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STORIES OF
be confessed, however, that if it had been the " chariot" of the duke which his duchess had seen coming, it would not have been found alto-gether empty of " spoils," else how was Blen-heim to be built ? " The desire of power and wealth," wrote Prince Eugene, " gave a little bias to the mind of Marlborough."
That there exists two versions of " Mal-brough s'en va-t-en guerre" is a self-evident fact. First, there is the ancient Crusader song; second, the modern burlesque. Both have the melodious burden or chorus, " Mironton, mironton, mirontaine," which M. Littre, in his " Dictionnaire de la Langue Frangaise," defines to be " A sort of popular refrain which is used for sound, and has no sense." The well-known original of the first stanza runs as follows:
" Malbrough s'cn va-t-en guerre—
Mironton, mironton, mirontaine !— Malbrough s' en va-t-en guerre, Ne sais quand reviendra."
A number of translations have been made of this song, from which John Oxenford selects the following:
" Marlbrook lias gone to battle—
Mironton, mironton, mirontaine !— Marlbrook has gone to battle, But when will he return?" 40 |
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