Britannia’s Volunteers

By S.G. Kemble, Esq. of Newcastle.

Tune—The Newcastle Volunteers’ quick March.

When unprovok’d, when foreign foes,
When danger gave occasion,
Britannia’s Volunteers arose,
To shield her from invasion.

And still whilst other nations bow,
And lowly seek alliance,
Should France transgress again, they vow
To hurl a bold defiance.

The Sons of Tyne,—a youthful band,—
With ardent resolution,
First arm’d to guard their native land,
Their King and Constitution:

Again, whene’er the cause invites,
Our liberties revering,
To guard those dear, those sacred rights,
They’ll go a volunteering.

The shepherd now, beneath his shed,
At eve the dance provoking,
Takes up his lov’d neglected reed,
Long days of Peace invoking.

To plough-shares tho’ our swords we turn,
No more in arms appearing,
With Friendship still our bosoms burn,
Kind actions volunteering.