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transpired; yet I must beg that my readers will give me leave to introduce a few lines on this subject.

In spite of all literary cavil and conjectural assertions, there has not yet appeared one identity to invalidate the truth of my father's being the author of the above important song; some have given the music to Handel, others to Purcell; some have signified that it was produced in the time of Charles I. others in James I. and some in their slumbers have dreamed that it made its appearance in the reign of Henry VIII. it might as well have been carried still further back, to the wicked reign of Saul, or the wiser one of song-singing Solomon, the son of the psalm-singing David.

I have heard the late Mr. Pearce Galliard, an able Counsellor in the law, and a colleague of my father's, who died some years ago at Southampton, assert, time after time, that my father was the author of God save the King; that it was produced in the year forty-five and six; another friend presented it to me in its original state, bound up with a collection of songs for two and three voices, set to music by Mr. Handel, Dr. Blow, Mr. Leveridge, Dr. Greene, Mr. Eccles, Mr. Lampe, Daniel Purcell, Mr. Corfe, and Henry Carey; printed in the year 1750, for John Johnson, opposite Bow-Church, in Cheapside; it precedes another song of my father's, beginning with

"He comes, he comes, the Hero comes,

"Sound, sound your trumpets, beat your drums," &c.

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But, for the satisfaction of my readers, I will insert the song of God save Great George our King as it is printed in the original text, where it is called a song for two voices, and runs thus:

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Every one who has read the history of the Scotch rebellion, in 1745, will remember that MARSHAL WADE was a commander of great and eminent ability, employed by our government to repel the factious spirit of the Caledonians

Caledonians who were hostile to this country at that time, and invaded many of the northern parts of this island.

The following letter of the ingenious Dr. Harington, of Bath, strongly corroborates the authenticity of my father's being the author of the song in question: hearing that he was in possession of this piece of information, I entreated him to make it known to me, which he politely and readily acquiesced in, saying,

SIR,

The anecdote you mention, respecting your father being the author and composer of the words and melody of "God save Great George our King" is certainly true; that most respectable gentleman Mr. Smith,

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