reverence, undisturbed by their differences. In defensive repartee he was as ready, though not so pungent, as his brother. He had no faculty for government. Though he had plenty of courage, he was swayed by conflicting feelings, with the result that his half-measures conveyed an impression of timidity.
He married (8 April 1749) Sarah (b. 12 Oct. 1726; d. 28 Dec. 1822), third daughter of Marmaduke Gwynne (d. 1769) of Garth, Breconshire; the marriage, celebrated by his brother John, was a most happy one. His widow had an annuity of 100l. from John Wesley, on whose death it was commuted, at her request, for a capital sum. After the expenditure of this she was relieved from straits by an annuity provided by William Wilberforce in conjunction with two friends. The methodist body followed with an annuity, which was continued to the surviving children. Of Wesley's eight children, five died in infancy. Charles (1757–1834) [q. v.] and Samuel (1766–1837) [q. v.] are separately noticed. The surviving daughter, Sarah, a woman of great culture, who mixed in the best literary society of her day, died at Bristol, unmarried, on 19 Sept. 1828, aged 68.
John Wesley writes of his brother: ‘His least praise was his talent for poetry; although Dr. Watts did not scruple to say that that single poem, “Wrestling Jacob,” was worth all the verses he himself had written’ (Minutes of Conference, 1788). Yet among the many services rendered by Charles Wesley to the cause of religion, his work as a hymn-writer stands pre-eminent. Exercising an hereditary gift, he had early written verses both in Latin and English, but the opening of the vein of his spiritual genius was a consequence of the inward crisis of Whit-Sunday 1738. Two days later his hymn upon his conversion was written. He doubted at first whether he had done right in even showing it to a friend. The first collection of hymns issued by John Wesley (1737) contains nothing by Charles. From 1739 to 1746 the brothers issued eight collections in their joint names. Some difficulty has been felt in assigning to each his respective compositions. To John are usually given all translations from German originals, as it is doubtful whether Charles could read that language; and if this is not conclusive (as the originals might have been interpreted for him), a strong argument may be found in his constant inability to write on subjects proposed to him, and not spontaneously suggested by his own mind. All original hymns, not expressly claimed by John in his journals and other writings, are usually given to Charles. But it must be remembered that these were edited by John, who adapted his brother's pieces for public use, both by omission and by combination. Charles Wesley's untouched work is to be seen in publications issued in his sole name, and in posthumous prints from his manuscript. He is said to have written 6,500 hymns (Overton in Julian's Hymnology, 1892, p. 1258); about five hundred are in constant use. Dealing with every topic from the point of view of spiritual experience, they rarely subside into the meditative mood. Rich in melody, they invite to singing, and in the best of them there is a lyrical swing and an undertone of mystical fervour which both vitalise and mellow the substratum of doctrine. Much attention has been directed to his sacramental hymns (1745), in which the ‘real presence’ is expressly taught. Other points are noted in Warington's ‘Echoes of the Prayer-book in Wesley's Hymns’ [1876], 8vo. The following collections appear to contain exclusively his own hymns: 1. ‘Hymns on God's Everlasting Love,’ 2 parts, 1741, 12mo. 2. ‘For the Nativity,’ 1744, 12mo. 3. ‘For the Watchnight,’ 1744, 12mo. 4. ‘Funeral Hymns,’ 1744, 12mo; enlarged, 1759, 12mo. 5. ‘For Times of Trouble,’ 1745, 12mo; revised edition, same year; additional, 1746, 12mo. 6. ‘On the Lord's Supper,’ 1745, 12mo. 7. ‘Gloria Patri … to the Trinity,’ 1746, 12mo. 8. ‘On the great Festivals,’ 1746, 4to. 9. ‘For Ascension Day,’ 1746, 12mo. 10. ‘For Our Lord's Resurrection,’ 1746, 12mo. 11. ‘Graces before and after Meat,’ 1746, 12mo. 12. ‘For the Public Thanksgiving,’ 1746, 12mo. 13. ‘For those that seek and those that have Redemption,’ 1747, 12mo. 14. ‘On his Marriage,’ 1749. 15. ‘On Occasion of his being prosecuted in Ireland,’ 1749. 16. ‘Hymns and Sacred Poems,’ Bristol, 1749, 2 vols. 12mo. 17. ‘For New Year's Day,’ 1750, 12mo. 18. ‘For the Year 1756,’ 1756, 12mo. 19. ‘Of Intercession,’ 1758, 12mo. 20. ‘For the Use of Methodist Preachers,’ 1758, 12mo. 21. ‘On the expected Invasion,’ 1759, 12mo. 22. ‘On the Thanksgiving Day,’ 1759, 12mo. 23. ‘For those to whom Christ is all,’ 1761, 12mo. 24. ‘Short Hymns on … Passages of … Scripture,’ 1762, 2 vols. 12mo. 25. ‘For Children,’ 1763, 12mo. 26. ‘For the Use of Families,’ 1767, 12mo. 27. ‘On the Trinity,’ 1767, 12mo. 28. ‘Preparation for Death,’ 1772, 12mo. 29. ‘In the Time of the Tumults,’ 1780, 12mo. 30. ‘For the Nation,’ 1782, 12mo. 31. ‘For Condemned Malefactors,’ 1785, 12mo. A few hymns were first printed separately. Other poetical publications were an ‘Elegy,’ Bristol, 1742,
