Chapter Revolutionary Songs to Rhiannon's Birds of R by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Revolutionary Songs to Rhiannon's Birds

Revolutionary Songs. By far the most popular were—

(1) La Marseillaise, both words and music by Rouget de Lisle (1792).

(2) Veillons au Salut de l’Empire, by Adolphe S. Boy (1791). Music by Dalayra. Very strange that men whose whole purpose was to destroy the empire, should go about singing, “Let us guard it!”

(3) ç Ira, written to the tune of Le Carillon National, in 1789, while preparations were being made for the Fête de la Féderation. It was a great favourite with Marie Antoinette, who was for ever “strumming the tune on her harpsichord.”

(4) Chant du Départ, by Marie Joseph de Chénier (1794). Music by Méhul. This was the most popular next to the Marseillaise.

(5) La Carmagnole. “Madame Veto avait promis de faire égorger tout Paris…” (1792). Probably so called from Carmagnole, in Piedmont. The burden of this dancing song is—

Dansons la Carmagnole,
Vive le son! Vive le son!
Dansons la Carmagnole,
Vive le son du canon!

(6) Le Vengeur, a cock-and-bull story, in verse, about a ship so called.’ Lord Howe took six of the French ships, June 1, 1794; but Le Vengeur was sunk by the crew that it might not fall into the hands of the English, and went down while the crew shouted, “Vive la République!” There is as much truth in this story as in David’s picture of Napoleon “Crossing the Alps.” (See Vengeur.)

In the second Revolution we have—

(1)La Parisienne, called “The Marseillaise of 1830,” by Casimir Delavigne, the same year.

(2) La France a l’Horreur du Servage, by Casimir Delavigne (1843).

(3)La Champ de Bataille, by Emile Debreaux (about 1830).

(The chief political songs of Béranger are: Adieux de Marie Stuart, La Cocarde Blanche, Jacques, La Déesse, Marquis de Carabas, Le Sacre de Charles le Simple, Le Senateur, Le Vieux Caporal, and Le Vilain.)

Rewcastle (Old John), a Jedburgh smuggler, and one of the Jacobite conspirators with the laird of Ellieslaw.—Sir W. Scott: The Black Dwarf (time, Anne).

Reynaldo, a servant to Polonius.—Shakespeare: Hamlet (1596).

Reynard the Fox, the hero of the beast-epic so called. This prose poem is a satire on the state of Germany in the Middle Ages. Reynard represents the Church; Isengrin the wolf (his uncle) typifies the baronial element; and Nodel the lion stands for the regal power. The plot turns on the struggle for supremacy between Reynard and Isengrin. Reynard uses all his endeavours to victimize every one, especially his uncle Isengrin, and generally succeeds.—Reineche Fuchs (their-epos, 1498), by H. von Alkmaar.

Reynardine, eldest son of Reynard the fox. He assumed the names of Dr. Pedanto and Crabron.—Reynard the Fox, by H. von Alkmaar (1498).

Reynold of Montalbon, one of Charlemagne’s paladins.

Reynolds (Sir Joshua) is thus described by Goldsmith—

Here Reynolds is laid; and, to tell you my mind,
He has not left a wiser or better behind.
His pencil was striking, resistless, and grand;
His manners were gentle, complying, and bland…
To coxcombs averse, yet