thathistimewastoopreciousforthat；thatapoetought，aboveall，nottooccupyhimselfwithpolitics，for，bysodoing，herantheriskofinjuringhistalent。
　　Someofhislocalcritics，nothavingcomprehendedtheinnerlifeofJasmin，comparedhiswifetothegardenerofBoileauandthemaid-servantofMoliere。Butthecomparisondidnotatallapply。Jasminhadnogardenernoranyoldservantorhousekeeper。JasminandMariewerequitedifferent。Theylivedthesamelives，andwereallinalltoeachother。Theywerebothofthepeople；andthoughshewaswithoutculture，andhadnotsharedinthesocietyoftheeducated，shetookeveryinterestinthesentimentsandtheprosperityofheradmirablehusband。
　　Onemightask，HowdidJasminacquirehiseloquenceofdeclamation——hispowerofattractingandmovingassembliesofpeopleinallranksoflife?Itwastheresult，nodoubt，partlyofthegiftswithwhichtheCreatorhadendowedhim，andpartlyalsoofpatienceandperseveringstudy。Hehadafinevoice，andhemanageditwithsuchartthatitbecamelikeaperfectlytunedinstrumentinthehandsofamusician。
　　Hisvoicewaspowerfulandpatheticbyturns，andhepossessedgreatsweetnessofintonation，——combinedwithsympatheticfeelingandspecialfelicityofemphasis。Andfeelingisthevitalisingprincipleofpoetry。Jasminoccasionallyvariedhisreadingsbysingingorchauntingthesongswhichoccurredincertainpartsofhispoems。This，togetherwithhiseloquence，gavesuchimmensevitalpowertotherecitationsoftheAgenaisebard。
　　Andweshallfind，fromthenextchapter，thatJasminusedhispatheticeloquenceforverynoble，——onemightalmostsay，fordivinepurposes。
　　FootnotesforChapterVII。
　　[1]Thetranslationappearedin’Bentley’sMiscellany’forMarch1840。Itwaspublishedforacharitablepurpose。Mrs。Craven，inher’LifeofLadyGeorgianaFullerton，’says：”Itwasputinatonce，anditstwohundredandseventylinesbroughttotheauthortwelveguineasonthedayonwhichitappeared。
　　LadyFullertonwassurprisedanddelighted。Allherlongyearsofsuccess，differentindeedindegree，nevereffacedthememoryofthejoy。”
　　[2]Therefrain，intheoriginalGascon，isasfollows：”Lascarrerosdiouyonflouri，Tanbelonobiobaysourti；
　　Diouyonflouri，diouyongraua，Tanbelonobiobaypassa！”
　　[3]InGascon：”Lascarrerosdiouyongemi，Tanbelomortobaysourti！
　　Diouyongemi，diouyonploura，Tanbelomortobaypassa！”
　　[4]inGascon：”Jourperaoutres，toutjour！etperjou，malhurouzo，Toutjourney，toutjourney！
　　Quefaynegrelend’el！Oh！quemounamoestristo！”
　　[5]Sainte-Beuve：’CauseriesduLundi，’iv。240-1edit。1852；
　　and’PortraitsContemporains，’ii。61edit，1847。
　　CHAPTERVIII。
　　JASMINASPHILANTHROPIST。
　　ItisnownecessarytoconsiderJasmininanaltogetherdifferentcharacter——thatofabenefactorofhisspecies。
　　Self-sacrificeanddevotiontoothers，forgettingselfwhilespendingandbeingspentforthegoodofone’sfellowcreatures，exhibitmaninhisnoblestcharacteristics。ButwhowouldhaveexpectedsuchvirtuestobeillustratedbyamanlikeJasmin，sprungfromthehumblestconditionoflife?
　　Charitymayberegardedasauniversalduty，whichitisineveryperson’spowertopractise。Everykindofhelpgiventoanother，onpropermotives，isanactofcharity；andthereisscarcelyanymaninsuchastraitenedconditionasthathemaynot，oncertainoccasions，assisthisneighbour。Thewidowthatgiveshermitetothetreasury，thepoormanthatbringstothethirstyacupofcoldwater，performtheiractsofcharity，thoughtheymaybeofcomparativelylittlemoment。Wordsworth，inapoeticgem，describedthevirtueofcharity：”……Manisdeartoman；thepoorestpoorLongforsomemomentsinawearylifeWhentheycanknowandfeelthattheyhavebeen，Themselves，thefathersandthedealersoutOfsomesmallblessings，havebeenkindtosuchAsneededkindness，forthesinglecauseThatwehaveallofusonehumanheart。”
　　ThismaximofWordsworth’strulydescribesthelifeanddeedsofJasmin。Itmaybesaidthathewasfirstincitedtoexerthimselfonbehalfofcharitytohisneighbours，bytheabsenceofanyPoorLawinFrancesuchaswehaveinEngland。Inthecasesofdrought，whenthecropsdidnotripen；orinthephylloxerablights，whenthegrapeswereruined；orintheoccasionaldisastrousfloods，whenthewholeoftheagriculturalproducewassweptaway；thesmallfarmersandlabourerswerereducedtogreatdistress。TheFrenchpeasantisusuallyverythrifty；butwhereaccumulatedsavingswerenotavailableforrelief，theresult，inmanycases，waswidespreadstarvation。
　　Jasminfeltthat，whilehimselflivinginthemidstofblessings，heowedaduty，onsuchoccasions，totheextremenecessitiesofhisneighbours。Theafflictedcouldnotappealtotheadministratorsoflocaltaxes；allthattheycoulddowastoappealtothefeelingsofthebenevolent，andrelyuponlocalcharity。Hebelievedthattheextremelypoorshouldexciteourliberality，themiserableourpity，thesickourassistance，theignorantourinstruction，andthefallenourhelpinghand。
　　ItwasundersuchcircumstancesthatJasminconsentedtorecitehispoemsforthereliefoftheafflictedpoor。Hisfamehadincreasedfromyeartoyear。Hissongsweresung，andhispoemswereread，allovertheSouthofFrance。Whenitwasknownthathewaswillingtorecitehispoemsforcharitablepurposeshewasimmediatelyassailedwithinvitationsfromfarandnear。
　　Whenbreadfellshortinwinter-time，andthepoorwerefamished；
　　whenanhospitalfortheneedywasstarvingforwantoffunds；
　　whenacrecheorinfants’asylumhadtobefounded；whenaschool，oranorphanage，hadtobebuiltorrenovated，andmoneybegantofail，anappealwasatoncemadetoJasmin’scharitablefeelings。
　　ItwasnotthenusualformenlikeJasmintorecitetheirpoemsinpublic。Thosewhopossessedhisworksmightrecitethemfortheirownpleasure。Butnoonecoulddeclaimthembetterthanhecould，andhispersonalpresencewasthereforeindispensable。
　　Itistrue，thataboutthesametimeMr。DickensandMr。
　　ThackerayweregivingreadingsfromtheirworksinEnglandandAmerica。Bothreaderswereequallypopular；butwhiletheymadeaconsiderableadditiontotheirfortunes，[1]Jasminrealisednothingforhimself；allthatwascollectedathisrecitationswasgiventothepoor。
　　Ofcourse，Jasminwasreceivedwithenthusiasminthosetownsandcitieswhichhevisitedforcharitablepurposes。Whenitwasknownthathewasabouttogiveoneofhispoeticalrecitals，theartisanlefthisshop，theblacksmithhissmithy，theservantherhouseholdwork；andthemotheroftenshutupherhouseandwentwithherchildrentolistentothemarvelouspoet。
　　Younggirlsspreadflowersbeforehispathway；andlovelywomentoreflowersfromtheirdressestocrowntheirbelovedminstrelwiththeirofferings。
　　SincehisappearanceatBordeaux，in1835，whenherecitedhisBlindGirlforacharitablepurpose，hehadbeeninvitedtomanymeetingsintheneighbourhoodofAgen，whereveranyworthyinstitutionhadtobeerectedorassisted。Hecontinuedtowriteoccasionalverses，thoughnotofanymoment，forhewasstilldreamingofanothermasterpiece。
　　Allfurtherthoughtsofpoeticalcompositionwere，however，dispelled，bythethreatenedfamineintheLot-et-Garonne。
　　Inthewinterof1837breadbecameverydearintheSouthofFrance。Thepoorpeopleweresufferinggreatly，andtheusualappealwasmadetoJasmintocometotheirhelp。AconcertwasadvertisedtobegivenatTonneins，aconsiderabletowntothenorth-westofAgen，whenthelocalmusiciansweretogivetheirservices，andJasminwastoreciteapoem。
　　Forthispurposehecomposedhis’Charity’LaCaritat。
　　Itwasaddressedtotheladiesandmusicianswhoassistedattheentertainment。Charityisashortlyricaleffusion，notsomuchafinishedpoemastheutteringsofatenderheart。Thoughofsomemerit，itlookspalebesideTheBlindGirl。ButhischoiceofthesubjectprovedaforecastofthenobleuseswhichJasminwasafterwardsenabledtomakeofhispoeticaltalents。
　　Man，hesaidinhisverses，istrulygreat，chieflythroughhischarity。Thecompassionateman，doinghisworksofbenevolence，thoughinsecret，inameasureresemblestheDivineAuthorofhisbeing。Thefollowingistheintroductorypassageofthepoem：-”AswebeholdatseagreatshipsofvoyagersGlideo’erthewavestobillowswhitewithspray，Andtoanotherworldthehardytravellersconvey；
　　JustasboldsavantstravelthroughtheskyToillustratetheworldwhichtheyespy，Menwithoutceasingcry，’Howgreatisman！’
　　Butno！GreatGod！Howinfinitelylittlehe！
　　Hasheagenius?’Tisnothingwithoutgoodness！
　　Withoutsomegrace，nograndeurdowerate。
　　Itisthetender-heartedwhoshowcharityinkindness。
　　Unseenofmen，hehideshisgiftfromsight，Hedoesallthatheowesinsilentgood，Likethepoorwidow’smite；
　　Yetbotharegreat，Greataboveall——greatastheGraceofGod。”
　　Thisis，ofcourse，averyfeebleattempttorenderthewordsofJasmin。Hewasmostpatheticwhenherecountedthesorrowsofthepoor。Whiledoingso，heavoidedexcitingtheirlowerinstincts。Hedisavowedallenvyofthegoodsofothers。
　　Hemaintainedrespectforthelaw，whileatthesametimeheexhortedtherichtohaveregardfortheirpoorerbrethren。”Itisthegloryofthepeople，”hesaidatameetingofworkmen，”toprotectthemselvesfromevil，andtopreservethroughouttheirpurityofcharacter。”
　　ThiswasthespiritinwhichJasminlaboured。Hewrotesomeotherpoemsinasimilarstrain——’TheRichandPoor，’
　　’ThePoorMan’sDoctor，’’TheRichBenefactor’LouBounRiche；
　　butJasmin’sownCharitycontainedthegermofthemall。Heputhisownsoulintohispoems。AtTonneins，theemotionheexcitedbyhisreadingofCharitywasverygreat，andthesubscriptionsfortheafflictedpoorwerecorrespondinglylarge。
　　Themunicipalityneverforgottheoccasion；andwhenevertheybecameembarrassedbythepovertyofthepeople，theyinvariablyappealedtoJasmin，andalwayswiththesamesuccess。OnoneoccasiontheMayorwrotetohim：”Wearestillunderthecharmofyourverses；andIaddressyouinthenameofthepoorpeopleofTonneins，tothankyoumostgratefullyforthecharitableactyouhavedonefortheirbenefit。Theeveningyouappearedhere，sir，willlongsurviveinourmemory。Itexcitedeverywherethemostlivelygratitude。Thepoorenjoyedadayofhappiness，andtherichenjoyedadayofpleasure，fornothingcanbemoreblessedthanCharity！”
　　Jasmin，inreplyingtothisletter，said：”Christ’swordswere，’Yehavethepooralwayswithyou’；inpronouncingthisfact，hecalledtheworldtodeedsofcharity，andinstitutedthisadmirablejointresponsibilitysolidarite，invirtueofwhicheachmanshouldfulfilthedutyofhelpinghispoorerneighbours。
　　Itisthisresponsibilitywhich，whenthecryofhungerorsufferingisheard，ismostinstrumentalinbringingallgeneroussoulstothefront，inordertocreateandmultiplytheresourcesofthepoor。”
　　Jasmin’ssuccessatTonneinsledtonumerousinvitationsofalikecharacter。”Comeoverandhelpus，”wasthegeneralcryduringthatwinteroffamine。Thebarber’sshopwasinvadedbynumerousdeputations；andthepostmanwasconstantlydeliveringlettersofinvitationathisdoor。Hewasnolongermasterofhistime，andhadconsiderabledifficultyinattendingtohisownproperbusiness。Sometimeshisleisurehourswereappropriatedsixmonthsbeforehand；andhewasoftenperemptorilycalledupontoproceedwithhisphilanthropicwork。
　　Whenhecouldfindtimeenoughtosparefromhisbusiness，hewouldconsenttogiveanotherrecitation。Whenthedistancewasnotgreathewalked，partlyforexercise，andpartlytosavemoney。Therewerefewrailwaysinthosedays，andhiringaconveyancewasanexpensiveaffair。Besides，hisdesirealwayswas，tohandover，ifpossible，thewholeofthereceiptstothecharitableinstitutionsforwhosebenefithegavehisrecitations。
　　Thewayfaringpoet，onhisapproachtothetowninwhichhewastoappear，wasusuallymetbycrowdsofpeople。Theyreceivedhimwithjoyandacclamation。Themagistratespresentedhimwithacongratulatoryaddress。Deputationsfromneighbouringtownswerepresentatthecelebration。AttheentrancetothetownJasminoftenpassedunderatriumphalarch，with”Welcome，Jasmin！ournativepoet！”inscribeduponit。Hewasconveyed，headedbythelocalband，tothehallwherehewastogivehisrecitation。