"And now is his Fancy the front of the van, And England an archer, as in the past years, And stout middle age carries arms like a man, And all the young fellows are smart Volunteers: And Herbert, and Elcho, and Spencer, and Hay, And Mildmay, and all the best names in the land On a national scale achieve grandly to-day What Wydeawake schemed with his brave little band!
"Then cheers for the Queen! for the Club! and the Corps! For Grantley, and Evelyn, and Sidmouth, and all; With Franklin, and Mangles, and six dozen more, The first to spring forth at Britannia's call! And long may we live with all peaceably here-- For olive, not laurel, is Glory's true wreath-- But if the wolf comes, he had better keep clear Of a Club of crack shots upon Surrey Blackheath!"
And the third is a small record of our Easter Monday's Review, 1864, alluding to the present universality of the Rifle Movement contrasted with its originally small beginnings on the same spot.
"Surrey Blackheath! old scene of beginnings Humble enough some dozen years back, Gather to-day's rich harvest of winnings, Sprung of that sowing in Memory's track; Reap your revenges in honour and pleasure;-- Thousands of riflemen arm'd to the teeth-- Crowds by ten thousands, in holiday leisure, Throng the wild beauties of Surrey Blackheath!
"We were the first our rifles to shoulder, First to wake England (though voted a bore); First in this nation who roused her, and told her She must go arm'd to be safe, as of yore! Those were the days before corps and their drilling, When the true patriot was check'd with a snub,-- So, on Blackheath, devotedly willing, Stood your first riflemen--Albury Club!
"Yes, we stood _here_, in spite of their coldness, Duty's first marksmen--whate'er should betide,-- Conquering Success--the sure fruit of boldness-- World-witnessed now by this field-day of pride! And though they laugh'd at Tom Wydeawake's fancies, Olives and laurels combine in his wreath; For, the world's peace--in England's and France's-- Sprung of that sowing on Surrey Blackheath!"
Lord Lovelace will remember how much he opposed our rifle-club,--as in those days illegal, and so the Lord-Lieutenant of Surrey might not sanction it: but now his Lordship is our leading volunteer. Besides the three ballads above, I wrote seven others which rang round the land, and some of them, as "Hurrah for the Rifle," and "In days long ago when old England was young," have been sung at Wimbledon and other gatherings.
