Sweet angel of mercy, By heaven's decree

Author: Edward Caswall

Edward Caswall was born in 1814, at Yately, in Hampshire, where his father was a clergyman. In 1832, he went to Brasenose College, Oxford, and in 1836, took a second-class in classics. His humorous work, "The Art of Pluck," was published in 1835; it is still selling at Oxford, having passed through many editions. In 1838, he was ordained Deacon, and in 1839, Priest. He became perpetural Curate of Stratford-sub-Castle in 1840. In 1841, he resigned his incumbency and visited Ireland. In 1847, he joined the Church of Rome. In 1850, he was admitted into the Congregation of the Oratory at Birmingham, where he has since remained. He has published several works in prose and poetry. --Annotations of the Hymnal, Charles Hutchins, M.A. 1872… Go to person page >

Angelica Patrone, Beate Spiritus. [Guardian Angels.] This hymn, of unknown authorship and date, is in the Corolla Hymnorum, Cologne, 1806, p. 67. Daniel gives it without note or comment in ii. p. 376. It is also found in Simrock, p. 338; Bässler, No. 137, and others. [Rev. W. A. Shoults, B.D.]
Translation in common use:—
Sweet Angel of mercy. By E. Caswall. It appeared in his Masque of Mary and Other Poems, 1858, in 8 stanzas of 8 lines, and in his Hymns and Poems, 1873, p. 180. It is given in a few Roman Catholic collections for Schools and Missions.

-- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)