Thefollowinggentlemenheldthecordsofthefuneralpall：——
M。Feart，PrefectoftheLot-et-Garonne；M。HenriNoubel，DeputyandMayorofAgen；GeneralRessayre，CommanderoftheMilitaryDivision；M。Bouet，PresidentoftheImperialCourt；M。deLaffore，engineer；andM。Magen，SecretaryoftheSocietyofAgriculture，Sciences，andArts。AsecondfuneralpallwasheldbysixcoiffeursofthecorporationtowhichJasminhadbelonged。
BehindthehearseweretheBrothersoftheChristianDoctrine，theSistersofSaint-VincentdePaul，andtheLittleSistersofthePoor。
Themournerswereheadedbythepoet’ssonandtheothermembersofhisfamily。Thecortegewasverynumerous，includingtheeliteofthepopulation。AmongthemweretheProcureur-General，theProcureur-imperial，theEngineer-in-chiefoftheDepartment，theDirectorofTaxes，manyCouncillors-General，allthemembersoftheSocietyofAgriculture，manyofficersofthearmy，manyecclesiasticsaswellasministersofthereformedworship。
Indeed，representativesofnearlythewholepopulationwerepresent。
TheprocessionfirstenteredthechurchofSaintHilaire，wheretheclergyofthefourparisheshadassembled。Highmasswasperformedbythefullchoir。TheMiserereofBeethovenwasgiven，andsomeexquisitepiecesfromMozart。Deepemotionwasproducedbytheintroduction，inthemidstofthisbeautifulmusic，ofsomepopularairsfromtheromanceofFranconnetteandMeCalMouri，Jasmin’sfirstwork。Theentireceremonywastouching，andmovedmanytotears。
Aftertheservicehadbeenfinished，theprocessionmovedofftothecemetery——passingthroughtheprincipalstreetsofthetown，whichwerelinedbycrowdsofmournfulspectators。Largenumbersofpeoplehadalsoassembledatthecemetery。Afterthefinalprayer，M。Noubel，DeputyandMayorofAgen，tooktheopportunityofpronouncingaeulogiumoverthegraveofthedeceased。Hisspeechwasmostsympatheticandtouching。
Wecanonlygiveafewextractsfromhisaddress：”Dearandgreatpoet，”hesaid，”atthemomentwhenwecommittotheearththymortalremains，Iwish，inthenameofthistownofAgen，wherethouwertbornandwhichthouhasttrulyloved，toaddresstotheealast，asupremeadieu。Alas！Whatwould’stthouhavesaidtomesomeyearsago，whenIplaceduponthyforeheadthecrown——decreedbytheloveandadmirationofthycompatriots——thatIshouldsosoonhavebeencalledupontofulfiladutythatnowrendsmyheart。Thebrightgeniusofthycountenance，thebrilliantvigourinthineeyes，whichtime，itseemed，wouldnevertarnish，indicatedthefertilesourceofthybeautifulversesandnobleaspirations！”Andyetthydayshadbeennumbered，andyouyourselfseemedtohavecherishedthispresentiment；but，faithfultothydoublemissionofpoetandapostleofbenevolence，thouredoubledthyeffortstoenrichwithnewepicsthysheafofpoetry，andbythybountifulgiftsandcharitytoallaythesorrowsofthepoor。
Indefatigableworker！Thouhastdispensedmostunselfishlythygeniusandthypowers！Deathalonehasbeenabletocompeltheetorepose！”Butnowourfriendisdepartedforever！Thatpoeticalfire，thatbrilliantandvividintelligence，thatardentheart，havenowceasedtostriveforthegoodofall；forthisgreatandgeneroussoulhasascendedtoHimwhogaveitbirth。IthasreturnedtotheGiverofGood，accompaniedbyoursorrowsandourtears。Ithasascendedtoheavenwiththebenedictionsofallthedistressedandunfortunatewhomhehassuccoured。Itisourhopeandconsolationthathemayfindtherecompenseassuredforthosewhohaveusefullyandboldlyfulfilledtheirdutyherebelow。”Thisduty，Opoet，thouhastwellfulfilled。Thosefaculties，whichGodhadsolargelybestoweduponthee，haveneverbeenemployedsavefortheserviceofjustandholycauses。Childofthepeople，thouhastshownushowmindandheartenlargewithwork；thatthesufferingsandprivationsofthyyouthenabledtheetoretainthyloveofthepoorandthypityforthedistressed。Thymuse，sincerelyChristian，wasneverusedtoinflamethepassions，butalwaystoinstruct，tosoothe，andtoconsole。Thylastsong，theSongoftheSwan，wasaneloquentandimpassionedprotestoftheChristian，attackedinhisferventbeliefandhisfaith。”Godhasdoubtlessmarkedthetermofthymission；andthydeathwasnotamatterofsurprise。Thouhastcomeandgone，withoutfear；andreligion，thysupremeconsoler，hascalmedthesufferingsofthylaterhours，asithadcradledtheeinthyearlieryears。”Thybodywilldisappear，butthyspirit，Jasmin，willneverbefarfromus。Inspireuswiththyinnocentgaietyandbrotherlylove。ThetownofAgenisneverungrateful；shecountstheeamongstthemostpureandillustriousofhercitizens。Shewillconsecratethymemoryinthewaymostdignifiedtotheeandtoherself。”Theinhabitantsoftownswithoutnumber，wherethouhastexercisedthyapostolateofcharity，willassociatethemselveswiththisworkofaffectionandremembrance。Butthemostimperishablemonumentisthatwhichthouhastthyselffoundedwiththineownheadandhands，andwhichwillliveinourhearts——thecreationsofthygeniusandthememoryofthyphilanthropy。”
AftertheMayorofAgenhadtakenleaveofthemortalremainsofthepoet，M。Capot，PresidentoftheSocietyofAgriculture，Sciences，andArts，gaveanothereloquentaddress。HewasfollowedbyM。Magen，Secretarytothesamesociety。Thetroopsfiredasaluteoverthegrave，andtookleaveofthepoet’sremainswithmilitaryhonours。Theimmensecrowdofmournersthenslowlydepartedfromthecemetery。
Anotherpublicmeetingtookplaceonthe12thofMay，1870，ontheinaugurationofthebronzestatueofJasmininthePlaceSaintAntoine，nowcalledthePlaceJasmin。Thestatuewaserectedbypublicsubscription，andexecutedbythecelebratedM。VitalDubray。ItstandsnearlyoppositethehousewhereJasminlivedandcarriedonhistrade。Manyofhisoldfriendscamefromaconsiderabledistancetobepresentattheinaugurationofthestatue。TheAbbeMassonofVergtwasthere，whosechurchJasminhadhelpedtore-build。M。l’AbbeDonis，curateofSaint-LouisatBordeaux，whomhehadoftenhelpedwithhisrecitations；theablephilologistAzais；theyoungandillustriousProvencalpoetMistral；andmanyrepresentativesoftheParisianandSouthernpress，werepresentontheoccasion。
Thewidowandsonofthepoet，surroundedbytheirfamily，wereontheplatform。Whenthestatuewasunveiled，asalvoofartillerywasfired；thenthechoiroftheBrothersoftheCommunalChristianSchoolsalutedthe”gloriousresurrectionofJasmin”withtheirmagnificentmusic，whichwasfollowedbyenthusiasticcheers。
M。HenriNoubel，DeputyandMayorofAgen，madeaneloquentspeechontheunveilingofthestatue。HehadalreadypronouncedhiseulogiumofJasminattheburialofthepoet，buthewasstillfullofthesubject，andbroughttomindmanycharmingrecollectionsofthesweetnessofdispositionandenergeticlaboursofJasminonbehalfofthepoorandafflicted。Heagainexpressedhisheartfeltregretforthedepartureofthepoet。
M。NoubelwasfollowedbyM。l’AbbeDonis，ofBordeaux，whoachievedagreatsuccessbyhiseulogyofthelifeofJasmin，whomheentitled”TheSaint-vincentdePaulofpoetry。”
HewasfollowedbytheAbbeCapot，inthenameoftheclergy，andbyM。Magen，inthenameoftheSocietyofAgriculture，Sciences，andArts。TheywerefollowedbyMM。AzaisandPozzi，whorecitedsomechoicepiecesofpoetryintheGasconpatois。
M。Mistralcamelast——thecelebratedsingerof”Mireio”——
who，withhisfalteringvoice，recitedabeautifulpieceofpoetrycomposedfortheoccasion，whichwasenthusiasticallyapplauded。
ThedaywaswoundupwithabanquetinhonourofM。Dubray，theartistwhohadexecutedthebronzestatue。ThePlaceJasminwasbrilliantlyilluminatedduringtheevening，whereanimmensecrowdassembledtoviewthestatueofthepoet，whosefaceandattitudeappearedinsplendidreliefamidstablazeoflight。
ItisunnecessaryfurthertodescribethecharacterofJasmin。
Itissufficientlyshownbyhislifeandlabours——hisgeniusandphilanthropy。Intherecollectionsofhisinfancyandboyhood，hetruthfullydescribesthepleasuresandsorrowsofhisyouth——
hisloveforhismother，hisaffectionforhisgrandfather，whodiedinthehospital，”wherealltheJasminsdie。”HedidnotevenconcealthelittletricksplayedbyhimintheAcademy，fromwhichhewasexpelled，northevarioustroublesofhisapprenticeship。
ThiswasoneofthevirtuesofJasmin——hisloveoftruth。
Heneverpretendedtobeotherthanwhathewas。Hewasevenproudofbeingabarber，withhis”handofvelvet。”HewaspleasedtobeentertainedbythecoiffeursofAgen，Paris，Bordeaux，andToulouse。Hewasamanofthepeople，andbelievedinthedignityoflabour。Atthesametime，butforhisperseveranceandforceofcharacter，henevercouldhaveraisedhimselftothehonourandpowerofthetruepoet。
Hewasbornpoor，andthefeelingofinheritedpovertyadheredtohimthroughlife，andinspiredhimwithprofoundloveforthepoorandtheafflictedofhisclass。Hewasalwaysreadytohelpthem，whethertheylivedneartohimorfarfromhim。
Hewas，intruth，”TheSaint-VincentdePaulofpoetry。”
Hisstatue，saidM。Noubel，pointinguptoit，representedtheglorificationofgeniusandvirtue，theconquestofignoranceandmisery。
M。DeydousaidatBordeaux，whendeliveringanaddressuponthegeniusofJasmin——hisEminenceCardinalDonnetpresiding——thatpoetry，whendevotedtothecauseofcharity，accordingtothepoethimself，was”thegloryoftheearthandtheperfumeofheaven。”
JasminlovedhisdeartownofAgen，andwasproudofit。Afterhisvisittothemetropolis，hesaid，”IfParismakesmeproud，Agenmakesmehappy。””Thistown，”hesaid，onanotheroccasion，”
hasbeenmybirthplace；soonitshallbemygrave。”
Helovedhiscountrytoo，andaboveallhelovedhisnativelanguage。Itwashismother-tongue；andthoughhewasoftenexpostulatedwithforusingit，heneverforsooktheGascon。
Itwasthelanguageofthehome，ofthefireside，ofthefields，oftheworkshop，ofthepeopleamongstwhomhelived，andheresolvedevertocherishandelevatetheGascondialect。”Popularandpurelynaturalpoetry，”saidMontaigneinthe16thcentury，”hasasimplicityandgracefulnesswhichsurpassthebeautyofpoetryaccordingtoart。”Jasminunitedthenaiveartlessnessofpoetrywiththeperfectionofart。Heretainedthesimplicityofyouththroughouthiscareer，andhisdomesticlifewasthesanctuaryofallthevirtues。
Inhispoemshevividlydescribedfiliallove，conjugaltenderness，andpaternalaffection，becausenoonefeltthesegracesoflifemoreferventlythanhimself。HewasliketheItalianpainter，whoneverwentbeyondhishomeforabeautifulmodel。
VictorHugosaysthatagreatmanislikethesun——mostbeautifulwhenhetouchestheearth，athisrisingandathissetting。
Jasmin’srisingwasinthedepthsofhonestpoverty，buthissettingwasglorious。Godcrownedhisfinelifebyaspecialactoffavour；forthelastsongofthepoetwashis”actoffaith”——hisaddresstoRenan。
Jasminwasloyal，single-minded，self-reliant，patient，temperate，andutterlyunselfish。Hemadeallmannerofsacrificesduringhiseffortsinthecauseofcharity。Nothingwasallowedtostandinthewayofhismissionsonbehalfofthepoor。Inhisjourneyoffiftydaysin1854，hewentfromOrthez——thecountryofGastonPhoebus——tothemountainsofAuvergne，inspiteoftherigoursoftheweather。Duringthatjourneyhecollected20，000francs。Inall，aswehavesaid，hecollected，duringhislife-time，morethanamillionandahalfoffrancs，allofwhichhedevotedtothecauseofphilanthropy。
Twowordswereengravedonthepedestalofhisstatue，PoetryandCharity！Charitywastheobjectandpurposeofhisheroicprogramme。Yet，inhispoetryhealwaysexhibitedhistender-heartedgaiety。Evenwhenheweeps，youseetherayofsunlightinhistears。Thoughsimpleasachildinordinarylife，hedisplayedinhiswritingsthepathosandsatireoftheancientTroubadours，withnosmallpartoftheshrewdnessandwitattributedtopersonsofhiscalling。