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。