The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1855-02-14
HISTORY OF THE MARSEILLES
HYMN.

The Marseillais presents notes of the
song of glory and the shrieks of death
glorious as the one, funeral like the 9th
er, it assures the country while it makes
the citizen turn pale. This is its histo-
ry. There was then lat the time of the
French Revolution, I76o,) young Off
Ger of the artillery, in the garrison of
Strasburg, named Rouget de Lisle. He
was born at Louis lie Sannier, in the
Jura, that country of revelry and ener-
He charmed with his music and verses
the slow, dull garrison life. Mach in
request from his two-fold talent as mu-
sician and poet he visited the house of
Dietrich, aud Alsatian patriot, on init
mate terms. In the winter of 1892 there
was scarcity in Strasburg. The house
of Dietrich was poor and the table hum
BILE, but there was always welcome for
Rouget de Lisle. Once when there
was only some coarse bread and slices
of ham on the table, Dietrich looked
with calm sadness and said to them
"Pleaty is not seen at our feasts, but
what matter if enthusiasm is not want
ing at our civic fetes, and courage in
our soldiers hearts 1 have still bot
tie of wine in my cellar. Bring it, -
said he to his daughter, and we will
drink to liberty and our country. Stras-
burg is soon to have its patriotic cere-
mony, and De Lisle must be inspired to
produce one of those hymns which con-
vey to the souls of the people the enthu-
siasm which suggested it."
They drank-De Lisie was dream
er-his heart was moved, his head was
heated. He went staggering to his
chamber, endeavoring by degrees to find
inspiration in the palpitations of his cit
izen heart; and on bis small harpsichord
now composing the air before the words,
now the words before the air, combining
them SO intimately in his mind that he
could never tell which was the first pro-
duced, the air or the words, SO imposs;-
BILE did he find it to separate the music
from the poetry, and the feeling from
the impression. He sang everything
wrote nothing. Overcome by the divine
inspiration, his head fell sleeping on his
instrument, aud he did not awake till
daylight. The song of the overnight
returned to his memory with difficulty,
like the recolections of dream. He
wrote it down ID gave it 10 Dietrich,
who called together some musicians who
were capable of executing De Lisle's
composition. De .Lisle sang. At the
frs, verse all countenances turned pale
at the second, tears flowed; at the
last, enthusiasm burst forth The hymn
Of the country was found. Alas it
was destined to be the hymn of terror.
The unfortunate Dietrick went few
months afterwards to the s.affold to the
sound of the notes first produced at his
freside, aud from the heart of his friend.
The new song, some weeks after, was
sung at Strasburg 1t few from city to
city. Marseilles adopted it to be sung
at the opening and close of its clubs
The Marseillais. spread it all over
France. Hence the name of Marseil-
lais.
De Lisle heard it and shuddered at
its sound on his ears, while escaping by
the wild passes of the Alps as proscri-
bed Royalist. =" What do you call that
hymn ?' be inquired of his guide. "The
Marseillaise, answered the PEASANT
1t was thus he learned the name of his
own work The arm was turned against
the hand that forged it.-Lonsartiac.