HAIL! MASONRY DIVINE.

HAIL! Masonry divine
Glory of ages shine,

Long may'st thou hold;
Where'er thy lodges stand
May they have great command,
And always grace the land:
Thou Art divine.

Great fabrics still arise,
And touch the azure skies,
Great are thy schemes;

Thy noble orders are
Matchless beyond compare,
No art with thee can share,
Thou art divine.

Hiram, the architect,
Did all the craft direct

How they should build ;
Solomon, great Israel's King,
Did mighty blessings bring,
And left us room to sing,
Hail! Royal Art.

From The Universal Songster.

GOD SAVE THE RIGHTS OF MAN.

GOD save the Rights of Man, Give him a heart to scan

Blessings so dear: Let them be spread around, Where ever man is found, And with the welcome sound Ravish his ear.

See, from the universe,
Darkness and clouds disperse;
Mankind awake;

Reason and Truth appear,
Freedom advances near,
Monarchs with terror hear;
See how they quake!

O'er the Germanic Powers
Loud indignation showers,
Ready to fall.

Let the rude savage host,
In their long numbers boast,
Freedom's Almighty trust,
Laughs at them all.

Let us with Spain agree,
And bid the world be free,
Leading the way:

Let tyrants all conspire,
Fearless of sword and fire,
Freedom shall ne'er retire,
Freedom shall sway.

Fame let thy trumpet sound,
Tell all the world around,

Tell each degree;

Tell ribbons, crowns, and stars,
Kings, traitors, troops, and wars,
Holy Leagues, plots, and jars,
Spaniards are free.

God save the Rights of Man,
Give him a heart to scan
Blessings so dear:

Let them be spread around, Wherever man is found,

And with the welcome sound Ravish his ear.

From The Wreath of Freedom, or Patriot's Song Book. (J. Marshall, Newcastle. 1820.)

SAVE YOURSELVES.

IN 1871, Mr. Gladstone addressed a large meeting of the electors of Greenwich on Blackheath. In the course of his speech he referred to the number of reforms that had been carried out during his political career; but, he added, that whilst much remained to be done, we must not flatter ourselves that all the evils of humanity could be cured by legislation. He then quoted the first verse of the following parody, stating that he had met with it in a "questionable book. The "questionable book" was The Secularist's Manual of Songs and Ceremonies. Edited by Austin Holyoake and Charles Watts, with a Preface by Charles Bradlaugh. There was a loud outcry against Mr. Gladstone for quoting from such a source.

"

PEOPLE throughout the land,
Join in one social band,
And save yourselves;

If you would happy be,
Free from all slavery,
Banish all knavery,

And save yourselves.

Why will you always toil,
While others share the spoil?
Work for yourselves!

Let them who live so high
Work for themselves, or try,
Tell them 'tis time to try

To keep themselves.
Parsons and peers may preach,
And endless falsehoods teach,
Think for yourselves;
Then let your watchword be
"Justice and Liberty "-
And toil unwearedly

To save yourselves.

GOD save the People's Friend! May he our cause defend!

Trusted and brave.

Lengthen his span of years,
Deepen the tyrants fears,
Until the right appears,

Gladstone still save!

God save the noble band
Who long have led the van
Of Freedom's host!

May faith and courage be
Watchwords of Liberty!
Until the goal we see,

Each to his post!

Gladstone, the People's Friend! Our aid we gladly lend

Thy work to do:

Yielding no inch of ground
He will his foes confound,

So shall our cause abound

Liberty true.

From Songs for Liberal Electors. Manchester. A. Heywood and Sons, 1885.

May peace her power extend, Foe be transformed to friend, And Britain's power depend On war no more.

Thro' every changing scene
O Lord preserve our Queen,
Well may she reign.
Her heart inspire and move
With wisdom from above,
And in the nation's love

Her throne maintain.

May just and prudent laws Uphold the public cause,

And bless our Isle ; Home of the brave and free, The land of liberty, We pray that still on thee Kind heaven may smile.

And not this land alone,
But be Thy mercies known
From shore to shore.
Let all the nations see

That men should brothers be,
And form one family

The wide world o'er.

Thespis; or, The Gods grown old.

Trial by Jury. A novel and original dramatic Cantata. Opera Comique Theatre. 1876.

The Sorcerer. A modern Comic opera 1877. It was in this opera that the inimitable actor, Mr. George Grossmith, made his first appearance on the stage in the part of "John Wellington Wells, a dealer in magic and spells.'

H.M.S. Pinafore; or, The Lass that loved a Sailor. An entirely original Nautical Comic opera. Opera Comique Theatre. May 25, 1878.

The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty. An original Melo-Dramatic opera. Opera Comique Theatre. 1880. An Esthetic opera.

Patience; or, Bunthorne's Bride.

Opera Comique Theatre. April 23, 1881.

Iolanthe; or, The Peer and the Peri. An entirely original Fairy opera. Savoy Theatre. November 25, 1882.

Princess Ida; or, Castle Adamant.

January 5, 1884.

The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu. nal Japanese opera. Savoy Theatre.

Savoy Theatre

An entirely origiMarch 14, 1885.

Ruddygore; or, The Witch's Curse. An entirely original Supernatural opera. (The leading word in the title was afterwards altered to Ruddigore.) Savoy Theatre. January 22, 1887.

:0:

THE SONGS OF

Mr. W. S. GILBERT.

Although Mr. W. S. Gilbert has long been before the public as a dramatist and humorous author, his chief title to fame rests upon the long series of successful comic operas produced either at the Opera Comique, or the Savoy Theatre. In all of these the quaint fancies and humorous dialogues of Mr. Gilbert, were supplemented by the brilliant and tuneful music of Sir Arthur Sullivan. Their creations, placed upon the stage with attention to every detail, and interpreted by a powerful company, have, for the last ten years, been the chief theatrical attraction, of a lighter sort, in the metropolis. The following is a list of these operas, with

The rich attorney was good as his word;
The briefs came trooping gaily,
And every day my voice was heard

At the Sessions or Ancient Bailey.
All thieves who could my fees afford
Relied on my orations,
And many a burglar I've restored,

To his friends and his relations.

Chorus. And many a burglar, &c.

At length I became as rich as the Gurneys-
An incubus then I thought her,

So I threw over that rich attorney's

Elderly, ugly daughter.

The rich attorney my character high,
Tried vainly to disparage-

And now, if you please, I'm ready to try
This Breach of Promise of Marriage!

Chorus. And now, if you please, &c.

W. S. GILBert,

BREACH OF PROMISE OF MARRIAGE.

'Mr. Herschel's motion for the abolition of actions for breach of promise of marriage, excepting where actual pecuniary loss had been incurred, was carried in the House of Commons by a substantial majority. He thus addresses an aspiring youth of the Temple :

WHEN you, my friend, are called to the Bar,
Your wit may be fresh and hearty;

You may be, as many young barristers are,

A somewhat jocular party.

But you won't, in the course of your legal journeys,

Be required to cross the water

To plead, as advised by 'cute attorneys,

For somebody's jilted daughter.

A 'cute attorney jumps with joy

When he hears a maid's confession,

And chuckles to think how he'll bully the boy,

In revenge for his retrogression.

"You'll get big damages, sure," he'll say,

And cautiously remind her

·:0:

H.M.S. PINAFORE.

THE MAHDI OF MID-LOTHIAN. (The Mahdi and Chorus of Radicals.)

The Mahdi-I am the Mahdi of Mid-Lothian.
Chorus- And a very queer Mahdi too.

The Mahdi-You are very, very rude;
And I'd have it understood

All

I am the captain of this Home Rule Corps ! And a right good captain too!

You're a very mix'd lot,

Some are cold, some are hot,

But you're safe “

"pretty far

We're a very mix'd lot,

Some are cold, some are hot,

But we're safe "pretty far" to go.

Captain- I care for no Whig mutineer,
For "three courses" I can steer,
Bold pilot in extremity,

AllCaptain

All

I've never miss'd my mark,
With Tory, Turk, or Bismarck.
Nor lost the Lib'ral ship at sea!
What, never?

No, never! What, NEVER?

All

All

Captain

All

Captain

HARDLY ever!

Hardly ever does it with a big, big D

Then give three cheers and one cheer more

For the well-bred captain of the Home Rule Corps.

For he is the captain of this Home Rule Corps ;
And a right good captain too!

I've had many a sore fall,
Ere made captain of you all,

But you're a promising crew!

He's had many a sore fall,
Ere made captain of us all,

And we're a promising crew.

I'll hit upon a plan,

To please the Parnell clan,

Yet keep united Nations Three;
They'll play Parli'ment for diversion,
Ne'er bother 'bout coercion

Nor brick-bat Constabul❜ry!

LORD BEACONSFIELD'S SONG.

WHEN I was a lad I served a term

As clerk to a decent attorney's firm;

But the trammels of the office were so vile a bore,
That I longed to be stepping from the big front-door!
I slipped through that portal so readilee,
That now I am a noble and, to boot, K.G.!

As novel-writer I made such a mark,
That a Seat was discovered for the lawyer's clerk;
Then I sneered and flouted with a smile so bland,
Till at last I had the Tories in my own right hand!
I chaffed my opponents in a style so free,
That now I am a noble, and a big K.G.!
By "slanging" Liberals I made such a name,
That a full-blown Premier I soon became ;
With a "brute majority" to dance to my flute,
I made an Indian Empress, and an Earl to boot!
And that smart, Imperial juggle did so well for me,
That now I am a noble and, you know, K.G.!

I grew so trusted that I was sent

To the Congress, Britain for to represent.

I cut up Turkey and insulted Greece;

But you know I collared Cyprus, and I "brought back peace."

For a "peace with honour" they rewarded me
By making of a nobleman a brave K. G. !

Now, statesmen all, whoever you may be,
If you're wishful to emulate this "big, big D.,"

If your souls are not fettered to the Lower House,

Be careful to be guided by the rule of nous :

Stick close to the Crown, and never chop down trees,

And you all may be noblemen, and all K. G.'s.

Funny Folks. September 7, 1878.

GIANT LANDlord.

I'M the curse of my country, the terror of all,
Especially those who are feeble and small;
I'm a grabber of land, and the people know me
As a big-acred Landlord and J. of the P.

Yes, I am a J. of the big, big P.,

And a very funny J. I'm too ;

For I never, never saw any practice
And I never know what to do.

in the law,

But the clerk to whom I look, finds the law out in a book,

PRESIDENT GARFIELD.

WHEN he was a lad he served a term
On a big canal with a boatman's firm:
With a heart so free, and a will so strong,
On the towpath drove two mules along;
And he drove those mules so carefullee
He's a candidate now for the Presidencee,