The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1864-07-23
History Ofthe lsarseilles Hymn.

The Marseillaise presents notes OF the song of
glory and the shrek Of death glorious as the
one, funeral like the other, 1t assures the c0un-
try, while il makes the citizens turn pale. Ihls
is its history There was then, (t the time Of
the French Revolution. 1900 a young officer of
the artillery, in the garrison OF Strasburg, named
Rouget de Lisle. He was born at Louis lie San
nier, in the Jura, that country OF revelry and
energy as mountain countries always are. lie
charmed with his music and verses the slow dull
garrison life. Much in request from his two fold
talent as a musician and a poet, he visited the
house Of Deitrick, an Alsatian patriot, On init
mate terms. In the winter Of 1892, there was
q scarcity in Strasburg. The house of Dietrich
was poor and the table was humble, but there
was a welcome for Rouget de Lisle.-Once when
there was only some coarse bread and slices Of
ham on the table, Dietrich looked with calm sad
ness and said to him d" Plenty Is not seen at our
feasts, but what matter If enthusiasm IS not
wanting at our civic fetes, and courage IN our
soldiers hearts. | have still a bottle of wine in
my CELLAR Bring it," said he to his 6augh-
ter, land we will drink to liberty and our coun-
try. Strasburg is soon 10 have Il patriotic cere-
mony, and De Isle must be inspired to produce
one of those hymns which convey to the souls OF
the people the enthusiasm which suggested 1t"
They drank-De Isle was a dreamer-his
heart was mcyed-his head was heated. He went
staggering TO his chamber, endeavoring by de-
grees to find inspiration in the palpitation OF his
citizens heart, and on his small harpischord,
now Composing III Sit DSiOI AK "OiOe, hO"
composing words before the air, combining them
so intimately in his mind that he could never tell
which was first produced, the air or words, SO
impossible did he find it to separate the music
from the poetry, and the feeling from the i'm
preston. He sang everything-wrote nothing.
Overcome by the Divine inspiration his head Tell
sleeping on his instrument, and he did not awake
till daylight. The song of the overnight return
ed to his memory, with difficulty like the recol-
lection of a dream. He wrote it down and gave
it to Dietrich, who called together some musicians
who were capable of executing De Lisle's com
position. De Lisle sang. At the first 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 unfOrtu-
nate Dietrich went n few months afterwards TO
the scaffold, to The sounds of the notes frs: pro-
duced at his fireside, and from the heart of his
friend.
The new song ONE weeks after was sung at
Strasburg. 1t flew from city to city. Marseilles
adopted it to be sung at the opening and close of
its clubs. Marseilles spread it all over France.
Hence the name of Marseilles.
De Isle heard it and shuddered at its sound
on his ears, while escaping by the wild passes of
the Alps as a prescribed Royalist. What do
they call that hymn?' he inquired of his guide.
90 The Marseilles,'' answered the peasant. 1t
thus he learned the name of his own work.
The arm was turned against the hand that forged
it.-Lamartine.