When thickest darkness covers all,

Far on the trackless ocean;

When lightnings dart, when thunders roll,
And all in wild commotion,

When o'er the bark the white topt waves,
With boist'rous sweep, and rolling,

Yet coolly still the whole he braves,
Untam'd amidst the bowling.

Then O protect, &c.

When deep immers'd in sulph'rous smoke,
He seeks a glowing pleasure,

He loads his gun, he cracks his joke,
Elated beyond measure;

Tho' fore and aft the blood-stain'd deck,
Should lifeless trunks appear,

Or should the vessel float a wreck,
The sailor knows no fear.

Then O protect, &c.

When long becalm'd on southern brine,
Where scorching beams assail him,
When all the canvass hangs supine,
And food and water fail him;
Then oft he dreams of Britain's shore,
Where plenty still is reigning,

They call the watch. his rapture's o'er,
He sighs, but scorns complaining
Then O protect, &c.

Or burning on that noxious coast,
Where death so oft befriends him,

Or pinch'd by hoary Greenland frost,
True courage still attends him.

No time can this eradicate,

He glories in annoyance;

He fearless braves the storm of fate,

And bids grim death defiance.

Then O protect, &c.

Why should the man who knows no fear,

In peace be e'er neglected;

Behold him move along the pier,

Pale, meagre, and dejected.

Behold him begging for employ,
Behold him disregarded;

Then view the anguish of his eye,
And say, are tars regarded?

Then O protect, &c.

To them your dearest rights you owe,
In peace then would you starve them?
What say ye Britain's sons? Oh, no!
Protect them and preserve them.
Shield them from poverty and pain,
'Tis policy to do it;

Or, when war shall come again,

O Britons ye may rue it.

Then O protect, &c.

A WET SHEET AND A FLOWING SEA. ALLAN CUNNINGHAM.

A WET sheet and a flowing sea,

A wind that follows fast,

And fills the white and rustling sail,
And bends the gallant mast.

And bends the gallant mast, my boys,
While like the eagle free,

Away the good ship flies, and leaves
Old England on the lee.

O, for a soft and gentle wind!
I heard a fair one cry;

But give to me the swelling breeze,
And white waves heaving high.
The white waves heaving high, my lads,
The good ship tight and free,-
The world of waters is our home,
And merry men are we.

There's tempest in yon horned moon,

And lightning in yon cloud;

And hark, the music, mariners!
The wind is wakening loud.
The wind is wakening loud, my boys,

The lightning flashes free,

The hollow oak our palace is,
Our heritage the sea.

PATRIOTIC AND MILITARY SONGS. NGLISH Literature possesses but two Patriotic songs which can be considered pre-eminently National, the anthems of "God save the Queen," and "Rule Britannia." Neither of these, as a poetical composition, is of the highest order of merit,

and both of them owe their great popularity almost entirely to the beautiful music with which their indifferent poetry has been associated. As regards our patriotic songs in general, the English people have so long been accustomed to attribute to the naval service the chief glory and defence of the country, that the sea songs have become with the two great exceptions named, more patriotic in their character than the songs which celebrate the deeds of the military. The Battle of

Waterloo has not produced a song which can be compared with those splendid lyrics, the "Battle of the Baltic," and "Ye Mariners of England." Indeed, it would appear that however popular the "red coats" may be among the ladies of the land, they are not by any means so popular as the "blue" among the poets and the musicians. The dangers and the glories, the hardships and the rewards, the grief and the joy of soldiers, have found echoes comparatively faint in the hearts of the people. Even the patriotic song of "Rule Britannia" included in this series, partakes more of the character of a naval than of a military anthem.

FROM MERCILESS INVADERS.

FROM merciless invaders,

From wicked men's device,
O GOD! arise and help us,
To quell our enemies:

Sink deep their potent navies,

Their strength and courage break,
O GOD! arise and save us,
For Jesus Christ his sake.

Though cruel Spain and Parma,
With heathen legions come,
O GOD! arise and arm us,
We'll die for our home;
We will not change our credo,
For Pope, nor book, nor bell,
And if the devil come himself,
We'll hound him back to hell.

"This," says Mr. Chappell, in a note in his collection of National English Airs, "is a sort of hymn, which appears to have been written at the time of the threatened invasion of the Spanish Armada, and is here given from a manuscript in the possession of R. Pearsall, Esq., bearing the date of 1588. The mixture of devotion and defiance in the words, forms a curious sample of the spirit of the times."

Mr. Pearsall, the proprietor of the manuscript, in a note communicated to Mr. Chappell, says "The original MS. came into my possession with some family papers, derived from my father's maternal grandfather, John Still, who was the great grandson of John Still, Bishop of Bath and Wells in the time of Elizabeth," (author of Gammer Gurton's Needle,' and the song of Jolly Good Ale, and Old.') "He was," adds Mr. Pearsall," a very distinguished amateur of music; and I feel confident that both the music and the words are the bishop's own composition. The MS, is headed thus:"A hymne to be sung by all Englande;-Women, Youthes, Clarkes, and Souldiers.Made by J. S."

GOD SAVE THE KING.
GOD save our gracious King,
Long live our noble King,
GOD save the King.

Send him victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us,
GOD save the King.

O Lord our GoD, arise,
Scatter his enemies,

And make them fall;

Confound their politics,

Frustrate their knavish tricks,
On him our hopes we fix,
GOD save us all.

Thy choicest gifts in store,
On him be pleased to pour,
Long may he reign.
May he defend our laws,

And ever give us cause

To sing with heart and voice

GOD save the King.

་

The national song of God Save the King [may it long continue to be sung as now, GOD save the QUEEN]-is generally believed to have been composed by Dr. John Bull for King James the First, A.D, 1667. The authorship both of the words and music has long been a matter of dispute, and has excited almost as much controversy as the authorship of the letters of Junius. Mr. Chappell, in the notes to his collection of Old English Airs, states that “about the year 1796, George Saville Carey asserted his father's claim to the authorship of this song, and made a journey to Windsor in the hope of obtaining some pecuniary recompense from the King. His claim was acquiesced in by Archdeacon Coxe, in his anecdotes of J. C. Smith, Handel's amanuensis; and by Mr. S. Jones, in his Biographia Dramatica.' It was by no means G. S. Carey's wish, though he claimed the authorship for his father, to prove also that it was first written for King James, as that would have defeated his hopes of reward; and probably his concealment of that fact tended more than any thing else to throw a suspicion upon his statement. It was immediately proved, upon concurrent testimonies, to have been sung GoD save great James, our King,' and from that time we may date the endless discussions and assertions on the subject. Although it is impossible to prove at this distance of time that Harry Carey was actually the author and composer of the National Anthem, yet, there being not a shadow of proof of any other claim, his having the direct and positive attestations of J. C. Smith and Dr. Harrington, coupled with the strong internal evidence in both words and music leave little doubt on the subject. Add to this, that the accounts of Dr. Burney and Dr. Cooke, of its having been sung 'GOD save great James,' are clearly reconcilable with its being his production; that all attempts to prove a copy before Carey's time have failed; moreover, it is admitted that he sang it in public (announcing it as his own production) five years before the first publication; and his not claiming it when it attained its great popularity in 1745, being explained by his having put an end to his existence three years before, at the advanced age of eighty, and leaving his son an infant."