Britannia.

Come, Canada-your people grow apace.
May sweetest concord bind them in one race!
Newfoundland, from that little isle of thine,
Good fishing to your workers on the brine!
Australia, may you every grace obtain !
I wish you peace, prosperity-and rain!
Now, dear New Zealand, your Dominion new
I bid you rule as I would have you do.
South Africa, I know your coming worth,
Of your new nation I applaud the birth.
Lo, by your star I'll cast your horoscope
And to my youngest daughter I give-Hope.

(BRITANNIA resumes her seat upon the throne, and the FOUR DAUGHTER NATIONS and NEWFOUNDLAND all sit. The ORCHESTRA plays solemn chords of music. CHORUS looks at them silently, for a few moments, with deep surprise and admiration, but presently speaks to the audience.)

Chorus.

Oh, great soul-stirring sight! What see we there ?
Five Nations bound by tenderest ties of love.
Each reigns a monarch, yet when danger calls,
United they attack a common foe. (Turning to stage.)
Yet tell me, ye new countries, those who dwell
Within your boundaries, do they feel the thrill
And ache of patriotic love as strong

As dwellers in our older countries here?
Britannia.

My youngest poet-son shall answer that,
He who still sings with Empire on his lips.
Say, daughters, can you call to mind the toast.
Wherein my poet sings the Native-born?

Now sound loud music, and in Britain's name

Our common flag we'll joyfully acclaim.

(The CHOIR sing "Hymn to the Flag," to be sung

to the tune of "The Old Hundredth.")

O Spirit of our Land, we greet,

Our far-famed banner, floating free.

In thee may Faith and Valour meet
To aid our force on land and sea.

* If preferred, the recitation of "The Native-Born" can be omitted, and CHORUS continue, after her words "United they attack a common foe,"

Now sound loud music, and in Freedom's name
Our Motherland we'll joyfully acclaim

Chorus.

What emblem stands for Britain's might ?

What sign have we of gain or loss?
Nor sword nor crown shall greet our sight:
See from our banner hangs the Cross.
From tower and mast the Holy Sign
Proclaims the Faith wherein we dwell,
A triple emblem there entwined
Shines from the flag we love so well.
Then in the day of joy or pain,

Turn to the Symbol hanging there,
Find hope in loss and love in gain,

And in our flag the sign of prayer.*

(BRITANNIA and the DAUGHTER NATIONS remain seated on the throne while the song is sung. At the end CHORUS steps forward and addresses them.)

Mighty Britannia, throned beneath thy flag,
Guarded on either side by sea and land,
Thy Indian Empire shall I summon now,
The brightest jewel of thine Asian crown?

I am Gibraltar's famous Rock.
Three years I stood the Spaniards' shock,
While on my frowning cliffs there fell
The thunders of their shot and shell.
Your flag, our flag, upheld by me,
Still floats across the narrow sea.
Malta.

Ere Britain from the Frenchman won
The island-fortress of St. John,
My galleys, decked for war and pride,
Carried the Red Cross far and wide.
Gone are those glories, yet I hold
High memories of my Knights of old,
And to Britannia's throne I bring

My stronghold as an offering.

(At the end of their verses the Boys turn to salute BRITANNIA, and stand at attention, grasping their flags.)

Britannia.

Brave fortresses-I hail you for my own;

For guerdon sit you now upon my throne.

Note that verse 4 of old text is left out for obvious reason.

Out of the East, from the land of the sunrise,
Haste I, where duty and homage belong.
Others may boast of their lands and their riches,
Little reck I or of war or of song.

Long have I suffered the yoke of the stranger,
Bloody and fierce were the battles they fought;
Brave they may be, yet I smile at their conquest:
Mine is the infinite Kingdom of Thought.
Maya! Illusion! The tramp of their armies,

See how like phantoms they come and they go. Think they have won, and, in grasping the shadow, All that is Real they for ever forgo.

Many have passed like the mists of the morning,
Yet have I prayed that thy rule may endure.
Well of the poor have I named thee Protector,
Firm is thy Faith and thy Justice is pure.
Kaisir-i-hind! All my races acclaim thee,
Under thy law may my Spirit find rest.
Thou who hast learnt that to govern is service,
I, too, will hail thee, O Star of the West.
Britannia.

Great Hindustan, we thank thee for thy praise,
Mayst thou find peace and restful length of days!
Action is ours-new hope for the oppressed,
Food for the hungry, help for the distressed.

This our philosophy, our ruling plan,
Our Gospel bids us help our fellow man.

And, Chorus, I perceive the hour is late.

Our great possessions we will symbolize :
Let them be grouped to pass before our eyes.

Chorus.

'Tis well. In groups they shall be summoned here:
See, from all quarters of the globe appear
Crown Colonies, Protectorates, Chartered Lands,
Each hurrying to obey your loved commands.
Let, too, their names be called for your content,
That you may know what lands they represent ;
And, fitly to acclaim this joyful day,
Music shall sound while they their homage pay.

Voice.

(During the roll-call of the Crown Colonies, &c., either the ORCHESTRA plays appropriate music or songs may be sung behind the scenes by the CHOIR.)

(Flourish of Trumpets. The voice of the USHER behind the scenes calls as follows: [N.B.-The calls in the roll-call being very long, it will be better for them only to be called once.])

Voice.

(This GROUP should be represented by a group of VERY LITTLE GIRLS, crowned with flowers, and bearing long garlands of flowers in their hands. They perform a dance instead of a march. [If too small to do anything else, to join hands and dance round would do very well.] The music for their entrance should not be so stately as that for the others. Besides the flower crowns, they might have pieces of coral round their necks.)

(Flourish of trumpets.)

Africa Rhodesia, Central Africa, Zanzibar, East Africa, Somaliland, Socotra, West Coast Settlement, Nigeria, Mauritius, and the Seychelles.

(Enter this GROUP and perform march or dance.) (The FOUR GROUPS, at the end of this portion of the roll-call, are arranged in various parts of the stage, the music still continuing, but softly.)

(Flourish of trumpets.)

The coaling stations of the British Empire-Gibraltar, Malta,

(On hearing their names called, GIBRALTAR and MALTA jump up and salute.)

Aden, Colombo, Singapore, Hong-Kong, the Bermudas, Ascension, and St. Helena.

(These SEVEN LITTLE BOYS run in, dressed in sailor suits, with sacks of coal on their back and carrying the White Ensign.)

(They march round the stage at the double, and then sit down close to the footlights, leaving a large space, however, in the middle of the stage free. They place their coal-sacks at the side. A tableau is thus formed of the whole Empire, BRITANNIA and the DAUGHTER NATIONS remaining enthroned. CHORUS, who has watched these proceedings with deep interest, coming forward and addressing BRITANNIA :)

Chorus.

The roll is called. All are assembled now.
Lands from each continent before thee bow.
Shall we recite thy virtue, sing thy praise,
Thy wealth, thy power, and thy illustrious days?

Britannia.

Nay, let not Providence be thus defied. (Rises.)
Listen to me, and purge yourselves from pride;
Of boastful arrogance avoid the snare:
True Empire rests not on vain pomp, but prayer.

(After speaking the first line, BRITANNIA rises, the DAUGHTER NATIONS rising at the same time. BRITANNIA comes down from her throne to the stage, the DAUGHTER NATIONS forming a group arranged on the lower step of the throne, as seems best. BRITANNIA, standing in the middle of the stage, recites

THE RECESSIONAL.

By RUDYARD KIPLING.

(As she says the last line, BRITANNIA kneels, raising her hands and eyes. ALL THE OTHER PERSONAGES on the stage stand with eyes downcast and heads bent. The CHOIR, unaccompanied, sings Stainer's "Sevenfold Amen," and slowly and silently as they are singing it the curtain drops. After the fall of the curtain the CHORUS advances and speaks the Epilogue.)

(If a suitable number of performers cannot be obtained, this alternative reading may be used, after

BRITANNIA motions INDIA to take her stand close to the throne on the right.)

ASIA-British New Guinea, Fiji Islands, and the scattered Islands of the Pacific. AFRICA Rhodesia, Central Africa, Zanzibar, East Africa, Somaliland, Socotra, West Coast Settlement, Nigeria, Mauritius, and the Seychelles. The coaling stations of the British Empire ---Gibraltar and Malta (on hearing their names called, GIBRALTAR and MALTA jump up and salute), Aden, Colombo, Singapore, Hong-Kong, the Bermudas, Ascension, and St. Helena (rolling up the parchment and turning to BRITANNIA).

The roll is called. The list is ended now.

Lands from all continents before thee bow.
Shall we recite thy virtue, sing thy praise,
Thy wealth, thy power, and thy illustrious days
Britannia.

Nay, let not Providence be thus defied (rising),
Listen to me, and purge yourselves from pride;
Of boastful arrogance avoid the snare;

True Empire rests not on vain pomp, but prayer.
EPILOGUE.

Chorus.

Amen! Amen! So may we Empire hold,
Remembering always the most holy law.
Given by Him whose Name I speak not here.
So ever keep we the Divine command
Who would be great, let him be minister,
If
any would be master, let him serve.
This the foundation of our Christian rule,
This the sure rock on which our feet are stayed.
And now consider what it is this thing
We call our Empire. 'Tis no cold abstraction,
No empty word. Our Empire is a people;
And our Imperial Nation lives and breathes
In and me and every one of us.
you
For none among us of so poor estate,
Nor yet so young, but he too has his part
In Britain's Empire. And if any ask
What can I do for my country? I reply-
Your duty. Know that every action done
Not quite so well as it perchance might be
Is like a speck of dust that tarnishes.
The greatness of Britannia. . . . So good night.
We thank you for your kind and patient hearing.
And for our pains, we count them overpaid
If you will ponder well the golden rule
That government should ever hold in mind

The interests of the governed. Love, not fear, should be
The force which rules the Empire. So some day
The dream of man's full brotherhood may save
The world from self-destruction.

Now with uplifted voices let us sing
And hail in loyalty our Lord the King.

(The curtain rises, and discovers the whole COMPANY grouped on the stage. BRITANNIA stands on the top step of her throne, her helmet on her head, her right hand resting on the top of the shield and her left hand grasping her trident. HER DAUGHTER NATIONS stand round her. To the accompaniment of the ORCHESTRA, ALL (except BRITANNIA) join in the National Anthem.) God Save the king.

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