Rouget de lisle

Essais en vers et en prose

1796 · 250015 — Paris: Didot l'aîné 1796. First edition. iv 157 1 5 pp engraved music. 1 vols. 8vo. Full crimson morocco raised bands gilt spine marbled endpapers gilt turn-ins a.e.g. by Simier. Upper joint a little rubbed else fine. First edition. iv 157 1 5 pp engraved music. 1 vols. 8vo. First edition containing the first authorized appearance in book form of "La Marseillaise." The famous poem by Rouget de Lisle 1760-1836 appears at pp. 57-59 as "Le Chant des Combats vulgairement L'Hyme des Marseillois. Aux Mânes de Sylvain Bailly. Premier Maire de Paris."<br /> <br /> La Marseillaise now the French national anthem and recognized worldwide as the quintessential call to revolution "was originally written by a royalist officer as a patriotic song in support of the then French royal government which had declared war on April 20 1792 against the Emperor Francis of Austria and King William II of Prussia. Subsequently volunteers from Marseilles heard the song and joined in the storming in the Tuileries on Aug. 10 1792. The song was thereafter quickly reprinted a great many times usually under the title Marches des Marseillais or variant thereof" Fuld.<br /> <br /> "La Marseillaise est un hymne d'éveil et de résistance qui a valu pour les résistances qui ont suivi qui vaut pour celles que nécessite notre temps et qui vaudra pour les résistances futures." - Edgar Morin<br /> <br /> Fuld notes that the earliest printings of the famous anthem appeared either in broadside form or in periodicals and all are extremely rare; this printing its first appearance in a book was officially authorized by the author and is highly desirable.<br /> <br /> The copy in a Simier binding is particularly so: tipped-in is an Autograph Note signed by Rouget de Lisle authorizing the payment of a debt "au citoyen de Buehr" dated "le cinq thermidor l'an 6" i.e. July 24 1797. James Fuld World-Famous Music p. 354; Constant Pierre Les Hymnes et Chansons de la Revolution Paris 1904 p. 223 Didot l'aîné unknown