Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-12-02
THE "MARsEILLAisE."
How the National Hymn Of France
Was Composed.

Was Composed.
The "Marseillaise" resounds like
chant Of glory, and at the same time
echoes like a song Of death. Inspiring
as the one 1t strengthens the country,
and melancholy as the other 1t brings
pallor to the faces Of the citizens. This
is its origin:
There was In 1882 a young officer
of artillery in garrison at Strasbourg.
His name was Rouget de Lisle. He
was born at Lons-le-Saunier, In the
Jura, a mountainous country, ever the
home of thought and energy. This
Young man loved war as a soldier; the
Revolution as a thinker. With his
verses and music the dreary days OF
the garrison were made to pass more
pleasantly. Sought after on account
of his double talent as musician and
poet, he often visited the house OF
Dietrich. an Alsacian patriot, mayor
of Strasbourg. AS the irritations OF
disturbed body are most apparent at
its extremities, the frontiers, above
all, throbbed with the enthusiasm OF
patriotism and the Revolution. This
enthusiasm was. shared by the wife
and young daughters Of Dietrich.
They loved the young officer; they
inspired his heart, his poetry. his
music. Confidantes Of the stammer-
ings Of his genius, they were the first
to execute his newly-born thoughts.
1t was winter. Poverty reigned In
Strasbourg. Dietricks house was
poor, his table frugal, but hospitality
always awaited Rouget de Lisle. The
young officer went there morning and
evening. like a son or brother OF the
family. One day, when there was
nothing but some brown bread and
slices of smoked ham on the table,
Dietrick looked at De Lisle with sad
serenity and said: Abundance is
lacking at our feasts, but what mat
ters this II enthusiasm be not lack
ing at our civil festivals, or courage
in the hearts Of our soldiers? / still
have one lone bottle Of wine In my
cellar. Have it brought" he said to
one of his daughters. "and we Will
drink to Liberty and the Country
Strasbourg is soon to have patriotic
ceremony. De: Lisle must find IN
these last drops a hymn which Will
carry to the hearts Of the people the
exhilaration Of the soul from which
1t has sprung
The young daughters applauded,
brought the wine and filled the glasses
of their old father and the young off,
Ger till the wine was exhausted.
1t was midnight. The night was
cold. De Lisle was plunged IN
thought. His soul was moved, and,
though his brain was fevered, a chill
shook his body. He staggered into
his solitary Handicapped for in
spiration, now In the depths OF his
inspired citizens soul, again on the
keys of his instrument. Sometimes he
composed the air before the words,
sometimes the words came before the
air, and both were commingled IN
such a manner in his thoughts that
he himself could not tell which was
born first, notes or verse. 1t was I'M
possible to separate the poetry from
the music, the sentiment from the ex-
preston. He sung all-wrote nothing.
STEPPED in this sublime inspiration
he fell asleep with his head resting
on his instrument and did not awake
till morning. The song Of the night
returned with reluctance to his MEM
ory as do the impressions Of dream.
He wrote down the words and music
and ran to Dietrick's house, and found
him in the garden digging some Win
ter lettuce with his own hands. The
wife and children Of the old patriot
had not yet risen. Dietrich awakened
them and called some friends, all as
devoted as himself to music and capa-
BILE of rendering the composition OF
De Lisle. Dietricks eldest daughter
played the accompaniment, Rouget
sang. At the first strophe the faces
paled; at the second, the tears flowed;
at the last a delirium Of enthusiasm
broke forth. Dietrich, his wife and
daughters and the young officer, all IN
tears, threw themselves into each
others arms. The hymn Of the coun-
try was found. Alas! 1t was also to
become the hymn Of the Terror. The
unfortunate Dietrich, little less than
a month later marched to the scaffold
to the sound of the notes born at his
fireside in the soul Of his friend and
the voices Of his daughters.
The new hymn, sung some days
later in Strasbourg, flew from city to
city. being played by all the popular
bands. Marseilles adopted 1t, to be
sung at the beginning and ending OF
the meetings Of its clubs. The Mar
seillaise spread 1t abroad through
France by singing 1t on their Journeys.
From this 1t received the name OF
"Marseillaise." De Lisle's old mother,
a royalist, and very religious, fright
ened at the resounding Of the voice
of her son, wrote to him: What Is
this Revolutionary hymn sung by q
horde of brigands throughout France
and with which your name is mixed"
De Lisle himself, banished as royal
list, tremblingly heard 1t echo IN his
ears as a menace Of death while flee
Ing along the foot-paths Of the Hau-
tes-Alps. What is the name Of that
hymn" he asked his guide. La Mar
seillaise," replied the peasant, and
thus 1t was that he learned the name
of his own work. He was pursued by
the enthusiasm which he had aroused
behind him. He barely escaped with
his life. The weapon turned against
the hand that forged 1t. The madden
ed Revolution no longer knew its own
voice.-New Orleans Picayune.