Proclamation 0002: Prescribing an anthem for the Electorate of Aspenwald

PROCLAMATION 0002

Prescribing an anthem and hymn for the Electorate of Aspenwald

MICHAEL, by the grace of God, Count Palatine and Prince-elector of Aspenwald, &c, to all to whom these presents shall come, GREETINGS:

WHEREAS the County Palatine and Electorate of Aspenwald currently lacks a state anthem or hymn with which to represent itself;

AND WHEREAS it is deemed necessary and proper to prescribe an appropriate anthem as a symbol to represent the County Palatine and Electorate of Aspenwald;

LET IT BE KNOWN, therefore, that I do by this my proclamation appoint and declare that the official Electoral Anthem (also recognized and authorized as the Electoral Hymn) shall be the hymn "I Vow to Thee my Country", which shall consist of the first two verses of the text-poem of Sir Cecil Rice set to the tune of Gustav Holst's "Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity".

The lyrics, therefore, shall henceforth be prescribed as thus:

[verse 1]

I vow to thee, my country, all earthly things above,

Entire and whole and perfect, the service of my love;

The love that asks no questions, the love that stands the test,

That lays upon the altar the dearest and the best;

The love that never falters, the love that pays the price,

The love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice.

*****

[verse 2]

And there's another country, I've heard of long ago,

Most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know.

We may not count her armies; we may not see her King.

Her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering.

And soul by soul and silently her shining bounds increase,

And her ways are ways of gentleness, and all her paths are peace.

THEREFORE, NOW I, the Most Serene and Most Illustrious Michael, Count Palatine and Prince-elector of Aspenwald have caused these, my letters to be made patent and have signed them under the seal of the Electorate of Aspenwald. on this, the eighteenths day of May, in the Year of Our Lord, Two Thousand and Twenty-Three.

[THE GREAT SEAL OF THE ELECTORATE OF ASPENWALD]

[Michael]

18 May 2023