 | Ballads of the War |  |
The City Imperial Volunteers at St. Paul's
Saturday, January 13, 1900
“Fight the good fight, with all thy might!”
Our music echoed from the walls;
It filled the dome with sound and light,
It shook the cross upon St. Paul's.
Our music echoed from the walls;
It filled the dome with sound and light,
It shook the cross upon St. Paul's.
The great cathedral-church's womb
Was stirred and quick for life and birth,
The Duke rose up within his tomb
And came again with power to earth.
Was stirred and quick for life and birth,
The Duke rose up within his tomb
And came again with power to earth.
73
“Fight as I fought the fight who stood
On Albuera's fateful day,
At Badajoz when drenched in blood
Our thousands cast their lives away.
On Albuera's fateful day,
At Badajoz when drenched in blood
Our thousands cast their lives away.
“Fight the good fight! maintain the right!”—
The right of all men to be free—
The God who armed my soul for fight,
Shall lead us still to victory.”
The right of all men to be free—
The God who armed my soul for fight,
Shall lead us still to victory.”
There, as I listened, lo, a hymn
Came over fields made waste by war,
A grand Te Deum seemed to swim
Up-borne on wings of praise from far.
Came over fields made waste by war,
A grand Te Deum seemed to swim
Up-borne on wings of praise from far.
In Ladysmith's beleaguered town
Safe-gathered to a house of prayer,
I saw the soldier chieftains own
The God of Battle's love and care.
Safe-gathered to a house of prayer,
I saw the soldier chieftains own
The God of Battle's love and care.
Before the altar step they bent,
The scars of fight were on their brow,
A soldier's oath—the Sacrament—
Was never sworn with fuller vow.
The scars of fight were on their brow,
A soldier's oath—the Sacrament—
Was never sworn with fuller vow.
And standing in the holy place,
War-weary, grim with battle stain,
They thanked their God for all His grace,
And sang the grand Te Deum strain.
War-weary, grim with battle stain,
They thanked their God for all His grace,
And sang the grand Te Deum strain.
74
No wonder that the echoing walls
Had called the Iron Duke from rest;
No marvel that the great St. Paul's
Was filled with melody he blest.
Had called the Iron Duke from rest;
No marvel that the great St. Paul's
Was filled with melody he blest.
“Fight the good fight! maintain the right!”
Lord God, our sons, where'er they be,
Shall feel Thy presence is their might,
And, conquerors, shall remember Thee.
Lord God, our sons, where'er they be,
Shall feel Thy presence is their might,
And, conquerors, shall remember Thee.
LADYSMITH, JAN. 8 (BY RUNNER TO PIETERMARITZBURG, JAN. 17).
Yesterday (Sunday), Jan. 7th, a solemn thanksgiving service to Almighty God for His blessing upon our arms, was held in the Anglican Church. The building was crowded, chiefly by soldiers. The congregation also included General Sir George White, General Sir Archibald Hunter, Colonel Ian Hamilton, and other Staff officers.
At the conclusion of the sermon by Archdeacon Barker, General White and his Staff, at the invitation of the Archdeacon, proceeded to the altar rails, and there stood whilst a Te Deum was sung. It was a most impressive spectacle, and it came to a thrilling conclusion by the singing by the congregation of “God Save the Queen.”
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