The following song, written and set to music by me for the occasion, was sung by the late Mr. J. D. Humphreys, the well-known Toronto tenor, at the annual dinner held on the 24th April, 1845:—
THE ROSE OF ENGLAND.
The Rose, the Rose of England, The gallant and the free! Of all our flow'rs the fairest, The Rose, the Rose for me! Our good old English fashion What other flow'r can show? Its smiles of beauty greet its friends, Its thorns defy the foe! Chorus—The Rose, the Rose of England, The gallant and the free! Of all our flow'rs the fairest, The Rose, the Rose for me! Though proudly for the Thistle Each Scottish bosom swell, The Thistle hath no charms for me Like the Rose I love so well. And Erin's native Shamrock, In lonely wilds that grows, Its modest leaflet would not strive To vie with England's Rose. Chorus—The Rose, the Rose, etc. Yet Scotia's Thistle bravely Withstands the rudest blast, And Erin's cherished Shamrock Keeps verdant to the last; And long as British feeling In British bosoms glows, Right joyfully we'll honour them, As they will England's Rose. Chorus—The Rose, the Rose, etc.
Before closing my reminiscences of the St. George's Society, it may not be out of place to give some account of its legitimate congener, the North America St. George's Union. Englishmen in the United States, like those of Canada, have formed themselves into societies for the relief of their suffering brethren from the Fatherland, in all their principal cities. The necessity of frequent correspondence respecting cases of destitution, naturally led the officers of those societies to feel an interest in each other's welfare and system of relief, which at length gave rise to a desire for formal meeting and consultation, and that finally to the establishment of an organized association.
In 1876, the fourth annual convention of the St. George's Union was for the first time held in Canada, at the City of Hamilton; in 1878 at Guelph; in 1880 at Ottawa; and in August, 1883, at Toronto—the intervening meetings taking place at Philadelphia, Bridgeport and Washington, U. S., respectively.
To give an idea of what has been done, and of the spirit which actuates this great representative body of Englishmen, I avail myself of the opening speech of the President, our fellow-citizen and much esteemed friend, J. Herbert Mason, Esq., which was delivered at the City Hall here, on the 29th of August last. After welcoming the delegates from other cities, he went on to say:—
"Met together to promote objects purely beneficent, for which, in the interests of humanity, we claim the support of all good citizens, of whatever flag or origin, we may here give expression to our sentiments and opinions without reserve, and with confidence that they will be received with respect, even by those who may not be able to share in the glorious memories, and vastly more glorious anticipations, with which we, as Englishmen and the descendants of Englishmen, are animated.
"And in the term Englishmen, I wish to be understood as including all loyal Irishmen, Scotchmen, and Welshmen. There need be no division among men of British origin in regard to the objects we are banded together to promote.
"The city of Toronto is in some respects peculiarly suitable as a place for holding a convention of representative men of English blood. Its Indian name, Toronto, signifies a place of meeting. Ninety years ago its site was selected as that of the future capital of Upper Canada, by General Simcoe, a Devonshire man, distinguished both as a soldier and a statesman, who, in the following year, founded the city.