The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-06-04

The march of the Marseiles Battalion
Of 5i6 from Marseiiles to Paris, chanting
the Marseillaise an the way. and drag
ging their two cannon by hand ana their
storming Of the Kings Palace on the night
OF August 10th. after they had arrived at
Paris. has always constituted one OF
the most interesting incidents OF
the early days of the French
Revolution. They stormed the pal.
81 ace like men who were sworn TO
least down the tyrant." and who knew
how to die; though raw recruits. they
withstood the whitening FIRE Of the Swiss
Guards ike veterans; and they butcher
cred the same Swiss when victory came to
their side with an the fanaticism and
bloodthirstiness that the beginners II
that era Of blood ought TO have had.
Carlyle writes of this band IN bis history
OF the French Revolution:
For cats they were not; neither was
there plumber nor danger q it. Men Of
regular life or the best ullcd purse they
could hardly be. These Marseules re.
mains inartiCulatc. undistnsuishable in
feature, blaca-brOWed mass. fun o. grim
fire. who wend there in the hot, sultry
weather. very singular 10 contemplate.
They wend. amid the inhnitude Of doubt
and dire peril. they not doubtful. Fate
and feudal Europe, having decided, come
girdling in from without: they having
also decided. do march within. Dusty OF
face, with frugal refreshment they plcd
onward, invncible. not to be turned
aside. Such march shall become famous.
Ia. 4
the whole prosper and know how TO die.
II enlightened curiosity ever get sight Of
The Marseiles EOuncii-BOOhs will IL not
explore this strangest OF municipal pro-
cedures' and feel called TO FISH up what
the biographies. creditable or iiscredita-
bic, Of these five hundred and seventeen
the stream Of Time has not irrerOcably
swallowed"
What Carlyle hoped might thereafter
be done has now been done. The dis
tinguished French poet and romance
writer, Felix Gras. has published book
called THE Reds Of the Mil" which
the Appletons. Of New York. have rad
translated and published in his coun-
Try that is a minute and circumstantiai
narrative Of all the proceedings OF his
band Of enthusiasts from Marseilles 10
Paris and back, and We can unhesitating-
ly say that no volume OF more absorbing
interest has fallen into our hands In a
long time. Perhaps il may not be out
Of place TO say that we arc not noticing
a publishers present. We bought the
book and paid Tor it sl.25
THIS book has supplied Us with what
We have long sought without avail-a cir
cumstantial and detailed account Of the
lives OF the common folks IN France in
their homes prior TO the Revolution.
Everybody knows that the nobility CD
pressed The common people in the most
cruel and horrible maner and general
reference can be found TO the unbap,y
condition of the people In many volumes.
But We rise from the perusa or all OF
them with am unsausned feeling. We feel
that we have been told about something
but that we have not been TOLD the thing
itself. Gras has given US an act,ial liy-
Ing picture o. The thing itself lie has
shown US the peasant and his family be-
longing 10 the nobleman's estate as The
horses and COWS belonged 20 *. lie has
shown us the peasants family living in
their cog hut the children sleeping If a
box on some straw on one side side OF
the hut and the parents sleeping IN a
similar box on tae other side o, IL. with
a pot suspended between the 80 In which
the chestnuts and acorus on which the,
lived were boiled. lie has told us how
this peasant was granted right 20 gather
the lords scorns and chestnuts on shares.
how al the peasants i1et once year
at the village 20 bake bread Tor the
year out OF 4 coarse flour made Of rye
with its husks on. beans and scorns:
and how this bread would get so
hard 1t had TO be cut of with
an axe. the edge Of which axe
II nicked IL was 50 hard. 'Ie mas told
as how peasant was delighted when
on one occasion he tasted a bit OF fresh
baked efcsd. dipped in a soup made of
rancid pork. as a dish the like OF witch
no never imagined before. He lss old
us bow. when the lord passed. all the