England

There lies an isle, a splendour of the sea
Haunting as Babylon, illustrious as Rome :
A race of Saxon freemen there have home
In England fair, the shrine of liberty.
The blue sea loves to lap its shingly shores;
Murmuring in caves its own immortal story,
Whilst Beauty haunts its woodlands, dells, and moors,
And on its plains rich harvests wave their glory.
Unto its shores, like swallows to the south,
Are lured the mercantile of every clime ;
There Commerce pours in every harbour mouth
Its untold Wealth in Labour maritime—
And on its seas with Freedom's flag unfurl'd
Its navy sweeps—a wonder of the world.