AtParistheworkwaswelcomedwithapplause，firstbyhispoeticsponsor，CharlesNodier，intheTemps，wherehecongratulatedJasminonusingtheGasconpatois，thoughstillunderthebanofliterature。”ItisaveritableSaintBartholomewofinnocentandbeautifulidioms，whichcanscarcelybeemployedeveninthehoursofrecreation。”HepronouncedJasmintobeaGasconBeranger，andquotedseveralofhislinesfromtheCharivari，butapologisedfortheirtranslationintoFrench，fearingthattheymightlosemuchoftheirrusticartlessnessandsoftharmony。
Whatwasastillgreaterhonour，JasminwasreviewedbythefirstcriticofFrance——Sainte-Beuveintheleadingcriticaljournal，theRevuedesdeuxMondes。ThearticlewasafterwardsrepublishedinhisContemporaryPortraits。[5]Hetheregivesageneralaccountofhispoems；compareshimwiththeEnglishandScotchpoetsoftheworkingclass；andcontrastshimwithReboul，thebakerofNimes，whowritesinclassicalFrench，afterthemannerofthe’MeditationsofLamartine。’HeproceedstogiveabriefaccountofJasmin’slife，takenfromtheSouvenirs，whichheregardsasabeautifulwork，writtenwithmuchartlessnessandsimplicity。
VariousotherreviewsofJasmin’spoemsappeared，inAgen，Bordeaux，Toulouse，andParis，bymenofliterarymark——byLeoncedeLavergne，andDeMazudeintheRevuedesdeuxMondes——byCharlesLabitte，M。Ducuing，andM。dePontmartin。
ThelatterclassedJasminwithTheocritus，Horace，andLaFontaine，andpaidhimthesingulartribute，”thathehadmadeGoodnessasattractiveasotherFrenchwritershadmadeBadness。”
SuchcriticismsasthesemadeJasminpopular，notonlyinhisowndistrict，butthroughoutFrance。
WecannotwithholdtheinterestingstatementofPauldeMussetastohisinterviewwithJasminin1836，afterthepublicationofhissecondvolumeofpoems。PauldeMussetwastheauthorofseveralnovels，aswellasofLuietElle，aproposofhisbrother’sconnectionwithGeorgeSand。PauldeMussetthusdescribeshisvisittothepoetatAgen。[6]”LetnoonereturnnorthwardbythedirectroadfromToulouse。
NothingcanbemoredrearythantheLot，theLimousin，andtheinterminableDordogne；butmakeforBordeauxbytheplainsofGascony，anddonotforgetthesteamboatfromMarmande。YouwillthenfindyourselfontheGaronne，inthemidstofabeautifulcountry，wheretheairisvigorousandhealthy。Theroadsareborderedwithvines，arrangedinarches，lovelytotheeyesoftravellers。Thepoets，whodelightinmakingtheunionofthevinewiththetreeswhichsupportitanemblemofmarriage，canverifytheircomparisonsonlyinGasconyorItaly。Itisusuallypeartreesthatareusedtosupportthem……”ThankstoM。CharlesNodier，whohaddiscoveredamanofmodesttalentburiedinthisprovince，IknewalittleoftheversesoftheGasconpoetJasmin。Earlyonemorning，ataboutseven，thediligencestoppedinthemiddleofaPlace，whereIreadthisinscriptionoverashop-door，’Jasmin，Coiffeurdesjeunesgens。’WewereatAgen。Idescended，swallowedmycupofcoffeeasfastasIcould，andenteredtheshopofthemostletteredofperuke-makers。OnatablewasamassofpamphletsandsomeofthejournalsoftheSouth。”’MonsieurJasmin?’saidIonentering。’HereIam，sir，atyourservice，’repliedahandsomebrown-hairedfellow，withacheerfulexpression，whoseemedtomeaboutthirtyyearsofage。”’Willyoushaveme?’Iasked。’Willingly，sir，’hereplied，Isatdownandweenteredintoconversation。’Ihavereadyourverses，sir，’saidI，whilehewascoveringmychinwithlather。
’Monsieurthencomprehendsthepatois?’’Alittle，’Isaid；’oneofmyfriendshasexplainedtomethedifficultpassages。
Buttellme，MonsieurJasmin，whyisitthatyou，whoappeartoknowFrenchperfectly，writeinalanguagethatisnotspokeninanychieftownorcapital。’”’Ah，sir，howcouldapoorrhymerlikemeappearamongstthegreatcelebritiesofParis?Ihavesoldeighteenhundredcopiesofmylittlepiecesofpoetryinpamphletform，andcertainlyallwhospeakGasconknowthemwell。RememberthatthereareatleastsixmillionsofpeopleinLanguedoc。’”Mymouthwascoveredwithsoap-suds，andIcouldnotanswerhimforsometime。ThenIsaid，’Butahundredthousandpersonsatmostknowhowtoread，andtwentythousandofthemcanscarcelybeabletoenjoyyourworks。’”’Well，sir，Iamcontentwiththatamount。PerhapsyouhaveatParismorethanonewriterwhopossesseshistwentythousandreaders。MylittlereputationwouldsooncarrymeastrayifI
venturedtoaddressallEurope。Thevoicethatappearssonorousinalittleplaceisnotheardinthemidstofavastplain。
Andthen，myreadersareconfinedwithinaradiusoffortyleagues，andtheresultisofrealadvantagetoanauthor。’”’Ah！Andwhydoyounotabandonyourrazor?’Ienquiredofthissingularpoet。’Whatwouldyouhave?’hesaid。’TheMusesaremostcapricious；to-daytheygivegold，to-morrowtheyrefusebread。Therazorsecuresmesoup，andperhapsabottleofBordeaux。Besides，mysalonisalittleliterarycircle，wherealltheyoungpeopleofthetownassemble。WhenIcomefromoneoftheacademiesofwhichIamamember，IfindmyselfamongthetoolswhichIcanmanagebetterthanmypen；andmostofthemembersofthecircleusuallypassthroughmyhands。’”ItisafactthatM。Jasminshavesmoreskilfullythananyotherpoet。Afteralongconversationwiththissimple-mindedman，IexperiencedacertainconfusionindepositinguponhistabletheamountoffiftycentimeswhichIowedhimonthisoccasion，moreforhistalentthanforhisrazor；andI
remountedthediligencemorethancharmedwiththemodestyofhischaracteranddemeanour。”
FootnotesforChapterVI。
[1]M。DuvigneauthustranslatedthewordsintoFrench：
hebeginshisversesbyannouncingthebirthofHenryIV。：-”Asonaspect，millecrisd’allegresseEbranlentlepalaisetmontentjusqu’auciel：
Levoilabeaucommedanssajeunesse，Alorsqu’ilrecevaitlebaisermaternel。
AcepeuplecharmequidesyeuxledevoreLebonRoisembledireencore：
’BravesGascons，accoureztous；
Amonamourpourvousvousdevezcroire；
Jemetavousrevoirmonbonheuretmagloire，Venez，venez，approchez-vous！’”
[2]GasconorGasconadeisoftenusedasimplyingboastingorgasconading。
[3]ThisletterwaswrittenbeforeJasminhaddecidedtopublishthesecondvolumeofhisPapillotes，whichappearedin1835。
[4]ThefollowingarethelinesinGascon：——”Ataiboudroydanbousfinimatriplopaouzo；
Maisanfin，eycantat，n’hazardipasgrancaouzo：
QuandPegazoreguinno，etqued’uncotdepeM’emboyofrizamasmarotos，Perdimounten，esbray，maisnounpasmounpape；
Botimousbersenpapillotos！”
[5]’PortraitsContemporains，’ii。50。ParC。A。Sainte-Beuve，Membredel’AcademieFrancaise。1847。
[6]’Perpignan，l’AriegeetlepoeteJasmin’JournalpolitiqueetlitterairedeLot-et-Garonne。
CHAPTERVII。
’THEBLINDGIRLOFCASTEL-CUILLE。’
Jasminwasnowthirty-sixyearsold。Hewasvirtuallyintheprimeoflife。Hehadbeendreaming，hehadbeenthinking，formanyyears，ofcomposingsomepoemsofahigherorderthanhisSouvenirs。Hedesiredtoembodyinhisworksomeromantictalesinverse，foundeduponlocallegends，nobleinconception，elaboratedwithcare，andimpressivebythedignityofsimplenaturalpassion。
Inthesenewlyricalpoemshisintentionwastoaimhigh，andhesucceededtoamarvellousextent。Hewasenabledtoshowthedepthandstrengthofhisdramaticpowers，hisfidelityinthedescriptionofromanticandpicturesqueincidents，hisshrewdnessinreadingcharacterandhisskillinrepresentingit，allofwhichhedidinperfectinnocenceofallestablishedcanonsinthecompositionofdramaticpoetry。
ThefirstofJasmin’spoeticallegendswas’TheBlindGirlofCastel-Cuille’L’Abuglo。ItwastranslatedintoEnglish，afewyearsafteritsappearance，byLadyGeorgianaFullerton，daughteroftheBritishambassadoratParis，[1]andafterwardsbyHenryWadsworthLongfellow，theAmericanpoet。Longfellowfollowstherhythmoftheoriginal，andonthewholehistranslationofthepoemismorecorrect，sothathisversionistobepreferred。Hebeginshisversionwiththesewords——”OnlytheLowlandtongueofScotlandmightRehearsethislittletragedyaright；
LetmeattemptitwithanEnglishquill，Andtake，Oreader，forthedeedthewill。”
AttheendofhistranslationLongfellowadds：——Jasmin，theauthorofthisbeautifulpoem，istotheSouthofFrancewhatBurnsistotheSouthofScotland，therepresentativeoftheheartofthepeople，——oneofthosehappybardswhoarebornwiththeirmouthsfullofbirdslaboucoplenod’auuvelous。
Hehaswrittenhisownbiographyinapoeticform，andthesimplenarrativeofhispoverty，hisstruggles，andhistriumphs，isverytouching。HestilllivesatAgen，ontheGaronne，andlongmayhelivetheretodelighthisnativelandwithnativesongs！”
Itisunnecessarytoquotethepoem，whichissowell-knownbythenumerousreadersofLongfellow’spoems，butacompressednarrativeofthestorymaybegiven。
Thelegendisfoundedonapopulartradition。Castel-CuillestandsuponabluffrockintheprettyvalleyofSaint-Amans，aboutaleaguefromAgen。Thecastlewasofconsiderableimportancemanycenturiesago，whiletheEnglishoccupiedGuienne；butitisnowinruins，thoughthevillagenearitstillexists。Inacottage，atthefootoftherock，livedthegirlMarguerite，asoldier’sdaughter，withherbrotherPaul。
ThegirlhadbeenbetrothedtoherloverBaptiste；butduringhisabsenceshewasattackedbyvirulentsmall-poxandlosthereyesight。Thoughherbeautyhaddisappeared，herloveremained。
ShewaitedlongforherbelovedBaptiste，butheneverreturned。
HeforsookhisbetrothedMarguerite，andplightedhistrothtothefairerandricherAngele。Itwas，afterall，onlytheoldstory。
Margueriteheardatnightthesongoftheirespousalsontheeveofthemarriage。Shewasindespair，butsuppressedhergrief。
Wednesdaymorningarrived，theeveofSt。Joseph。ThebridalprocessionpassedalongthevillagetowardsthechurchofSaint-Amans，singingthebridalsong。Thefairandfertilevalleywasbedeckedwiththeblossomsoftheapple，theplum，andthealmond，whichwhitenedthecountryround。Nothingcouldhaveseemedmorepropitious。Thencamethechorus，whichwasnoinventionofthepoet，butarefrainalwayssungatrusticweddings，inaccordancewiththecustomofstrewingthebridalpathwithflowers：”Thepathswithbudsandblossomsstrew，Alovelybrideapproachesnigh；
Forallshouldbloomandspringanew，Alovelybrideispassingby！”[2]
Undertheblueskyandbrilliantsunshine，thejoyousyoungpeoplefriskedalong。Thepictureofyouth，gaiety，andbeauty，isfulloftruthandnature。Thebrideherselftakespartinthefrolic。Withroguisheyessheescapesandcries：”Thosewhocatchmewillbemarriedthisyear！”AndthentheydescendthehilltowardsthechurchofSaint-Amans。Baptiste，thebridegroom，isoutofspiritsandmute。Hetakesnopartinthesportsofthebridalparty。Herememberswithgrieftheblindgirlhehasabandoned。
InthecottageunderthecliffMargueritemeditatesatragedy。
Shedressesherself，andresolvestoattendtheweddingatSaint-Amanswithherlittlebrother。Whiledressing，sheslipsaknifeintoherbosom，andthentheystartforthechurch。
Thebridalpartysoonarrived，andMargueriteheardtheirentrance。
Theceremonyproceeded。Masswassaid。Thewedding-ringwasblessed；andasBaptisteplaceditonthebride’sfinger，hesaidtheaccustomedwords。Inamomentavoicecried：”Itishe！Itishe；”andMargueriterushedthroughthebridalpartytowardshimwithaknifeinherhandtostabherself；
butbeforeshecouldreachthebridegroomshefelldowndead——
broken-hearted！Thecrimewhichshehadintendedtocommitagainstherselfwasthusprevented。
Intheevening，inplaceofabridalsong，theDeProfundiswaschanted，andnoweachoneseemedtosay：——”Theroadsshallmourn，and，veiledingloom，Sofairacorpseshallleaveitshome！
Shouldmournandweep，ah，well-away，Sofairacorpseshallpassto-day！”[3]
ThispoemwasfinishedinAugust1835；andonthe26thofthesamemonthitwaspubliclyrecitedbyJasminatBordeaux，attherequestoftheAcademyofthatcity。
Therewasgreatbeauty，tenderness，andpathosinthepoem。