Sheisunhappy，sleepy。Here，athousandhamletslaughbytheriver’sside。Ourskieslaugh；everythingishappy；everythinglives。FromthemonthofMay，whenourjoyoussummerarrives，forsixmonthstheheavensresoundwithmusic。Athousandnightingalessingallthenightthrough……Yourgrandoperaissilent，whileourconcertisinitsfulleststrain。”
Thepoemendswithaconfessiononthepartofthepoetofsundrypilferingscommittedbyhimselfinthesameplacewhenaboy——ofapple-treesbroken，hedgesforced，andvine-laddersscaled，windingupwiththewords：”Madame，youseeIturntowardsthepastwithoutablush；
willyou?WhatIhaverobbedIreturn，andreturnwithusury。
Ihavenodoortomyvineyard；onlytwothornsbaritsthreshold。
When，throughaholeIseethenosesofmarauders，insteadofarmingmyselfwithacane，Iturnandgoaway，sothattheymaycomeback。Hewhorobbedwhenhewasyoung，mayinhisoldageallowhimselftoberobbedtoo。”Amostamicablesentiment，suretobepopularamongsttherisinggenerationofAgen。
MaBignoiswritteningracefulandfelicitousverse。Wehaveendeavouredtogiveatranslationintheappendix；buttherenderingofsuchaworkintoEnglishisextremelydifficult。
Thesoulwillbefoundwanting；formuchoftheeleganceofthepoemconsistsinthechoiceofthewords。M。deMazade，editoroftheRevuedesDeuxMondes，saidofMaBignothatitwasoneofJasmin’sbestworks，andthatthestyleandsentimentswereequallysatisfactorytothepoeticalmindandtaste。
M。Rodiere，ofToulouse，inhisbriefmemoirofJasmin，[2]saysthat”itmightbethoughtthatsogreataworkasFranconnettewouldhaveexhaustedthepoet。Whenthealoeflowers，itrestsfornearlyahundredyearsbeforeitbloomsagain。ButJasminhadaninexhaustiblewellofpoetryinhissoul。NeverinfactwashemoreprolificthaninthetwoyearswhichfollowedthepublicationofFranconnette。Poetryseemedtoflowfromhimlikeafountain，anditcameinvariousforms。Hispoemshavenorulesandlittlerhythm，exceptthosewhichthegeniusofthepoetchoosestogivethem；butthereisalwaysthemostbeautifulpoetry，perfectlyevidentbyitsdivinelightanditsinspiredaccents。”
Jasmin，however，didnotcomposewiththerapiditydescribedbyhisreviewer。Hecouldnotthrowoffapoematoneormanysittings；thoughhecouldwriteanimpromptuwithreadyfacility。Whenhehadanelaborateworkinhand，suchasTheBlindGirlofCastel-Cuille，Franconnette，orMarthatheInnocent，hemeditatedlongoverit，andelaborateditwithconscientiouscare。Hearrangedtheplaninhismind，andwaitedforthebestwordsandexpressionsinwhichtoelaboratehisstanzas，soasmostclearlytoexplainhistruemeaning。
ThusFranconnettecosthimtwoyears’labour。Althoughhewroteofpeasantsinpeasants’language，hetookcaretoavoideverythinggrossorvulgar。Noteventhemostclassicalpoetcouldhavedisplayedinbornpoliteness——lapolitesseducoeur——inahigherdegree。Atthesametime，whileheexpressedpassioninmanyforms，itwasalwayswithdelicacy，truth，andbeauty。
Notwithstandinghisconstantphilanthropicjourneys，hebeguiledhistimewiththegermsofsomeforthcomingpoem，readytobeelaboratedonhisreturntoAgenandhisvineyard。
Hissecondvolumeofpoemswaspublishedin1842，andinafewmonthsitreacheditsthirdedition。About20，000copiesofhispoemshadbythistimebeenissued。Thesaleofthesemadehimcomparativelyeasyinhiscircumstances；anditwasmainlybytheirprofitsthathewasenabledtobuyhislittlevineyardnearVerona。
ItmayalsobementionedthatJasminreceivedafurtherincreaseofhismeansfromtheGovernmentofLouisPhilippe。ManyofhisfriendsintheSouthofFrancewereofopinionthathisphilanthropiclaboursshouldbepubliclyrecognised。WhileJasminhadmadenumerousgiftstothepoorfromthecollectionsmadeathisrecitations；whilehehadhelpedtobuildschools，orphanages，asylums，andevenchurches，itwasthoughtthatsomerecompenseshouldbeawardedtohimbytheStateforhisself-sacrificinglabours。
In1843theDuchessofOrleanshadagoldenmedalstruckinhishonour；andM。Dumon，whenpresentingittoJasmin，announcedthattheMinisterofInstructionhadinscribedhisnameamongstthemenofletterswhoseworkstheGovernmentwasdesirousofencouraging；andthatconsequentlyapensionhadbeenawardedtohimof1，000francsperannum。ThiswelcomenewswasshortlyafterconfirmedbytheMinisterofInstructionhimself。”Iamhappy，”saidM。Villemain，”tobearwitnesstothemeritofyourwritings，andtheoriginalityofyourpoetry，aswellastotheloyaltyofyoursentiments。”
Theministerwasnot，however，satisfiedwithconferringthisfavour。ItwasorderedthatJasminshouldbemadeaChevalieroftheLegionofHonour，atthesametimethatBalzac，FrederickSoulie，andAlfreddeMusset，wereadvancedtothesameroleofhonour。Theminister，inconveyingtheinsigniatoJasmin，said：”Youractionsareequaltoyourworks；youbuildchurches；
yousuccourindigence；youareapowerfulbenefactor；
andyourmuseisthesisterofCharity。”
Theseunexpectedhonoursmadenodifferenceinthepoet’sdailylife。Heshavedandcurledhairasbefore。HelivedinthesamehumbleshopontheGravier。Hewasnotintheleastpuffedup。
Hisadditionalincomemerelyenabledhimtodefrayhisexpenseswhileonhischaritablejourneysonbehalfofhispoorerneighbours。Hehadnodesiretoberich；andhewasnowmorethancomfortableinhispositionoflife。
WhenthenewsarrivedatAgenthatJasminhadbeenmadeaChevalieroftheLegionofHonour，hissalonwascrowdedwithsympatheticadmirers。Intheevening，aserenadewasperformedbeforehisdoorontheGravierbythePhilharmonicSocietyofAgen。Indeed，thewholetownwasfilledwithjoyattheacknowledgedcelebrityoftheirpoet。AfewyearslaterPopePiusIX。conferreduponJasminthehonourofChevalieroftheOrderofSt。GregorytheGreat。TheinsigniaoftheOrderwashandedtothepoetbyMonseigneurdeVezins，BishopofAgen，inSept。1850。Whocouldhavethoughtthatthebarber-poetwouldhavebeensohonouredbyhisKing，andbytheHeadofhisChurch?
Jasmin’snextimportantpoem，aftertheproductionofFranconnettewasMarthatheInnocent——[InGascon，Maltrol’Innoucento；French，MarthelaFolle]。ItislikeTheBlindGirl，atouchingstoryofdisappointmentinlove。MarthawasanorphanlivingatLaffitte，onthebanksoftheLot。Shewasbetrothedtoayoungfellow，buttheconscriptionforbadetheirunion。TheconscriptwassenttothewarsofthefirstNapoleon，whichwerethenraging。Theorphansoldherlittlecottageinthehopeofbuyinghimoff，orprovidinghimwithasubstitute。
Butitwasallinvain。Hewascompelledtofollowhisregiment。
Shewasagoodandpiousgirl，belovedbyall。Shewasalsobeautiful，——tall，fair，andhandsome，witheyesofblue——”theblueofheaven，”accordingtoJasmin：”Withgracesofine，andairsosweet，Shewasaladyamongstpeasants。”
Thewarcametoanendforatime。Thesoldierwasdischarged，andreturnedhome。
Marthawentouttomeethim；butalas！likemanyotherficklemen，hehadmetandmarriedanother。Itwashiswifewhoaccompaniedhimhomewards。Marthacouldnotbeartheterriblecalamityofherblightedlove。Shebecamecrazy——almostanidiot。
SheranawayfromherhomeatLaffitte，andwanderedaboutthecountry。Jasmin，whenaboy，hadoftenseenthecrazywomanwanderingaboutthestreetsofAgenwithabasketonherarm，beggingforbread。Eveninherragsshehadtheremainsofbeauty。Thechildrenranafterher，andcried，”Martha，asoldier！”thensheranoff，andconcealedherself。
LikeotherchildrenofhisageJasminteasedher；andnow，aftermorethanthirtyyears，heproposedtoatoneforhischildishfollybyconvertinghersadstoryintoastillsadderpoem。
MarthatheInnocentisacharmingpoem，fullofgrace，harmony，andbeauty。Jasminoftenrecitedit，anddrewtearsfrommanyeyes。Intheintroductionherelatedhisownpartinherhistory。”Itallcamebackuponhim，”hesaid，”andnowherecitedthestoryofthismartyroflove。”[3]
AfterthecompletionofMartha，newtriumphsawaitedJasminintheSouthofFrance。In1846heagainwenttoToulouseonalabouroflove。HerecitedhisnewpoemintheRoomoftheIllustriousattheCapitol。Abrilliantassemblywaspresent。
Flowersperfumedtheair。Theentireaudienceroseandapplaudedthepoet。Theladiessmiledandweptbyturns。Jasminseemedtopossessanelectricinfluence。Hisclear，harmonious，andflexiblevoice，gaveemphasisbyitsrichsympathetictonestotheartisticelementsofhisstory。
Themanwhothusevokedsuchrapturefromhisaudiencewasnotarrayedingorgeouscostume。Hewasalittledark-eyedmanoftheworkingclass，clothedinaquietsuitofblack。
Atthecloseoftherecitation，theassembly，ravishedwithhisperformance，threwhimawreathofflowersandlaurels——moremodest，thoughnotlesspreciousthanthegoldenbranchwhichtheyhadpreviouslyconferreduponhim。Jasminthankedthemmostheartilyfortheirwelcome。”MyMuse，”hesaid，”withitsgloriousbranchofgold，littledreamtofgleaninganythingmorefromToulouse；butToulousehasagaininvitedmetothisday’sfestival，andIfeelmorehappythanaking，becausemypoemisenthronedinthemidstoftheCapitol。Yourhandshaveapplaudedmethroughout，andyouhaveconcludedbythrowingthiscrownofflowersatmyfeet。”
ItwasthenresolvedtoinviteJasmintoabanquet。Fortyladies，thecreamofToulousiansociety，organisedtheproceedings，andthebanquetwasgivenatthepalaceofM。deNarbonne。Attheendoftheproceedingsayoungladysteppedforward，andplaceduponthepoet’sheadacrownofimmortellesandvioletsjoinedtogetherbyaribbonwithgoldenthreads，onwhichwasinscribedinlettersofgold，”Yourthoughtsareimmortal！”Wasnotthisenoughtoturnanypoorpoet’shead?
Theladiesclappedtheirhands。WhatcouldJasminsay?”Itisenough，”hesaid”tomakeangelsjealous！”ThedinnerendedwithatoasttotheauthorofMartha，whostillworethecrownuponhisbrow。
ItisimpossibletodescribetheenthusiasmwithwhichthepoetwasreceivedallthroughtheSouth。AtDax，theladies，forwantofcrownsoflaurelstocoverhim，toretheflowersandfeathersfromtheirbonnets，andthrewthemathisfeet。InanothertowntheladiesroseandinvadedtheplatformwhereJasminstood；
theypluckedfromhisbutton-holetheribbonoftheLegionofHonour，anddivideditamongstthem，asapreciousrelicoftheirgloriouspoet。
HewasreceivedatGersandCondonwithequalenthusiasm。
AtCondonhecharmedhisaudiencewithhisrecitationsforaboutfivehours。Frenziesofapplausegreetedhim。Hewasinvitedtoabanquet，wherehereceivedtheusualpraises。Whenthebanquetwasover，andJasminescaped，hewasmetinthestreetbycrowdsofpeople，whowishedtograsphimbythehand。Herecitedtothemintheopenairhispoemofcharity。TheycomparedJasmintoO’Connell；butthebarberofAgen，bythepowerwhichheexercisedforthegoodofthepeople，provedhimselfmorethanequaltothegreatestofagitators。
Sainte-Beuvequoteswithkeenenjoyment[4]thebanteringletterwhichJasminsenttoPeyrottes，aProvencalpoet，whochallengedhimtoapoeticalcombat。ItwaswhilehewasmakingoneofhischaritabletoursthroughLanguedoc，thatJasminreceivedthefollowingletter24December，1847：-”SIR，——Idare，inmytemerity，whichmaylooklikehardihood，toproposetoyouachallenge。Willyouhavethegoodnesstoacceptit?IntheMiddleAges，theTroubadoursdidnotdisdainsuchachallengeasthatwhich，inmyaudacity，Inowproposetoyou。”IwillplacemyselfatyourdisposalatMontpellieronanydayandatanyhourthatmaybemostconvenienttoyou。Weshallnamefourpersonsofliterarystandingtogiveusthreesubjectswithwhichwearetodealfortwenty-fourhours。Weshallbeshutuptogether。Sentrieswillstandatthedoor。Onlyourprovisionsshallpassthrough。