M。AncelocommunicatedtoJasminthedecisionoftheAcademy。”Ihavegreatpleasure，”hesaid，”intransmittingtoyouthegenuinesympathy，thesincereadmiration，andtheunanimousesteem，whichyournameandyourworkshaveevokedatthismeetingoftheAcademy。ThelegitimateapplausewhichyoueverywherereceiveinyourbeautifulcountryfindsitsechoonthissideoftheLoire；andifthespontaneousadoptionofyoubytheFrenchAcademyaddsnothingtoyourglory，itwillatleastservetoenhanceourown。”
TheprizeunanimouslyawardedtoJasminonthe19thofAugust，1852，was3000francs，whichwasmadeupto5000bythenumberofcopiesofthe”Papillotos”purchasedbytheAcademyfordistributionamongstthemembers。JasmindevotedpartofthemoneytorepairinghislittlehouseontheGravier：andtherestwasreadyforhisfuturecharitablemissions。
Onreceivingtheintimationoftheprizesawardedtohim，hemadeanotherjourneytoParistopayhisrespectstohisdevotedfriendsoftheAcademy。Hewasreceivedwithwelcomebythemosteminentpersonsinthemetropolis。Hewasfetedasusual。
AtthesalonoftheMarquisdeBarthelemyhemettheDucdeLevis，theDucdesCars，MM。Berryer，deSalvandy，deVatismenil，HydedeNeuville，andotherdistinguishednoblemenandgentlemen。
MonsigneurSibour，ArchbishopofParis，wasdesirousofseeingandhearingthisremarkablepoetoftheSouth。TheArchbishopinvitedhimtohispalaceforthepurposeofhearingarecitationofhispoems；andtherehemetthePope’sNuncio，severalbishops，andtheprincipalmembersoftheParisianclergy。Aftertherecitation，theArchbishoppresentedJasminwithagoldenbranchwiththisdevice：”ToJasmin！thegreatestoftheTroubadours，past，present，ortocome。”
ThechiefauthorsofParis，thejournalists，andtheartists，hadaspecialmeetinginhonourofJasmin。AbanquetwasorganisedbythejournalistsoftheDeuxMondes，attheinstanceofMeissonier，Lireux，Lalandelle，C。Reynaud，L。Pichat，andothers。M。JulesJaninpresided，andcomplimentedJasmininthenameoftheParisianpress。ThepeopleofAgen，residentinParis，alsogavehimabanquet，atwhichJasminrecitedapoemcomposedfortheoccasion。
OneofhiseveningswasspentatthehouseofMadamelaMarquisedeBarthelemy。AninterestingaccountofthesoireeisgivenbyacorrespondentofChambers’sEdinburghJournal，whowaspresentontheoccasion。[2]ThesalonsofMadamelaMarquisewerefilledtooverflowing。ManyoftheoldnobilityofFrancewerepresent。”ItwasaSt。Germain’snight，”assheherselfexpressedit。
High-soundingnameswerethere——muchintellectandbeauty；allwereassembledtodohonourtothecoiffeurfromthebanksoftheGaronne。Francehonoursintellect，nomattertowhatclassofsocietyitbelongs：itisanaffectionatekindofsocialdemocracy。Indeed，amongmanyvirtuesinFrenchsociety，noneissodelightful，nonesocheering，nonesomutuallyimproving，andnonemoreChristian，thanthekindlyintercourse，almosttheequality，ofallranksofsociety，andthecomparativelysmallimportanceattachedtowealthorcondition，whereverthereisintellectandpower。
Athalf-pastnine。Jasminmadehisappearance——ashort，stout，dark-hairedman，withlargebrighteyes，andamobileanimatedface，hisbutton-holedecoratedwiththeredribbonoftheLegionofHonour。Hemadehiswaythroughtherichlyattiredladiessparklingwithjewels，toasmalltableattheupperendofthesalon，whereonwerebooks，hisown”Curl-papers，”
twocandles，acarafeoffreshwater，andavaseofflowers。
Theladiesarrangedthemselvesinaseriesofbrilliantsemicirclesbeforehim。Themenblockedupthedoorway，peeringovereachother’sshoulders。Jasminwavedhishandliketheleaderofanorchestra，andageneralsilencesealedallthefreshnoisylips。Onehaughtylittlebrunette，notlongemancipatedfromherconvent，giggledaudibly；butJasmin’seyetransfixedher，andthepoorchildsatthereafterrebukedanddumb。Theherooftheeveningagainwavedhishands，tossedbackhishair，struckanattitude，andbeganhispoem。Thefirstherecitedwas”ThePriestwithoutaChurch”LePrestesansgleyzo。Hepleadedforthechurchasifitwereabouttobebuilt。Heclaspedhishands，lookeduptoheaven，andtearswereinhiseyes。Somesoughtforthesilverandgoldintheirpurses；butnocollectionwasmade，asthechurchhadalreadybeenbuilt，andwasfreeofdebt。
Afteraninterval，herecitedLaSemained’unFils；andhereciteditverybeautifully。Thereweresomemenwhowept；
andmanywomenwhoexclaimed，”Charmant！Tout-a-faitcharmant！”
butwhodidnotweep。JasminnextrecitedMaBigno，whichhasbeenalreadydescribed。ThecontributortoChambers’sJournalproceeds：”Itwasallveryamusingtoaproud，stiff，reservedBritisherlikemyself，toseehowgrey-headedmenwithstarsandribbonscouldcryatJasmin’sreading；andhowJasmin，himselfaman，couldsobandwipehiseyes，andweepsoviolently，anddisplaysuchexcessiveemotion。Thissurpassedmyunderstanding——probablycloudedbythechillatmosphereofthefogs，inwhicheveryFrenchmanbelieveswelive……Aftertherecitationshadconcluded，Jasmin’ssocialovationbegan。Ladiessurroundedhim，andmenadmiredhim。Aringwaspresented，andaprettyspeechspokenbyaprettymouth，accompaniedthepresentation；andthemanofthepeoplewasflatteredoutofallproportionbythebrave，haughtyoldnoblesse。”TodoJasminjustice，althoughnaturallyenoughspoiledbytheabsurdamountofadulationhehasmetwith，hehasnotbeenmadecold-heartedorworldly。Heisvain，buttrueandloyaltohisclass。Hedoesnotseektodisguiseorbeliehisprofession。
Infact，healwaysdwellsuponhispastmoreorless，andnevermissesanopportunityofremindinghisaudiencethatheisbutaplebeian，afterall。”Hewearsawhiteapron，andshavesandfrizzeshairtothisday，whenatAgen；andthoughaChevalieroftheLegionofHonour，memberofAcademiesandInstituteswithoutnumber，feted，praised，flatteredbeyondanythingwecanimagineinEngland，crownedbythekingandthethenheirtothethronewithgiltandsilvercrowns，deckedwithflowersandoak-leaves，andallconceivablespeciesofcoronets，hedoesnotapethegentleman，butclips，curls，andchattersassimplyasheretofore，andasprofessionally。Thereisnolittlemeritinthissteadyattachmenttohisnativeplace，andnolittlegoodsenseinthisadherencetohisoldprofession……Itisfarmanlierandnoblerthanthatweakformofvanityshowninaslavishimitationofthegreat，andacowardlyshameofone’snativecondition。”Withoutgoingsofarashiseulogisticadmirersinthepress，yetwehonourinhimatruepoet，andatrueman，brave，affectionate，mobile，loving，whoseveryfaultsareallamiable，andwhosevanitytakestheformofnature。AndifweofthecoldNorthcanscarcelycomprehendthechildishpassionatenessandemotionalunreserveofthemoresensitiveSouth，atleastwecanprofoundlyrespectthegoodcommontousallthegoodwhichliesunderneaththatmany-colouredrobeofmannerswhichchangeswitheveryhamlet；thegoodwhichspeaksfromhearttoheart，andquickensthepulsesoftheblood；thegoodwhichbindsusallasbrothers，andmakesbutonefamilyofuniversalman；
andthisgoodwelovinglyrecogniseinJasmin；andwhilerallyinghimforhisfoibles，respectfullylovehimforhisvirtues，andtenderhimahandofsympathyandadmirationasafine；
poet，agoodcitizen，andatrue-heartedman。”
BeforeleavingParisitwasnecessaryforJasmintoacknowledgehisgratitudetotheFrenchAcademy。Themembershaddonehimmuchhonourbythegoldmedalandthehandsomedonationtheyhadawardedhim。Onthe24thofAugust，1852，headdressedtheFortyoftheAcademyinapoemwhichheentitled’LangueFrancaise，LangueGasconne，’or，ashestyleditinGascon，’LengoGascouno，LengoFrancezo。’Inthispoem，whichwasdecoratedwiththemostfragrantflowersofpoetrywithwhichhecouldclothehiswords，Jasminendeavouredtodisclosethecharacteristicsofthetwolanguages。Atthebeginning，hesaid：”Omybirth-place，whataconcertdelightsmyear！Nightingales，singaloud；bees，humtogether；Garonne，makemusiconyourpureandlaughingstream；theelmsofGravier，toweraboveme；notforglory，butforgladness。”[3]
Aftertherecitationofthepoem，M。Laurentiesaidthatitaboundedinpatrioticsentimentsandfineappreciation，tosaynothingofthecharmingstyleofthefallingstrophes，atintervals，intheirsonorousandlyricalrefrain。M。Villemainaddedhisacclamation。”Intruth，saidhe，”oncemoreourAcademyisindebtedtoJasmin！”Thepoet，thoughdelightedbytheseovations，declaredthatitwashewhowasindebtedtothemembersoftheAcademy，nottheytohim。M。deSalvandyreassuredhim：”Donottroubleyourself，Jasmin；youhaveaccomplishedeverythingwecouldhavewished；youhavegivenustenforone，andstillweareyourdebtors。”
AfterJasminhadpaidhiscomplimentstotheFrenchAcademy，hewasabouttosetoutforAgen——beingfatiguedandalmostbrokendownbyhisnumerousentertainmentsinParis——whenhewasinvitedbyGeneralFleurytovisitthePresidentoftheFrenchRepublicatSaint-Cloud。ThisinterviewdidnotpleasehimsomuchasthegraciousreceptionwhichhehadreceivedinthesamepalacesomeyearsbeforefromLouisPhilippeandtheDuchessofOrleans；yetJasminwasamanwhorespectedthelaw，andasFrancehadelectedLouisNapoleonasPresident，hewasnotunwillingtorenderhimhishomage。
JasminhadalreadyseenthePresidentwhenpassingthroughAgenafewyearsbefore，onhisvisittoBordeaux，Toulouse，andToulon；buttheyhadnopersonalinterview。M。EdmondTexier，however，visitedJasmin，andaskedhimwhetherhehadnotcomposedahymnforthefeteoftheday。No！hehadcomposednothing；yethehadvotedforLouisNapoleon，believinghimtobethesaviourofFrance。”But，”saidM。Texier，”ifthePrinceappealstoyou，youwilleulogisehiminapoem?””Certainly，”
repliedJasmin，”andthisiswhatIwouldsay：’Sir，inthenameofourcountry，restoretousournoblefriendM。Baze。
Hewasyouradversary，butheisnowconquered，disarmed，andmostunhappy。Restorehimtohismother，noweightyyearsold；
tohisweepingfamily；andtoallhishousehold，whodeplorehisabsence；restorehimalsotoourtownsmen，wholoveandhonourhim，andbearnohostilitytowardsthePresident，Hisrecallwillbeanadmirablepoliticalact，andwillgiveourcountrymorehappinessthatthehighestactofbenevolence。’”
ThisconversationbetweenJasminandTexierimmediatelyappearedinthecolumnsoftheSiecle，accompaniedwithastirringsympatheticarticlebytheeditor。ItmaybementionedthatM。BazewasoneofJasmin’sbestfriends。Hehadintroducedthepoettothepublic，andwrittenthecharmingprefacetothefirstvolumeofthe’Papillotos，’issuedin1835。M。BazewasanadvocateoftheRoyalCourtofAgen——amanoffinecharacter，andatruepatriot。HewasMayorofAgen，commanderoftheNationalGuard，andafterwardsmemberoftheLegislativeAssemblyandtheSenate。ButhewasopposedtoPrinceLouisNapoleon，andwasoneoftheauthorsofthemotionentitleddeQuesteurs。
Hewasarrestedonthenightofthe2ndDecember，1851，imprisonedforamonthintheMazas，andthenexpelledfromtheterritoryofFrance。DuringhisexilehepractisedatLiegeasanadvocate。
JasminagainwenttoParisinMay1853，andthistimeonhismissionofmercy。TheeditoroftheSiecleannouncedhisarrival。Hewasagainfeted，andthesalonsrejoicedinhisrecitations。AfterafewdayshewasinvitedtoSaint-Cloud。
LouisNapoleonwasnowEmperorofFrance，andtheEmpressEugeniesatbyhisside。TheappearanceofJasminwaswelcomed，andhewassoonmadethoroughlyateasebytheEmperor’sinterestingconversation。Acompanyhadbeenassembled，andJasminwasrequestedtorecitesomeofhispoems。Asusual，heevokedsmilesandtearsbyturns。Whentheaudiencewereinoneoftheirfitsofweeping，andJasminhadfinishedhisdeclamation，theEmperorexclaimed，”Why；poet，thisisagenuinedisplayofhandkerchiefs”——Mais，poete，c’estunveritablescenedemouchoirs。
JasminseizedthismomentforrevealingtotheEmperorthedesirewhichhehadlongentertained，forrecallingfromexilehisdearfriendM。Baze。HehadpreparedacharmingpieceofverseaddressedtotheEmpressEugenie，requestinghisreturntoFrancethroughthegranddoorofhonour。”Restorehimtous，”
hesaid；”Agencriesaloud。TheyoungEmpress，asgoodasbeautiful，belovedofHeaven，willpraywithhersympatheticsoul，andsavetwochildrenandanunhappymother——she，whowillbesoonblessedasahappymotherherself。”[4]JasminconcludedhispoemwiththefollowingwordsinGascon：Esperi！
Louangelsnousetroumponjamay。’