A New and Critical Edition of George Osborn's the Poetical Works of John and Charles Wesley (1868-1872), with the Addition of Notes, Annotations, Biographical and Background Information Volume XII, Parts 1 and 2

This "New Edition" provides general readers and researchers alike with necessary background information relative to those poems-details historical, bibliographical, and biographical that Osborn omitted or of which he had no knowledge. Thus, this "New Edition" becomes an important research tool, rather than simply a polished reissue of a literary antique within the façade of new bindings.

Volume XII concludes the complete extant collection of Hymns on the Four Gospels and Acts of the Apostles, including such "Short Hymns" published by Charles Wesley in 1762 and comprising 961 poetical paraphrases from John 14-21 through Acts 28:31. Charles Wesley's brief prefatory note, incorporated into George Osborn's "Advertisement" (see Volume 9, Part 1) had preceded the poetical "Selection". In that "Advertisement," the nineteenth-century editor of these volumes set forth his general organization of the contents of the various poetical pieces, while the editor of this new and critical edition provides literally hundreds of detailed notations of background explanation and information (historical, literary, biographical, and critical). This second part concludes with a first-line index to all of the 961 poetical adaptations.