Some Theories About “God Save the King.”

Extract

Members of the Musical Association do not need to be reminded of the late Dr. Cummings's investigations into the history of our National Anthem, and I do not propose to do more than refer very briefly to the conclusions to which he was led. Of course, in a subject of this kind, and one of such superlative importance in our history, new theories are often promulgated, and sometimes new facts come to light. My object in re-opening the subject to-day is due to a small discovery, as I venture to think it, which I described in an American periodical, the Musical Quarterly, in the issue of last October. About the same date, the pamphlet appeared which was commissioned by the Education Committee of the London County Council, and it is curious that the authors of this pamphlet, and I myself, should have arrived by different ways at very much the same conclusion, although it was obviously impossible either for me to know of the pamphlet before it was published, or for its authors to know of my article in the American periodical. The conclusion to which we have severally been led is that the song was originally in celebration of the house of Stuart, not of the house of Hanover. The pamphlet had been in existence for some time before I heard of it, and the task of obtaining a copy was very nearly too much for me. It would take too long to recount the difficulties which seem to beset the would-be purchaser, if my own experiences are anything but a series of unfortunate accidents. The pamphlet was reviewed in The Times, but it was not easy to find from the review how or where it was to be obtained. I am confident that many applications to the County Council offices are still “receiving attention,” a process which will have been going on for a good many months. Three or four booksellers in London were asked for it in vain, but at the long last I did obtain it, and here it actually is.