More or less, the musings of a graduate of a Scottish university, born in New York, formerly resident in South Africa, and now living in London.
@cusackandrew: Visited Erskine Childers' old regiment in London tonight. His name on the Boer War roll of honour was pointed out with ironic pride.

Happy Trafalgar Day!

Twas on this day two centuries ago that the Royal Navy under Lord Nelson gave the combined French and Spanish fleet a right good whalloping, thus ensuring that freedom and responsible constitutional government would flourish and spread for two centuries afterward.

So today we raise a glass to Lord Nelson, and spit on the name Bonaparte! (And Hitler, and Stalin, and Brussels, and any such nastiness the continent dare throw against the English-speaking peoples of the world!).

When Britain first at Heav’n's command,
Arose from out the azure main;
This was the charter of the land,
And guardian angels sang this strain:

Rule, Britannia!
Britannia, rule the waves;
Britons never shall be slaves.

The nations not so blest as thee,
Shall in their turns to tyrants fall;
While thou shalt flourish great and free,
The dread and envy of them all.

Rule, Britannia!
Britannia, rule the waves;
Britons never shall be slaves.

Still mor majestic shalt thou rise,
More dreadful from each foreign stroke;
As the loud blast that tears the skies,
Serves but to root thy native oak.

Rule, Britannia!
Britannia, rule the waves;
Britons never shall be slaves.

Thee haughty tyrants ne’er shall tame,
All their attempts to bend thee down;
Will but arouse thy generous flame,
But work their woe, and thy renown.

Rule, Britannia!
Britannia, rule the waves;
Britons never shall be slaves.

To thee belongs the rural reign,
They cities shall with commerce shine;
All thine shall be the subject main,
And every shore it circles thine.

Rule, Britannia!
Britannia, rule the waves;
Britons never shall be slaves.

The Muses, still with freedom found,
Shall to thy happy coast repair;
Blest Isle! With matchless beauty crowned,
And manly hearts to guide the fair.

Rule, Britannia!
Britannia, rule the waves;
Britons never shall be slaves.

This post was published on Friday, October 21st, 2005 12:01 am. It has been categorised under Great Britain History Military. Click here to view comments or respond.
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1 Comment so far
  1. 9 March 2008
    2:25 pm

    What a victory did the English achieve! To glorify all their victories as major ones and hide all their defeats. Unfortunately the Spanish defeats of the “Spanish Armada” and “Trafalgar” have been given an undeserved propaganda. Andy, just look in internet after the huge defeat of Sir Edward Vernon’s “invecible English armada” in Cartagena de Indias and William Penn’s in Santo Domingo, both silenced events in English history.

    — Pendulum
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