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 the process of trepanning, and for seven years suffered from despondency and nervous irritability; even his favourite pursuit of music had to be abandoned.

The great event of Wesley's life was his vigorous propaganda of the works of John Sebastian Bach in this country, with which his name will ever be associated. It was about 1800 that Wesley began his enthusiastic crusade in favour of the great Leipzig cantor. During 1808 and 1809 he addressed a series of characteristic letters on the subject to Benjamin Jacob [q. v.], then organist of Surrey Chapel. These letters, edited by his daughter, Eliza Wesley, were published in 1875. The originals, bound up with programmes of organ performances at Surrey Chapel, are preserved in the library of the Royal College of Music. Wesley also played Bach's violin sonatas at some of Jacob's organ performances at Surrey Chapel, and threw himself into the cause of ‘The Man,’ as he styled Bach, with extraordinary enthusiasm. In 1810–12 he issued, in conjunction with Karl Friedrich Horn [see under ], the first English edition of Bach's ‘Das wohltemperirte Clavier’ (see a series of articles on ‘Bach's Music in England’ by F. G. Edwards, Musical Times, September–December 1896).

In regard to the practical part of his professional life Wesley frequently lectured on music at the Royal Institution and elsewhere. The earliest known date of these lectures is 1811 (Addit. MSS. 35014–5). He was also a teacher of music, and gave frequent concerts, at one of which (Hanover Square Rooms, 19 May 1810) his fine motet ‘In Exitu Israel’ was performed for the first time. In 1811 he conducted the Birmingham musical festival, and was in great request for organ performances in different parts of the country. He became an associate of the Philharmonic Society in 1813, and was a member from 1815 to 1817. In 1816 Wesley suffered a relapse of his old malady, and was compelled to abandon the exercise of his profession until 1823, when he resumed his ordinary pursuits until 1830.

In 1824 he was appointed organist of Camden Chapel (now St. Stephen's parish church), Camden Town; but he was an unsuccessful candidate for the posts of organist of the Foundling in 1798 and of St. George's, Hanover Square, in 1824. At the Foundling John Immyns, an amateur, was elected through the interest of Joah Bates [q. v.], which caused Wesley to compose his humorous song (published anonymously) ‘The Organ laid open, or the true stop discovered.’ One of his latest public appearances was at a concert of the Sacred Harmonic Society, Exeter Hall, 7 Aug. 1834, when he accompanied the anthem, ‘All go unto one place,’ which he had composed upon the death of his brother Charles. The last time he ever left his house was on 12 Sept. 1837, when to his great delight he heard Mendelssohn (then aged 28) perform upon the organ in Christ Church, Newgate Street, and when he (Wesley) was also prevailed upon to perform. He died a month afterwards, 11 Oct. 1837, at Islington, and is buried in the churchyard of Old St. Marylebone church, in the same grave in which the remains of his father, mother, and other near relatives had been deposited.

On 5 April 1793 he married Charlotte Louisa, daughter of Captain Martin of Kensington, who survived him: she died 5 Feb. 1845, and is buried in Highgate cemetery. Of their three children Charles Wesley, D.D., was subdean of the Chapel Royal. Samuel Wesley subsequently (about 1809) formed a liaison with one Sarah Suter, by whom he had several children, of whom Samuel Sebastian Wesley [q. v.] was the eldest son, and a daughter Eliza Wesley, organist of St. Margaret Pattens, died unmarried in 1895.

Wesley was not only a very distinguished musician. Before he was twenty-one he had become a good classical scholar, and he successfully cultivated a taste for literature. He had remarkable conversational powers; he was a man of keen and brilliant wit, and an entertaining letter-writer. His character has been somewhat caustically summarised by Mrs. Vincent Novello, the wife of one of his most intimate friends, in the following words: ‘I knew him [Wesley] unfortunately too well. Pious catholic, raving atheist; mad, reasonable; drunk and sober. The dread of all wives and regular families. A warm friend, a bitter foe; a satirical talker; a flatterer at times of those he cynically traduced at others; a blasphemer at times, a purling methodist at others’ (Addit. MS. 31764, f. 33).

Wesley was the greatest organist of his day, and unrivalled as an extemporaneous performer on the instrument. De Quincey designated him ‘the great foudroyant performer on the organ.’ He was also a prolific composer, though much of his music is now out of date. His fine Latin motets, ‘Dixit Dominus,’ ‘Exultate Deo,’ and especially ‘In Exitu Israel,’ possess a strong vitality, and these works alone are sufficient to place him on the roll of illustrious English composers.

A full-length oil painting of Wesley at the