”AsonofHerault，Iwillsupportthehonourandthegloryofmycountry！Andasinsuchcircumstances，agoodobjectisindispensable，thethreesubjectsgivenmustbeprintedandsoldforthebenefitoftheCrecheofMontpellier。”Peyrotteendedhisletterwithapostscript，inwhichhesaidthathewouldcirculatehischallengeamongthemosteminentpersonsinMontpellier。Jasminansweredthisletterasfollows：——”SIR，——Ididnotreceiveyourpoeticalchallengeuntilthedaybeforeyesterday，onthepointofmydepartureforhome；butI
musttellyouthat，thoughIhavereceivedit，Icannotacceptit。”Doyoureallyproposetomymuse，whichaimsatfreeairandliberty，toshutmyselfupinacloseroom，guardedbysentinels，whocouldonlyallowprovisionstoenter，andtheretotreatofthreegivensubjectsintwenty-fourhours！Threesubjectsintwenty-fourhours！Youfrightenme，sir，fortheperilinwhichyouplacemymuse。”Imustinformyou，inallhumility，thatIoftencannotcomposemorethantwoorthreelinesaday。Myfivepoems，L’Aveugle，MesSouvenirs，Franconnette，MarthatheInnocent，andLesDeuxJumeaux，havecostmetenyears’work，andtheyonlycontaininallbut2，400verses！……Icannotwritepoetrybycommand。
IcannotbeaprisonerwhileIcompose。ThereforeIdeclinetoenterthelistswithyou。”Thecourserwhodragshischariotwithdifficulty，albeithemayarriveatthegoal，cannotcontendwiththefierylocomotiveoftheironrailway。Theartwhichproducesversesonebyone，dependsuponinspiration，notuponmanufacture。Thereforemymusedeclaresitselfvanquishedinadvance；andIauthoriseyoutopublishmyrefusalofyourchallenge。”
Inapostscript，Jasminadded：”NowthatyouhavemadetheacquaintanceofmyMuse，Iwill，inafewwords，introduceyoutotheman。Iloveglory，butthesuccessofothersnevertroublesmysleepatnight！””Whenonefinds，”saysSainte-Beuve，”thistheoryofworkpushedtosuchadegreebyJasmin，withwhomthesparkofinspirationseemsalwayssopromptandnatural，whatasadreturnwehaveofthepoeticalwealthdissipatedbythepoetsofourday。”
Sainte-BeuvesummeduphispraiseoftheGasconpoetbyinsistingthathewasinvariablysoberinhistone。”Ihavelearned，”saidJasminofhimself，”thatinmomentsofheatandemotionwemaybeeloquentorlaconic，alikeinspeechandaction——unconsciouspoets，infact；butIhavealsolearnedthatitispossibleforapoettobecomeallthisvoluntarilybydintofpatienttoilandconscientiouslabour！”
Jasminwasnotthemantorestuponhislaurels。ShortlyafterhisvisittoParisin1842，hebegantocomposehisMarthatheInnocent，whichwehavealreadybrieflydescribed。TwoyearslaterhecomposedLesDeuxFreresJumeaux——astoryofpaternalandmotherlyaffection。ThiswasfollowedbyhisMaBigno’MyVineyard’，andLaSemained’unFils’TheWeek’sWorkofaSon’，whichafoot-notetellsusishistorical，theeventhavingrecentlyoccurredintheneighbourhoodofAgen。
Ashortdescriptionmaybegivenofthisaffectingstory。
Thepoemisdividedintothreeparts。Inthefirst，ayoungboyandhissister，AbelandJeanne，aredescribedaskneelingbeforeacrossinthemoonlight，prayingtotheVirgintocuretheirfather。”MotherofGod，Virgincompassionate，senddownthineAngelandcureoursickfather。Ourmotherwillthenbehappy，andwe，BlessedVirgin，willloveandpraisetheeforever。”
TheVirginhearstheirprayer，andthefatheriscured。Awomanopensthedoorofaneighbouringhouseandexclaimsjoyously，”Poorlittleones，deathhasdeparted。Thepoisonofthefeveriscounteracted，andyourfather’slifeissaved。Come，littlelambs，andpraytoGodwithme。”TheyallthreekneelandpraybythesideofthegoodfatherHilaire，formerlyabravesoldier，butnowamason’slabourer。Thisendsthefirstpart。
Thesecondbeginswithadescriptionofmorning。Thesunshinesthroughtheglassofthecasementmendedwithpaper，yetthemorningraysarebrightandglorious。LittleAbelglidesintohisfather’sroom。Heistoldthathemustgotothehouseofhispreceptorto-day，forhemustlearntoreadandwrite。
Abelis”moreprettythanstrong；”heistobeanhommedelettres，ashislittlearmswouldfailhimifheweretohandletheroughstonesofhisfather’strade。Fatherandsonembracedeachother。
Forafewdaysallgoeswell，butonthefourth，aSunday，acommandcomesfromthemastermasonthatifHilairedoesnotreturntohisworkto-morrow，hisplaceshallbegiventoanother。Thisnewsspreadsdismayandconsternationamongthemall。Hilairedeclaresthatheiscured，triestorisefromhisbed，butfallsprostratethroughweakness。Itwilltakeaweekyettore-establishhishealth。
ThesouloflittleAbelisstirred。Hedrieshistearsandassumestheairofaman；hefeelssomestrengthinhislittlearms。Hegoesout，andproceedstothehouseofthemastermason。Whenhereturns，heisnolongersorrowful：honeywasinhismouth，andhiseyesweresmiling。”Hesaid，”Myfather，restyourself：gainstrengthandcourage；youhavethewholeweekbeforeyou。Thenyoumaylabour。Someonewholovesyouwilldoyourwork，andyoushallstillkeepyourplace。”Thusendsthesecondpart。
Thethirdbegins：”BeholdourlittleAbel，whonolongertoilsattheschool-desk，butintheworkshop。Intheeveningshebecomesagainapetitmonsieur；and，thebettertodeceivehisfather，speaksofbooks，papers，andwritings，andwithawinkrepliestotheinquiringlookofhismotheretd’unclind’oeilrepondauxclinsdesyeuxdesamere。Fourdayspassthus。
Onthefifth，Friday，Hilaire，nowcured，leaveshishouseatmid-day。”ButfatalFriday，Godhasmadetheeforsorrow！”
Thefathergoestotheplacewherethemasonsareatwork。
Thoughthehourforluncheonhasnotarrived，yetnooneisseenontheplatformsabove；andObonDieu！whatacrowdofpeopleisseenatthefootofthebuilding！Master，workmen，neighbours——allarethere，inhasteandtumult。Aworkmanhasfallenfromthescaffold。ItispoorlittleAbel。Hilairepressedforwardtoseehisbelovedboyliebleedingontheground！Abelisdying，butbeforeheexpires，hewhispers，”Master，Ihavenotbeenabletofinishthework，butformypoormother’ssakedonotdismissmyfatherbecausethereisonedayshort！”Theboydied，andwascarriedhomebyhissorrowfulparent。TheplacewaspreservedforHilaire，andhiswageswereevendoubled。Butitwastoolate。Onemorningdeathclosedhiseyelids；andthegoodfatherwenttotakeanotherplaceinthetombbythesideofhisson。
JasmindedicatedthispoemtoLamartine，whoansweredhisdedicationasfollows：——”Paris，28thApril，1849。”Mydearbrother，——Iamproudtoreadmynameinthelanguagewhichyouhavemadeclassic；moreproudstillofthebeautifulversesinwhichyouembalmtherecollectionofourthreemonthsofstrugglewiththedemagoguesagainstourtruerepublic。Poetsentertainlivingpresentimentsofposterity。Iacceptyouromen。
Yourpoemhasmadeusweep。Youaretheonlyepicwriterofourtime，thesensibleandpatheticHomerofthepeopleproletaires。
Otherssing，butyoufeel。Ihaveseenyourson，whohasthreetimesshelteredmewithhisbayonet——inMarchandApril。
Heappearstomeworthyofyourname——LAMARTINE。”
Besidestheabovepoems，JasmincomposedLePretresansEgliseThePriestwithoutaChurch，whichformsthesubjectofthenextchapter。Thesepoems，withothersongsandimpromptus，werepublishedin1851，formingthethirdvolumeofhisPapillotos。
AfterJasminhadcompletedhismasterpieces，heagaindevotedhimselftothecauseofcharity。Before，hehadmerelywalked；
nowhesoaredaloft。Whatheaccomplishedwillbeascertainedinthefollowingpages。
FootnotesforChapterXV。
[1]TheelderScaligerhadbeenbanishedfromVerona，settlednearAgen，andgavethevillaitsname。ThetomboftheScaligerfamilyinVeronaisoneofthefinestmausoleumsevererected。
[2]JournaldeToulouse，4thJuly，1840。
[3]Intheprefacetothepoem，whichwaspublishedin1845，theeditorobserves：——”Thislittledramabeginsin1798，atLaffitte，aprettymarket-townonthebanksoftheLot，nearClairac，andendsin1802。WhenMarthabecameanidiot，sheranawayfromthetowntowhichshebelonged，andwenttoAgen。Whenseeninthestreetsofthattownshebecameanobjectofcommiserationtomany，butthechildrenpursuedher，callingout，’Martha，asoldier！’Sometimesshedisappearedfortwoweeksatatime，andthepeoplewouldthenobserve，’Marthahashiddenherself；shemustnowbeveryhungry！’MorethanonceJasmin，inhischildhood，pursuedMarthawiththeusualcryof’Asoldier。’Helittlethoughtthatatafuturetimeheshouldmakesomecompensationforhissarcasms，bywritingthetouchingpoemofMarthatheInnocent；butthismerelyrevealedthegoodnessofhisheartandhisexquisitesensibility。
MarthadiedatAgenin1834。”
[4]’CauseriesduLundi，’iv。241，edit。1852。
CHAPTERXVI。
THEPRIESTWITHOUTACHURCH。
TheAbbeMasson，priestofVergtinPerigord，foundthechurchinwhichheofficiatedsodecayedandcrumbling，thathewasobligedtocloseit。Ithadlongbeeninaruinouscondition。
Thewallswerecracked，andpiecesofplasterandevenbrickfelldownupontheheadsofthecongregation；andfortheirsakeaswellasforhisown，theAbbeMassonwasobligedtodiscontinuetheservices。Atlengthheresolvedtopulldowntheruinedbuilding，anderectanotherchurchinitsplace。
Vergtisnotatownofanyconsiderableimportance。ItcontainstheruinsofafortressbuiltbytheEnglishwhilethispartofFrancewasintheirpossession。AtalaterperiodabloodybattlewasfoughtintheneighbourhoodbetweentheCatholicsandtheHuguenots。Indeed，thewholeoftheSouthofFrancewasforalongperioddisturbedbythecivilwarwhichragedbetweenthesesectionsofChristians。ThoughbothRomanCatholicsandProtestantsstillexistatVergt，theynowlivetogetherinpeaceandharmony。
VergtisthechieftownoftheCanton，andcontainsabout1800
inhabitants。Itisasmallbutpicturesquetown，thebuildingsbeinghalfconcealedbyfoliageandchestnuttrees。Notfaroff，bytheriverCandou，thesceneryremindsoneofthewoodedvalleyatBoltonPrioryinYorkshire。
ThoughtheAbbeMassonwasamanofpowerandvigour，hefounditverydifficulttoobtainfundsfromtheinhabitantsofthetownforthepurposeofrebuildinghischurch。TherewerenoEcclesiasticalCommissionerstowhomhecouldappeal，andthepeopleoftheneighbourhoodweretoolimitedintheircircumstancestohelphimtoanylargeextent。
However，hesaidtohimself，”Heavenhelpsthosewhohelpthemselves；”orrather，accordingtotheSouthernproverb，Quitrabaillo，Thionlibaillo——”Whoisdiligent，Godhelps。”
Thepriestbeganhisworkwithmuchzeal。HecollectedwhathecouldinVergtandtheneighbourhood，andsetthebuilderstowork。HehopedthatProvidencewouldhelphimincollectingtherestofthebuildingfund。
Buttherebuildingofachurchisaformidableaffair；andperhapsthepriest，notbeingamanofbusiness，didnotcountthecostoftheundertaking。Hemayhave”countedhischickensbeforetheywerehatched。”Beforelongthepriest’sfundsagainranshort。Hehadbeguntherebuildingin1840；theworkwentonforaboutayear；butin1841thebuildershadtostoptheiroperations，astheAbbeMasson’sfundswereentirelyexhausted。