God bless her Majesty, In this her Jubilee, Long may she reign! May she be near to us, Ever more dear to us, Oftener appear to us, God save the Queen! _Truth._ February 17, 1887. ―――― AN IMPROVED “NATIONAL ANTHEM.” At the opening of the People’s Park, Manchester, by Prince Albert, a greatly improved “National Anthem” was sung, it would make an excellent substitute for the objectionable old version. As an improved “National Anthem,” perhaps there is none more worthy than the following, by Mr. W. E. Hickson, and its adoption would be an excellent Jubilee memento:―― God bless our native land, May heaven’s protecting hand Still guard our shore; May peace her power extend, Foe be transformed to friend, And Britain’s power depend On war no more. Thro’ every changing scene O Lord preserve our Queen, Well may she reign. Her heart inspire and move With wisdom from above, And in the nation’s love Her throne maintain. May just and prudent laws Uphold the public cause, And bless our Isle; Home of the brave and free, The land of liberty, We pray that still on thee Kind heaven may smile. And not this land alone, But be Thy mercies known From shore to shore. Let all the nations see That men should brothers be, And form one family The wide world o’er. [Illustration] THE SONGS OF Mr. W. S. GILBERT. Although Mr. W. S. Gilbert has long been before the public as a dramatist and humorous author, his chief title to fame rests upon the long series of successful comic operas produced either at the Opera Comique, or the Savoy Theatre. In all of these the quaint fancies and humorous dialogues of Mr. Gilbert, were supplemented by the brilliant and tuneful music of Sir Arthur Sullivan. Their creations, placed upon the stage with attention to every detail, and interpreted by a powerful company, have, for the last ten years, been the chief theatrical attraction, of a lighter sort, in the metropolis. The following is a list of these operas, with parodies of some of the favourite songs contained in them:―― _Thespis_; or, The Gods grown old. _Trial by Jury._ A novel and original dramatic Cantata. Opera Comique Theatre. 1876. _The Sorcerer._ A modern Comic opera 1877. It was in this opera that the inimitable actor, Mr. George Grossmith, made his first appearance on the stage in the part of “_John Wellington Wells, a dealer in magic and spells_.” _H.M.S. Pinafore_; or, The Lass that loved a Sailor. An entirely original Nautical Comic opera. Opera Comique Theatre. May 25, 1878.