The Washington herald., 1910-10-16
) FAMOUS SONGS
AND THEIR HISTORY
Rule, Britannia y
JAMES THOMSON.


HOMSON.
The naughty tyrants n'er shall tame
All their attempts to bend thee
down
VIII but arouse thy generous fame.
But work their woe, and thy re
nown
Rule. Britannia, rule the waves
Britons never will be slaves.
To thee belongs the rural reign.
Thy cities shall with commerce
shine:
All thine shall be the subject main.
And every shore II circles. thine.
Rule. Britannia, rule the waves;
Britons never will be slaves.
The MUSES.. still with freedom found.
Shall 10 thy happy coast repair;
Blest isle, with matchless beauty
crown'd.
And manly hearts 20 guard the
fair
Rule. Britannia. rule the waves:
Rritons never viii be slaves.
Bolingbroke 20 mutllate the poem,
by substituting three stanzas OF
his own for the fourth NTH. and
sixth OF the original
During Mallets lifetime. the
words were printed in the second
edition of a weIl-known song book.
The Charmer." In Edinburgh. with
the initials OF James Thomson. and
on the whole there IS the strongest
kind OF evidence in favor OF Thorn
son as the author. Another thing
10 be noted is that Rule. Britain
MIA was FIRST published by Henry
Waylett as an appendix. with an
otRer song, TO Arne's music in the
Judgment OF Paris" The copy
right privilege Is dated January %,
1910
Rev Rowland Hin, the distin-
guished English divine. wrote a per
version or religious parody OF the
song which was sung as a hymn IN
his Surrey Chapel at the beginning
Of the nineteenth century Bee
thoven wrote four variations for the
piano upon the air, and besides num-
berless references 70 Il in occasional
compositions OF all sorts. mention
may be made Of Wagner's overture
upon it, which was written al Kon-
issberg In 1886.
In letter to the public which
was inserted in the London General
Advertiser Of Tuesday. February %.
1851. Arne noted the following:
TO THE PUBLiCK
AS Mr. Arne originally composed
the nusicN in the Masque Of Al
fred and the town may probably.
on that account, imagine the musick
as now performed TO be all his pro-
duction, he is advised by his friends
TO inform the publick that but two
OF his songs are IN that perform
auce, Wis, the first song beginning.
20 peace thou fairest child Of
heav'n, and the ode In honour OF
Great Britain, beginning. When
Britain first at heavens command.
with the chorus. Rule Britannia.
rule the waves &c. which songs
ne submitted to be mixed with the
productions Of the others 10 obuge
the author Of the poem.
THO. AUG. ARNE."
Arne went 10 Ireland In 1742 and
gave miscellaneous concerts there
with his sister. Mrs. Cibber.
In a description OF the first per
Torrance Of the 'Masque OF Alfred"
in London. at Drura Lane. the arti-
Gle OF five columns finished with
these words
And the Masque ends with
prospect OF the ocean and sailors
landing, one Of which sings a song,
the chorus Of which is:
Rule. Britannia, rule the waves.
Britons never will be slaves 70
II is to be observed by this that
the reviewer Of the London maya
zine in 1851, which persons were
generally we'll informed. apparent
~ speaks Of "Rule, Britannia" as
thing perfectly new 20 him. In fact.
Rule. Britannia" however ''cele-
brated' in 1745. does not appear
printed with authentic date before
1851. in any of the collections of
musical miscellanies. which are full
Of productions of Arne: for. besides
his greater works. ne composed
numberless songs. airs, and dla-
logues The celebrated ode is not
even in the first publication of al
fred" by Walsh, which is not an
terror TO 1856.
ATne has been accused OF having
adopted the music of Rule. Britain
MIA by various investigators. Mr.
Schoelcher claims that the first bar
and the beginning of the second
are TO be found in Handers saul"
and that the music Of the entire
chorus is from HandeTs opera.
"Giustlno.' performed in 1897 Arne's
admirers, in his defense. claim that
while the first bar is the same as
Handlers Saul" they also claim
that the bar is the same as in Gal
liard's "Neeromancer. which was
produced in 1928, and assert, by rea-
son Of this, that there is not sum
Client grounds for charge OF plag-
iarism