HealsoannouncedtheagreeablenewsoftheKinghavinggrantedhimapensionofathousandfrancs。Hesmiledandweptbyturnsashetoldallthis；anddeclaredthat，muchashewaselatedatthepossessionofasumwhichmadehimarichmanforlifethoughitwasonlyequalto42sterling，thekindnessoftheDuchessgratifiedhimstillmore。”Hethenmadeussitdownwhilehereadustwonewpoems；bothcharming，andfullofgraceandnaivete；andoneveryaffecting，beinganaddresstotheKing，alluding，tothedeathofhisson。”Asheread，hiswifestoodby，andfearingthatwedidnotcomprehendthelanguage，shemadearemarktothateffect，towhichheansweredimpatiently，’Nonsense！don’tyouseetheyareintears?’Thiswasunanswerable；wewereallowedtohearthepoemtotheend，andIcertainlyneverlistenedtoanythingmorefeelinglyandenergeticallydelivered。”Wehadmuchconversation，forhewasanxioustodetainus；andinthecourseofit，hetoldmethathehadbeenbysomeaccusedofvanity。’Oh！’heexclaimed，’whatwouldyouhave?Iamachildofnature，andcannotconcealmyfeelings；theonlydifferencebetweenmeandamanofrefinementis，thatheknowshowtoconcealhisvanityandexaltationatsuccess，whileIleteverybodyseemyemotions。’”Hiswifedrewmeaside，andaskedmyopinionastohowmuchmoneyitwouldcosttopayJasmin’sexpenses，ifheundertookajourneytoEngland。’However，’sheadded，’Idaresayheneedbeatnocharge，forofcourseyourQueenhasreadthatarticleinhisfavour，andknowshismerit。Sheprobablywillsendforhim，payalltheexpensesofhisjourney，andgivehimgreatfetesinLondon！”MissCostello，knowingthedifficultyofobtainingRoyalrecognitionofliterarymeritinEngland，unlessitappearsinformapauperis，advisedthebarber-poettowaittillhewassentfor——averygoodadvice，forthenitwouldbenever！
　　Sheconcludesherrecollectionswiththisremark：”Ileftthehappypair，promisingtoletthemknowtheeffectthatthetranslationofJasmin’spoetryproducedintheRoyalmind。
　　Indeed，theirearnestsimplicitywasreallyentertaining。”
　　AcontributortotheWestminsterReview[5]alsogaveaveryfavourablenoticeofJasminandhispoetry，which，hesaid，waslessknowninEnglandthanitdeservedtobe；norwasitwellknowninFrancesincehewroteinapatois。Yethehadbeenwellreceivedbysomeofthemostillustriousmeninthecapital，whereunaidedgenius，tobesuccessful，mustbegeniusindeed；
　　andtheretheGasconbardhadacquiredforhimselfafameofwhichanymanmightwellbeproud。
　　ThereviewersaidthattheGasconpatoiswaspeculiarlyexpressiveandheart-touching，andintheSouthitwasheldinuniversalhonour。Jasmin，hecontinued，iswhatBurnswastotheScottishpeasantry；onlyhereceivedhishonoursinhislifetime。
　　ThecomparisonwithBurns，however，wasnotappropriate。
　　Burnshadmorepith，vigour，variety，andpassion，thanJasminwhowasmoreofadescriptivewriter。InsomerespectsJasminresembledAllanRamsay，abarberandperiwig-maker，likehimself，whoseGentleShepherdmetwithasgreatasuccessasJasmin’sFranconnette。Jasmin，however，wasthegreaterpoetofthetwo。
　　ThereviewerintheWestminster，whohadseenJasminatAgen，goesontospeakofthehonourshehadreceivedintheSouthandatParis——hisrecitationsinthelittleroombehindhisshop——hispersonalappearance，hisheartyandsimplemanners——andyethisdisdainofthemockmodestyitwouldbeaffectationtoassume。Thereviewerthusconcludes：”Fromthefirstprepossessing，hegainsuponyoueverymoment；andwhenheisfairlylaunchedintotherecitalofoneofhispoems，hisrichvoicedoesfulljusticetotheharmoniousGascon。Theanimationandfeelinghedisplaysbecomescontagious。Youradmirationkindles，andyoubecomeinvolvedinhisardour。Youforgetthelittleroominwhichherecites；youaltogetherforgetthebarber，andrisewithhimintoasuperiorworld，anexperienceinawayyouwillneverforget，thepowerexercisedbyatruepoetwhenpouringforthhislivingthoughtsinhisownverses……”SuchisJasmin——livelyinimagination，warmintemperament，humorous，playful，easilymadehappy，easilysoftened，enthusiasticallyfondofhisprovince，ofitsheroes，ofitsscenery，ofitslanguage，andofitsmanners。HeiseveryinchaGascon，exceptthathehasnoneofthatconsequentialself-importance，oroftheloveofboastingandexaggeration，which，falselyornot，issaidtocharacterisehiscountrymen。”Bornofthepeople，andfollowingahumbletrade，heisproudofbothcircumstances；hispoemsarefullofallusionstohiscalling；andwithouteverutteringawordindisparagmentofotherclasses，heeverywheresingsthepraisesofhisown。
　　Hestandsbyhisorder。Itisfromithedrawshispoetry；
　　itistherehefindshisromance。”Andthisishisgreatcharm，asitishischiefdistinction。
　　Heinvestsvirtue，howeverlowly，withthedignitythatbelongstoit。Herewardsmerit，howeverobscure，withitsduehonour。
　　Whateveristrueorbeautifulorgood，findsfromhimanimmediatesympathy。Thetrueisneverrejectedbyhimbecauseitiscommonplace；northebeautifulbecauseitiseveryday；northegoodbecauseitisnotalsogreat。Hecallsnothinguncleanbutviceandcrime，Heseesmeannessinnothingbutinthesham，theaffectation，andthespanglesofoutwardshow。”ButwhileitisinexaltinglowlyexcellencethatJasmintakesespecialdelight，heisnotblind，assomeare，toexcellenceinhighplaces。Allheseeksisthesterlingandthereal。
　　Herecognisesthesparkleofthediamondaswellasthatofthedewdrop。Buthewillnotlookuponpaste。”Heisthuspre-eminentlythepoetofnature；not，beitunderstood，ofinanimatenatureonly，butofnaturealso，asitexistsinourthoughts，andwords，andactsofnatureasitistobefoundlivingandmovinginhumanity。Butwecannotpainthimsowellashepaintshimself。Wewellrememberhow，inhislittleshopatAgen，hedescribedtouswhathebelievedtobecharacteristicofhispoetry；andwefindinaletterfromhimtoM。LeoncedeLavergnethesubstanceofwhathethensaidtous：”’Ibelieve，’hesaid，’thatIhaveportrayedapartofthenoblesentimentswhichmenandwomenmayexperienceherebelow。
　　IbelievethatIhaveemancipatedmyselfmorethananyonehaseverdonefromeveryschool，andIhaveplacedmyselfinmoredirectcommunicationwithnature。Mypoetrycomesfrommyheart。
　　Ihavetakenmypicturesfromaroundmeinthemosthumbleconditionsofmen；andIhavedoneformynativelanguageallthatIcould。’”
　　AfewyearslaterMr。AngusB。Reach，awell-knownauthor，andacontributortoPunchinitsearlierdays，wasappointedacommissionerbytheMorningChronicletovisit，forindustrialpurposes，thedistrictsintheSouthofFrance。HisreportsappearedintheChronicle；butin1852，Mr。Reachpublishedafulleraccountofhisjourneysinavolumeentitled’ClaretandOlives，fromtheGaronnetotheRhone。’[6]InpassingthroughtheSouthofFrance，Mr。ReachstoppedatAgen。”Oneofmyobjects，”hesays，”wastopayaliteraryvisittoaveryremarkableman——Jasmin，thepeasant-poetofProvenceandLanguedoc——the’LastoftheTroubadours，’as，withmoretruththanisgenerallytobefoundinadcaptandumdesignations，hetermshimself，andistermedbythewidecircleofhisadmirers；
　　forJasmin’ssongsandruralepicsarewritteninthepatoisofthepeople，andthatpatoisisthestillalmostunalteredLangued’Oc——thetongueofthechivalricminstrelsyofyore。”ButJasminisaTroubadourinanothersensethanthatofmerelyavailinghimselfofthetongueofthemenestrels。Hepublishes，certainly，conformingsofartotheusagesofourdegeneratemoderntimes；buthisgreattriumphsarehispopularrecitationsofhispoems。Standingbravelyupbeforeanexpectantassemblyofperhapsacoupleofthousandpersons——thehot-bloodedandquick-brainedchildrenoftheSouth——themodernTroubadourplungesoverheadandearsintohislays，evokingbothhimselfandhisapplaudingaudiencesintofitsofenthusiasmandexcitement，which，whatevermaybetheexcellenceofthepoetry，anEnglishmanfindsitdifficulttoconceiveoraccountfor。”TherapturesoftheNewYorkersandBostonianswithJennyLindareweakandcoldcomparedwiththeovationswhichJasminhasreceived。AtarecitationgivenshortlybeforemyvisittoAuch，theladiespresentactuallytoretheflowersandfeathersoutoftheirbonnets，wovethemintoextemporegarlands，andflungtheminshowersuponthepantingminstrel；whiletheeditorsofthelocalpapersnextmorningassuredhim，infloodsofflatteringepigrams，thathumbleashewasnow，futureageswouldacknowledgethe’divinity’ofaJasmin！
　　Thereisafeature，however，abouttheserecitationswhichisstillmoreextraordinarythantheuncontrollablefitsofpopularenthusiasmwhichtheyproduce。HislastentertainmentbeforeI
　　sawhimwasgiveninoneofthePyreneancities，andproduced2，000francs。Everysousofthiswenttothepubliccharities；
　　Jasminwillnotacceptastiverofmoneysoearned。Withaspeciesofperhapsoverstrained，butcertainlyexalted，chivalricfeeling，hedeclinestoappearbeforeanaudiencetoexhibitformoneythegiftswithwhichnaturehasendowedhim。”After，perhaps，abrillianttourthroughtheSouthofFrance，delightingvastaudiencesineverycity，andflingingmanythousandsoffrancsintoeverypoor-boxwhichhepasses，thepoetcontentedlyreturnstohishumbleoccupation，andtothelittleshopwhereheearnshisdailybreadbyhisdailytoilasabarberandhair-dresser。Itwillbegenerallyadmittedthatthemancapableofself-denialofsotrulyheroicanatureasthis，isnoordinarypoetaster。”Onewouldbepuzzledtofindasimilarinstanceofperfectandabsolutedisinterestednessintherollofminstrels，fromHomerdownwards；and，totellthetruth，theredoesseemaspiceofQuixotismmingledwithandtingingthepurefervouroftheenthusiast。Certainitis，thattheTroubadoursofyore，uponwhosemodelJasminprofessestofoundhispoetry，werebynomeanssoscrupulous。’Largesse’wasaveryprominentwordintheirvocabulary；anditreallyseemsdifficulttoassignanysatisfactoryreasonforamanrefusingtoliveupontheexerciseofthefinergiftsofhisintellect，andthrowinghimselfforhisbreaduponthedailyperformanceofmeremechanicaldrudgery。”Jasmin，asmaybeimagined，iswellknowninAgen。Iwasspeedilydirectedtohisabode，neartheopenPlaceofthetown，andwithinearshotoftherushoftheGaronne；andinafewmomentsIfoundmyselfpausingbeforethelintelofthemodestshopinscribedJasmin，Perruquier，CoiffeurdesjeunesGens。
　　Alittlebrassbasindangledabovethethreshold；andlookingthroughtheglassIsawthemasteroftheestablishmentshavingafat-facedneighbour。NowIhadcometoseeandpaymycomplimentstoapoet，andtheredidappeartometobesomethingstrangelyawkwardandirresistiblyludicrousinhavingtoaddress，tosomeextent，inaliteraryandcomplimentaryvein，anindividualactuallyengagedinsoexcessivelyprosaicandunelevatedaspeciesofperformance。”Iretreated，uncertainwhattodo，andwaitedoutsideuntiltheshopwasclear。Threewordsexplainedthenatureofmyvisit，andJasminreceivedmewithaspeciesofwarmcourtesy，whichwasverypeculiarandverycharming；dashingatonce，withthemostclatteringvolubilityandfieryspeedoftongue，intoasortofrhapsodicaldiscourseuponpoetryingeneral，andthepatoisofit，spokeninLanguedoc，Provence，andGasconyinparticular。”Jasminisawell-builtandstronglylimbedmanofaboutfifty，withalarge，massivehead，andabroadpileofforehead，overhangingtwopiercinglybrightblack-eyes，andfeatureswhichwouldbeheavy，weretheyallowedamoment’sreposefromthecontinualplayofthefacialmuscles，sendinganever-endingseriesofvaryingexpressionsacrossthedark，swarthyvisage。
　　Twosentencesofhisconversationwerequitesufficienttostamphisindividuality。