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FAMOUS SONGS
magnole," which grew into frenzied favour during the French Revolution, was generally accompanied by a dance of the same name, and ran:
" Que faut il au republicain? Que faut il au republicain ? La liberty du genre humain, La liberte du genre humain, La pioche dans les cachats L'ecole dans les chateaux, Et la paix aux chaumieres,
Dansons la carmagnole
Vive le son du canon!"
Not a very brilliant effort! The origin of the "Carmagnole" is doubtful, but it is believed that an old Provencal ballad was sung to the melody, and thus this tune, to which most likely the peasant girls of Provence danced in the Middle Ages, was also made to do duty one hundred years ago while the hapless victims of Danton and Robespierre were being executed. Gretny was under the impression that it was a sailor-song often heard in Marseilles, but in all probability it was a country dance dating from far off times, adapted to a patriotic military song written in the Autumn of 1792. Groves gives the following from this piece, and I venture to quote the loyal lines:
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