The Collected Songs of Charles Mackay With Illustrations by John Gilbert |
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| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
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| X. |
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| XII. |
THE ENGLISHMAN. |
 | The Collected Songs of Charles Mackay |  |
THE ENGLISHMAN.
I
I've sail'd the seas from East to West,From North to South, the wide world through;
I've seen mankind both worst and best,
And loved them, whatsoe'er their hue.
But never found, on any ground,
Where sunlight fell or rivers ran,
Where blossoms grew or wild winds blew,
The equal of the Englishman.
341
The upright, downright Englishman!
His word is sure, his heart is pure—
The ready, steady Englishman!
II
In work he labours with a will;In play he's playful as a child;
And when its wild wind whistles shrill,
He braves Misfortune undefiled.
On all that's just he builds his trust:
On all that's base he hurls his ban.
And, ladies bright, his heart is right;
He loves you well, the Englishman.
The Englishman, the Englishman!
The upright, downright Englishman!
In friendship clear, in love sincere—
The ready, steady Englishman!
III
He bears himself like heart of oak—Of courage high, of purpose strong;
And when he fights, beware his stroke,
Ye props and agents of the wrong.
On fallen foes he aims no blows,
But strives to lift them if he can;
And scorns to wreak upon the weak
The vengeance of the Englishman.
The Englishman, the Englishman!
The upright, downright Englishman!
In love or hate he's always great—
The ready, steady Englishman!
342
IV
Oppression dreads his lifted hand;The slave draws courage from his eye;
And Freedom, timorous in the land,
Shouts at his voice her rallying cry.
O'er all the girth of mother earth
You find his mark, you trace his plan;
And some may fear, and some revere,
But none despise the Englishman!
The Englishman, the Englishman,
The upright, downright Englishman!
He scorns a lie, for truth he'd die—
The ready, steady Englishman!
| The Collected Songs of Charles Mackay | |