A sovereign protector I have

A sovereign protector I have. Augustus Montague Toplady* (1740-1778). This hymn was published in The Gospel Magazine (December 1774), with the title ‘A chamber hymn’. It is found in Toplady’s diary for 1 January 1768. ‘A sovereign protector I have’ is actually the fifth line of the opening stanza; the hymn originally began with a vivid description of the need for sleep, from which comes the ‘chamber’ (bedchamber) of the title: What tho' my frail Eyelids refuse Continual watching to keep, And punctual, as Midnight renews, Demand the refreshment of Sleep; A sov'reign Protector I have,… It had six 8-line stanzas, which have usually been shortened, as in RS, which (in common with other...