Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-08-22
miscellaneous
From the New York Evening Post.
BEE A N g e R,

lew eminent literary meU WIN Ttmulucu Nv ii"hNN
after the osurpation of the present Emperor,
whose family name his songs did much to make
popular. 49,,
Pierre Jean de Beranger was born on the 18th
Of August, 1850, at Paris, in the house oil ms
grandfather, a poor tailor. When nine years ola
he went to live with an aunt, q small inkeeper, in
the suburbs of Peronne. Here be served as
tavern-boy for FIVE years, and was then apprenticed
to n printer. He soon entered the Institute Fdtrt-
oti9ue, n school founded by NJ. BGllue, upon the
system of Rousseau. AT the age of seventeen he
was residing at Paris with his father. writing
comedy, epic, religious poetry. &C., for the fire.
"In 1903" he says, "without resources, tired Of
fallacious hopes, versifying without aim and with.
out encouragement, | conceived the idea-and
how many similar ideas have remained without
results IL conceived the idea of enclosing all my
crude poems to M. Lucien Bonaparte, already eel
ebrated for his great oratorical talents, and for his
love of literature and the arts. My letter accom-
panying them was one worthy of a young ultra
republican brain. How well | remember it 1t
bore the mpress of pride wounded by the neces-
sity of having recourse to q protector. Poor, I'M
known, so often disappointed, l could scarcely
count upon the success of a step which no one
seconded"
NJ. Bonaparte showed that he deserved his rep.
utation as a patron of letters. He sent for the
young poet, ard assisted him both with advice and
money.
During the years 1866 Beranger was assistant
editor of the ''Annales des MuSee," and in 1909 re-
ceived an appointment to a c~lerkship in the Office
of the Secretary Of the University of Paris, with
a salary of S240. In 1913 he became a member
of the "Caveau," a society which required of him
an initiation fee of verse. His reception by that
body determined his future career, and when his
first collection of poems appeared in 1915, they
were already familiar to the public. His second
collection, published in 1921, cost him his clerk
ship, and several months Imprisonment. A third
publication, in 1923, subjected him to a severer
imprisonment and a heavy fine. The fine was
paid by his friends. In his prison Beranger wrote
with yet more point and severity, and assisted as
much as any one to accomplish the successful rev.
o%lution of 1880. His friends being now in power
desired to give him some fitting acknowledgement
of his services, and offered him titles and Offices,
but he rejected the spoils of victory and retired to
Tours, where he completed a fourth collection of
songs. Louis Philippe showed no greater favor to
the free expression of liberal opinions than the
elder Bourbons. But in all his adversely, Beran-
er was sustained by a cheerful temper ard the cul-
tivation of the muse. After the proclamation of
the Republic in l84S, his great popularity secured
his return as a Member of the Legislative Assem-,
bly,, bnt he claimed Exemption from the arduous
duties of this Office, on the ground of old age.
Since then he has lived in Paris, free from the
anxieties and vexations of politics.
His means of support only suficed with the
%strictest ~frugality, yet he resisted all the efforts
even of imperial munifcence to increase his
comforts.
The disease of which Beranger died is charac-
terised by physicians as hypertrophy of the heart,
with the consequent infltration. One of the
cleverest Paris .JeutHetoniStes, writing on the 10th
instant, says:
"The poet receives nearly all his visitors who
are not unknown to him, for he is enc of those
men whose very death is a spectacle for curiosity
Potter, the celebrated comedian, in his last hour:
received a visit from an Englishman, whom h
had never seen, and who had no other motive il
calling but to be able to inscribe in bis journa
that he had seen Potter the actor die. The island
er probably supposed, too, that there would BIZ
something droll in the last agonies of a comedian
Of Pointer fame. and that his last sigh would be
extremely comical. 1t was nothing of the kind,
however. Potter died like a bourgeois, without
letting a funny word escape him, only, as thu
Englishman overwhelmed him with question:
about his repertoire, the parts he had played, hit
successes and compliments, Potter remarked: "My
dear sir, as you are in such good health and l an
about TO die, | have a favor to ask of you: will
you please to answer as well as 10 ask the ques
tons"
Beranger appeared to be resigned, if not as
Christian, as a philosopher, to his approachin;
end. At the funeral of David Dangers, and jus
at the momant when the poet passed through tn
crowd, a workman said, with q grave voice, $50,
keep you Beranger." "Be it so my friend" wa
the reply, "Dut not too long"
"They say that for a man who has reached hi
years, life becomes q crushing burden, and tha
tuls is tHt si5nluCduCe OI the legenQ OF Lno al
dering Jew" New gene -ations bring with then
SO to speak, a new atmosphere, in which the ol
breathe with difficulty. When a man has place
the stone under which lies the last of his conten
poraries, what can be done in the world? A da
of sad isolation seems to have dawned upo
Beranger, when, two years ago, he buried tn
faithful companion OF his life. He died like Va
taire, the whole society suspended on the bulletin
of physicians, and he may be said to witness hi
own funeral.
''Beranger is the sole surviving idol of passe
popularities. AT Rome, when Caesar succeeded
Caesar, he caused the statutes of his predecessor
to be cast into the Tiber. Our revolutions hay
proceeded in much the same way. Beranger rs
sisted the flood which swept away all the renow
OF his time. Skeptics have tried to tamper wit
his impregnable disinterestedness ; in simple CT
secluded life refusing all the advances of fortur
and social destruction, they pretended to see
pride superior to those qualifications which salts
other men. But the people have continued to |
impressed with the democratic character of BeraI
gar's life they have seen in him not only ii
voice of their country, but the precursor des tenn
egdietdires. 1t is in this latter aspect that he is 0
especial object of their sympathies.
The following account of Beranger, which "
translate from a Paris paper. is from an old neigl
Dor of the distinguished poet, who was intimatel
acquainted with him for many years:
"Beranger has always sought seclusion. e
2eciallJ during the latter years of his life. Pass,
Fontainbleau, Tours, and quiet Beaujon hay
sheltered his retirement and he was constant
changing his residence to escape popular import
nifty. The names of the English and American
who daily besiege the poet Of Lisette, and IL
sums of money which they offer his housekeepe
to be admitted, would fill 2 volume. "The poo
dear man !'said one of his servants, "they want n
to show him for money"
The clergy. among the rest, applied sever
times with great reserve, during the latter part
his %sojourn at Passy. In l849, Sibour, ArchbishC
of Paris. accompanied by his Wears and the cura
of Passy, visited the poet, who received him p
litely. but in such a manuer that he had no desi
of renewing the visit.
AFTER the death of David dangers he on
wished to walk upon the Boulevard, to take Il
morning air. He loved to walk without being re
ognised in this thronged quarters; and whenev,
he could walk to the Bastile without seeing eve
the cap of an artisan raised before his white lock
he seemed more pleased than when some indiscre
promenade attracted a popular ovation. AT last
he would say, with a satisfied smile, Il am to