Vice-Regal Saint: A day of celebration and feasts in England!
"Our fathers of old were robust, stout, and strong,
And kept open house, with good cheer all day long,
Which made their plump tenants rejoice in this song--
Oh! The Roast Beef of old England,
And old English Roast Beef!
But now we are dwindled to,what shall I name?
A poor sneaking race, half-begotten and tame,
Who sully the honours that once shone in fame.
Oh! the Roast Beef of Old England,
And old English Roast Beef!
When good Queen Elizabeth sat on the throne,
Ere coffee, or tea, or such slip-slops were known,
The world was in terror if e'er she did frown.
Oh! The Roast Beef of old England,
And old English Roast Beef!
In those days, if Fleets did presume on the Main,
They seldom, or never, return'd back again,
As witness, the Vaunting Armada of Spain.
Oh! The Roast Beef of Old England,
And old English Roast Beef!
Oh then we had stomachs to eat and to fight
And when wrongs were cooking to do ourselves right.
But now we're a . . . I could, but goodnight!
Oh! the Roast Beef of Old England,
And old English Roast Beef!"
(From 'The Roast Beef of Old England', and particularly pertinent in the 2007 we've had so far).
A very happy St George's Day to you all, particularly readers in England and Canada, whose patron saint the marvellous George is.
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6 comments:
Happy St. George!
Given that we who came to the New World brought out patron saints with us, it is very much part of our identity as patriotic members of world-wide England.
And, as for the historical loyalty of francophones, it was a French-Canadian Father of Confederation, Sir George-Etienne Cartier, who said to Queen Victoria, "I am an Englishman who speaks French!"
Has Canada a patron saint? And if so, does she know it?
Canada has saints, but not a patron saint.
Loved the song! Hadn't heard of it before so did some research and found it was from the 1730's. All been downhill from then, eh?
Thank glorious Providence for more contemporary displays of stout British beef...er...man-itude such as footie rioting in Belgium and the Falkland Islands War, eh? God knows how pansy and pasty-faced we'd be perceived to be otherwise!
Curious. I think you'll be unsurprised to know that everyone here disagrees.
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