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Patriotic Song: A book of English verse, being an anthology of the patriotic poetry of the British Empire, from the defeat of the Spanish Armada till the death of Queen Victoria — John Shaqi

Patriotic Song: A book of English verse, being an anthology of the patriotic poetry of the British Empire, from the defeat of the Spanish Armada till the death of Queen Victoria

General

Patriotic Song: A book of English verse, being an anthology of the patriotic poetry of the British Empire, from the defeat of the Spanish Armada till the death of Queen Victoria

English poetry; Patriotic poetry, English

Where the remote Bermudas ride
  In the Ocean’s bosom unespied,
  From a small boat that rowed along
  The listening winds received this song.
    ‘What should we do but sing His praise
  That led us through the watery maze,
  Where He the huge sea-monsters wracks
  That lift the deep upon their backs,
  Unto an isle so long unknown,
  And yet far kinder than our own?
  He lands us on a grassy stage,
  Safe from the storms and prelates’ rage:
  He gave us this eternal spring
  Which here enamels everything,
  And sends the fowls to us in care
  On daily visits through the air.
  He hangs in shades the orange bright
  Like golden lamps in a green night,
  And does in the pomegranates close
  Jewels more rich than Ormus shows:
  He makes the figs our mouths to meet,
  And throws the melons at our feet;
  But apples plants of such a price,
  No tree could ever bear them twice.
  With cedars chosen by His hand
  From Lebanon He stores the land,
  And makes the hollow seas that roar
  Proclaim the ambergrease on shore.
  He cast (of which we rather boast)
  The Gospel’s pearl upon our coast,
  And in these rocks for us did frame
  A temple where to sound His name.
  O let our voice His praise exalt
  Till it arrive at Heaven’s vault,
  Which thence (perhaps) rebounding may
  Echo beyond the Mexique Bay!’
    Thus sang they in the English boat
  A holy and a cheerful note:
  And all the way, to guide their chime,
  With falling oars they kept the time.

                    _Andrew Marvell._




PARKER


XV

THE KING’S EXILE

  Let rogues and cheats prognosticate
  Concerning kings’ or kingdoms’ fate,
  I think myself to be as wise
  As he that gazeth on the skies,
      Whose sight goes beyond
      The depth of a pond
  Or rivers in the greatest rain;
      For I can tell
      All will be well,
  When the King enjoys his own again!

  Though for a time we see Whitehall
  With cobwebs hanging on the wall,
  Instead of gold and silver brave,
  Which formerly ’twas wont to have,
      With rich perfume
      In every room,
  Delightful to that princely train,--
      Yet the old again shall be
      When the happy time you see
  That the King enjoys his own again.

  Full forty years this royal crown
  Hath been his father’s and his own;
  And is there any one but he
  That in the same should sharer be?
      For who better may
      The sceptre sway
  Than he that hath such right to reign?
      Then let’s hope for a peace,
      For the wars will not cease
  Till the King enjoys his own again.

                    _Martin Parker._




ANONYMOUS


XVI

HERE’S A HEALTH

  Here’s a health unto His Majesty,
    _With a fa, la, la, la, la, la, la!_
  Confusion to his enemies,
    _With a fa, la, la, la, la, la, la!_
  And he that will not drink his health,
  I wish him neither wit nor wealth,
  Nor yet a rope to hang himself,
    _With a fa, la, la, la, la, la, la!_

                    _Anonymous._




DRYDEN


XVII

A SONG OF KING ARTHUR

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Patriotic Song: A book of English verse, being an anthology of the patriotic poetry of the British Empire, from the defeat of the Spanish Armada till the death of Queen Victoria

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