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Mr Tennyson's National Song.

The following is the Poet Laureate's "English and Colonial National Song," which was sung for the first time in public at the St James' Hall on March 15. A sufficiently popular and impressive tune to which the words are set has been arranged by Mr Villiers Stanford for a solo voice and chorus, the latter taking up the burden at the end of each stanza. Mr Santley declaimed the Laureate's lines with due emphasis, and the song was received with the loyal demonstrations which might have been expected under the circumstances :—

Hands All Round.

First pledge our Queen this solemn night,
Then drink to England every guest,
That man's the best cosmopolite
Who loves his native country best!
May Freedom's oak for ever live,
With larger life from day to day:
That man's the true conservative
Who lops the mouldered branch away.

Hands all round ! God the traitor's hope confound !
To the great cause of Freedom drink, my friends,
And the great name of England round and round.

To all the loyal hearts who long
To keep our English Empire whole!
To all our noble song, the strong
New England of the Southern Pole!
To England under Indian skies,
To those dark millions of her realm!
To Canada whom we love and prize.
Whatever statesman hold the helm.

Hands all round! God the traitor's heart confound!
To the great name of England, drink, my friends,
And all her glorious Colonies round and round.

To all our statesmen so they be
True leaders of the land's desire!
To both our Houses, may they see
Beyond the Borough and the shire!
We sailed wherever ship could sail,
We founded many a mighty State,
Pray God our greatness may not fail
Through craven fears of being great.

Hands all round! God the traitor's hope confound!
To the great cause of Freedom, drink, my friends,
And the great name of England round and round.