M。deLavergnesaysofFranconnette，that，ofallJasmin’swork，itistheoneinwhichheaimedatbeingmostentirelypopular，andthatitisatthesametimethemostnobleandthemostchastened。Hemightalsohaveaddedthemostchivalrous。”Thereissomethingessentiallyknightly，”saysMissPreston，”inPascal’scastofcharacter，anditissingularthatatthesupremecrisisofhisfateheassumes，asifunconsciously，theveryphraseologyofchivalry。”Somesquiredonzelshouldfollowmetodeath。
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。240edit。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”