The Sun.
London, England, 1857-07-20 00:00:00

(From the Moniteur.)

For years Beranger has not sung, 'but France has
learnt by his loss to what a degree he was ever dear
and present to her—how the soul of his songs was.
part of her own soul, of her own immortal genius,
whether she be considered as a race or as a people.
The Emperor, by taking upon himself the charge of
his funeral, and by wishing, as it were, to preside
over them in thought, has shown how in as in
everything else, his sentiments are those of France.
Boranger, when he died, had nearly'completed
his 77th year. Even his age was engravers on every
memory, and the date of his birth, when it became
the subject of inquiry, always recurred in the shape
of a song—
" Dans ce Paris plein d'ur et de misere,
Dn l'an du Christ mil sept cent quatrt-vingt
Chez un tailleur, mon pauvro et vioux gtaad-pere,
Moi nouveau-ne, sachez ce qui m'advint. . . ." •
His life was simple, and by his gond sense, his
probity, and the moderation of his tastes, he ren-
dered it consistent and dignified. When he was
young and in poverty, notwithstanding the tempta-
ton of the age, he contrived by a secret and obsti-
nate toil to prepare a talent superior to the light
snd already charming ebullitions on which he tiled
his hand. A humble situation in a public offide
was sufficient for his wants, and he held it till he
found it was likely to compromise his indepen-
dence. Then be became thoroughly free, and, tak-
ing his grand flight, as a minstrel—acknowledged
by the young and by his native land, (kitting on
the glories, and sympatlrzing with the sorrows
of France, whom he consoled by his reminiscences
and his hopes, be desired no other vocation. In his
old age, when he saw more eventscome to pass than
doubtless he had expected, when he found himself
a better prophet than he had supposed himself to be,
be had the wisdom still to remain the great and
simple poet he bad always been, without repudiat-
ing the prodigious public results to which he had
I contributed to the best of his power. .

Beranger had naturally that patriotio koul that
cannot be communicated. He was susceptible of
joys and Forrows which have never been felt by
many literary men who have applauded him, but
which are felt at once by a people. Hence that long
intimacy between the people and Beranger, not-
! withstanding these finesses which popular works do
not absolutely require. The invasions of 1814 and
1815, the fate of tae "Grand Empire," the degra-
dation of the "braves," and the triumph of the
" incapables"—the Myrmidons vaunting tl emselves
on the car of Achilles—these were to him sources of
grief, indignation, derision—occasions for venge!ul
reprisals. No one understood better than Beranger
how much the genius of Napoleon was, at a certain
period, identified with that of France, bow much
the national pride and the pride ofthe hero were, in
fact, the same, and how ono defeat was common to
them both. No one has better shown how the day
of reparation for both these glories—the glory of
France and that of the name of Napoleon—be-
longed to one and the same cause. He sax this as
a poet, but the poet raw further than many a poli-
tician, and when the dream was realised Beranger
the honest man had the good sense not to belie
Borangor the poet.
Is it necessary to remind these generations of his
immortal songs who from the age of 20 to the age
of 60 knew them all by heart ? Such, for instance,
as that which is the first of (its class, but is still gay
land lively, beause victory still (January, 1814)
I shows the prospect of a a brilliant change--

"Gai ! gai ! serrons nos range,
" Esperance
" De la France ;
"Gai ! gai ! sorrons nos rangs ;
"En avant, Gaulois et Francs !"

and, indeed, all those in which, after so many
humilitions and defeats, he begins, as a sympathe-
tic poet, to probe and dre3s the wounds of brave
heatts ? In 1819 the allies have at last quitted the
soil of France, which they occupied, and Beranger
exclaims :
" Refine du monde 0 France, 0 ma patrie !
Souleve enfin ton front cicatrise ! . . •
With Beranger it is sufficient to give the key-
note : everyone follows in his strain. What finer
133 mns than "Le Cinq Mai," " Le vieux Sergent,"
"De vieux Drapeai," "Le Chant du Cosaque "
" Waterloo," ever emanated from a national and
warlike soul ? Beranger, more than any other,
has kept alive in France the worship of glory and
the noble symbols with which it is connected in
the heroic annals of the age—
" Quand seconrai-je la ponssiere
" Qui ternit sos nobles couleurs ?"

The tricoloured flag was the banuer of Beranger.
Once it reappeared, but without the eagle ; and
hence it was not complete. Beranger saw this day,
in which all his friends took some part in affairs,
and all were more or less ministers ; but, never-
theless, he never sang in honour of of the half-
triumph. Was this because he loved always to be
the poet of the vanquished, never the poet of the
conquerors ? We cannot believe anything of the
kind. A victory gallantly achieved is to a genuine
poet as much a source of inspiration as a noble de-
feat. In 1830, and the years that immediately
followed, Beranger sang but little, or not at all,
because his feelings as a patriot were but half satis-
fied. He knew all that could be said by the
wise and the prudent, and even said it him-
self, but the poetical part of his nature felt a re-
gret, and when, gradually and successively military
days. honourable to that politic government which
he assisted actually arrived, he did not—patriotic
poet as he was—feeling unmingled and inspiring
joy. There was not then to be found an ample
compensation for that mournfol day on which he
had said—

" Son nom jsmais, n'attristera rues vers."

As yet there was nothing to silence the insulting
song of the savage victor, whom he had represented
as exclaiming in the drunkenness of his joy,—
" Retourne boire a la Seine rebelle,
Oa tout sanglant to t'es lave deux fois ;
Hennis d'orgueil, 0 mon coursier &leis
Et fonle aux pieds les peuples et les rois."

However, Beranger lived to see the days of ample
reparation—the days of victorious struggle, and
doubtless if his muse had been 20 years younger,
she would have found notes for their celebration.
" Le retour de l'armee de Crimee et son entree dans
Paris," what a theme for a song by Beranger
His last songs, which have not yet been pub-
lished, and which have only been communicated to
some of his friends in confidence, are, we are in-
formed, in the style of the " ouvenirs du Peu-
ple" :

" On parlera de as gloire
" Sous le chaume bien longtemps.

" Parlez-nous do lui, grand'inere,

" Parlez-nous de lui

These are epic songs in their way, finished and
severe in point of form, and intended to mark cer-
tain monuments in that grand destiny of Napoleon
which occupied Beranger to the last, jealous as he
was to identify more' and more his own popularity
with the glory of the Emperor.
Beranger, during the latter years of his life, before
he was confined to his room by the malady to which
he at last fell a victim, was remarkable for a rare
quality that denoted the excellence of his disposi-
tion. He was the most actively obliging and ser-
viceable of mankind. Hououred by all, finding
none but friends and admirers, and desiring nothing
for himself, he still ventured to ask for others ;
few persons ever applied to him without deriving
some advantage from the application. He ex-
celled in giving practical and appropriate advice.
His letters, naturally but carefully written, have
assuredly been treasured up by all who have re-
ceived them, and a charming collection could he
made of them, as a moral treasure, in the. style of
Franklin. Such a collection would oiler a new
but unforeseen aspect of his moral character.
There will be frequent opportunities to direct
public attention towards a fame that has long been
an universal patrimony. At present it will be suf-
themost successfullyindecaotnautientuibeide
ficient to point out that superior power of talent by
which a poet so light and often so brilliant in his
lias dheiextneraomuesl andy
upon
marbles of history.
engravegtoaiety

THE ST. LEGER.—The number of entries for the Don-
caster St. Leger of 1859 is 170, and the net value of the
stakes 4,2501. The noblemen and gentlemen who have
more than two nominations are the following :—The
Marquis of Exeter, five ; Lord Glasgow, four ; Lord
Clttsleo, three ; Lord Londesborough, three ; Sir Chas.
Mouck, three ; Mr. F. Marten, six ; Mr. Bowes, four ;
Mr. Cookson, four ; Mr. J. Scott, tour ; Mr. J. Merry,
four ; Mr. H. Hill, three ; Mr. Medley, three.
ACCIDENT ON THE GREAT WESTERN BA.ILViT AY.—
CHELTENHAM, SATURDAY.—The third-class train from
Gloucester to Cheltenham, which bad a large freight,
tThite.nexcoparsease.
was yesterday running into Cheltenhaiu stattor.l, when,
owing to a pointsman neglecting to turn the points, the
traintrain rf7Luopnodnntnhewtaipa-llienaevoi,figthcehrealitlesriiant
;d;and although a
quence was a most severe collision. Both en ins were
severely damaged and thrown off the line, ut happily
the carriages wegr
number of passes) braised and cut, no
limbs were broken. About 14 passengers received in.
-ersnsvotereovseervieurrnel

j
FOUNDATION STONE OF COVENT-GAIWEN THRATRE.—
On Friday afternoon the workmen engaged in pulling
down the walls of Covent-garden Theatre discovered the
foundation stone at the corner of the building in Hart.
street and Bow•street. In a hole in the stone was found
a brass box, in which were several of the coins current
at the time the stone was deposited. The box, which
was inches square by 2, was sent to the Duke
of Bedford, abouteritbr 4
d,,he landlord of the estate, in consequence of
a condition of sale to that effect. The inscriptionon the
foundation stone was "Long live George, Prince of
Wales." It is stated that the box will be sent to her
Majesty.