymnal.

Rev. H. W. BEADON for No. 68.

Rev. E. H. BICKERSTETH for No. 8.

Rev. Dr. BONAR for Nos. 45, 48, 88, 133, 136, 171, 260, 285,
330, 350, 367, 479, from Hymns of Faith

and Hope, and for permitting a few verbal
alterations.

Sir E. DENNY, Bart. for Nos. 75, 412, from Hymns and

Poems.

Rev. H. DowNTON for Nos. 295, 402, 418, 457, 469, 471,
from Hymns and Verses.

Rev. C. W. FURSE for Nos. 38, 58, 87, 94, 137, 141, 243, 265,
429, 440, 453, 461, 464, 473, 493, 496, from
Hymns of Love and Praise and Spiritual
Songs, both by the late Rev. Dr. Monsell.
T. H. GILL, Esq. for Nos. 77, 110, 123, 128, 142, 266, 268,
274, 277, 332, 345, 359, 360, 381, 410, 411,
439, 441, 452, 454, 460, 499, from The
Golden Chain of Praise, and for 450, from
The Anniversaries.

Rev. FREDERICK GURNEY for Nos. 76, 108, 444.

J. T. HAYES, Esq. for No. 208, from Hymns of the Eastern

Church.

Messrs. HODDER and STOUGHTON for No. 225, from The
New Sunday School Hymn Book.

Rev. Canon How for Nos. 188, 226, 240, 280, 378, 467, 468,
from Church Hymns.

Rev. Dr. IRONS for No. 294.

[See over.]

H. M. LYTE, Esq. for Nos. 34, 147, 369, 371, from The Spirit
of the Psalms, by the late Rev. H. F. Lyte;
and for correction of text.

Messrs. MACMILLAN and Co., ( for his kindness in condens-
ing this hymn for this book.

JOHN MURRAY, Esq. for Nos. 72, 84, 124, 207, 314, 407, 419.
JAMES PARKER, Esq. for Nos. 21, 182, 203, 348, from The
Christian Year, 420 from Christian Ballads,
and 301 from The Child's Christian Year.

Rev. Dr. PLUMPTRE for No. 67.

Messrs. RICHARDSON and SONS for Nos. 85, 201, 269.

Messrs. RIVINGTON and Co. for No. 377 from Ancient Hymns,
and for 215.

Rev. GODFREY THRING for Nos. 200, 242, from Hymns and
Sacred Lyrics.

Rev. LAWRENCE TUTTIETT, and) for No. 455 from Counsels
W. WELLS GARDNER, Esq., Jof a God-father.

Rev. Dr. TWELLS for No. 202.

The use of hymns Nos. 63, 149, 150, 230, 257, and 424
from Lyra Germanica has been purchased on the usual terms
of Messrs. Longman and Co., and of Nos. 69, 98, 205, and
278 from The Holy Year, of the BISHOP OF LINCOLN, who
devotes the proceeds of his copyright in this work to the
benefit of the Ecclesiastical Charities of his Diocese.

Much valuable information as to authorship and dates
has been received from the able and learned Hymnologist,
Mr. DANIEL SEDGWICK, whose knowledge of the whole
subject is exhaustive and unique.

To hymns which have been printed in strict
accordance with the author's text, or in which the
alterations are merely verbal, or are those of omission
only, an asterisk has been prefixed. Where this sign does
not appear it must be understood that the hymn has been
subject to more important variation, or that the text has
not been verified. The open dates are those of the
author's birth, or of birth and death as the case requires,
the single date enclosed in brackets is that of the public-
ation of the hymn to which it is appended.

THE LIFE OF MAN, DEATH, TIME, AND