Transcriber's Note: Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible. Some changes have been made. They are listed at the end of the text. OE ligatures have been expanded. Italic text has been marked with _underscores_. Superscript text has been marked ^{so}. [Illustration: DR. ARNE, BY DUNKARTON.] DR. ARNE AND RULE, BRITANNIA BY WILLIAM HAYMAN CUMMINGS, MUS. DOC., F.S.A., HON. R.A.M. _Author of "The Origin and History of 'God Save the King.'"_ LONDON: NOVELLO AND COMPANY, LIMITED. NEW YORK: THE H. W. GRAY CO., SOLE AGENTS FOR U.S.A. 1912 PREFACE. The glorious National Song, "Rule, Britannia," is familiar to the whole British race; nevertheless very few men and women are acquainted with the history of its birth and parentage. In the following pages I have endeavoured to chronicle all the facts which are discoverable by diligent research, and to present them in an attractive and entertaining manner. The life of Dr. Arne, the composer of "Rule, Britannia," offers to the reader and to the music student an interesting and instructive story, showing that natural ability, even when combined with genius, is not sufficient to ensure a triumphant and successful career. Morality and conscientious rectitude in the affairs of life are essential, and had Arne exercised these, his exceptional gifts might have enabled him to surpass his great contemporary, Handel. It only remains to be noted that many letters and documents are here printed for the first time, some of them copied from the original autographs in my possession. They illuminate much which has hitherto been obscure and uncertain in the career of a famous composer. WILLIAM H. CUMMINGS. ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE. ARNE, BY DUNKARTON _Frontispiece_ ARNE, BY GAINSBOROUGH 7 MRS. CIBBER 12 CERVETTO--"OLD NOSEY"--BY ZOFFANY 16 MUSIC HALL, FISHAMBLE STREET, DUBLIN 19 ARNE, BY BARTOLOZZI 46 COVENT GARDEN THEATRE. RIOTING DURING ARNE'S "ARTAXERXES" 61 FACSIMILE OF AUTOGRAPH LETTER BY ARNE 69 ARNE, BY ZOFFANY 94 VIEW OF CLIEFDEN HOUSE 111 FACSIMILE OF "RULE, BRITANNIA" 123 DR. ARNE.