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thathistimewastoopreciousforthat；thatapoetought，aboveall，nottooccupyhimselfwithpolitics，for，bysodoing，herantheriskofinjuringhistalent。
Someofhislocalcritics，nothavingcomprehendedtheinnerlifeofJasmin，comparedhiswifetothegardenerofBoileauandthemaid-servantofMoliere。Butthecomparisondidnotatallapply。Jasminhadnogardenernoranyoldservantorhousekeeper。JasminandMariewerequitedifferent。Theylivedthesamelives，andwereallinalltoeachother。Theywerebothofthepeople；andthoughshewaswithoutculture，andhadnotsharedinthesocietyoftheeducated，shetookeveryinterestinthesentimentsandtheprosperityofheradmirablehusband。
Onemightask，HowdidJasminacquirehiseloquenceofdeclamation——hispowerofattractingandmovingassembliesofpeopleinallranksoflife?Itwastheresult，nodoubt，partlyofthegiftswithwhichtheCreatorhadendowedhim，andpartlyalsoofpatienceandperseveringstudy。Hehadafinevoice，andhemanageditwithsuchartthatitbecamelikeaperfectlytunedinstrumentinthehandsofamusician。
Hisvoicewaspowerfulandpatheticbyturns，andhepossessedgreatsweetnessofintonation，——combinedwithsympatheticfeelingandspecialfelicityofemphasis。Andfeelingisthevitalisingprincipleofpoetry。Jasminoccasionallyvariedhisreadingsbysingingorchauntingthesongswhichoccurredincertainpartsofhispoems。This，togetherwithhiseloquence，gavesuchimmensevitalpowertotherecitationsoftheAgenaisebard。
Andweshallfind，fromthenextchapter，thatJasminusedhispatheticeloquenceforverynoble，——onemightalmostsay，fordivinepurposes。
FootnotesforChapterVII。
[1]Thetranslationappearedin’Bentley’sMiscellany’forMarch1840。Itwaspublishedforacharitablepurpose。Mrs。Craven，inher’LifeofLadyGeorgianaFullerton，’says：”Itwasputinatonce，anditstwohundredandseventylinesbroughttotheauthortwelveguineasonthedayonwhichitappeared。
LadyFullertonwassurprisedanddelighted。Allherlongyearsofsuccess，differentindeedindegree，nevereffacedthememoryofthejoy。”
[2]Therefrain，intheoriginalGascon，isasfollows：”Lascarrerosdiouyonflouri，Tanbelonobiobaysourti；
Diouyonflouri，diouyongraua，Tanbelonobiobaypassa！”
[3]InGascon：”Lascarrerosdiouyongemi，Tanbelomortobaysourti！
Diouyongemi，diouyonploura，Tanbelomortobaypassa！”
[4]inGascon：”Jourperaoutres，toutjour！etperjou，malhurouzo，Toutjourney，toutjourney！
Quefaynegrelend’el！Oh！quemounamoestristo！”
[5]Sainte-Beuve：’CauseriesduLundi，’iv。240-1(edit。1852)；
and’PortraitsContemporains，’ii。61(edit，1847)。
CHAPTERVIII。
JASMINASPHILANTHROPIST。
ItisnownecessarytoconsiderJasmininanaltogetherdifferentcharacter——thatofabenefactorofhisspecies。
Self-sacrificeanddevotiontoothers，forgettingselfwhilespendingandbeingspentforthegoodofone’sfellowcreatures，exhibitmaninhisnoblestcharacteristics。ButwhowouldhaveexpectedsuchvirtuestobeillustratedbyamanlikeJasmin，sprungfromthehumblestconditionoflife?
Charitymayberegardedasauniversalduty，whichitisineveryperson’spowertopractise。Everykindofhelpgiventoanother，onpropermotives，isanactofcharity；andthereisscarcelyanymaninsuchastraitenedconditionasthathemaynot，oncertainoccasions，assisthisneighbour。Thewidowthatgiveshermitetothetreasury，thepoormanthatbringstothethirstyacupofcoldwater，performtheiractsofcharity，thoughtheymaybeofcomparativelylittlemoment。Wordsworth，inapoeticgem，describedthevirtueofcharity：”……Manisdeartoman；thepoorestpoorLongforsomemomentsinawearylifeWhentheycanknowandfeelthattheyhavebeen，Themselves，thefathersandthedealersoutOfsomesmallblessings，havebeenkindtosuchAsneededkindness，forthesinglecauseThatwehaveallofusonehumanheart。”
ThismaximofWordsworth’strulydescribesthelifeanddeedsofJasmin。Itmaybesaidthathewasfirstincitedtoexerthimselfonbehalfofcharitytohisneighbours，bytheabsenceofanyPoorLawinFrancesuchaswehaveinEngland。Inthecasesofdrought，whenthecropsdidnotripen；orinthephylloxerablights，whenthegrapeswereruined；orintheoccasionaldisastrousfloods，whenthewholeoftheagriculturalproducewassweptaway；thesmallfarmersandlabourerswerereducedtogreatdistress。TheFrenchpeasantisusuallyverythrifty；butwhereaccumulatedsavingswerenotavailableforrelief，theresult，inmanycases，waswidespreadstarvation。
Jasminfeltthat，whilehimselflivinginthemidstofblessings，heowedaduty，onsuchoccasions，totheextremenecessitiesofhisneighbours。Theafflictedcouldnotappealtotheadministratorsoflocaltaxes；allthattheycoulddowastoappealtothefeelingsofthebenevolent，andrelyuponlocalcharity。Hebelievedthattheextremelypoorshouldexciteourliberality，themiserableourpity，thesickourassistance，theignorantourinstruction，andthefallenourhelpinghand。
ItwasundersuchcircumstancesthatJasminconsentedtorecitehispoemsforthereliefoftheafflictedpoor。Hisfamehadincreasedfromyeartoyear。Hissongsweresung，andhispoemswereread，allovertheSouthofFrance。Whenitwasknownthathewaswillingtorecitehispoemsforcharitablepurposeshewasimmediatelyassailedwithinvitationsfromfarandnear。
Whenbreadfellshortinwinter-time，andthepoorwerefamished；
whenanhospitalfortheneedywasstarvingforwantoffunds；
whenacrecheorinfants’asylumhadtobefounded；whenaschool，oranorphanage，hadtobebuiltorrenovated，andmoneybegantofail，anappealwasatoncemadetoJasmin’scharitablefeelings。
ItwasnotthenusualformenlikeJasmintorecitetheirpoemsinpublic。Thosewhopossessedhisworksmightrecitethemfortheirownpleasure。Butnoonecoulddeclaimthembetterthanhecould，andhispersonalpresencewasthereforeindispensable。
Itistrue，thataboutthesametimeMr。DickensandMr。
ThackerayweregivingreadingsfromtheirworksinEnglandandAmerica。Bothreaderswereequallypopular；butwhiletheymadeaconsiderableadditiontotheirfortunes，[1]Jasminrealisednothingforhimself；allthatwascollectedathisrecitationswasgiventothepoor。
Ofcourse，Jasminwasreceivedwithenthusiasminthosetownsandcitieswhichhevisitedforcharitablepurposes。Whenitwasknownthathewasabouttogiveoneofhispoeticalrecitals，theartisanlefthisshop，theblacksmithhissmithy，theservantherhouseholdwork；andthemotheroftenshutupherhouseandwentwithherchildrentolistentothemarvelouspoet。
Younggirlsspreadflowersbeforehispathway；andlovelywomentoreflowersfromtheirdressestocrowntheirbelovedminstrelwiththeirofferings。
SincehisappearanceatBordeaux，in1835，whenherecitedhisBlindGirlforacharitablepurpose，hehadbeeninvitedtomanymeetingsintheneighbourhoodofAgen，whereveranyworthyinstitutionhadtobeerectedorassisted。Hecontinuedtowriteoccasionalverses，thoughnotofanymoment，forhewasstilldreamingofanothermasterpiece。
Allfurtherthoughtsofpoeticalcompositionwere，however，dispelled，bythethreatenedfamineintheLot-et-Garonne。
Inthewinterof1837breadbecameverydearintheSouthofFrance。Thepoorpeopleweresufferinggreatly，andtheusualappealwasmadetoJasmintocometotheirhelp。AconcertwasadvertisedtobegivenatTonneins，aconsiderabletowntothenorth-westofAgen，whenthelocalmusiciansweretogivetheirservices，andJasminwastoreciteapoem。
Forthispurposehecomposedhis’Charity’(LaCaritat)。
Itwasaddressedtotheladiesandmusicianswhoassistedattheentertainment。Charityisashortlyricaleffusion，notsomuchafinishedpoemastheutteringsofatenderheart。Thoughofsomemerit，itlookspalebesideTheBlindGirl。ButhischoiceofthesubjectprovedaforecastofthenobleuseswhichJasminwasafterwardsenabledtomakeofhispoeticaltalents。
Man，hesaidinhisverses，istrulygreat，chieflythroughhischarity。Thecompassionateman，doinghisworksofbenevolence，thoughinsecret，inameasureresemblestheDivineAuthorofhisbeing。Thefollowingistheintroductorypassageofthepoem：-”AswebeholdatseagreatshipsofvoyagersGlideo’erthewavestobillowswhitewithspray，Andtoanotherworldthehardytravellersconvey；
JustasboldsavantstravelthroughtheskyToillustratetheworldwhichtheyespy，Menwithoutceasingcry，’Howgreatisman！’
Butno！GreatGod！Howinfinitelylittlehe！
Hasheagenius?’Tisnothingwithoutgoodness！
Withoutsomegrace，nograndeurdowerate。
Itisthetender-heartedwhoshowcharityinkindness。
Unseenofmen，hehideshisgiftfromsight，Hedoesallthatheowesinsilentgood，Likethepoorwidow’smite；
Yetbotharegreat，Greataboveall——greatastheGraceofGod。”
Thisis，ofcourse，averyfeebleattempttorenderthewordsofJasmin。Hewasmostpatheticwhenherecountedthesorrowsofthepoor。Whiledoingso，heavoidedexcitingtheirlowerinstincts。Hedisavowedallenvyofthegoodsofothers。
Hemaintainedrespectforthelaw，whileatthesametimeheexhortedtherichtohaveregardfortheirpoorerbrethren。”Itisthegloryofthepeople，”hesaidatameetingofworkmen，”toprotectthemselvesfromevil，andtopreservethroughouttheirpurityofcharacter。”
ThiswasthespiritinwhichJasminlaboured。Hewrotesomeotherpoemsinasimilarstrain——’TheRichandPoor，’
’ThePoorMan’sDoctor，’’TheRichBenefactor’(LouBounRiche)；
butJasmin’sownCharitycontainedthegermofthemall。Heputhisownsoulintohispoems。AtTonneins，theemotionheexcitedbyhisreadingofCharitywasverygreat，andthesubscriptionsfortheafflictedpoorwerecorrespondinglylarge。
Themunicipalityneverforgottheoccasion；andwhenevertheybecameembarrassedbythepovertyofthepeople，theyinvariablyappealedtoJasmin，andalwayswiththesamesuccess。OnoneoccasiontheMayorwrotetohim：”Wearestillunderthecharmofyourverses；andIaddressyouinthenameofthepoorpeopleofTonneins，tothankyoumostgratefullyforthecharitableactyouhavedonefortheirbenefit。Theeveningyouappearedhere，sir，willlongsurviveinourmemory。Itexcitedeverywherethemostlivelygratitude。Thepoorenjoyedadayofhappiness，andtherichenjoyedadayofpleasure，fornothingcanbemoreblessedthanCharity！”
Jasmin，inreplyingtothisletter，said：”Christ’swordswere，’Yehavethepooralwayswithyou’；inpronouncingthisfact，hecalledtheworldtodeedsofcharity，andinstitutedthisadmirablejointresponsibility(solidarite)，invirtueofwhicheachmanshouldfulfilthedutyofhelpinghispoorerneighbours。
Itisthisresponsibilitywhich，whenthecryofhungerorsufferingisheard，ismostinstrumentalinbringingallgeneroussoulstothefront，inordertocreateandmultiplytheresourcesofthepoor。”
Jasmin’ssuccessatTonneinsledtonumerousinvitationsofalikecharacter。”Comeoverandhelpus，”wasthegeneralcryduringthatwinteroffamine。Thebarber’sshopwasinvadedbynumerousdeputations；andthepostmanwasconstantlydeliveringlettersofinvitationathisdoor。Hewasnolongermasterofhistime，andhadconsiderabledifficultyinattendingtohisownproperbusiness。Sometimeshisleisurehourswereappropriatedsixmonthsbeforehand；andhewasoftenperemptorilycalledupontoproceedwithhisphilanthropicwork。
Whenhecouldfindtimeenoughtosparefromhisbusiness，hewouldconsenttogiveanotherrecitation。Whenthedistancewasnotgreathewalked，partlyforexercise，andpartlytosavemoney。Therewerefewrailwaysinthosedays，andhiringaconveyancewasanexpensiveaffair。Besides，hisdesirealwayswas，tohandover，ifpossible，thewholeofthereceiptstothecharitableinstitutionsforwhosebenefithegavehisrecitations。
Thewayfaringpoet，onhisapproachtothetowninwhichhewastoappear，wasusuallymetbycrowdsofpeople。Theyreceivedhimwithjoyandacclamation。Themagistratespresentedhimwithacongratulatoryaddress。Deputationsfromneighbouringtownswerepresentatthecelebration。AttheentrancetothetownJasminoftenpassedunderatriumphalarch，with”Welcome，Jasmin！ournativepoet！”inscribeduponit。Hewasconveyed，headedbythelocalband，tothehallwherehewastogivehisrecitation。
