SOURCE: Bishop, Selma L. “Watts's Composition of Hymns” and “Watts's Interest in Matters of Philology.” In Isaac Watts: Hymns and Spiritual Songs, 1707-1748; A Study in Early Eighteenth Century Language Changes, pp. xix-xxiv; xxv-xxxii. London: Faith Press, 1962.

In the following essays, Bishop analyzes Watts's impact on hymns sung in church and examines his views on writing methods and linguistic techniques.

Watts's Composition of Hymns

No doubt Watts's interest in hymnody began vaguely with his mother's encouragement of her son to write verse in his childhood. It had its true beginning in his love of the Latin Psalms of George Buchanan (1506-1582)¹ to whom Watts referred occasionally and whose influence he admitted. He referred likewise to another writer of Psalms in Latin, Dr. Arthur Johnston, M.D. (1587-1641).² He offered praise to these two authors whom he read in his youth:

A Stanza, or a Couplet of these Writers...