The first time that the song or anthem of “God save the King” was made known generally to the public was at the end of the month of September, 1745 after the young Pretender’s forces had beaten Sir John Cope, and Prince Charles himself had made his triumphant entry into Holyrood Palace. “On Saturday night,” says the _Daily Advertiser_ of September 30th, 1745, “the audience at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane were agreeably surprised by the gentlemen belonging to that house performing the anthem of ‘God save our noble King.’” Another paper, the _General Advertiser_, of October 2nd, said――“At the Theatre in Goodman’s Fields, by desire, ‘God save the King,’ as it was performed at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, was sung with great applause.” That the song was a novelty is proved not only by these records, but by a letter from Benjamin Victor to David Garrick, bearing date October, 1745. The writer says――“The stage at both houses is the most pious as well as the most loyal place in the three kingdoms. Twenty men appear at the end of every play, and one stepping forward from the rest, with uplifted hands and eyes, begins singing to an _old anthem tune_ the following words:―― ‘Oh, Lord our God, arise, Confound the enemies Of George our King; Send him victorious, Happy and glorious, Long to reign over us God save the King. He adds, “These are the very words and music of an old anthem that was sung at St James’s Chapel for King James II., when the Prince of Orange landed to deliver us from Popery and Slavery, which God Almighty, in his goodness, was pleased not to grant.” From that time _God save the King_ became the recognised official and loyal song, or anthem, but it is, of course, incorrect to style it the _National Anthem_, in the sense that _Rule Britannia is National_, as it is simply a prayer for the Royal Family. Richard Brinsley Sheridan wrote an impromptu verse, which was sung at Drury Lane Theatre, in 1800, on the night when Hatfield fired from the pit of that theatre at George III. It is scarcely necessary to observe that Sheridan’s verse, _as poetry_, is immeasurably superior to the older portion of the anthem:―― “From every latent foe, From the assassin’s blow, God save the King! O’er him thine arm extend, For Britain’s sake defend Our father, prince and friend―― God save the King!” ―――― In 1795 _The Gentleman’s Magazine_ published the following Latin version:―― “DOMINE, SALVUM FAC REGEM. O vivas, omnibus, Salvus ab hostibus, GEORGI, O REX! Tibi victoriam Deus, et Gloriam Det, et memoriam Optime rex. Hostes, O Domine Ut cadant omine Horrido, da; Praebe, cœlicolens, Deus omnipotens! Atque omnisciens, Auxilia.