1786] REV. WILLIAM SMITH, D. D. iGy 



Rev. Dr. Smith to Rev. Dr. White. 



Sunday niglit or Monday morning, January 23, 17S6. 



I received your last letter of 17th of January, and observe what you 

 say concerning the objections which have occurred as to running our 

 collection or selection of singing psalms into one another. You know 

 this arrangement was proposed for the convenience of clerks and of the 

 people for finding any proposed sum. We could not then think of any 

 better mode. I have no attachment to any particular arrangement that 

 appears best. But I could see no impropriety, nor can yet see any in 

 making one chapter or psalm of all those different parts of different 

 psalms which are selected on the same subject and in the psalm metre ; 

 for except in metre ist, and in psalms of praise, etc., none of them 

 would be very long in this way ; and I know not how you can make 

 your breaks in the same metre, so as to close the service without running 

 many of them into one another. P'or of some psalms only a verse or 

 two are taken, and surely so small a portion cannot stand by itself. 

 All the reading psalms for a morning or evening service, although not 

 arranged under different heads as the singing psalms, are nevertheless 

 run into one another, without inconvenience. On the contrary it 

 appears a beauty. The same has been done in choosing psalms for 

 particular services even by our Mother Church. 



But I have no objection to the method now proposed. As far as I 

 can understand it from your short scrip, it was what we first proposed, 

 although some difficulties then occurred. Mr. Hopkinson's judgment 

 will always have great weight with me, especially on a subject of elegance 

 and taste. I am happy that he has agreed to devote a few hours to the 

 psalmody. Under his hand it will become a most acceptable addition 

 to the Prayer Book, and with the hymns to be annexed will recommend 

 the purchase of it to many, and I hope greatly increase their love both 

 of public and private devotion. 



With the assistance of our organist Mr. Limburner, our clerk, and 

 some other gentlemen of this town, I have examined the tunes which 

 are to be engraved and we generally approve of them ; except Canter- 

 bury, which is too flat and inanimate. St. Anne's, though good, is too 

 difficult for singers in general. These two might be exchanged for some 

 more popular tunes, which you have omitted, such as Brunswick and 

 Stroud tunes. We also wish to have in the collection the tune .... 

 and St. Peters is adapted to that noble hymn .... published among 

 the collection of hymns — 



When all thy merties, O my God, etc. 



In addition to the tunes which are proposed in your list, we would 

 offer the six which are enclosed, or such of them as you think may vary 

 most from those of the same metre which you retain. I should wish to 



