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106 The National Music of America.
manding that there be prose and decency in future. Nevertheless, the captors of such sfiolia opitna crave, not untouched with liquor, permission to dance the Carmagnole also on the spot: whereto an exhilarated Convention cannot but accede. Nay, ' several members,' continues the exaggerative Mercier, who was not there to witness, being in Limbo now, as one of Duperret's seventy-three, ' several members, quitting their curule chairs, took the hands of girls flaunting in Priests' vestures, and danced the Carmagnole along with them.' Such Old-Hallowtide have they, in this year, once named of Grace, I793-"
To this picture of sacrilege may be added the scene which took place in Notre-Dame, in Paris, at the same time. The Convention had abolished Religion and substituted an Age of Reason in its stead. The cathedral had been assigned to the service of the new goddess of this cult. A well-rouged goddess it was, and fitted to represent liberty of a certain kind, for Demoiselle Candeille, a dancer of the opera troupe, filled the rdle at the festival. She was installed on the high altar of the holy church. |
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