Chorus.
1st Song.
Rejoice, O Britain!
Britain, O, rejoice!
The stormy cloud pass'd o'er,
And only made a noise.
A clattering sound was heard,
And still we felt no wound:
Rejoice, rejoice,
Thou happy Britons' ground.
O that sweet Plenides,
Eloquent Orone,
Were now to chant our victories
With a melodious tone;
And rousing echo from the dales,
With Harmony to sound:
Rejoice, rejoice,
Thou happy Britons' ground.
2d Song.
Gang, ye lads and lasses,
Sa wimble and sa wight:
Fewl mickle teen betide ye,
If ye ligg in this plight.
Be bonny, buxom, jolly,
Trip haydegues[325] belive;
And gif night gars the welkin merk,
Tom piper do you blive.
Hidder, eke and shidder,
With spic'd sew ycram'd;
Sa that unneath thilke borrels
May well ne yede, ne stand:
As leefe as life do weete it,
When timbarins giu sound;
Fore harvest gil prankt up in lathe,
To loute it low around.[326]
FOOTNOTES:
[301] [An allusion to a belief which is mentioned in many of our early plays. See Dyce's Middleton, iv. 495.]