Victoria Regina
(June 21st, 1897*)
A thousand years by sea and land
Our race hath served the island kings,
But not by custom’s dull command
To-day with song her Empire rings:
Not all the glories of her birth,
Her armed renown and ancient throne,
Could make her less the child of earth
Or give her hopes beyond our own:
But stayed on faith more sternly proved
And pride than ours more pure and deep,
She loves the land our fathers loved
And keeps the fame our sons shall keep.
* These lines, with music by Dr. Lloyd, formed part of the Cycle of Song offered to Queen Victoria, of blessed and glorious memory, in celebration of her second Jubilee.
The King Of England
(June 24th, 1902)
In that eclipse of noon when joy was hushed
Like the bird’s song beneath unnatural
night,
And Terror’s footfall in the darkness crushed
The rose imperial of our delight,
Then, even then, though no man cried “He comes,”
And no man turned to greet him passing
there,
With phantom heralds challenging
renown
And silent-throbbing drums
I saw the King of England, hale and fair,
Ride out with a great train through
London town.
Unarmed he rode, but in his ruddy shield
The lions bore the dint of many a lance,
And up and down his mantle’s azure field
Were strewn the lilies plucked in famous
France.
Before him went with banner floating wide
The yeoman breed that served his honour
best,
And mixed with these his knights
of noble blood;
But in the place of pride
His admirals in billowy lines abreast
Convoyed him close like galleons
on the flood.
Full of a strength unbroken showed his face
And his brow calm with youth’s unclouded
dawn,
But round his lips were lines of tenderer grace
Such as no hand but Time’s hath
ever drawn.
Surely he knew his glory had no part
In dull decay, nor unto Death must bend,
Yet surely too of lengthening shadows
dreamed
With sunset in his heart,
So brief his beauty now, so near the end,
And now so old and so immortal seemed.
O King among the living, these shall hail
Sons of thy dust that shall inherit thee:
O King of men that die, though we must fail
Thy life is breathed from thy triumphant
sea.
O man that servest men by right of birth,
Our hearts’ content thy heart shall
also keep,
Thou too with us shalt one day lay
thee down
In our dear native earth,
Full sure the King of England, while we
sleep,
For ever rides abroad, through London
town.