第17章

M。deLavergnesaysofFranconnette，that，ofallJasmin’swork，itistheoneinwhichheaimedatbeingmostentirelypopular，andthatitisatthesametimethemostnobleandthemostchastened。Hemightalsohaveaddedthemostchivalrous。”Thereissomethingessentiallyknightly，”saysMissPreston，”inPascal’scastofcharacter，anditissingularthatatthesupremecrisisofhisfateheassumes，asifunconsciously，theveryphraseologyofchivalry。”Somesquire(donzel)shouldfollowmetodeath。

Itisaltogethernaturalandbecominginthehigh-mindedsmith。”

M。CharlesNodier——Jasmin’soldfriend——wasequallycomplimentaryinhispraisesofFranconnette。Whenacopyofthepoemwassenttohim，withanaccompanyingletter，Nodierreplied：——”Ihavereceivedwithlivelygratitude，mydearandillustriousfriend，yourbeautifulverses，andyourcharmingandaffectionateletter。Ihavereadthemwithgreatpleasureandprofoundadmiration。AAlthoughillinbed，IhavedevouredFranconnetteandtheotherpoems。Iobserve，withacertainpride，thatyouhavefollowedmyadvice，andthatyouthinkinthatfinelanguagewhichyourecitesoadmirably，inplaceoftranslatingthepatoisintoFrench，whichdeprivesitofitsfullnessandfairness。Ithankyouathousandtimesforyourveryflatteringepistle。Iamtoohappytoexpostulatewithyouseriouslyastothegraciousthingsyouhavesaidtome；mynamewillpasstoposterityintheworksofmyfriends；thegloryofhavingbeenlovedbyyougoesforagreatdeal。”

ThetimeatlengtharrivedforthepresentationofthetestimonialofToulousetoJasmin。Itconsistedofabranchoflaurelingold。Theartistwhofashioneditwaschargedtoputhisbestworkintothegoldenlaurel，sothatitmightbeachefd’oeuvreworthyofthecitywhichconferredit，andofbeingtreasuredinthemuseumoftheiradoptedpoet。Theworkwasindeedadmirablyexecuted。Thestemwasrough，asinnature，thoughtheleaveswerebeautifullypolished。Ithadaribbondelicatelyornamented，withthewords”ToulouseaJasmin。”

Whentheworkwasfinishedandplacedinitscase，theMayordesiredtosendittoJasminbyatrustymessenger。HeselectedMademoiselleGasc，assistedbyherfather，advocateandmemberofthemunicipalcouncil，topresentthetributetoJasmin。

ItoughttohavebeenafetedayforthepeopleofAgen，whentheirillustrioustownsman，thoughabarber，wasabouttoreceivesocordialanappreciationofhispoeticalgeniusfromthelearnedcityofToulouse。ItoughtalsotohavebeenafetedayforJasminhimself。

Butalas！anunhappycoincidenceoccurredwhichsaddenedthedaythatoughttohavebeenadayoftriumphforthepoet。

Hismotherwasdying。WhenMademoiselleGasc，accompaniedbyherfather，theMayorofAgen，andotherfriendsofJasmin，enteredtheshop，theywereinformedthathewasbythebedsideofhismother，whowasatdeath’sdoor。Thephysician，whowasconsultedastoherstate，saidthattheremightonlybesufficienttimeforJasmintoreceivethedeputation。

Heaccordinglycameoutforafewmomentsfromhismother’sbed-side。M。Gascexplainedtheobjectofthevisit，andreadtoJasminthegraciousletteroftheMayorofToulouse，concludingasfollows：——”Ithankyou，inthenameofthecityofToulouse，forthefinepoemwhichyouhavededicatedtous。ThisbranchoflaurelwillremindyouoftheyouthfulandbeautifulMusewhichhasinspiredyouwithsuchcharmingverses。”

TheMayorofAgenhereintroducedMademoiselleGasc，who，inherturn，said：——”AndIalso，sir，ammosthappyandproudofthemissionwhichhasbeenentrustedtome。”

Thenshepresentedhimwiththecasketwhichcontainedthegoldenlaurel。Jasminrespondedinthelinesentitled’YesterdayandTo-day，’fromwhichthefollowingwordsmaybequoted：——”Yesterday！Thanks，Toulouse，forouroldlanguageandformypoetry。Yourbeautifulgoldenbranchennoblesboth。Andyouwhoofferittome，graciousmessenger——queenofsongandqueenofhearts——tellyourcityofmyperfecthappiness，andthatI

neveranticipatedsuchanhonoureveninmymostgoldendreams。”To-day！FascinatedbythelaurelwhichToulousehassentme，andwhichfillsmyheartwithjoy，Icannotforget，mydearyounglady，thesorrowwhichoverwhelmsme——thefatalillnessofmymother——whichmakesmefearthatthemostjoyfuldayofmylifewillalsobethemostsorrowful。”

Jasmin’salarmswerejustified。Hisprayerswereofnoavail。

Hismotherdiedwithherhandinhisshortlyafterthedeputationhaddeparted。Herhusbandhadprecededhertothetombafewyearsbefore。Healwayshadafirmpresentimentthatheshouldbecarriedinthearm-chairtothehospital，”wherealltheJasminsdie。”ButJasmindidhisbesttosavehisfatherfromthatindignity。Hehadalreadybrokenthearm-chair，andtheoldtailordiedpeacefullyinthearmsofhisson。

SomefourmonthsaftertherecitationofFranconnetteatToulouse，Jasminresumedhisreadingsinthecauseofcharity。

InOctober1840hevisitedOleron，andwasreceivedwiththeusualenthusiasm；andonhisreturntoPau，hepassedtheobeliskerectedtoDespourrins，theBurnsofthePyrenees。

AtPauherecitedhisFranconnettetoanimmenseaudienceamidstfrenziesofapplause。ItwasallegedthatthepeopleofthePyreneancountrywereprosaicandindifferenttoart。ButM。

Dugenne，inthe’MemorialdesPyrenees，’saidthatitonlywantedsuchabewitchingpoetasJasmin——withhisvibratingandmagicalvoice——torousethemandsettheirmindsonfire。

Anotherwriter，M。AlfredDanger，paidhimastillmoredelicatecompliment。”Hispoetry，”hesaid，”isnotmerelythepoetryofillusions；

itisalive，andinspireseveryheart。Hisadmirabledelicacy！

Hisprofoundtactineveryverse！Whataristocraticpoetcouldbetterexpressinahigherdegreethepolitenessoftheheart，thetruestofallpoliteness。”[6]

Jasmindidnotseemtobeatallelatedbytheseeulogiums。

Whenhehadfinishedhisrecitations，hereturnedtoAgen，sometimesonfoot，sometimesinthediligence，andquietlyresumedhisdailywork。Hissuccessasapoetneverinducedhimtoresignhismorehumbleoccupation。Althoughhereceivedsomereturnsfromthesaleofhispoems，hefelthimselfmoreindependentbyrelyingupontheincomederivedfromhisownbusiness。

Hisincreasingreputationneverengenderedinhim，asistoooftenthecasewithself-taughtgeniuseswhosuddenlyriseintofame，asuperciliouscontemptfortheordinarytransactionsoflife。”Afterall，”hesaid，”contentmentisbetterthanriches。”

FootnotestoChapterX。

[1]JournaldeToulouse，4thJuly，1840。

[2]TheSocietyoftheJeux-FlorauxderivesitsoriginfromtheancientTroubadours。ItclaimstobetheoldestsocietyofthekindinEurope。ItissaidtohavebeenfoundedinthefourteenthcenturybyClemenceIsaure，aToulousianlady，tocommemoratethe”GayScience。”Ameetingofthesocietyisheldeveryyear，whenprizesaredistributedtotheauthorsofthebestcompositionsinproseandverse。ItsomewhatresemblestheannualmeetingoftheEisteddfod，heldforawardingprizestothebardsandcomposersofWales。

[3]ThefollowingwashisimpromptutothesavantsofToulouse，4thJuly，1840：——”Oh，bonDieu！quedegloire！Oh，bonDieu！qued’honneurs！

Messieurs，cejourpourmaMuseestbiendoux；

Maismaintenant，d’etrequittej’aiperdul’esperance：

Carjeviens，plusfierquejamais，Vouspayermareconnaissance，Etjem’endettequeplus！”

[4]Thisistheimpromptu，givenonthe5thJuly，1840：”Toulousem’adonneunbeaubouquetd’honneur；

Votrefestin，amis，enestunebellefleur；

Aussi，clanslesplaisirsdecettelonguefete，Quandjeveuxremercierdecela，JepoursuismonespritpournepasetreenresteIci，l’espritmenaitettombedemoncoeur！”

[5]’CauseriesduLundi，’iv。240(edit。1852)。

[6]”Lapolitesseducoeur，”aFrenchexpressionwhichcanscarcelybetranslatedintoEnglish；justas”gentleman”hasnopreciseequivalentinFrench。

CHAPTERXI。

JASMIN’SVISITTOPARIS。

JasminhadbeensooftenadvisedtovisitParisandtesthispowersthere，thatatlengthhedeterminedtoproceedtothecapitalofFrance。Itistrue，hehadbeeneulogizedinthecriticismsofSainte-Beuve，LeoncedeLavergne，CharlesNodier，andCharlesdeMazade；buthedesiredtomakethepersonalacquaintanceofsomeoftheseillustriouspersons，aswellastoseehisson，whowasthensettledinParis。Itwasthereforeinsomerespectsavisitofpaternalaffectionaswellasliteraryreputation。HesetoutforParisinthemonthofMay1842。

Jasminwasaboyinhisheartandfeelings，thenasalways。

Indeed，heneverceasedtobeaboy——inhismanners，hisgaiety，hisartlessness，andhisenjoymentofnewpleasures。

WhatasuccessionofwonderstohimwasParis——itsstreets，itsboulevards，itsTuileries，itsLouvre，itsArcdeTriomphe——remindinghimoftheRevolutionandthewarsofthefirstNapoleon。

AccompaniedbyhissonEdouard，hespentaboutaweekinvisitingthemoststrikingmemorialsofthecapital。

TheyvisitedtogetherthePlacedelaConcorde，theHoteldeVille，NotreDame，theMadeleine，theChampsElysees，andmostoftheothersights。AttheColonneVendome，Jasminraisedhishead，lookedup，andstooderect，proudofthegloriesofFrance。

Hesawallthesethingsforthefirsttime，buttheyhadlongbeenassociatedwithhisrecollectionsofthepast。

Thereare”countrycousins”inParisaswellasinLondon。

Theyareknownbytheirdress，theirmanners，theiramazementatalltheysee。WhenJasminstoodbeforetheVendomeColumn，heextendedhishandasifhewereabouttoreciteoneofhispoems。”Oh，myson，”heexclaimed，”suchgloriesasthesearetrulymagnificent！”Theson，whowasfamiliarwiththeglories，wasratherdisposedtolaugh。Hedesired，fordecorum’ssake，torepresshisfather’sexclamations。Hesawthepeoplestandingabouttohearhisfather’swords。”Come，”saidtheyoungman，”letusgototheMadeleine，andseethatfamouschurch。””Ah，Edouard，”saidJasmin，”Icanseewellenoughthatyouarenotapoet；notyouindeed！”

Duringhisvisit，JasminwroteregularlytohiswifeandfriendsatAgen，givingthemhisimpressionsofParis。Hisletterswerefullofhisusualsimplicity，brightness，boyishness，andenthusiasm。”WhatwonderfulthingsIhavealreadyseen，”hesaidinoneofhisletters，”andhowmanymorehaveItoseeto-morrowandthefollowingdays。M。Dumon，MinisterofPublicWorks”