She soothes the breaking heart,
She comforts in distress;
She acts true woman’s noblest part.
God save our dear Princess
She bringeth hope to weary lives
So worn by hopeless toil;
E’en Sorrow’s drooping form revives
Beneath her loving smile.
Where helpless Age reluctant seeks
Its refuge from distress,
E’en there Her name the prayer bespeaks
God save our dear Princess!
It’s not in rank or princely show
True Manhood’s heart to win;
’Tis Love’s sweet sympathetic glow
That makes all hearts akin.
Though frequent storms the State must stir
While Freedom we possess,
Our hearts may all beat true to Her,
Our own beloved Princess.
The violet gives its sweet perfume
Unconscious of its worth;
So Love unfolds her sacred bloom
And hallows sinful earth;
May God her gentle life prolong
And all her pathway bless;
Be this the nation’s fervent song—
God save our dear Princess!
Although the language of a song may not always be intelligible to the unlettered hearer, the spirit and sentiment are; especially when it appeals to the emotions through the charms of music. The sergeant had a musical voice capable of deep pathos; and as the note of a bird or the cry of an animal in distress is always distinguishable from every other sound, so the pathos of poetry finds its way where its words are not always accurately understood. It was very observable, and much I thought to the sergeant’s great power as a singer, that the first chorus was sung with a tone which seemed to imply that the audience was feeling its way:
the second was given with more enthusiasm and vehemence: the third was thumped upon the table as though a drum were required to give full effect to the feelings of the company; while the fourth was shouted with such heartiness that mere singing seemed useless, and it developed into loud hurrahs, repeated again and again; and emphasized by the twirling of hats, the clapping of hands, and stamping of feet.
“What d’ye think o’ that?” says the Boardman.
“I’m on,” said Lazyman; “give me the shilling, sergeant, if you please?”
“So’m I,” said Saunter.
“Hooroar!” shouted the stentorian voice that had erstwhile charmed the audience with Brimstone’s sermon.