To The Editor Of The Time...
Sir,-The humoreus letter of 51r. S. WVesley in your paper of yesterday, would, perhaps, have been rmlore creditable to that gentle. mnan, had it been addressed to the proprietors of " The BiographAi- Cal UOitiolary of W steaus," instead of being inseited in your )ournai, with the evideist desire of injuring the reputation of a work, in the compilation of which no orssibil painrs liave been ofsarekd during the space of IS months-a circumstance well known to many of the most eminent musicians in London. AWith respect to 1r. S. Wesley's aharge, the mistake can be explained in a manner that will at Once prove satiatactory to every liberal inind. Ar. S. XVes- ley, for reatsons best kniown to binmsel f. ref'used, or at least neglected,I a iter several applications, to render to the compilers of the Biogra. pjhical Dictiwia2r any data resnecting Ihis music-al career, beyond what were alrey lhi print: it -as became necessary for the com- piliers to m-akRe isp an article concerning that gentleman, from what they, considertd to be the beat previously publishetl authorities. Somemoutls afterwards, the article being com'pleted ane the work in the press, one of the compilers who was at the time in the coun. ty, was informed, that his mes'sengexs must htave mistaken Mr. Cuarles for Air. Samuel Wesley, the latter baving died about the year 115; in corroboration of which, the informant produced a volumne of the work entitled Public Ckaractes'e, and in which, under thn head " Charles WVesley," are the following wrds "1This eminent musticiat, like Crotrch, Davy, and his own brother the late Mr. S. aVesley." ' Upon this authority the compiler thought it b~Rtreasonable to act. To those, Mr. Editor, who arein the least acquainted with the never.ending vexations and trouble in the col- lection of eoatemporary biography, intleed, to all liberal minds, it is trusted that the above explanation will be nmore than su?fficient to th at te eisolated error adduced by tr. S. Wele is no imnu- on ODthe gene accuracy of the Diczittza;y of A'usiciant. 'o any psrsOmDs who will trouble themselves so far as to receive fatiher evidene ofady the authenticity of the work, the publishers are at all Ve are, Sir, your verv obedient servants. SATNMTMITRV A vnf . Ii, Beu's-ouulings, Sa]isbury.square, Oct. 12, 1824. o We may add, that Ilr. S. Wesleywas somewhat ungrateful towards Messrs. Sainsbury, for the article, tliough inaccuxrate in one particular, contained a very warm, anid certainily, we do net deny, a very just eulogy, of the merits of that excellent musician. TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMAfS.