andthepeopleofAgenshouldbeproudoftheirpoet。”[2]
TheaccountwhichJasminrecordsofhisexpensesduringajourneyoffiftydays，inwhichhecollectedmorethan20，000francs，isveryremarkable。Itisgiveninthefourthvolumeof’LesPapillotes，’publishedin1863，theyearbeforehisdeath，andisentitled，”Noteofmyexpensesofthejourney，whichI
havedeductedfromthereceiptsduringmycircuitoffiftydays。”
Oncertainoccasionsnothingwhateverwascharged，butacarriagewasprobablyplacedathisdisposal，ortheticketforarailwayoradiligencemayhavebeenpaidforbyhisfriends。
Onmanyoccasionshewalkedthedistancebetweentheseveralplaces，andthussavedthecostofhisconveyance。Buteveryitemofexpensewassetforthinhis”Note”withthemostscrupulousexactness。
HereisthetranslationofJasmin’srecordforhisjourneysduringthesefiftydays：——”……AtFoix，fromM。deGroussou，PresidentoftheCommunionofBienfaisance，33fr。，50c。
AtPamiers，nil。AtSaint-Girons，fromthePresidentoftheSocietyofSt。VincentdePaul，16fr。AtLavaur，fromM。theMayor，22fr。AtSaint-Sulpice，nil。AtToulouse，whereIgavefivespecialseances，ofwhichthetwofirst，toSaint-VincentdePaulandthePrefecture，producedmorethan1600fr。，nil。Mymusewassufficientlyaccountedfor；itwasduringmyreceptionasMaitre-es-jeux。AtRodez，fromthePresidentoftheConferenceofSaint-VincentdePaul，29fr。50c。AtSaint-Geniez，nil。AtSaint-Flour，fromM。Simon，vicar-general，22fr。50c。AtMurat，nil。AtMauriac，nil。AtAurillac，fromM。Geneste，mayor，formyreturntoAgen，24fr。Total，147fr。
50centimes。”
Thus，morethan20，000francswerecollectedforthepoor，Jasminhavingdeducted147fr。50c。forthecostofhisjourneysfromplacetoplace。Itmustalsoberememberedthathetravelledmostlyinwinter，whenthegroundwascoveredwithsnow。InFebruary，1854，M。Migneret，PrefectofHaute-garonne，addressedalettertoJasmin，whichisworthyofpreservation。”Itispleasant，”hesaid，’afterhavingenjoyedatnightthecharmsofyourpoetry，tobeginthenextdaybytakingaccountofthemisfortunestheyrelieve。Ioweyouthisdoublehonour，andIthankyouwiththegreatestgratitude……Astoouradmirationofyourtalent，ityieldstoouresteemforyournobleheart；thepoetcannotbejealousofthegoodcitizen。”[3]
Notwithstandingtherigouroftheseason，andthesnowandwind，thelikeofwhichhadnotbeenknownformorethantwentyyears，JasminwaswelcomedbyanimmenseaudienceatRodez。TherecitationwasgiveninthelargehallofthePalaisdeJustice，andneverhadsolargeacollectionbeenmade。TheyoungpeopleofthetownwishedtogiveJasminabanquet，buthedeclined，ashehadtohurryontoanotherplaceforasimilarpurpose。
Heleftthem，however，oneofhispoemspreparedfortheoccasion。
HearrivedatSaint-Flourexhaustedbyfatigue。Hisvoicebegantofail，partlythroughtherigoursoftheclimate，yethecontinuedtopersevere。Thebishopentertainedhiminhispalace，andintroducedhimpersonallytotheaudiencebeforewhichhewastogivehisrecitations。Overtheentrance-doorwaswrittentheinscription，”AJasmin，lePoetedesPauvres，Saint-fleurreconnaissante！”BeforeJasminbegantorecitehewasserenadedbytheaudience。Thecollectionwasgreaterthanhadeverbeenknown。ItwasherethatthebishoppresentedJasminwiththatfamousmanual，’TheImitationofChrist，’
alreadyreferredto。
ItwasthesameatMurat，Mauriac，andAurillac。TherecitationatAurillacwasgiveninthetheatre，andthereceiptswere1200
francs。Herealsohewasserenaded。HedepartedfromAurillaccoveredwiththepoorpeople’sblessingsandgratitude。
AtToulousehegaveanotherentertainment，attheinstanceoftheConferenceofSaint-FrancoisXavier。Therewereabout3000
personspresent，mostlyoftheworkingclasses。Theseancewasprolongedalmosttomidnight。Theaudience，mostofwhomhadtoriseearlyinthemorning，forgottheirsleep，andwishedthepoettoprolonghisrecitations！
AlthoughthepoormachineofJasmin’sbodywasofteninneedofrest，hestillwentaboutdoinggood。Heneverceasedministeringtothepooruntilhewasaltogetherunabletogototheirhelp。Eveninthedistressingcold，rain，andwindofwinter——anditwasinwintermorethaninsummerthathetravelled，foritwasthenthatthepoorweremostdistressed——
heentirelydisregardedhisowncomfort，andsometimestravelledatmuchperil；yethewentnorthandsouth，byhighwaysandbyways，byriversandrailways，inanyandeverydirection，providedhisservicescouldbeofuse。
Hesacrificedhimselfalways，andwasperfectlyregardlessofself。Hewasoverwhelmedwithhonoursandpraises。Hebecamewearyoftriumphs——oflaurels，flowers，andmedals——hesometimesbecamewearyofhislife；yethenevercouldrefuseanypressingsolicitationmadetohimforanewrecitalofhispoems。
Histrials，especiallyinwintertime，wereoftenmostdistressing。Hewouldrecitebeforeacrowdedaudience，inaheatedroom，andafterwardsfacetheicyairwithout，oftenwithoutanycoveringforhisthroatandneck。Hencehisrepeatedbronchialattacks，thelossofhisvoice，andotherseriousaffectionsofhislungs。
ThelastmeetingwhichJasminattendedonbehalfofthepoorwasattheendofJanuary1864，onlythreemonthsbeforehisdeath。
ItwasatVilleneuve-sur-Lot，atownseveralmilesnorthofAgen。
Hedidnotdesiretoputthepeopletotheexpenseofaconveyance，andthereforehedecidedtowalk。Hewasalreadyprematurelyoldandstooping。
Thediseasewhichendedhislifehadalreadymadeconsiderableprogress。Heshouldhavebeeninbed；nevertheless，asthepoorneededhishelp，thebraveoldmandeterminedtoproceedtoVilleneuve。Hewashelpedalongtheroadbysomeofhisfriends；
andatlast，weariedandpanting，hearrivedathisdestination。
Themeetingwasheldinthetheatre，whichwascrowdedtosuffocation。
NosoonerhadJasminreachedtheplatform，amidsttheusualtriumphantcheering，than，aftertakingashortrest，hesprangtohisfeetandbegantherecitationofhispoems。Neverhadhisvoiceseemedmorespiritedandentrancing。Hedelightedhisaudience，whilehepleadedmosteloquentlyforthereliefofthepoor。”Iseehimnow，”wroteoneofhisfriends，”frombehindtheside-scenesofthetheatre，perspiringprofusely，wettotheskin，withacarafeofwatertoallaytheardentthirstoccasionedbythreehoursofsplendiddeclamation。”
Inhisthencriticalstate，thethreehours’declamationwasenoughtokillhim。Atallevents，itwashislastrecitation。
Itwasthesongofthedyingswan。Inthemidstofhistriumphs，helaiddownhislifeforthepoor；likethesoldierwhodieswiththesoundofvictoryinhisears。
FootnotestoChapterXIX。
[1]’Jasmin，saVieetsesOEuvres。’Paris，1867。
[2]LePays，14thFebruary，1854。
[3]’LasPapillotosdeJasmin，’iv。56。
CHAPTERXX。
DEATHOFJASMIN——HISCHARACTER。
AfterhisfinalrecitationatVilleneuve，Jasmin，sick，ill，andutterlyexhausted，reachedAgenwithdifficulty。Hecouldscarcelystand。Itwasnotoftenthattravellinghadsoaffectedhim；butnaturenowcriedoutandrebelled。Hiswifewas，ofcourse，greatlyalarmed。Hewasatoncecarefullyputtobed，andtherehelayforfifteendays。
Whenhewasatlengthabletorise，hewasplacedinhiseasychair，buthewasstillweak，wearied，andexhausted。Mariettebelievedthathewouldyetrecoverhisstrength；butthediseaseunderwhichhelabouredhadtakenastrongholdofhim，andJasminfeltthatbewasgraduallyapproachingthecloseofhislife。
AboutthistimeRenan’s’LifeofJesus’waspublished。Jasminwasinexpressiblyshockedbytheappearanceofthebook，foritseemedtohimtostrikeatthefoundationsofChristianity，andtobeentirelyopposedtotheteachingsoftheChurch。
Heimmediatelybegantocomposeapoem，entitledThePoetofthePeopletoM。Renan，[1]inwhichhevindicatedtheCatholicfaith，anddenouncedthepoisonousmischiefcontainedinthenewattackuponChristianity。Thepoemwasfullofpoeticfeeling，withmanypathetictouchesillustrativeofthelifeandtrialsofmanwhileherebelow。
Thecompositionofthispoemoccupiedhimforsometime。
Althoughbrokenbygriefandpain，hemadeeveryhastetocorrecttheproofs，feelingthatitwouldprobablybethelastworkthatheshouldgivetotheworld。Anditwashislast。
Itwasfinishedandprintedonthe24thofAugust，1864。Hesentseveralcopiestohismoreintimatefriendswithadedication；
andthenhetookfinallytohisbed，nevertoriseagain。”Iamhappy，”hesaid，”tohaveterminatedmycareerbyanactoffaith，andtohaveconsecratedmylastworktothenameofJesusChrist。”Hefeltthatitwashispassporttoeternity。
Jasmin’slifewasfastdrawingtoaclose。Heknewthathemustsoondie；yetneverawordoffearescapedhislips；norwashisserenityofminddisturbed。Hemadehispreparationsfordeparturewithasmuchtranquillityandhappiness，asonthedayswhenhewasabouttostartononeofhisphilanthropicmissions。
HedesiredthatM。Saint-Hilaire，thevicaroftheparish，shouldbesentfor。Thepriestwasatoncebythebedsideofhisdyingfriend。Jasminmadehisrepliestohiminaclearandcalmvoice。Hiswife，hisson，hisgrand-children，werepresentwhenhereceivedtheViaticum——thelastsacramentofthechurch。
Aftertheceremonyheturnedtohiswifeandfamily，andsaid：”InmylastcommunionIhaveprayedtoGodthatHemaykeepyouallinthemostaffectionatepeaceandunion，andthatHemayeverreignintheheartsofthosewhomIlovesomuchandamabouttoleavebehindme。”Thenspeakingtohiswife，hesaid，”NowMariette，——nowIcandiepeacefully。”
Hecontinuedtoliveuntilthefollowingmorning。Heconversedoccasionallywithhiswife，hisson，andafewattachedfriends。
Hetalked，thoughwithdifficulty，ofthefutureofthefamily，forwhomhehadmadeprovision。Atlast，liftinghimselfupbytheaidofhisson，helookedtowardshiswife。Thebrightnessofloveglowedinhiseyes；butinamomenthefellbacksenselessuponthepillow，andhisspiritquietlypassedaway。
Jasmindepartedthislifeonthe5thofOctober，1864，attheageofsixty-five。Hewasnotanoldman；butthebrightestjewelssoonestweartheirsetting。Whenlaidinhiscoffin，thepoemtoRenan，hislastactoffaith，wasplacedonhisbreast，withhishandscrossedoverit。
Thegrieffeltathisdeathwaswideanduniversal。IntheSouthofFrancehewaslamentedasapersonalfriend；andhewasfollowedtothegravebyanimmensenumberofhistownspeople。
Themunicipaladministrationtookchargeofthefuneral。
Atteno’clockinthemorningofthe8thOctobertheprocessionstartedfromJasmin’shouseonthePromenadeduGravier。
OnthecoffinwereplacedtheCrownofGoldpresentedtohimbyhisfellow-townsmen，thecrossofChevalieroftheLegionofHonour，andthatofSaint-GregorytheGreat。Acompanyoffivemen，andadetachmentoftroopscommandedbyanofficer，formedtheline。