The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1870-08-19
THE HISTORY OF THE MARsEILLAIsE

laises arrived at Paris, WHITTIER they had
| been invited by Barbaroux at the instance
OF Madame Roland. "The secret motive
of their march," says NJ De Iamartine,
was to intimidate the National Guard OF
OF Paris; to. revive the energy of the Eau
bourgs; and to be in the advance guard of
that camp of 5000 men, which the Giron-
dists had made the Assembly vote; to over
rule the Feuillants, the Jacobins the King,
and the Assembly itself, with an army of
the Departments composed entirely of their
own creatures" The Marseillaises entered
Paris by the Faubourg St. Antoine, and
singing the song which bears their name,
proceeded to the Champs Elysees, where
banquet was prepared for them.
The origin of the words and music of
this famous song is thus described by M
De Lamartine: There was at that time
young officer of artillery in the garrison
at Strasburg. His name was Rouget De
Lisle. He was born at Lons-le Saulnier in
the Jura, country of reveries and
energy, as mountainous regions al
ways are This young man loved war as
soldier the reyolutiol as thinker. BY
his verses and his music, he lightened the
tediouness of the garrison. Generally
sought on account of his double talent as q
musician and poet he became familiar
visitor at the house ofan Asiatic patriot,
DIETRICH Mayor of Strasburg. The W life
and daughters of Dietrich shared his en-
thusiasm for patriotism and revolution.
They loved the young officer. They inspi-
red his heart, his poetry and his music :;
and trusting to the early lispings of his
genius, they were the first to execute his
scarcely expressed thoughts.
at was in the winter of 1892, famine
reigned at Strasburg, the Dietrich fami-
ly were poor, and their table was frugal,
but twas hospitable to Rouget One day,
when there was nothing on the board
but some ammunition bread and few slices
OF ham, Dietrich, looking at De Lisle with
melancholy calmness, said to him. Album
dance is wanting at our banquet, but what
matters that, when, neither enthusiasm is
wanting at our civic feasts, nor courage in
the hearts ofour soldiers2 / have still a bot
tie OF wine left in my cellar; let it be brought
up, and let US drink to liberty and orr
country. There will soon be patriotic
celebration at Strasburg; may these last
drops inspire De Lisle with one Of those
hymns which convey to the soul of the peo-
pie the intoxication from whence they pro-
ceed' The young girls applauded, brought
in the wine, and filled the glasses of their
aged father and the young officer until the
liquor was exhausted. 1t was midnight.
The night was cold De Lisle was in
dreamy state; his heart was touched; his
head was heated. The cold overpowered
him, and he tottered into his lonely room,
slowly seeking inspiration, now in his pa
triotic soul, now in his harpsichord; some
times composing the air before the words,
and sometimes composing the words be-
fere the air, and so combining them in
his thoughts that he himself did not
know whether the notes or the verses came
first, and that it was impossible to separate
the poetry from the music, or the senti-
ment from the expression. He sang all,
and set down nothing.
"Oyerpowered with the sublime inspira-
ton, De Lisle went to sleep on the harpsi-
chord, and did not wake until day. He
recollected the song of the previous night
with a difficulty like that with which we
recall the impressions ola dream. He now
set down the words and music, and ran
with them to Dietrich, whom he found at
work in the garden. The wife and daugh-
Dietrich awakened them, and invited some
friends who were as passionately fond of
music as himself, and were capable of
executing De Lisle's composition. His
eldest daughter played the accompaniment,
while Rouget sung. AT the first stanzas
all faces turned pale; at the second, tears
ran down every cheek; and at the last all
the madness of enthusiasm broke forth.
Dietrich, his wife, and his daughter, and the
young officer fell weeping into each others
arms, the hymn of the country was found.
1t was destined, alas to be also the hymn
of terror. A few months afterward the I'M
fortunate Dietrich went to the scaffold to
the sound of the very notes which had
their origin ON his own hearth in the heart
of his friend and in the voices of his chill
| dren.
THE MARsEILLAIsR.
Come, children of your country, come,
New glory dawns upon the world
Our tyrants, rushing to their doom,
Their bloody standard have unfured
Already on our plains we hear
The murmurs OF a savage horde;
They threaten with the murderous sword
Your comrades and your children dear.
Then up and form yonr ranks, the hireling
foe Withstand,
March on-his craven blood must tertilize
the land.
Those banded serfs-What would they have,
By tyrant kings together BROUGHT
Whom are those letters to enslave
Which long their hands have wrought
You Frenchmen, you they would enchain,
Doth not the thought your bosoms fre2
The ancient bondage they desire
To force upon your necks again
Then up, &c
These marshalled foreigners-sha they
Make laws to reach the Frenchmsn's hearth
Shall hireling troops who fight for pay
Strike down our warriors TO the earth
God shall we bow beneath the weight
OF hands that slavish letters wear2
Shall ruthless despots once more dare
| To be the masters of our fate?
Then up, &c.
Then tremble DEMONSTRATIONS all
Ye whom both friends and foes despise,
On you shall retribution fall.
Your crimes shall gain worthy prize,
Each man opposes might to might;
And when our youthful heroes die,
Our French can well their place supply;