The Washington union., 1857-08-15
BERANGER.

Beranger has lived LIE OF nearly four-score Be
ranger is dead. During that long life he steadily
cherished regard for thepeople- for the drones
in the hive of society, but for the honest truthful,
laboring masses-for the intelligence which grew out
OF soil Of natural richness for the patriotism which
had its fullest development in the breasts of unpol-
ished and unselfsh men, and for the moral worth to
be found among the classes who form what is called
the under strata of French society. His literary
merits were pereeptibe to all, but it was the com
mon people-the working, productive unsordid multi
tude-that recprocated his affection; that sang his
songs, and made them familiar as household words
and that have now at his DEATH apotheosized him into
the greatest lyric poet of France-an award which
probably time and criticism will only confirm. Him
self sprung from plebeian lons his boyhood passed
in the stormy period of the first French revolution,
and by turns, he himself expressed it, "a tavern
boy, printer, and clerk" " he was too honest not to
detest tyranncal and unjust government, yet too
gacious not to perceive the of those who to
dethrone tyranny, committed greater tyranny and
hence his aversion to mobs and bis unwillingness to
accept even the popular favor as the price of his
sanctoning popular excesses. AS the friend Of lib
erty however, he was doomed to suffer two impris-
onments though it is but just to add that to his po-
itical provocations of the government of that time
were added occasional perversions of his pen which
morality can under no circumstances justify. These
nprisonments only increased his zeal and his
tons in the peoples cause and they were followed
eventually by the revolution of 1880. But Beranger
was not disposed to reap individual advantage from
this revolution or from that which occurred eighteen
years afterwards and he resisted all proers to that
end with the rmness that he resisted the blan-
dishments and temptations of regal muni6cence. The
Courier DIES Eias Unis of the 9Th instant contains
sketch of the life of Beranger, by NJ Paul d1vo of
which friend has obligingy furnished the follow
ing translation The leading incidents in the life Of
the poet and the productions of his muse are con
cisely narrated and graphically described and the
sketch will repay perusal:
Jean Pierre de Beranger born at Paris the 10th
of August 1880, of poor parents notwithstanding the
aristocratic ' to his name he of base of pay base
origin He has related, in of his songs that his
grandfather, poor tailor, took care OF his infancy
En- Fan du Christ mil sept cent quatre-yingt
Chez un taleur, mon pauvre ct vieux grand -pere,
Moi, nouveau-ne, sachez ce qui m advint."
Until nine years of age Beranger lived with his grand
father The old tailor, very weak and ndulgent allow
ed him pass his childhood without lessons and without
labor somewhat of vagabond He was in Paris at the
time of the capture of the Basean event which he
to sing forty years afterwards.
few days after this popular victory the boy left for
Peronne where he found paternal aunt, who kept an
inn in the suburbs of the city About this time he
struck by lightning and all his limbs were temporarily
paralyzed
At the age of fourteen he commenced apprenticeship
with Mr. Iaisney printer in Peronne 1t then that
he began to be acquainted with himself.
Beranger had not therefore, passed his youth in study
,oI I,rillt al, Ac
of of his songs expresses it. he successive
lya
g Garcon dauberge, imprimeur ct commits "
AS printer he learned orthography and the first rules
of versfcation That sufced for his genius Beranger
attracted attention at the start.
AT the age of the future minstrel Of ''the
Beggars' returned to his fathers house in Paris His
head full of poetic dreams, and he burning with
the desire to sing and speak in the language of the gods
He began comedy on the model OF Aristophanes, ent
tied ssIhe Hermaphrodites aimed at weak and
ambitious women
He lost afterwards some years writing an epic poem
entitled Clovis barren production, of which nothing
has remained
But poverty had raped the door of the young poet
Deprived of resources persfying ico object and ,com
co,vagsea, sctom instruction and woa ddpiee, Beranger
conceived the idea Of putting his poetca productions in
envelope and sending them to Lucien Bonaparte Lu
Glen foresaw the poet and became his protector Soon
afterwards Lucen went to Rome, and sent him order
from the Eternal City to receive his uciens salary
member OF the INSTITUTE BeTanRer never forgot this
benefit and thirty years afterwards in 1888, he dedi-
Gated to Lucen his latest collection of songs.
Landon employed him on the Anad du Mlisfe, several
volumes of which he edited AT length, the
mendation of Anaut M. de Fontanes had him entered
copyis in the Office Of the University There he re-
NAMED twelve years 1t in this Office the paper
of the Institution, that he scribbled the Gar the
F,ftillon, the Roi d Yvea, and the Stnaeur
At the fall of the Empire the disasters of France
sprcd Beranger with songs abounding i'm patriotism If
under the Empire he sang the liking of Yvetot" after
1874, hating foreign rule, he began to sing the glory
France.
During the Hundred Days he offered the office Of
censor, with fat salary Beranger refused it, his only
answer being the song on the censorship Of Louis
XVIII
After the battle of Waterloo he published Ehaba de
C5a1 lie Marquis de Carabds Pdla la Marge de Preti-
t1i u Ea de Bonne Maison and numerous other pieces
On the other hand the poet, tcao aered only the uor
na addressed to his friend Arnaut then in exile the
touching elegy entitled Les Osea,n.
The songs of Beranger and more. La Saipte
Alliance ds Peoples Non Ame lie Diat de BONES Gea, lie
Va,r Dapau, u Orage Les Deur Cousins, les Adelr Ia
Glore, Les Eaans de Ia France lie Champ AsRe lie Bon
ViiHo7d became sublime odes.
Beranger earned thenceorth the glorious title of
tiona poet.
He deprived Of his humble employment, as
he had expected.
In 1921 he the object of bitter prosecutions on the
part Of the authorities and of the prosecuting speeches of
NJ de Marchangy. Brought before the assizes of the
Seine charged with outrage good manners of outrage
public and religious morals of offence to the person
nf