Behold where breathing love divine. Anna L. Barbauld, née Aikin. [Charity.] Contributed to Dr. W. Enfield's Hymns for Public Worship, &c, Warrington, 1772, No. 117, in 8 stanzas of 4 lines. In the following year it was republished in Mrs. Barbauld's (then Miss Aikin) Poems, London, J. Johnson, 1773, pp. 121-123. In this form it is not in extensive use, although included in Dr. Collyer's Collection, 1812, and repeated in Dr. Martineau's Hymns, 1840 & 1873. A cento from this hymn is given in the Church Sunday School Hymn Book, 1868, No. 364, and other collections, beginning, "Blest is the man whose softening heart.” It is composed of stanzas iii., iv., vii., viii., somewhat altered, and appeared in the 9th edition of Cotterill's Selection, 1820, No. 123. From thence it passed into various collections both in Great Britain and America. In Kennedy, 1863, No, 126, it begins, “Blest is the man whose tender heart." The full original text is given in Lyra Britannica, 1867, pp. 32-33.
-- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)
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Barbauld, Anna Laetitia, née Aikin, daughter of the Rev. John Ailrin, D.D., a dissenting minister, was b. at Kibworth-Harcourt, Leicestershire, June 20, 1743. In 1753 Dr. Aikin became classical tutor at a dissenting academy at Warrington. During her residence there she contributed five hymns to Dr. W. Enfield's Hymns for Public Worship, &c, Warrington, 1772. In the following year these were included in her Poems, Lond., J. Johnson, 1773. In May, 1774, Miss Aikin was married to the Rev. Rochemont Barbauld, a descendant of a French Protestant family, and a dissenting minister. For some years Mr. Barbauld conducted, in addition to his pastoral work, a boarding school at Palgrave, Suffolk. From this he retired in 1785. In 1786 he undertook t… Go to person page >
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