AGEN.
Shortly after the return of Jasmin from Paris, where he had the honour
of an interview with the Emperor and Empress, as well as with the
members of the French Academy, he was invited to Toulouse for the
purpose of being enrolled as Maitre-es-jeux in the Academy of Jeux
Floreaux.
Toulouse is known as the city of Literary Fetes, and the reception of
Jasmin as Maitre-es-Jeux will long exist as a permanent record in
her annals. The Academy of Jeux Floreaux had no prize of 5000 frs. to
bestow, nor any crowns, nor any golden laurels. She hides her poverty
under her flowers, and although she would willingly have given all her
flowers to Jasmin, yet her rules prevented her. She called Jasmin to
her bosom, and gave him the heartiest of welcomes. But the honour was
there--the honour of being invited to join a brotherhood of illustrious
men.
The title of Maitre-es-jeux is a rare distinction, awarded only to the
highest celebrities. The ceremony of installing Jasmin took place on the
6th of February, 1854. The great Salle des Illustres was crowded long
before he made his appearance, while the Place de Capitol was filled
with a vast number of his admirers. The archbishop, the prefect, the
mayor, the magistrates, and the principal citizens of Toulouse were
present, with the most beautiful women in the city. Many of the southern
bishops were present, having desired to enjoy the pleasure of assisting
at the ceremony.
After an address of congratulation, Jasmin was enrolled amongst the
members, and presented with his diploma of Maitre-es-jeux. Though it was
only a piece of parchment, he considered it the rarest of distinctions.
It connected the poet, through five centuries, with the last of the
Troubadours, whose language he had so splendidly revived. Jasmin
valued his bit of parchment more highly than all the other gifts he had
received. In answer to his enrolment, he said:
"I have now enough! I want no more! All things smile upon me. My muse
went proudly from the forty of Toulouse to the forty of Paris. She is
more than proud to-day, she is completely happy; for she sees my name,
which Isaure blessed, come from the forty of Paris to the forty of
Toulouse,"
After his enrolment, the poet-barber left the salon. A large crowd
had assembled in the court, under the peristyle, in the Place of the
Capitol. Every head was uncovered as he passed through their ranks, and
those who accompanied him to his lodging, called out, "Vive Jasmin! Vive
Jasmin!" Never had such a scene been witnessed before.
Although Jasmin had declared to the Academy of Jeux Floreaux that he
wanted nothing more than the diploma they had given him, yet another
triumph was waiting him. The citizens of Agen capped all the previous
honours of the poet. They awarded him a crown of gold, which must have
been the greatest recompense of all. They had known him during almost
his entire life--the son of a humpbacked tailor and a crippled
mother, of poor but honest people, whose means had been helped by the
grandfather, Boe, who begged from door to door, the old man who closed
his eyes in the hospital, "where all the Jasmins die!"
They had known him by his boyish tricks, his expulsion from the Academy,
his setting up as a barber, his happy marriage, and his laborious
progress, until the "shower of silver" came running into his shop.
"Pau de labouro, pau de salouro," No work, no bread. Though born in the
lowest condition of life, he had, by the help of his wife, and by his
own energy and perseverance, raised himself to the highest position as
a man of character. Before he reached the age of thirty {1} he began to
show evidences of his genius as a poet.
But still more important were his works of charity, which endeared him
to the people through the South of France. It was right and reasonable
that his fellow-citizens should desire to take part in the honours
conferred upon their beloved poet. He had already experienced their
profound sympathy during his self-sacrificing work, but they now wished
to testify their public admiration, and to proclaim the fact by some
offering of intrinsic value.
The Society of Saint-Vincent de Paul--whom he had so often helped in
their charitable labours--first started the idea. They knew what Jasmin
had done to found schools, orphanages, and creches. Indeed, this was
their own mission, and no one had laboured so willingly as he had done
to help them in their noble work. The idea, thus started by the society,
immediately attracted public attention, and was received with universal
approval.
A committee was formed, consisting of De Bouy, mayor; H. Noubel, deputy;
Aunac, banker; Canon Deyche, arch-priest of the cathedral; Dufort,
imperial councillor; Guizot, receiver-general; Labat, advocate-general;
Maysonnade, president of the conference of Saint-Vincent de Paul;
Couturier, the engineer, and other gentlemen. A subscription was at once
opened and more than four thousand persons answered the appeal.
When the subscriptions were collected, they were found so great in
amount, that the committee resolved to present Jasmin with a crown of
gold. Five hundred years before, Petrarch had been crowned at Rome in
the name of Italy, and now Jasmin was to be crowned at Agen, in the name
of Meridional France. To crown a man, who, during his lifetime had
been engaged in the trade of barber and hair-dresser, seemed something
extraordinary and unique. To the cold-blooded people of the North there
might appear something theatrical in such a demonstration, but it was
quite in keeping with the warm-hearted children of the South.
The construction of the crown was entrusted to MM. Fannieres of Paris,
the best workers of gold in France. They put their best art and skill
into the crown. It consisted of two branches of laurel in dead gold,
large and knotted behind, like the crowns of the Caesars and the poets,
with a ruby, artistically arranged, containing the simple device: La
Ville d'Agen, a Jasmin! The pendants of the laurel, in dead silver, were
mixed with the foliage. The style of the work was severe and pure, and
the effect of the chef d'oeuvre was admirable.
The public meeting, at which the golden crown was presented to Jasmin,
was held on the 27th of November, 1856, in the large hall of the Great
Seminary. Gilt banners were hung round the walls, containing the titles
of Jasmin's principal poems, while the platform was splendidly decorated
with emblems and festoons of flowers. Although the great hall was of
large dimensions, it could not contain half the number of people who
desired to be present on this grand occasion.
An immense crowd assembled in the streets adjoining the seminary.
Jasmin, on his arrival, was received with a triple salvo of applause
from the crowd without, and next from the assembly within. On the
platform were the members of the subscription committee, the prefect,
the Bishop of Agen, the chiefs of the local government, the general
in command of the district, and a large number of officers and
ecclesiastics.
Jasmin, when taking his place on the platform saluted the audience with
one of his brilliant impromptus, and proceeded to recite some of his
favourite poems: Charity; The Doctor of the Poor; Town and Country;
and, The Week's Work of a Son. Then M. Noubel, in his double capacity
of deputy for the department, and member of the subscription committee,
addressed Jasmin in the following words:
"Poet, I appear here in the name of the people of Agen, to offer you the
testimony of their admiration and profound sympathy. I ask you to accept
this crown! It is given you by a loving and hearty friend, in the
name of your native town of Agen, which your poetry has charmed, which
rejoices in your present success, and is proud of the glory of your
genius. Agen welcomed the first germs of your talent; she has seen it
growing, and increasing your fame; she has entered with you into
the palaces of kings; she has associated herself with your triumphs
throughout; now the hour of recognising your merits has arrived, and she
honours herself in crowning you.
"But it is not merely the Poet whom we recognise to-day; you have a much
greater claim to our homage. In an age in which egoism and the eager
thirst for riches prevails, you have, in the noble work which you have
performed, displayed the virtues of benevolence and self-sacrifice. You
yourself have put them into practice. Ardent in the work of charity, you
have gone wherever misery and poverty had to be relieved, and all that
you yourself have received was merely the blessings of the unfortunate.
Each of your days has been celebrated for its good works, and your whole
life has been a hymn to benevolence and charity.
"Accept, then, Jasmin, this crown! Great poet, good citizen, you have
nobly earned it! Give it an honoured place in that glorious museum of
yours, which the towns and cities of the South have enriched by their
gifts. May it remain there in testimony of your poetical triumphs, and
attest the welcome recognition of your merits by your fellow-citizens.
"For myself, I cannot but be proud of the mission which has been
entrusted to me. I only owe it, I know, to the position of deputy in
which you have placed me by popular election. I am proud, nevertheless,
of having the honour of crowning you, and I shall ever regard this event
as the most glorious recollection of my life."
After this address, during which M. Noubel was greatly moved, he
took the crown of gold and placed it on the head of the poet. It is
impossible to describe the enthusiasm of the meeting at this supreme
moment. The people were almost beside themselves. Their exclamations of
sympathy and applause were almost frantic. Jasmin wept with happiness.
After the emotion hard subsided, with his eyes full of tears, he recited
his piece of poetry entitled: The Crown of my Birthplace.{2}
In this poem, Jasmin took occasion to recite the state of poverty in
which he was born, yet with the star of poetry in his breast; his dear
mother, and her anxieties about his education and up-bringing; his
growth; his first efforts in poetical composition, and his final
triumph; and at last his crown of gold conferred upon him by the people
of Agen--the crown of his birthplace.
"I feel that if my birthplace crowns me,
In place of singing. . . I should weep!"
After Jasmin had recited his touching poem, he affectionately took leave
of his friends, and the assembly dispersed.
Endnotes to Chapter XVIII.
{1} There is a Gascon proverb which says:
"Qu'a vingt ans nouns po,
Qu'a trent ans noun sa,
Qu'a cranto noun er,
Qu'a cincanto se paouso pa,
Sabe pa que pot esper."
"Who at twenty does nothing; Who at thirty knows nothing;
Who at forty has nothing;
Who at fifty changes nothing:
For him there is no hope."
{2} Perhaps this might be better rendered "The Crown of my Infancy;" in
Gascon, "La Courouno del Bres."