Barber, Poet, Philanthropistt
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Samuel Smiles >> Barber, Poet, Philanthropistt
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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.
Footnotes 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."
CHAPTER XIX.
LAST POEMS--MORE MISSIONS OF CHARITY.
This was the last occasion on which Jasmin publicly appeared
before his fellow-townsmen; and it could not perhaps have been
more fitting and appropriate. He still went on composing poetry;
amongst other pieces, La Vierge, dedicated to the Bishop of
Algiers, who acknowledged it in a complimentary letter. In his
sixty-second year, when his hair had become white, he composed
some New Recollections (Mous Noubels Soubenis), in which he
again recalled the memories of his youth. In his new Souvenirs
he only gives a few fresh stories relating to the period of his
infancy and youth. Indeed they scarcely go beyond the period
covered by his original Souvenirs.
In the midst of his various honours at Paris, Toulouse, and Agen,
he did not forget his true mission, the help and relief of the
afflicted. He went to Albi, and gave a recitation which produced
2000 francs. The whole of this sum went to the poor. There was
nothing for himself but applause, and showers of flowers thrown
at his feet by the ladies present.
It was considered quite unprecedented that so large a sum should
have been collected in so poor a district. The mayor however was
prepared for the event. After a touching address to the poet,
he presented him with a ring of honour, with the arms of the
town, and the inscribed words: "Albi a Jasmin."
He went for the same purpose, to Castera in the Gers, a decayed
town, to recite his poems, in the words of the cure, for
"our poor church." He was received as usual with great
enthusiasm; and a present of silver was given to him with the
inscribed words: A Jasmin, l'Eglise du Castera reconnaissante!"
Jasmin answered, by reciting an impromptu he had composed for the
occasion.
At Bordeaux, one of his favourite cities, he was received with
more than the usual enthusiasm. There he made a collection in
aid of the Conference of Saint-vincent de Paul. In the midst of
the seance, he appeared almost inspired, and recited "La Charite
dans Bordeaux"--the grand piece of the evening. The assembly
rose en masse, and cheered the poet with frantic applause.
The ladies threw an avalanche of bouquets at the hero of the
fete.
After quiet had been restored, the Society of Saint-vincent de
Paul cordially thanked Jasmin through the mouth of their
President; and presented him with a magnificent golden circlet,
with this inscription: "La Caritat dins Bourdeau!"
Among his other recitations towards the close of his life,
for the purpose of collecting money for the relief of the poor,
were those at Montignac in Perigord; at Saint-Macaire;
at Saint-Andre de Cubzac, and at Monsegur. Most of these were
remote villages far apart from each other. He had disappointed
his friends at Arcachon several years before, when he failed to
make his appearance with the Abbe Masson, during their tour on
behalf of the church of Vergt, owing to the unpunctuality of the
steamboat; but he promised to visit them at some future period.
He now redeemed his promise. The poor were in need, and he went
to their help. A large audience had assembled to listen to his
recitations, and a considerable sum of money was collected.
The audience overwhelmed him with praises and the Mayor of Teste
the head department of the district--after thanking Jasmin for
his admirable assistance, presented him with a gold medal, on
which was inscribed: "Fete de Charite d'Arcachon: A Jasmin."
These laurels and medals had become so numerous, that Jasmin
had almost become tired of such tributes to his benevolence.
He went to Bareges again, where Monseigneur the Bishop of Tarbes
had appealed to him for help in the erection of an hospital.
From that town he proceeded to Saint-Emilion and Castel-Naudary,
to aid the Society of Mutual Help in these two towns. In fact,
he was never weary of well-doing. "This calamitous winter,"
he wrote in January, 1854, "requires all my devotion. I will
obey my conscience and give myself to the help of the famished
and suffering, even to the extinction of my personal health."
And so it was to the end. When his friends offered him public
entertainments, he would say, "No, no! give the money to the
poor!" What gave Jasmin as much pleasure as any of the laurels
and crowns conferred upon him, was a beautifully bound copy of
the 'Imitation of Christ,' with the following inscription:
"A testimony from the Bishop of Saint-Flour, in acknowledgment
of the services which the great poet has rendered to the poor of
his diocese."
No poet had so many opportunities of making money, and of
enriching himself by the contributions of the rich as well as
the poor. But such an idea never entered his mind. He would
have regarded it as a sacrilege to evoke the enthusiasm of the
people, and make money; for his own benefit, or to speculate
upon the triumphs of his muse. Gold earned in this way, he said,
would have burnt his fingers. He worked solely for the benefit
of those who could not help themselves. His poetry was to him
like a sweet rose that delighted the soul and produced the
fruits of charity.
His conduct has been called Quixotic. Would that there were more
Quixotes in the world! After his readings, which sometimes
produced from two to three thousand francs, the whole of the
proceeds were handed over to those for whose benefit they had
been given, after deducting, of course, the expenses of
travelling, of which he kept a most accurate account.
It is estimated that the amount of money collected by Jasmin
during his recitations for philanthropic objects amounted to at
least 1,500,000 francs (equal to 62,500 sterling). Besides,
there were the labour of his journeys, and the amount of his
correspondence, which were almost heroic. M. Rabain[1] states
that from 1825 to 1860, the number of letters received by Jasmin
was more than twelve thousand.
Mr. Dickens, in giving the readings from his works in Great
Britain, netted over 35,000 sterling, besides what he received
for his readings in America. This, of course, led quite
reasonably to the enhancing of his fortune. But all that Jasmin
received from his readings was given away--some say "thrown
away"--to the poor and the needy. It is not necessary to comment
on such facts; one can only mention and admire them.
The editor of Le Pays says: "The journeys of Jasmin in the South
were like a triumphal march. No prince ever received more
brilliant ovations. Flowers were strewn in his way; the bells
rang out on his appearance; the houses were illuminated;
the Mayors addressed him in words of praise; the magistrates,
the clergy followed him in procession. Bestowed upon a man,
and a poet, such honours might seem exaggerated; but Jasmin,
under the circumstances, represented more than poetry:
he represented Charity. Each of his verses transformed him
into an alms-giver; and from the harvest of gold which he reaped
from the people, he preserved for himself only the flowers.
His epics were for the unfortunate. This was very noble;
and the people of Agen should be proud of their poet."[2]
The account which Jasmin records of his expenses during a journey
of fifty days, in which he collected more than 20,000 francs,
is very remarkable. It is given in the fourth volume of
'Les Papillotes,' published in 1863, the year before his death,
and is entitled, "Note of my expenses of the journey, which I
have deducted from the receipts during my circuit of fifty days."
On certain occasions nothing whatever was charged, but a
carriage was probably placed at his disposal, or the ticket for
a railway or a diligence may have been paid for by his friends.
On many occasions he walked the distance between the several
places, and thus saved the cost of his conveyance. But every
item of expense was set forth in his "Note" with the most
scrupulous exactness.
Here is the translation of Jasmin's record for his journeys
during these fifty days:-- "... At Foix, from M. de Groussou,
President of the Communion of Bienfaisance, 33 fr., 50 c.
At Pamiers, nil. At Saint-Girons, from the President of the
Society of St. Vincent de Paul, 16 fr. At Lavaur, from M. the
Mayor, 22 fr. At Saint-Sulpice, nil. At Toulouse, where I gave
five special seances, of which the two first, to Saint-Vincent de
Paul and the Prefecture, produced more than 1600 fr., nil. My
muse was sufficiently accounted for; it was during my reception
as Maitre-es-jeux. At Rodez, from the President of the
Conference of Saint-Vincent de Paul, 29 fr. 50c. At
Saint-Geniez, nil. At Saint-Flour, from M. Simon, vicar-general,
22 fr. 50 c. At Murat, nil. At Mauriac, nil. At Aurillac, from
M. Geneste, mayor, for my return to Agen, 24 fr. Total, 147 fr.
50 centimes."
Thus, more than 20,000 francs were collected for the poor,
Jasmin having deducted 147 fr. 50 c. for the cost of his
journeys from place to place. It must also be remembered that he
travelled mostly in winter, when the ground was covered with
snow. In February, 1854, M. Migneret, Prefect of Haute-garonne,
addressed a letter to Jasmin, which is worthy of preservation.
"It is pleasant," he said, 'after having enjoyed at night the
charms of your poetry, to begin the next day by taking account
of the misfortunes they relieve. I owe you this double honour,
and I thank you with the greatest gratitude.... As to our
admiration of your talent, it yields to our esteem for your
noble heart; the poet cannot be jealous of the good citizen."[3]
Notwithstanding the rigour of the season, and the snow and wind,
the like of which had not been known for more than twenty years,
Jasmin was welcomed by an immense audience at Rodez. The
recitation was given in the large hall of the Palais de Justice,
and never had so large a collection been made. The young people
of the town wished to give Jasmin a banquet, but he declined,
as he had to hurry on to another place for a similar purpose.
He left them, however, one of his poems prepared for the
occasion.
He arrived at Saint-Flour exhausted by fatigue. His voice began
to fail, partly through the rigours of the climate, yet he
continued to persevere. The bishop entertained him in his
palace, and introduced him personally to the audience before
which he was to give his recitations. Over the entrance-door was
written the inscription, "A Jasmin, le Poete des Pauvres,
Saint-fleur reconnaissante!" Before Jasmin began to recite he
was serenaded by the audience. The collection was greater than
had ever been known. It was here that the bishop presented
Jasmin with that famous manual, 'The Imitation of Christ,'
already referred to.
It was the same at Murat, Mauriac, and Aurillac. The recitation
at Aurillac was given in the theatre, and the receipts were 1200
francs. Here also he was serenaded. He departed from Aurillac
covered with the poor people's blessings and gratitude.
At Toulouse he gave another entertainment, at the instance of
the Conference of Saint-Francois Xavier. There were about 3000
persons present, mostly of the working classes. The seance was
prolonged almost to midnight. The audience, most of whom had to
rise early in the morning, forgot their sleep, and wished the
poet to prolong his recitations!
Although the poor machine of Jasmin's body was often in need of
rest, he still went about doing good. He never ceased
ministering to the poor until he was altogether unable to go to
their help. Even in the distressing cold, rain, and wind of
winter--and it was in winter more than in summer that he
travelled, for it was then that the poor were most distressed--
he entirely disregarded his own comfort, and sometimes travelled
at much peril; yet he went north and south, by highways and
byways, by rivers and railways, in any and every direction,
provided his services could be of use.
He sacrificed himself always, and was perfectly regardless of
self. He was overwhelmed with honours and praises. He became
weary of triumphs--of laurels, flowers, and medals--he sometimes
became weary of his life; yet he never could refuse any pressing
solicitation made to him for a new recital of his poems.
His trials, especially in winter time, were often most
distressing. He would recite before a crowded audience, in a
heated room, and afterwards face the icy air without, often
without any covering for his throat and neck. Hence his repeated
bronchial attacks, the loss of his voice, and other serious
affections of his lungs.
The last meeting which Jasmin attended on behalf of the poor was
at the end of January 1864, only three months before his death.
It was at Villeneuve-sur-Lot, a town several miles north of Agen.
He did not desire to put the people to the expense of a
conveyance, and therefore he decided to walk. He was already
prematurely old and stooping.
The disease which ended his life had already made considerable
progress. He should have been in bed; nevertheless, as the poor
needed his help, the brave old man determined to proceed to
Villeneuve. He was helped along the road by some of his friends;
and at last, wearied and panting, he arrived at his destination.
The meeting was held in the theatre, which was crowded to
suffocation.
No sooner had Jasmin reached the platform, amidst the usual
triumphant cheering, than, after taking a short rest, he sprang
to his feet and began the recitation of his poems. Never had his
voice seemed more spirited and entrancing. He delighted his
audience, while he pleaded most eloquently for the relief of the
poor.
"I see him now," wrote one of his friends, "from behind the
side-scenes of the theatre, perspiring profusely, wet to the
skin, with a carafe of water to allay the ardent thirst
occasioned by three hours of splendid declamation."
In his then critical state, the three hours' declamation was
enough to kill him. At all events, it was his last recitation.
It was the song of the dying swan. In the midst of his triumphs,
he laid down his life for the poor; like the soldier who dies
with the sound of victory in his ears.
Footnotes to Chapter XIX.
[1] 'Jasmin, sa Vie et ses OEuvres.' Paris, 1867.
[2] Le Pays, 14th February, 1854.
[3] 'Las Papillotos de Jasmin,' iv. 56.
CHAPTER XX.
DEATH OF JASMIN--HIS CHARACTER.
After his final recitation at Villeneuve, Jasmin, sick, ill,
and utterly exhausted, reached Agen with difficulty. He could
scarcely stand. It was not often that travelling had so affected
him; but nature now cried out and rebelled. His wife was,
of course, greatly alarmed. He was at once carefully put to bed,
and there he lay for fifteen days.
When he was at length able to rise, he was placed in his easy
chair, but he was still weak, wearied, and exhausted. Mariette
believed that he would yet recover his strength; but the disease
under which he laboured had taken a strong hold of him, and
Jasmin felt that be was gradually approaching the close of his
life.
About this time Renan's 'Life of Jesus' was published. Jasmin
was inexpressibly shocked by the appearance of the book, for it
seemed to him to strike at the foundations of Christianity,
and to be entirely opposed to the teachings of the Church.
He immediately began to compose a poem, entitled The Poet of the
People to M. Renan,[1] in which he vindicated the Catholic faith,
and denounced the poisonous mischief contained in the new attack
upon Christianity. The poem was full of poetic feeling, with
many pathetic touches illustrative of the life and trials of man
while here below.
The composition of this poem occupied him for some time.
Although broken by grief and pain, he made every haste to
correct the proofs, feeling that it would probably be the last
work that he should give to the world. And it was his last.
It was finished and printed on the 24th of August, 1864. He sent
several copies to his more intimate friends with a dedication;
and then he took finally to his bed, never to rise again.
"I am happy," he said, "to have terminated my career by an act
of faith, and to have consecrated my last work to the name of
Jesus Christ." He felt that it was his passport to eternity.
Jasmin's life was fast drawing to a close. He knew that he must
soon die; yet never a word of fear escaped his lips; nor was his
serenity of mind disturbed. He made his preparations for
departure with as much tranquillity and happiness, as on the days
when he was about to start on one of his philanthropic missions.
He desired that M. Saint-Hilaire, the vicar of the parish,
should be sent for. The priest was at once by the bedside of his
dying friend. Jasmin made his replies to him in a clear and calm
voice. His wife, his son, his grand-children, were present when
he received the Viaticum--the last sacrament of the church.
After the ceremony he turned to his wife and family, and said:
"In my last communion I have prayed to God that He may keep you
all in the most affectionate peace and union, and that He may
ever reign in the hearts of those whom I love so much and am
about to leave behind me." Then speaking to his wife, he said,
"Now Mariette,--now I can die peacefully."
He continued to live until the following morning. He conversed
occasionally with his wife, his son, and a few attached friends.
He talked, though with difficulty, of the future of the family,
for whom he had made provision. At last, lifting himself up by
the aid of his son, he looked towards his wife. The brightness
of love glowed in his eyes; but in a moment he fell back
senseless upon the pillow, and his spirit quietly passed away.
Jasmin departed this life on the 5th of October, 1864, at the
age of sixty-five. He was not an old man; but the brightest
jewels soonest wear their setting. When laid in his coffin,
the poem to Renan, his last act of faith, was placed on his
breast, with his hands crossed over it.
The grief felt at his death was wide and universal. In the South
of France he was lamented as a personal friend; and he was
followed to the grave by an immense number of his townspeople.
The municipal administration took charge of the funeral.
At ten o'clock in the morning of the 8th October the procession
started from Jasmin's house on the Promenade du Gravier.
On the coffin were placed the Crown of Gold presented to him by
his fellow-townsmen, the cross of Chevalier of the Legion of
Honour, and that of Saint-Gregory the Great. A company of five
men, and a detachment of troops commanded by an officer, formed
the line.
The following gentlemen held the cords of the funeral pall:--
M. Feart, Prefect of the Lot-et-Garonne; M. Henri Noubel, Deputy
and Mayor of Agen; General Ressayre, Commander of the Military
Division; M. Bouet, President of the Imperial Court; M. de
Laffore, engineer; and M. Magen, Secretary of the Society of
Agriculture, Sciences, and Arts. A second funeral pall was held
by six coiffeurs of the corporation to which Jasmin had belonged.
Behind the hearse were the Brothers of the Christian Doctrine,
the Sisters of Saint-Vincent de Paul, and the Little Sisters of
the Poor.
The mourners were headed by the poet's son and the other members
of his family. The cortege was very numerous, including the
elite of the population. Among them were the Procureur-General,
the Procureur-imperial, the Engineer-in-chief of the Department,
the Director of Taxes, many Councillors-General, all the members
of the Society of Agriculture, many officers of the army, many
ecclesiastics as well as ministers of the reformed worship.
Indeed, representatives of nearly the whole population were
present.
The procession first entered the church of Saint Hilaire, where
the clergy of the four parishes had assembled. High mass was
performed by the full choir. The Miserere of Beethoven was
given, and some exquisite pieces from Mozart. Deep emotion was
produced by the introduction, in the midst of this beautiful
music, of some popular airs from the romance of Franconnette and
Me Cal Mouri, Jasmin's first work. The entire ceremony was
touching, and moved many to tears.
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