"RULE BRITANNIA"
By J. R. C. FINLAYSON
IT might almost be said that too much is known about the origin of "Rule Britannia." Even imagination can weave no intriguing story out of the mass of uninteresting detail which confronts us. The writer of our National Anthem, pub- lished two years after "Rule Britannia," is quite unknown. It is unfortunate that the same veil- of uncertainty does not surround the early history of "Rule Britannia." It was written by the orders of Frederick, Prince of Wales, and was heard in public for the first time on Friday, August 1st, 1740, at Cliveden House, in Buckinghamshire. The performance was to celebrate the third birthday of the Princess Augusta and the anniversary of the Accession of the House of Hanover. Neithen event can have given any pleasure to Frederick, who despised his daughter from birth and loathed his father with an intensity that only death ended. The half-witted prince on horseback who stares down from the gallery portrait appeals to us now no more than he did to his contemporaries when they penned his epitaph:
"And since 'tis only Fred Who was alive and is dead There's no more to be said."
His political favourites (who called themselves the Patriots but were better known as the Boys), led by the volatile Boling- broke, insisted on the inclusion of a patriotic play at these Cliveden celebrations. The masque Alfred was commissioned, and it included six songs, of which the last was "Rule Britannia." Thomas Arne wrote the music and James Thom- son, author of "The Seasons," the words. It was a hurried production, and there was only time for one rehearsal, which was held at Drury Lane Theatre on Monday, July 28th. Thomas Lowe, favourite tenor at Marylebone and Vauxhall Gardens, sang "Rule Britannia." Arne, in his 3oth year, was at the height of his powers. He specialised in the masque, which was a dramatic pageant of poetry, music and dancing against a background of natural scenery. In 1738 he set the most famous of all masques to music—Milton's Comus. In 1740, besides Alfred, Arne also wrote the music for Con- greve's ludgment of Paris, and three songs from As You Like It.
Arne's music has never lost its freshness and appeal, but Thomson's words have had a chequered history. In 1751, three years after Thomson's death, David Mallet, who had assisted in writing some of Alfred, completely recast the masque. It was produced at Covent Garden in 1751 with Garrick as Alfred. "Rule Britannia" lost three verses (in- cluding the fine "Thee haughty tyrants ne'er shall tame ") and three new ones, written by Bolingbroke, took their place.
Thanks to Muydoch's edition we have "Rule Britannia" as it was originally written, but it seems that from the beginning political influence was at work. In a letter to his brother-in- law, which most of his biographers appear to have overlooked, Thomson says, "The praises of the Ode in Honour of Great Britain arc kind, but ill-deserved. Three of my stanzas have been dropped.
The love of good which drives out strife Shall never in thy confines cease And thou shalt teach the tranquil life Till all the world shall ring with peace. The seeds of virtue will be sown In the unfetter'd minds of youth By those whose upright deeds have shown The ways of honesty and truth. All men in freedom will remain Unchecked by gloomy laws of state And only those inflicting pain Shall reap the bitter fruits of hate.
Mr. Gray likes them well, and has hopes that they will be restored." They never were restored, and Thomson never seems to have had them published. It is ironical that he should have fallen a victim to the political influences 'which he attacked so bitterly in his preface to Milton's " Areopagitica."
In certain quarters the criticism that "Rule Britannia" is too spirited in its sentiments is never wanting. This shows a complete misconception of Thomson's political thought. Thomson had the soul of the poet and the insight of the states- man. This combination, while it did not always benefit his poetry, certainly never impaired his political judgement. He never failed to realise the vital importance of sea-power to these islands. An extensive tour of Europe taught him that Britain alone had the power and constitution for preserving freedom and liberty. Above all, he realised that before Britain could protect freedom she must first protect herself. "Rule Britannia" has been abundantly justified by the course of two centuries. Its ideals, which have been far better expressed in those passages of rare poetic beauty with which the poems of " Liberty " and " Britannia " are studded like stars, show Thomson to have been a clearer thinker than most men of his sge. Johnson said that Thomson always thought as a man of genius. His patriotism was not for Britain alone but for all mankind. The man who wrote "Liberty—more dear than life itself" was a worthy author of the ode which will last as long as the language.
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