A somewhat similar effusion was composed by Eldad Holland, parish clerk of Christ Church, Kilbrogan parish, Bandon, County Cork, in Ireland.  This church was built in 1610, and has the reputation of being the first edifice erected in Ireland for the use of the Church of Ireland after the Reformation.  Bandon was originally colonised by English settlers in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and for a long time was a noted stronghold of Protestantism.  This fact may throw light upon the opinions and sentiments of Master Holland, an original character, whose tombstone records that “he departed this life ye 29th day of 7ber 1722.”  When the news of the victory of William III reached Bandon there were great rejoicings, and Eldad paraphrased a portion of the morning service in honour of the occasion.  After the first lesson he gave out the following notice: 

“Let us sing to the praise and glory of William, a psalm of my own composing: 

     “William is come home, come home,
       William home is come,
     And now let us in his praise
       Sing a Te Deum.”

He then continued:  “We praise thee, O William! we acknowledge thee to be our king!” adding with an impressive shake of the head, “And faith, a good right we have, for it was he who saved us from brass money, wooden shoes and Popery.”  He then resumed the old version, and reverently continued it to the end[68].

[Footnote 68:  This information was kindly sent to me by Mr. Robert Clarke, of Castle Eden, Durham, who states that he derived the information from The History of Bandon, by George Bennett (1869).  My father used to repeat the following version: 

     “King William is come home,
     Come home King William is come;
     So let us then together sing
     A hymn that’s called Te D’um.”

I am not sure which version is the better poetry!  The latter corresponds with the version composed by Wesley’s clerk at Epworth, old John; so Clarke in his memoirs of the Wesley family records.]

In a parish in North Devon[69] there was a poetical clerk who had great reverence for Bishop Henry Phillpotts, and on giving out the hymn he proclaimed his regard in this form:  “Let us sing to the glory of God, and of the Lord Bishop of Exeter.”  On one occasion his lordship held a confirmation in the church on 5 November, when it is said the clerk gave out the Psalm in the usual way, adding, “in a stave of my own composing”: 

     “This is the day that was the night
       When the Papists did conspire
     To blow up the King and Parliament House
       With Gundy-powdy-ire.”

[Footnote 69:  My kind correspondent, the Rev. J.B.  Hughes, abstains from mentioning the name of the parish.]

My informant cannot vouch for the truth of this story, but he can for the fact that when Bishop Phillpotts on another occasion visited the church his lordship was surprised to hear the clerk give out at the end of the service, “Let us sing in honour of his lordship, ’God save the King.’” The bishop rose somewhat hastily, saying to his chaplain, “Come along, Barnes; we shall have ‘Rule, Britannia!’ next.”