Jasmin’sappearanceatBergeracwasagreatevent。Bergeracisatownofconsiderableimportance，containingaboutfourteenthousandinhabitants，situatedontherightornorthbankoftheriverDordogne。ButduringthatterriblewinterthepoorpeopleofBergeracwereingreatdistress，andJasminwassummonedtotheirhelp。TheplacewasattoogreatadistancefromAgenforhimtowalkthither，andaccordinglyhewasobligedtotakeaconveyance。Hewasasusualmetbyamultitudeofpeople，whoescortedhimintothetown。
Themagistratescouldnotfindaplacesufficientlylargetogiveaccommodationtothelargenumberofpersonswhodesiredtohearhim。Atlengththeyfoundalargebuildingwhichhadbeenusedasabarn；andtheretheyraisedaplatformforthepoet。
Theplacewasatoncefilled，andthosewhocouldnotgetadmissioncrowdedabouttheentrance。Someofthepeopleraisedladdersagainstthewallsofthebuilding，andclamberedinatthewindows。Groupsofauditorswereseenateveryplacewheretheycouldfindafooting。Unfortunatelytheweatherwasrainy，andacrowdofwomenfilledthesurroundingmeadow，shelteredbytheirumbrellas。
Morethanfivehundredpersonshadnotbeenabletofindadmission，anditwasthereforenecessaryforJasmintogiveseveralmorereadingstosatisfythegeneralenthusiasm。AllthereceiptsweregivenoverbyJasminforthebenefitofthepoor，andthepoethurriedhomeatoncetohisshavingandhair-dressing。
Onanotheroccasion，atGontaud，theweatherwasmoresatisfactory。Thedaywasfineandsunny，andthegroundwascoveredwithflowers。AboutthetimethatJasminwasexpected，anopencarriage，festoonedwithflowers，anddrawnbyfourhorses，wassenttothegateofthetown，escortedbythemunicipalcouncil，towaitforthepoet。WhenhearrivedonfootfortheplacewasatnogreatdistancefromAgentwelveyounggirls，clothedinwhite，offeredhimabouquetofflowers，andpresentedhimwithanaddress。Hethenenteredthecarriageandproceededtotheplacewherehewastogivehisrecitation。Allwentwellandhappily，andalargeofferingwascollectedanddistributedamongstthepoor。
ThenatDamazan，wherehegaveanotherreadingforthesamepurpose，afterhehadenteredthecarriagewhichwastoconveyhimtotheplaceofentertainment，anumberofgirlsprecededthecarriageinwhichthepoetsat，andscatteredflowersinhisway，singingarefrainofthecountryadaptedtotheoccasion。
ItresembledtherefrainsungbeforethebrideinTheBlindGirlofCastel-Cuille：”Thepathswithflowersbestrew，Sogreatapoetcomesthisway；
Forallshouldflowerandbloomanew，Sogreatapoetcomesto-day。”[2]
TheseareonlyspecimensofthewayinwhichJasminwasreceivedduringhismissionsofphilanthropy。Hewentfromnorthtosouth，fromeasttowest，byriverandbyroad，sleepingwherehecould，butalwayshappyandcheerful，doinghisnobleworkwithafullandjoyousheart。Hechirrupedandsangfromtimetotimeasifhismouthwasfullofnightingales。Andhewasneverwithoutenthusiasticmultitudestolistentohisrecitals，andtosharetheirmeanswiththepoorandafflicted。
Wemightfillthislittlestorywithadetailedaccountofhisjourneyings；butasummaryaccountisallthatisatpresentnecessary。Weshallafterwardsreturntothesubject。
FootnotestoChapterVIII。
[1]Mr。GeorgeDolby，inhiswork’CharlesDickensasIknewhim，’tells”thestoryofthefamous’readingtours，’themostbrilliantlysuccessfulenterprisesthatwereeverundertaken。”
ChappellandCo。paidhim1500sterlingforthirtyreadingsinLondonandtheprovinces，bywhichtheyrealised5000
sterling。ArthurSmithandMr。Headlandwerehisnextmanagers，andfinallyMr。GeorgeDolby。ThelattersaysthatMr。DickenscomputedthemoneyhenettedundertheSmithandHeadlandmanagementatabout12，000sterling；andunderDolby’smanagement”heclearednearly33，000sterling。”
[2]InGascon：”Lascarrerosdiouyonfleuri，Tangranpoetebaysourti；
Diouyonfleuri，diouyongraua，Tangranpoetebaypassa。”
CHAPTERIX。
JASMIN’S’FRANCONNETTE。’
Jasminpublishednofurtherpoemsforthreeorfouryears。
Histimewastakenupwithhistradeandhisphilanthropicmissions。
Besides，hedidnotcomposewithrapidity；heelaboratedhispoemsbydegrees；hearrangedtheplotofhisstory，andthenheclotheditwithpoeticalwordsandimages。Whilehewalkedandjourneyedfromplacetoplace，hewasdreamingandthinkingofhisnextdramaticpoem——hisFranconnette，whichmanyofhiscriticsregardashismasterpiece。
Likemostofhispreviouspoems，JasminwroteFranconnetteintheGascondialect。Someofhisintimatefriendscontinuedtoexpostulatewithhimforusingthisalmostdeadandvirtuallyilliteratepatois。WhynotwriteinclassicalFrench?M。Dumon，hiscolleagueattheAcademyofAgen，againurgedhimtoemploythenationallanguage，whichallintelligentreaderscouldunderstand。”UnderthereignofourHenryIV。，”saidM。Dumon，”theLangued’Oilbecame，withmodifications，thelanguageoftheFrench，whiletheLangued’Ocremainedmerelyapatois。Donotthereforesinginthedialectofthepast，butinthelanguageofthepresent，likeBeranger，Lamartine，andVictorHugo。”What，”askedM。Dumon，”willbethefateofyouroriginalpoetry?Itwilllive，nodoubt，likethedialectinwhichitiswritten；butisthis，theGasconpatois，likelytolive?Willitbespokenbyourposterityaslongasithasbeenspokenbyourancestors?Ihopenot；atleastIwishitmaybelessspoken。
YetIloveitsartlessandpicturesqueexpressions，itslivelyrecollectionsofcustomsandmannerswhichhavelongceasedtoexist，likethoseoldruinswhichstillembellishourlandscape。
Butthetendencywhichisgraduallyeffacingthevestigesofouroldlanguageandcustomsisbutthetendencyofcivilisationitself。”WhenRomefellundertheblowsofthebarbarians，shewasentirelyconquered；herlawsweresubjectedatthesametimeasherarmies。Theconquestdismemberedheridiomaswellasherempire……ThelasttraceofnationalunitydisappearedinthiscountryaftertheRomanoccupation。IthadbeenGaul，butnowitbecameFrance。TheforceofcentralisationwhichhascivilisedEurope，coveringthisimmensechaos，hasbroughttolight，aftermorethanahundredyears，thismostmagnificentcreationtheFrenchmonarchyandtheFrenchlanguage。Letuslament，ifyouwill，thatthepoeticalimaginationandthecharacteristiclanguageofourancestorshavenotleftamoreprofoundimpression。Butthesentenceispronounced；evenourHenryIV。couldnotchangeit。UnderhisreigntheLangued’OilbecameforevertheFrenchlanguage，andtheLangued’Ocremainedbutapatois。”Popularpoetasyouare，yousingtoposterityinthelanguageofthepast。Thislanguage，whichyourecitesowell，youhaverestoredandperhapsevencreated；yetyoudonotfeelthatitisthenationallanguage；thispowerfulinstrumentofanewera，whichinvadesandbesiegesyoursonallsideslikethelastfortressofanobsoletecivilisation。”
Jasminwascuttothequickbythissevereletterofhisfriend，andhelostnotamomentinpublishingadefenceofthelanguagecondemnedtodeathbyhisopponent。HeevendisplayedtheforceandharmonyofthelanguagewhichhadbeendenouncedbyM。Dumonasapatois。Heendeavouredtoexpresshimselfinthemostcharacteristicandpoeticalstyle，asevidenceofthevitalityofhisnativeGascon。Hecomparedittoawidowedmotherwhodies，andalsotoamotherwhodoesnotdie，butcontinuesyoung，lovely，andalert，eventothelast。Dumonhadpublishedhisprotestonthe28thofAugust，1837，andafewdayslater，onthe2ndofSeptember，Jasminrepliedinthefollowingpoem：-”There’snotadeepergrieftomanThanwhenhismother，faintwithyears，Decrepit，old，andweakandwan，Beyondtheleech’sartappears；
Whenbyhercouchhersonmaystay，Andpressherhand，andwatchhereyes，Andfeel，thoughsherevivesto-day，Perchancehishopeto-morrowdies。
Itisnotthus，believeme，sir，Withthisenchantress——shewillcallOursecondmother：Frenchmenerr，Who，cent’riessince，proclaimedherfall！
Ourmother-tongue——allmelody——
Whilemusiclivescanneverdie。
Yes！shestilllives，herwordsstillring；
Herchildrenyethercarolssing；
AndthousandyearsmayrollawayBeforehermagicnotesdecay。
Thepeoplelovetheirancientsongs，andwillWhileyetapeople，loveandkeepthemstill：
Theselaysareastheirmother；theyrecallFondthoughtsofmother，sister，friends，andallThemanylittlethingsthatpleasetheheart，Thedreams，thehopes，fromwhichwecannotpart。
Thesesongsareassweetwaters，wherewefindHealthinthesparklingwavethatnervesthemind。
Inev’ryhome，atev’rycottagedoor，Byev’ryfireside，whenourtoiliso’er，Thesesongsareroundus——nearourcradlessigh，Andtothegraveattenduswhenwedie。
Oh，think，coldcritics！’twillbelateandlong，Eretimeshallsweepawaythisfloodofsong！
Therearewhobidthismusicsoundnomore，Andyoucanhearthem，nordefend——deplore！
You，whowerebornwhereitsfirstdaisiesgrew，Havefeduponitshoney，sipp’ditsdew，Sleptinitsarms，andwakenedtoitskiss，Dancedtoitssounds，andwarbledtoitstone——
Youcanforsakeitinanhourlikethis！
Yes，wearyofitsage，renounce——disown——
Andblameoneminstrelwhoistrue——alone！”[1]
ThisisbutaparaphraseofJasmin’spoem，which，aswehavealreadysaid，cannotbeverballytranslatedintoanyotherlanguage。EventhelasteditorofJasmin’spoems——Boyerd’Agen——doesnottranslatethemintoFrenchpoetry，butintoFrenchprose。Muchofthearomaofpoetryevaporatesinconvertingpoeticalthoughtsfromonelanguageintoanother。
Jasmin，inonepartofhispoem，comparestheancientpatoistooneofthegrandoldelmsinthePromenadedeGravier，which，havinginastormhadsomeofitsbranchestornaway，wasorderedbythelocalauthoritiestoberootedup。Thelabourersworkedaway，buttheirpick-axesbecameunhafted。Theycouldnotup-rootthetree；theygrewtiredandforsookthework。Whenthesummercame，gloriousverdureagainclothedtheremainingboughs；thebirdssangsweetlyinthebranches，andtheneighboursrejoicedthatitsrootshadbeensonumerousandthetreehadbeensofirmlyplanted。
Jasmin’sdescriptionofhismother-tongueismosttouching。
Seasonspassaway，and，astheyrollon，theirechoessoundinourears；butthelovedtongueshallnotandmustnotdie。
Themother-tonguerecallsourowndearmother，sisters，friends，andcrowdsofbygoneassociations，whichpressintoourmindswhilesittingbytheeveningfire。Thistongueisthelanguageofourtoilsandlabours；shecomestousatourbirth，shelingersatourtomb。”No，no——Icannotdesertmymother-tongue！”saidJasmin。”Itpreservesthefolk-loreofthedistrict；itisthelanguageofthepoor，ofthelabourer，theshepherd，thefarmerandgrape-gatherers，ofboysandgirls，ofbridesandbridegrooms。
Thepeople，”hesaidtoM。Dumon，”lovetohearmysongsintheirnativedialect。YouhaveenoughpoetryinclassicalFrench；leavemetopleasemycompatriotsinthedialectwhichtheylove。Icannotgiveupthisharmoniouslanguage，oursecondmother，eventhoughithasbeencondemnedforthreehundredyears。Why！shestilllives，hervoicestillsounds；likeher，theseasonspass，thebellsringouttheirpeals，andthoughahundredthousandyearsmayrollaway，theywillstillbesoundingandringing！”
JasminhasbeencomparedtoDante。Butthereisthisimmensedifferencebetweenthem。DantewasvirtuallythecreatoroftheItalianlanguage，whichwasinitsinfancywhenhewrotehis’DivineComedy’somesixhundredyearsago，whileJasminwasmerelyrevivingagradually-expiringdialect。DrouilhetdeSigalashassaidthatDantelivedatthesunriseofhislanguage，whileJasminlivedatitssunset。Indeed，Gasconwasnotawrittenlanguage，andJasminhadtocollecthislexicon，grammar，andspeechmostlyfromthepeasantswholivedintheneighbourhoodofAgen。DantevirtuallycreatedtheItalianlanguage，whileJasminmerelyresuscitatedforatimetheGascondialect。
JasminwasnotdeterredbytheexpostulationsofDumon，butagainwrotehisnewepicofFranconnetteinGascon。