_Ancient bards have sung_ _With lips dropping honey_ _And a sugar'd tongue,_ _Of our worthy knights:_ _How Brute_[295] _did giants tame,_ _And, by Isis' current,_ _A second Troy did frame:_ _A centre of delights._ _Locrinus'_[296] _eldest son_ _Did drown the furious Hun,_ _But burnt himself with Elstred's love:_ _Leil_,[297] _rex pacificus;_ _Elud_,[298] _judicious,_ _Now heavenly bodies roll above._ _Wise Bladud_[299] _founded hath_ _Both soul and body's bath,_ _Like Icarus he flew:_ _Now first Mulmutius_[300] _wears_ _A golden crown, whose heirs_ _More than half the world subdue._ _2d Song._ _Thou nurse of champions, O thou spring_ _Whence chivalry did flow!_ _Thou diamond of the world's great ring,_ _Thy glorious virtue show:_ _Thou many a lord hast bred,_ _In catalogue of fame read;_ _And still we have_ _As captives brave,_ _As ever Britons led._ _Then dub a dub, dub._ _The armies join, tantara._ _Cassibelane with armour gay_ _And strongly couched lance,_ _His courser white turn'd into bay,_ _On carcases shall prance._ _What a crimson stream the blade_ _Of Nennius' sword hath made!_ _Black Allia's day_ _And Cannæ's fray_ _Have for a third long stay'd._ _Then dub a dub, dub._ _The armies join, tantara._ FOOTNOTES: [276] [Fiddle.] [277] Ovid.--_Steevens._ [278] [An usual form in ancient times.] [279] Deluges.--_Steevens._ [280] [Allusively to the fabled descent of the Britons from the Trojans.] [281] The same sentiment is introduced by Shakespeare into "King John," act v. sc. 7-- "This England never did, nor never shall, Lie at the proud foot of a conqueror. But when it first did help to wound itself; Now these her princes are come home again, Come the three corners of the world in arms. And we shall shock them: nought shall make us rue, If England to itself _do rest but true_." Again, in the old play of "King John," 1591-- "If England's Peers and People join in one, Nor Pope, nor France, nor Spain can do them wrong." The same sentiment is in Borde's "Book of the Introduction of Knowledge," sig. A 4: "They (_i.e._, the English) fare sumptiously, God is served in their churches devoutli, but treason and deceit among them is used craftyly, ye more pitie, _for yf they were true wjthin themselfs, thei nede not to feare, although al nations were set against them_, specialli now, consydering our noble prince (_i.e._, Henry VIII.) hath and dayly dothe make noble defences as castels," &c. [282] See note to "Cornelia," [v. 211.]