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1803.2
Britons, to Arms!!!
William Thomas Fitzgerald [1]
The Gentleman's Magazine, LXXIII (July 1803), p. 665
The Anti-Gallican, (1804), p. 54. [2]
[Written by W. T. Fitzgerald, Esq.
and Recited by Him at the Meeting
of the Literary Fund, July 14.]
Britons, to Arms! of Apathy beware,
And let your Country be your dearest care;
Protect your Altars! guard your Monarch's
Throne,
The Cause of GEORGE and Freedom is your
own!
What! shall that England want her Sons'
support,
Whose Heroes fought at CRESSY[3]—AGINCOURT?[4]
And when great Marlb'rough[5]
led the
English
van,
In France, o'er Frenchmen, triumph'd to a man!
By ALFRED'S great and ever honour'd name!
By EDWARD's prowess, and by HENRY'S fame!
By all the gen'rous Blood for Freedom shed,
And by the Ashes of the Patriot Dead!
By the bright glory Britons lately won
On Egypt's plains, beneath the burning sun,
BRITONS, TO ARMS! defend your Country's
cause,
Fight for your KING! your LIBERTIES! and
LAWS!
Be France defied, her slavish yoke abhorr'd,
And place your safety only on your Sword.
The Gallic Despot, sworn your mortal foe,
Now aims his last, but his most deadly blow;
With England's plunder tempts his hungry
slaves,
And dares to brave you on your native
waves!
If Britain's Rights be worth a Briton's
care,
To shield them from the son of Rapine—swear!
Then to Invasion be Defiance given,
Your Cause is just, approv'd by Earth and
Heaven!
Should adverse winds our gallant Fleet
restrain,
`
To sweep his "bawbling"[6]
vessels from
the
main;
And Fate permit him on our shores t'advance,
The Tyrant never shall return to France;
Fortune herself shall be no more his friend,
And here the history of his crimes shall
end—
His slaughter'd Legions shall manure our
shore,
And ENGLAND NEVER KNOW INVASION MORE.