Flag and Fleet: How the British Navy Won the Freedom of the SeasWood, William
History
Flag and Fleet: How the British Navy Won the Freedom of the Seas
Wood, William
Great Britain -- History, Naval; Sea-power
Most regrettably, the Allies, headed by President Wilson, decided that
the German men-of-war should be interned, not surrendered, when sent to
Scapa Flow. If these ships, after being surrendered to the Allies, had
been put in charge of the British, or any other navy, as "surrenders,"
guards would have been put on board of them and all would have been
well. But interned ships are left to their own crews, no foreign
guards whatever being allowed to live on board. The result of this
mistake, deliberately made against the advice of the British, was that,
on the 21st of June, the Germans, with their usual treachery, opened
the sea-cocks and sank the ships they had surrendered and the Allies
had interned.
A week later, on the 28th of June, 1919, in the renowned historic
palace of Versailles, the Allies and Germany signed the Treaty of Peace
by which they ended the Great War exactly five years after the
assassination of Franz Ferdinand had given the Austro-German empires
the excuse they wanted to begin it.
RULE, BRITANNIA!
Thomson's famous verses and Arne's famous air (in which Wagner said he
could see the whole character of the English people) were sung for the
first time during the Royal fête held at Clieveden, a celebrated
country residence beside "the silver Thames." This was on the 1st of
August, 1740. The 1st of August was the day on which Nelson won his
first great victory just fifty-eight years later; and Clieveden is
where the Duchess of Connaught's Canadian Hospital was established
during the Great War.
When Britain first, at Heaven's command,
Arose from out the azure main,
This was the charter of the land,
And guardian angels sung this strain:
"Rule, Britannia! Britannia rule the waves!
Britons never will be slaves."
The nations not so bless'd as thee
Must in their turn to tyrants fall;
While thou shall flourish great and free,
The dread and envy of them all.
"Rule, Britannia, &c."
Still more majestic shalt thou rise,
More dreadful from each foreign stroke;
As the loud blast that tears the skies
Serves but to root thy native oak.
"Rule, Britannia, &c."
Thee haughty tyrants ne'er shall tame;
All their attempts to bend thee down
Will but arouse thy generous flame,
And work their woe and thy renown.
"Rule, Britannia, &c."
To thee belongs the rural reign;
Thy cities shall with commerce shine;
All thine shall be the subject main,
And every shore it circles thine.
"Rule, Britannia, &c."
The Muses, still with freedom found,
Shall to thy happy coast repair;
Bless'd isle! with matchless beauty crown'd,
And manly hearts to guard the fair.
"Rule, Britannia! Britannia rule the waves!
Britons never shall be slaves!"
--_James Thomson._
GOD SAVE THE KING!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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