Memories of Virginia/Second Memory
SECOND MEMORY
Matthews, a son of fighting sires,
From founding days of the Old World.
Men of conquest, men of crusades,
Descendants of Welsh chieftains bold.
Men of King Alfred's day, that stood
With Galahad, the Ap Matthew,
Disciple of the Druid creed,
To soil brave men are ever true.
The native sons of Albion,
The mountain men of British fame;
Welshmen who fought for Harold bold,
The northmen of King Edward's name.
The Welsh mountains their kingdom home,
Ages before the conqueror won;
Defenders of old Briton's lands,
Chiefs long before the quest of Rome.
After the conquest, 1066,
The Matthew chief of valor won,
A daughter of Louis of France,
To give to Wales an allied son.
A knight, he stood in the crusades,
Under the banner of Lorraine.
A shield he won, a crest of might,
The Holy Bull of Roman fame.
David, first lord of Cardingshire,
Ninth removed from Galahad's reign;
Great great grandson of Louis VI,
Allied with Baldwin of Lorraine.
Sir John, grandson of David First,
Won English bride on Dover's shore;
The Alpha Matthews to unite,
The mountain bull with lion and bear.
Matthews
Sir John stood for "North country men,"
A Welsh-Norman from English view;
Under the motto of his race,
To soil brave men are ever true.
With House of York on British fields.
He stood for kinsmen of Lorraine.
He fought for the Plantagenets,
Edward the Fourth of White Rose fame.
Matthews of this great allied race,
Ambitions and achievements won,
In his own name—in his own right
The Chieftain bold of old Jamestown;
A man who heard the call "March on,"
The old war cry of famous sires,
He heard the call all founders hear,
To light the soul with sacred fires.
Matthews' first order "seize again."
The Indian lands claimed by the Crown,
"The Hunting Grounds" along the coast,
The empire lands of Powhatan.
When paths were hedged with ambush foes,
In the dense wilderness of strife,
Each forest path a trail of blood,
To have and hold the price of life.
They marked with blood each rood of land.
The chief with Gideon's sword so true;
They made each tree a musket shield,
Each Indian trail a target view.
Tidewater counties first to form.
The basic arch of the new nation;
The river lands of Powhatan,
The cradle home of occupation.
With Civil War raging at home,
A second massacre ever near,
The chief an iron man of war,
A man insensible of fear.
When Indian war became a fact,
He called "to arms" the pioneers.
They fought as one, "In England's name,"
The brave Virginia cavaliers.
Recall the Pilgrims of the James,
To mark the course of onward still !
The trail of English pioneers,
From Old Point Comfort to King's Mill.
The city now of Williamsburg,
The landmark of the onward march!
The first incorporated town,
The corner stone of royal arch.
Matthews won fruits of true success,
He stood a self-reliant man;
The guardian of the New World claim,
Who seized and held Virginia's land.
With kingly power, for "welfare" true,
With record of unblemished fame,
Defender bold of England's right,
An enemy of Cromwell's reign.
In days of the Surrender Act,
He boldly claimed: "Virginia's free;
We won our lands, we won our rights,
The price of blood and victory"!
He claimed results in New World name,
He made demands without one fear,
He stood the captain of his soul,
The brave Virginia cavalier.
He stood the leader of results,
The Captain General to '54:
Then voice and vote proclaimed the chief,
The life-elected Governor.
Through his long reign progress was sure,
Each final act his own decree;
One head, one hand, trusted by all,
He won the fruits of victory.
The Captain-General Governor,
King of Dominion cavaliers,
Under the crown of James and Charles,
Elected by the pioneers.
He died a chieftain true to crown,
In sixteen hundred and sixty.
The Joshua of Jamestown coast,
The pioneer of victory.
Let us revere our "Ap Matthew,"
A British Chief of conquest sires.
"King Makers" of Gaul, Rome and Wales.
Since Charles Martel led pioneers.