Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1854-12-28
Toetrp.
x,,sroRy OF THE MARsEILLEs HYMN.

The Marseilles presents notes of the song of
GLORY and the shrek of death, glorious as the
one. funeral-like as the other, it assures the
country while it make the citizen turn pale.
This il its history. There was then Cat the
time of the French revolution, 1882 young
officer of the artillery, in the garrison of Stras-
bursb. named Rouget de Lisle. He was born
M Louis lie Saunier in the Jura, that country OF
reyelry and energy, as mountainous countries
ALWAYS are. He charmed with his music and
verses the slow dull garrison life. Much IN re-
Quest for his twofod talent as musician and
meet he visited the house of Dietrich, an Asa
tin Patriot, on intimate terms. In the winter
of 1892 there was scarcity In Strasburgh.
The house of Dietrich was poor and the table
humble, but there was always welcome Tor
Rouget de Iisle. Once when there was only
some coarse bread and slices OF ham on the table
Dietrich looked with sadness and said to him
Plenty is not seen at our feasts, but what
matters it if enthusiasm is not wanting at our
civic fetes, and courage in our soldiers hearts
have still bottle of wine in my celler. Bring
it," said he to his daughter, " and we will drink
to liberty and our country. Strasburgh is soon
to have patriotic ceremony, and de Llsle must
be inspired to introduce one of those hymns
which conveys to the souls Of the people the en-
thusiasm which suggested it," They drank.
De Lisle was o dreamer-his heart was moved,
his head heated
He went staggering to his chamber, endeavor-
ing by degrees to find inspiration in the palplta-
tions Of his citizen heart and on his small clo-
verhead now composing the air before the words,
now the words before the air, combining them
80 intimately in his mind that he never could
tell which was first produced, the air or the
words, so impossible did he find it to separate
the music from the poetry, and the feeling from
the impressi on. He sang everything-wrott
nothing. Overcome by the divine inspiration
his head fell sleeping on his instrument, and he
did not awake till daylight. The song Of the
overnight returned to his memory with Difficult
ty, like the recollections Of dream. He wrote
it down, and gave it to Dietrich, who called to-
gether some musicians capable of executing de
Lisle's composition. De Lsle sang. AT the
first verse all countenances turned pale, at the
second tears flowed, at the last enthusiasm burs
forth. The hymn If the country was found
The unfortunate Dietrich went, a few month al.
forwards to the scaffod to the sound of the
notes first produced at his own fireside, and from
the heart of his friend. The new song som(
weeks after, was executed at Strasburg 1t few
from city to city. Marsees adopted it to be
sung at the opening and close of the sittings Of
its clubs. The Marseilles spread all over France
De Lisle himself heard it, and shuddered at its
sound on his ears, while escaping by some of the
wild passes of the Alps as prescribed loyalist
"What do they call that hymn " he inquired
of his guide. 1.-The Marseiles," answered the
peasant. 1t was thus he learned the name Of
bis own work. The arm was turned against the
hand that forged it-Lamartine.