That verse formula used to be very common indeed. It was used on children's samplers and as an owner's motto in books and so on. For a sampler of 1799 made by a 15-year old English schoolgirl, see:

http://www.antiquesamplers.com/samplers/Hornby.htm

You can find other examples with a little searching via Google (I used the phrase "england is my nation," as that is probably the most common form, though obviously other places where English is spoken have known and used it). The lines have been incorporated, in one form or another, into a good few songs because they were common currency, at one time familiar to all.