"RULE, BRITANNIA!"

NZ Truth, Issue 692, 21 September 1918, Page 5

"RULE, BRITANNIA!"

♦ — — Britisk National Ode, 1740 Objected to by "Prohib." Bayley. We have been requested to reprint from a volume of "Characteristic Songs and Dances of All Nations," the British National song, "Rule, Britannia!" the singing of which by school children, Mr. W. I>. Bayley has objected to. At Vancouver, whilst en route to New Zealand, Mr. Bayley said: In the school I teach at, the Isaac Brock school m Winnipeg, the children are taught to sing "Rule Britannia," which is the worst piece of egotism any nation could possibly teach, and which was responsible for Britishers going swanking all over the world and making themselves offensive everywhere. Mr. Bayley is one of a. trio of Canadian lecturers who have been recently imported by the New Zealand Alliance to preach prohibition to the loyalists of New Zealand. Save us from such a patriot! When Britain flrst at heaven's command, Arose from out the azure main; This was the charter of her land, And guardian angels sang this strain: "Rule, Britannia, rules the waves, Britons never shall be slaves! The nations, not so bless'd as thee, Must, m their turns, to tyrants fall, While thou shalt flourish great and free, The dread and envy of them all. Still more majestic shalt thou rise, More dreadful from each foreign stroke, As the loud blast tears the skies Serves but to root thy native oak. These haughty tyrants ne'er shall tame: All their attempts to bend thee down Will but arouse , thy generous flame; • But work their woe and, thy renown. To thee belongs the rural reign; Thy cities shall with commerce shine; AH thine shall be the subject-main: And every shore it circles thine. The Muses, still with freedom found, Shall to thy happy coast repair: Blest Isle! with matchless beauty crown'd, And many hearts to guard the fair: A footnote to the verses reads: This fine national ode, which may fitly be described as a poetical prophecy, has been called by Southey "the political hymn of this country;" while Richard Wagner has expressed the opinion that the flrst eight notes form the most typical musical utterance of the British race, m which are concentrated the whole national chaiacter. It was written ' by James Thomson, a Scotsman, celebrated as the author of "The Seasons and other poetical works, and flrst appeared m the masque of "Alfred," which was originally produced at Cliefden House. Maidenhead, on August 1,-1740...- David Mallet, or Malloch, a Scots literary ,man, collaborated with Thomson in' the writing' of the masque, but his claim- to the authorship of "Rule, Britannia," preferred after Thomson's death, has never been substantiated. The ode became popular whenever it vas published, and has remained one of the chief patriotic songs of the British people. The music was composed by Dr. Thos. A. Arne, a well-known English musician, and was flrst printed as an appendix to to the masque, "The Judgment of Paris," also produced m 1740. If It could only be established that it was first sung by an Irish vocalist, it would be a truly international ode! ' .