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British and Canadians Songs God Save the King According to American historian, J. Lossing, "God save the King," the British national anthem, in words and air, did not originate with Handel in the time of George the First, as is generally supposed, but is almost a literal translation of a cantique which was always sung by the maidens of St.Cyr when Louis the Fourteenth entered the chapel of that establishment to hear the morning prayer. M. de Brinon was the author of the words: Grand Dieu sauve le Roi ! Grand Dieu venge le Roi ! Vive le Roi ! Que toujours glorieux, Louis victorieux ! Voye ses ennemis Toujours soumis ! Grand Dieu sauve le Roi ! Grand Dieu venge le Roi ! Vive le Roi ! This air was still sung by the vine-dressers in the south of France as recently as the beginning of the twentieth century.   British song by a Mr. Thomson When Britain first, at Heaven's command, Arose from out of the azure main, This was the charter of the land, And guardian angels sung the strain; Rule Britannia; Britannia rule the waves! Britons shall never be slaves.   Three British Songs Three British popular songs of the Napoleonic Wars (the War of 1812, was, in many ways, a minor part of the larger Napoleonic Wars that raged in Europe at the same time). 1 Come, I'll sing you a song, just for want of some other, About a small thing that has made a great pother; A mere insect–a pigmy. I'll tell you my hearty, Tis the Corsican hop-o'-my-thumb, Buonaparté. 2 Arm, neighbours, at length, And put forth your strength Perfidious, bold France to resist! Ten Frenchmen will fly, To shun a black eye, If one Englishman doubles his fist! 3 If the French have a notion Of crossing the ocean, Their luck to be trying on land, They may come if they like; But we'll soon make 'em strike To the lads of the tight little island! Huzza for the boys of the Island! The brave volunteers of the Island! The fraternal embrace, If foes want in this place, We'll present all the arms in the Island!   The Noble Lads of Canada (Canadian) Oh! Now the time has come, my boys, to cross the Yankee line, We remember they were rebels once, and conquered John Burgoyne; We'll subdue those mighty Democrats, and pull their dwellings down, And we'll have the States inhabited with subjects to the crown.   The Courteous Knight, or The Flying Gallant (Canadian) For a nautical knight, a lady–heigh-ho!– Felt her heart and her heart-strings to ache; To view his dear person she looked to and fro, The name of the knight was Sir James Lucas Yeo, And the Lady–'twas she of The Lake. (Yeo was the commander of the Lake Ontario British fleet, and the overall naval commander in Canada during the war of 1812)