The Irish standard., 1891-01-17
''1'ho French ''Marseillalse. =

''1hc French f'Marseillalse.
sIa Marseillaise,' the national air 0
France. is song which inspires tn
hearts Of Frenchmen as no other music
can.
The story Of the origin Of thie song Ii
dramatic, as it is told by Lamartine
There was young officer in garrison
al StrasDurg named Rouget de Lisle,
saws che historian. ''Ha was born al
Lons~le Saunier, in the Jura, that coun
try of reverie and energy, as mountain
GUS countries always are. This young
NAN loved war like soldier-the revo-
luton ike thinker. He charmed with
his verses and music the slow, dull gar
| rison life. Much in request from the
two-fold talent as musician and poet,
he visited the house of DIETRICH, an
Alsatian patriot, on intimate terms.
Dietrich's wife and young daughters
shared in his patriotic feelings, for the
revolution was advancing toward the
frontiers, just as the affections OF the
body always commence at the ext:enl-
tiles. They were very partial TO tho
young officer. and inspired mis- heart,
his postry, and his music. They ex-
ecuted the first of his ideas hardly de-.
veloped. confidantes Of the earliest
flights Of his genius.
lit was i'm rhe winter OF 1882, &sd
there was a scarcity in Strasburg Ihe
house Of Dietrich was poor and che table
humble, but there was always a wei
come ior Rouget dc Lisle. The young
officer was there from morning tlll
night, like a sou or a broJheI OF che
family Oae day when there were only
some coarse bread and slices of nam Oh
the table Dietrich, looking with calm
sadness at Do Lisle. said to him:
PLENTY 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? / have STILL
bottle OF wins left III nv cellar. Bring
it, he added, addressing one of his
daughteys, and We will drink to liberty
and our country. Strasburg is shortly
to have a patriotic ceremony and he
Lisle must be inspired by these last
drops to produce one OF those hymns
which convey to the soul Of ihe people
the enthusiasm which suggested It,
The Young girls applauded, fetched the
wine; filled the glasses Of their old
father aud the young officer until the
wine was exhausted. 1t was midnight
and yerv cold, De Lisle was dreamer;
his heart was moved, his head was
heated. The cold seized on him. and
he went staggering to his lonely cham
Der, endeayoring by degrees to hnd ln-
SEPARATION in the palpitations of his citi-
zen heart; and on his small clavicord,
now composing the air before the
words. and now the words before the
air, combined them so intimately In his
mind that he could never tell which
was drst produced, the air or the words,
80 impossible did he find it to separate
the poetry from the music, and the feel
ing from the impression. He sang
everything wrote nothing
Overcome by this divine inspira
ton, his head fell sleeping on his ia.
strument, and he did not awake until
daylight. The song of the over night
returned to his memory with difficulty,
like the recollec tions of dream. He
wrote it down an d then ran to Dietrich.
He found him in his garden. His wife
and daughters had moi yet risen.
Dietrich aroused them, called together
some friends as fond as himself of
music, and capable OF executing De
Lisle's compositions; Dietrich's eldest
daughter accompanied them, Rouget
sang. At the first verse all cOunte
nances turned pale. at the second tears
flowed, at the last enthusiasm burst
forth. The hymn of the country was
found. Alas! it was also destined to be!
the hymn Of terror, The unfortunate
Dietrich went few months afterWard
to the scaffold to the sound OF the notes
produced at his own Preside, from the
heart Of his friend. and the voice OF bis
1.-THE new song, executed some days
after ward in Strasb1rg, few from CITY