Letter

  • This material is held at
  • Reference
      GB 133 DDCW/7/38
  • Former Reference
      GB 135 DDCW/7/38
      GB 133 Folio entitled Letters of the Rev. C. Wesley, 38
  • Dates of Creation
      12 Aug [1782]

Scope and Content

From Bristol to Charles Wesley junior. He is right to maintain an 'interest with Dr W. You are KIND in excusing his & yr other Doctor's [Dr Anthony Shepherd] vanity'.

Modesty suits a mathematician more than a musician 'but you had better be a [Isaac] Newton in music & have others to commend you'.

Love of oneself is not necessarily a sin, for there is a type of self-love 'which sets a man upon securing…eternal happiness'. This form of love is however lacking in Charles junior although his father has hopes of seeing it in him before he [Charles senior] dies. His son should not be deterred from seeking it because he feels unable to equal his father, for there is no reason why they should not be together in paradise.

The rest of the letter is addressed to Sarah Wesley.

Last night he was plagued by an early appearance of his old problem, lumbago. Sarah may remember last winter when Charles was effectively confined to his house from October.

He is keen to stay in Bristol as long as possible for he feels that he will be unable to see his friends here again, in the body at least.

His love should be given to Samuel with the request that when he sells his organ, he should give his father first refusal - Charles senior will pay as much if not more than any other bidder. Samuel should also continue riding every day.

Charles will leave it to Sally to give a more detailed account of their doings.

Note

  • Publication Record: Quoted by Thomas Jackson, The Journal of the Rev. Charles Wesley (1849), Vol.2, pp.274-5.

Note

Note

  • Publication Record: Quoted by Thomas Jackson, The Journal of the Rev. Charles Wesley (1849), Vol.2, pp.274-5.