""Twas here stood the Altar of Freedom; And though neither marble nor gilding Was used in those days to adorn 66 Our simple republican building, Corbleu! but the MÈRE GUILLOTINE Cared little for splendour or show, So you gave her an axe and a beam, And a plank and a basket or so. 'Awful, and proud, and erect, Here sat our republican goddess. Each morning her table we deck'd With dainty aristocrats' bodies. The people each day flocked around As she sat at her meat and her wine: 'Twas always the use of our nation To witness the sovereign dine. "Young virgins with fair golden tresses, And called for the head of a King! "She called for the blood of our King, And straight from his prison we drew him; And to her with shouting we led him, And took him, and bound him, and slew him. 'The monarchs of Europe against me Have plotted a godless alliance: "I see him as now, for a moment, Away from his gaolers he broke ; And stood at the foot of the scaffold, And linger'd, and fain would have spoke. Ho, drummer! quick, silence yon Capet,' Says Santerre, with a beat of your drum.' Lustily then did I tap it, And the son of Saint Louis was dumb." 46 166 PART II. THE glorious days of September Saw many aristocrats fall; 'Twas then that our pikes drank the blood In the beautiful breast of Lamballe. I seldom have look'd on her like; Let's show the pale head to the Queen, We laugh'd at the fright she had shown "We had taken the head of King Capet, We called for the blood of his wife; Undaunted she came to the scaffold, And bared her fair neck to the knife. As she felt the foul fingers that touch'd her, She shrank, but she deigned not to speak: She look'd with a royal disdain, And died with a blush on her cheek! "Twas thus that our country was saved; The blood of the bloody tribunes. "Away with such foul recollections! No more of the axe and the block; I saw the last fight of the sections, As they fell 'neath our guns at Saint Roch. Young BONAPARTE led us that day; When he sought the Italian frontier, I follow'd my gallant young captain, I follow'd him many a long year. "We came to an army in rags, When we first saw the Austrian flags We march'd to the banks of the Po; And we laid the proud Austrian low. "In triumph we enter'd Milan, We seized on the Mantuan keys; The troops of the Emperor ran, And the Pope he fell down on his knees."Pierre's comrades here call'd a fresh bottle, And clubbing together their wealth, They drank to the Army of Italy, And General Bonaparte's health. The drummer now bared his old breast, "This came when I follow'd bold Kleber- And this from an Austrian sabre, When the field of Marengo was won. "My forehead has many deep furrows, As I beat on my drum in the snow. ""Twas thus that we conquer'd and fought; But wherefore continue the story? There's never a baby in France But has heard of our chief and our glory,But has heard of our chief and our fame, His sorrows and triumphs can tell, How bravely Napoleon conquer'd, How bravely and sadly he fell. |