第8章

ThereNorman-Frenchwasforalongtimespoken。ThoughtheFrankshadsupplantedtheRomans，theRomanlanguagecontinuedtobespoken。In996PariswasmadethecapitalofFrance；

andfromthattime，thelanguageofParisbecame，withvariousmodifications，thelanguageofFrance；andnotonlyofFrance，buttheRomanorLatintonguebecamethefoundationofthelanguagesofItaly，Spain，andPortugal。

Thus，Gaulish，Frankish，andNormandisappearedtogiveplacetotheLatin-French。TheKymriaclanguagewaspreservedonlyinBrittany，whereitstilllingers。Andinthesouth-westofFrance，wherethepopulationwasfurthestremovedfromtheinvasionsoftheGauls，Ostrogoths，andVisigoths，theBasquescontinuedtopreservetheirlanguage，——theBasques，whoaresupposedbyCanonIsaacTaylortobethedirectdescendantsoftheEtruscans。

ThedescendantsoftheGauls，however，constitutethemassofthepeopleinCentralFrance。TheGauls，orGalatians，aresupposedtohavecomefromthecentraldistrictofAsiaMinor。Theywerealwaysawarlikepeople。Intheirwanderingswestward，theypassedthroughthenorthofItalyandenteredFrance，wheretheysettledinlargenumbers。Dr。Smith，inhisDictionaryoftheBible，saysthat”GalataiisthesamewordasKeltici，”whichindicatesthattheGaulswereKelts。ItissupposedthatSt。PaulwrotehisEpistletotheGalatianssoonafterhisvisittothecountryoftheirorigin。”Itsabruptnessandseverity，andthesadnessofitstone，arecausedbytheirsuddenperversionfromthedoctrinewhichtheApostlehadtaughtthem，andwhichatfirsttheyhadreceivedsowillingly。Itisnofancy，ifweseeinthisficklenessaspecimenofthat’espritimpretueux，ouvertatouteslesimpressions，’andthat’mobiliteextreme，’whichThierrymarksascharacteristicoftheGaulishrace。”Atallevents，thelanguageoftheGaulsdisappearedinCentralFrancetomakewayforthelanguageortheCapital——

themodernFrench，foundedontheLatin。TheGaulishrace，nevertheless，preservedtheircharacteristics——quickness，lightness，mobility，andelasticity——qualitieswhichenabledthemquicklytoconceivenewideas，andatthesametimetoquicklyabandonthem。TheFrankshadgiventhecountrythenameitnowbears——thatofFrance。ButtheywerelongregardedasenemiesbytheCentralandSouthernGauls。InGascony，theforeignerwascalledLowFranciman，andwasregardedwithsuspicionanddislike。”ThistermofFranciman，”saysMissCostello，whotravelledthroughthecountryandstudiedthesubject，”evidentlybelongstoaperiodoftheEnglishoccupationofAquitaine，whenaFrenchmanwasanotherwordforanenemy。”[3]Butthewordhasprobablyamoreremoteorigin。WhentheFranks，ofGermanorigin，burstintoGaul，andsettledinthecountrynorthoftheLoire，andafterwardscarriedtheirconqueststothePyrenees，theFrankswereregardedasenemiesinthesouthofFrance。”Thenallthecountries，”saysThierry，”unitedbyforcetotheempireoftheFranks，andoverwhichinconsequenceofthisunion，thenameofFrancehadextendeditself，madeunheard-ofeffortstoreconquertheirancientnamesandplaces。OfalltheGallicprovinces，nonebutthesouthernonessucceededinthisgreatenterprise；andafterthewarsofinsurrection，which，underthesonsofCharlemagne，succeededthewarsofconquest，AquitaineandProvencebecamedistinctstates。AmongtheSouthEasternprovincesreappearedeventheancientnameofGaul，whichhadforeverperishednorthoftheLoire。ThechiefsofthenewKingdomofAries，whichextendedfromtheJuratotheAlps，tookthetitleofGaulinoppositiontotheKingsofFrance。”[4]

Itisprobablethatthiswasthecauseofthenameof”Franciman”beingregardedasanhereditarytermofreproachintheGaulishcountrysouthoftheLoire。GasconandProvencalweretheprincipaldialectswhichremainedintheSouth，thoughLittreclassesthemtogetherasthelanguageoftheTroubadours。

TheywerebothwellunderstoodintheSouth；andJasmin’srecitationswerereceivedwithasmuchenthusiasmatNimes，Aries，andMarseilles，asatToulouse，Agen，andBordeaux。

Mezzofanti，averyTowerofBabelindialectsandlanguages，saidoftheProvencal，thatitwastheonlypatoisoftheMiddleAges，withitsnumerousderivationsfromtheGreek，theArabic，andtheLatin，whichhassurvivedthevariousrevolutionsoflanguage。Theothershavebeenalteredandmodified。

Theyhavesufferedfromthecapricesofvictoryoroffortune。

OfallthedialectsoftheRomantongue，thispatoisalonepreservesitspurityandlife。ItstillremainsthesonorousandharmoniouslanguageoftheTroubadours。ThepatoishasthesupplenessoftheItalian，thesombremajestyoftheSpanish，theenergyandprecisenessoftheLatin，withthe”Molleatquefacetum，ledolcede，l’Ionic；whichstilllivesamongthePhoceensofMarseilles。TheimaginationandgeniusofGasconyhavepreservedthecopiousrichnessofthelanguage。

M。deLavergne，inhisnoticeofJasmin’sworks，franklyadmitsthelocaljealousywhichexistedbetweentheTroubadoursofGasconyandProvence。Thereseemed，hesaid，tobenothingdisingenuousinthesilenceoftheProvencalsastoJasmin’spoems。Theydidnotallowthatheborrowedfromthem，anymorethanthattheyborrowedfromhim。ThesemenofSouthernFranceareborninthelandofpoetry。Itbreathesintheirnativeair。

Itechoesroundtheminitsvariedmeasures。Nay，therhymeswhichareitsdistinguishingfeatures，pervadetheirdailytalk。

Theseedsliedormantintheirnativesoil，andwhentroddenunderfoot，theyburstthroughthegroundandevolvetheirodourintheopenair。GasconandProvencalalikepreservethesamerelationtotheclassicromance——thatlovelybutshort-livedeldestdaughteroftheLatin——thelanguageoftheTroubadours。

WehavesaidthattheGascondialectwasgraduallyexpiringwhenJasminundertookitsrevival。Hissuccessinrecoveringandrestoringit，andpresentingitinawrittenform，wastheresultoflaboriousinvestigation。Hedidnotatfirstrealizetheperfectcomprehensionoftheidiom，butheeventuallysucceededbypatientperseverance，Whenwereadhispoems，weareenabledtofollow，stepbystep，hislexicologicalprogress。

Atfirst，heclungtothemeasuresmostapprovedinFrenchpoetry，especiallytoAlexandrinesandIambictetrameters，andtotheirirregularassociationinasortofballadmetre，whichinEnglandhasbeenbesthandledbyRobertBrowninginhisfineballadof’Harve；Riel。’

Jasmin’sfirstrhymeswerewrittenuponcurlpapers，andthenusedontheheadsofhisladycustomers。Whenthespiritoforiginalpoetrywithinhimawoke，hisstylechanged。Geniusbroughtsweetmusicfromhisheartandmind。Imaginationspiritualisedhisnature，liftedhissoulabovethecaresofordinarylife，andawakenedtheconsciousnessofhisaffinitywithwhatispureandnoble。Jasminsangasabirdsings；

atfirstinweaknotes，theninlouder，untilatlengthhisvoicefilledtheskies。NeartheendofhislifehewasstyledtheSaintVincentdePaulofpoetry。

JasminmightbeclassedamongtheUneducatedPoets。

Butwhatpoetisnotuneducatedatthebeginningofhiscareer?

Theessentialeducationofthepoetisnottaughtintheschools。

Thelowlyman，againstwhomtheasperitiesofhislothaveclosedthedoorsofworldlyacademies，mayneverthelesshavesomespecialvocationforthepoeticlife。Academiescannotshuthimoutfromtheodourofthevioletorthesongofthenightingale。

Hehearsthelark’ssongfillingtheheavens，asthehappybirdfansthemilk-whitecloudwithitswings。Helistenstothepurlingofthebrook，thebleatingofthelamb，thesongofthemilkmaid，andthejoyouscryofthereaper。Thushismindisdailyfedwiththechoicestinfluencesofnature。Hecannotbutappreciatethejoy，theglory，theunconsciousdelightofliving。”Thebeautifulismasterofastar。”Thisfeelingofbeautyisthenurseofcivilisationandtruerefinement。HavewenotourBurns，who”ingloryandinjoyFollowedhisploughalongthemountainside；”

Clare，thepeasantboy；Bloomfield，thefarmer’slad；Tannahill，theweaver；AllanRamsay，theperuke-maker；Cooper，theshoemaker；andCritchleyPrince，thefactory-worker；butgreaterthanthesewasShakespeare，——thoughallwereofhumbleorigin。

Francetoohashaditsuneducatedpoets。Thoughtheancientsong-writersofFrancewerenoble；HenryIV。，authorofCharmanteGabrielle；Thibault，CountofChampagne；Lusignan，CountdelaMarche；Raval，Blondel，andBasselindelaVive，whosesongswereasjoyousasthejuiceofhisgrapes；yetsomeofthebestFrenchpoetsofmodemtimeshavebeenofhumbleorigin——Marmontel，Moliere，Rousseau，andBeranger。TherewerealsoReboul，thebaker；Hibley，theworking-tailor；Gonzetta，theshoemaker；Durand，thejoiner；Marchand，thelacemaker；

Voileau，thesail-maker；

Magu，theweaver；Poucy，themason；Germiny，thecooper；[5]andfinally，Jasminthebarberandhairdresser，whowasnottheleastoftheUneducatedPoets。

ThefirstpoemwhichJasmincomposedintheGascondialectwaswrittenin1822，whenhewasonlytwenty-fouryearsold。ItwasentitledLafidelitatAgenoso，whichhesubsequentlyalteredtoMecalMouri(Ilmefaitmourir)，or”Letmedie。”Itisalanguishingromanticpoem，afterthemannerofFlorian，Jasmin’sfirstmasterinpoetry。ItwasprintedatAgeninaquartoform，andsoldforafranc。Jasmindidnotattachhisnametothepoem，butonlyhisinitials。

Sainte-Beuve，inhisnoticeofthepoem，says，”Itisapretty，sentimentalromance，showingthatJasminpossessedthebrightnessandsensibilityoftheTroubadours。Asonemaysay，hehadnotyetquittedtheguitarfortheflageolet；andMarot，whospokeofhisflageolet，hadnot，inthemidstofhisplayfulspirit，thosetenderaccentswhichcontrastedsowellwithhispreviouscompositions。AnddidnotHenryIV。，inthemidstofhisGascongaietiesandsallies，composehissweetsongofCharmanteGabrielle?JasminindeedisthepoetwhoisnearesttheregionofHenryIV。”[6]MecalMouriwassettomusicbyFourgons，andobtainedgreatpopularityinthesouth。Itwasknownbyheart，andsungeverywhere；inAgen，Toulouse，andthroughoutProvence。ItwasnotuntilthepublicationofthefirstvolumeofhispoemsthatitwasknowntobetheworkofJasmin。

MissLouisaStuartCostello，whenmakingherpilgrimageintheSouthofFrance，relatesthat，inthecourseofherjourney，”

AfriendrepeatedtometwocharmingballadspickedupinLanguedoc，wherethereisavarietyinthepatois。Icannotresistgivingthemhere，thatmyreadersmaycomparethedifferenceofdialect。Iwrotethemclown，however，merelybyear，andamnotawarethattheyhaveeverbeenprinted。

ThemixtureofFrench，Spanish，andItalianisverycurious。”[7]

AsthewordsofJasmin’sromancewerewrittendownbyMissCostellofrommemory，theyarenotquiteaccurate；buthertranslationintoEnglishsufficientlyrendersthepoet’smeaning。ThefollowingisthefirstverseofJasmin’spoeminGascon——”Dejalaneyencrumislanaturo，Toutestranquilleettoutcargoloudol；

Dinslouclouchelabrezagomurmuro，Etloutuquetsuccedoalrossignol：

Delmal，helas！bebijusq’alaligo，Mouncogemissansespouerdegari；

Plusdebounhur，eyperdutmounamigo，Mecalmouri！mecalmouri！”

WhichMissCostellothustranslatesintoEnglish：”Alreadysullennightcomessadlyon，Andnature’sformisclothedwithmournfulweeds；

Aroundthetowerisheardthebreeze’smoan，Andtothenightingalethebatsucceeds。

Oh！Ihavedrainedthecupofmisery，Myfaintinghearthasnownohopeinstore。

Ah！wretchedme！whathaveIbuttodie?

ForIhavelostmyloveforevermore！”

Therearefourversesinthepoem，butthesecondversemayalsobegiven”Fair，tenderPhoebe，hastenonthycourse，MywoesrevivewhileIbeholdtheeshine，Forofmyhopethouartnomorethesource，Andofmyhappinessnomorethesign。

Oh！Ihavedrainedthecupofmisery，Myfaintinghearthasnownoblissinstore。