Court Odes: All hail! Thou happy land


 Selected item (#2075) = All hail! Thou happy land
 Attributes of this item 
incipit (first line(s), normalized): All hail! Thou happy land
version (if more than one exists):
the item's genre (general): ode
the item's genre (specific): Birthday, George I
the institution/place or purpose 
for which the work was first destined:
Dublin court
the work's year (or focal date, if known): 1716
author of the text: [poet unknown]
composer of the music: Johann Sigismund Cousser
Number of texts stored: 1  
  • Selected text (below): #172 / Source: GB-Ob, Vet. A4 e.760 (4).
 Selected text (#172) / Source: GB-Ob, Vet. A4 e.760 (4).  
 Attributes of the selected text 
source for this text
(short title, or library & shelfmark):
GB-Ob, Vet. A4 e.760 (4).
location in the source?
(i.e. which vol., pp. or fols):
type of source:
the source online (if available):
modern edition of this text:
special title (if any):
version (if more than one exists):
about this transcription:
Transcription:          
   File options:

A / Serenata Theatrale, / To be Represented / On the BIRTH-DAY / Of His most Serene Majesty / GEORGE / By the Grace of GOD / King of Great-Britain, &c. / AT THE / Castle of Dublin the 28th of May, 1716

PERSONS. / Jupiter / Britannia. / Apollo. / Astrea.

A / SERENATA / JUPITER
Sitting on an Imperial Throne ; holding in his Rig[ht]
hand, Thunder, attended by the Eagle and Ganime[?]
BRITANNIA

Plac’d on a Royal Throne, encompass’d by Nerei[?]
and Flood-Nymphs.
APOLLO
Leading the Nine Muses ; and holding in his Ha[nd]
a golden Lyre.
ASTREA
Blindfold, holding in her Right-hand a naked Swor[d]
and in her Left an even Ballance.

CHORUS
ALL Hail! All Hail! Thou happy Land,
Where Pious
BRUNSWICK shall Command ;
With Joy exalt, with Arms extended,
Receive this Pledge of mighty
JOVE,
A Prince, to Bless Thee recommended
By those high Pow’rs that Rule above.

Jup. KINGS are as Gods, on Earth! The Appella[?]
Is justly due to those, they represent me.
With Awe the Subject Nations
As such, shou’d Them revere, Avoid their Anger [?]
With no less anxious Caution,
Than they declare the Flashes of my Lightning,
When they’re endued with Virtues,
They ought especially to imitate them ;
Repay their Royal Cares with warm Affection ;
And merit, by your Duty, their Protection.

BRITONS, tho’ in Freedom Born ;
Yet your Kings ye ought to Obey ;
Pow’rs ethereal do not Scorn,
Due Devoirs to
JOVE to pay.
Pious
GEORGE will o’er ye Reign,
By those Laws yourselves Ordain :
In HIM, and his Race Rejoyce,
Both your Own, and Heavens Choice.

Britan. How oft I’ve been the sport of wanton Fortune,
Embroil’d by Civil Feuds, Invasions. Traytors,
That strove to rob me of my Native Freedom ;
For which my noble Sons so bravely struggled!
No! Floating Delos never
Was more disturb’d by roving Winds and Surges,
That on Her winding Shores their Fury wasted.
But now, as she, I’m fix’d, such Meaures taken,
The Basis of my Empire
By such Attempts, shall never more be shaken.

Plodding Traytors, Undermining,
With the Nations Combining,
Bafled,
See your Projects render’d vain ;
Wretches,
Bribes of Gold have not avail’d ye
Foreign Efforts all have fail’d ye ;
Fraught with Villany, designing
To Obstruct Great
BRUNSWICK’S Reign.

Apollo. Presumptuous Politicians!
To vary from unerring Rules of Wisdom
For private Intr’est, to enslave your Bretheren.
In Brunswick’s Godlike HERO
In justice Train’d, and Form’d by true Religion,
Your LAWS, your LIBERTIES, your CONSTITUTION
Are all secure. ’Twou’d be Infatuation
To Crown a Man, that wou’d Destroy your Nation.

British Realms, ye’d been subjected,
Blindy le’d, to be Enslav’d ;
Had I not those Schemes detected.
Other means cou’d not have sav’d.

Astrea. From Earth I’ve oft been Banish’d,
Yet I’ve return’d as often
As disabused Nations wou’d receive me
When their Supreme the World acknowledg’d Saturn.
I never more was cherish’d
Than lately in those Regions,
Where HAPPY GEORGE a willing People Govern’d.
Now, since the Gods bestow on HIM an Empire,
Large, as his Soul, and o’er the Bravest Nation,
I’m sure of His Protection,
Nor doubt I there, to meet a kind Reception.

Queen of Isles, I’ll happy make thee,
If this Guest thou’lt Entertain ;
If thou’lt never more forsake me,
I’ll restore Thee
To thy Glory,
And wipe off thy former Stain.

CHORUS

Thro’ the happy British Nations
All in Raptures now resemble :
Those harmonious Acclamations,
Where the Gods at Banquet meet.
Sing the
BRITONS matchless Bravr’y,
Whence their Happiness deriveth ;

BRITONS always Foes to Slavr’y,
Will their Native freedom keep.
Tyranny and Superstition
At their Name grew Pale and tremble,
Souls degen’rate their Derision
Only to that Yoke submit.

Jup. The hopes of Sov’reign Empire
Are vain in any Nation
Except on Virtue founded :
By this th’ Assirian Monarchs
The Persians and the Grecians,
Greatly enlarg’d the Limits of their Kingdoms :
By this the God-like Romans
From Thames to founding Tigris and Emphrates
Display’d their conqu’ring Eagles
By this the fearless Britons
Did Things of late, at which the World was started!
Had their Great Souls not basely diverted,
Their Own and Europes RIGHTS They’d All asserted.

Proud Tyrants like dire Comets shine,
And far extend their dreadful Flame,
Yet Loth their Glories soon decline ;
But virt’ous Princes like the Sun.
When mounted to his radiant Noon
For ever shine, for ever are the same.

Britain. In Europes present safety
To vulgar Minds and slowest Apprehensions,
The Tracks of JOVE’S All-ruling Pow’r are obvious.
To Great Nassau, ’tis plain that he suggested
Hers and Britannia’s Danger.
And pointed out another GREAT DELIV’RER,
Whose Great Capacities were form’d to Save Us,
Amidst so many Schemes laid to enslave Us.

Since the Fates have sent us over,
Our so-much desir’d
HANOVER,
All our Fears we ought to banish ;
Those that seek to dispossess Him,
Soon will truckle and Caress Him,
Now their Hopes begin to vanish.

Apollo. How happy are the BRITONS!
On whom the Gods their Favours ev’n have lavished :
A KING Superlativ’ly Good and Condescending!
Great! Brave! And Wise! And Just ! He calmly steere[s]
Th’uneasy Helm of State with steady Council.
Nor are those shining Virtues
Within Himself confined :
But All deriv’d to his Illustrious Issue :
A ROYAL RACE so many Goods possessing
To any Nation, are the greatest Blessing.

All admire His Institutions,
All the
MONARCH’S Wisdom prize ;
Weigh’d are all His Resolutions,
By their
ISSUE proved Wise.
Flatt’ring from His Court is driven,
All regard to
Truth is given.

2.
Factions, that are now Contending,
From your needless Quarrels cease;
Each to Others condescending,
Nothing prosecute but PEACE;

GEORGE has from the Throne assur’d Your,
All your
Rights shall be Secur’d you.

CHORUS.
May Great George inrease in Glory,
While He fills the
British Throne:
May loud Fame convey His Story
Tho’ the cold and burning Zone;
May his Memory remain
While the
Thames and Rhine are flowing,
All his Race thro’-out their Reign,
No Disaster ever knowing.

Astrea. To form a just Ide
Of Gracious GEORGE’S upright Mind, the BRITONS
Shou’d lately in His Native Land have seen Him,
Dispencing Justice to his HANOVERIANS,
As well resolv’d, as Cautious, as Imparital;
As Minos once in Crete, who now distributes
To Souls below, according to their Merits,
Not cramp’d by Statutes, but by Virtues acted
In His great Soul as Living Laws residing,
On righteous Paths His Steps for ever guiding.

Br
Even Virtues poize His Soul,
Ev’ry Passion by subduing,
Ev’ry worthy mean pursuing,
All that’s faulty to controle.
Steady Justice ever aws Him,
Yet Compassion mix’d with Love
Sometimes draws Him,
As it does Gods above.

[J]up. Tho’ calm His Soul and tuned to Peace, His Courage
Has oft been prov’d notorious,
When His or other Wrongs abroad have call’d Him,
To urge His Fate amidst Ten thousand Dangers;
When winged Deaths in ghastly Shapes around Him
With Glorious Wreaths of Laurels only Crown’d Him.

The Clams of Peace a Prince that Loves,
In War the most Heroick proves;
So where the Skies are most serene,
The greatest Change is often seen,
Loud Peals of Thunder from each Pole
All round the Verge of Heaven roll,
The raging Winds and pouring Rain
Fall on the Land, and on the Main.

Britain. His gen’rous Care of Late for Britains safety,
And vig’rous Application
To baffle Those, that aim’d at Her Destruction,
Are Proofs suficient of His LOVE and CONDUCT.
Their noble Lives His Brothers bravely Lavish’d,
Their Countries and the Christian Cause Defending,
No BRANCH from His Illustrious Stocks descended,
But for some signal Virtue is commended.

Britannia justly Claims HIM,
A
BRANCH of Her own Race,
Transplanted to
[word scratched out] improve;
HANNOVI’A then Restor’d HIM,
When
SHE with Tears Implor’d HIM,
Her
Dangers to remove.

Apollo. No! Wisdom’s Off-spring cannot be Defective!
She early with the Gods acquainted made Him;
Inform’d Him of their Nature;
The pure and simple Worship that we owe Them,
How to Adore, and worthy Honour show Them.

Sov’reigns Virtue by possessing,
On their Realsm derive a Blessing,
And engage the gods Affection;
Their bright Rays new Light creating,
In their Subjects imitating,
Make them shine by their Reflection.

Astrea. When Justice and Compassion
Are Infinite, ’tis not for shallow Mortals,
To scan the Actions of Immortal Beings,
They’re guided all by Wisdom.
So their Vice-gerent here have secret Reasons,
Sometimes t’ extend their Mercy,
Sometimes to put in Practice rigid Justice:
’Tis They know best for both the proper Seasons.

Criminals their Faults bemoaning,
By Attoning,
May to
Mercy have pretence;
Vindicating and Disowning,

Traytors meet their Recompence;
Fix’d is this Eternal Sentence,
None are
Sav’d without Repentance;
With it Heaven doth not dispence.

Grand Chorus.
Tides of Joy in Britain flowing,
to this
HAPPY DAY are owing,
That produc’d us such a Treasure;
Late, when He to Skies returneth,
And His Loss the Nation mourneth;
We’ll partake of Her Displeasure.


Enquire about this database   |   Account login