ThereNorman-Frenchwasforalongtimespoken。ThoughtheFrankshadsupplantedtheRomans，theRomanlanguagecontinuedtobespoken。In996PariswasmadethecapitalofFrance；
　　andfromthattime，thelanguageofParisbecame，withvariousmodifications，thelanguageofFrance；andnotonlyofFrance，buttheRomanorLatintonguebecamethefoundationofthelanguagesofItaly，Spain，andPortugal。
　　Thus，Gaulish，Frankish，andNormandisappearedtogiveplacetotheLatin-French。TheKymriaclanguagewaspreservedonlyinBrittany，whereitstilllingers。Andinthesouth-westofFrance，wherethepopulationwasfurthestremovedfromtheinvasionsoftheGauls，Ostrogoths，andVisigoths，theBasquescontinuedtopreservetheirlanguage，——theBasques，whoaresupposedbyCanonIsaacTaylortobethedirectdescendantsoftheEtruscans。
　　ThedescendantsoftheGauls，however，constitutethemassofthepeopleinCentralFrance。TheGauls，orGalatians，aresupposedtohavecomefromthecentraldistrictofAsiaMinor。Theywerealwaysawarlikepeople。Intheirwanderingswestward，theypassedthroughthenorthofItalyandenteredFrance，wheretheysettledinlargenumbers。Dr。Smith，inhisDictionaryoftheBible，saysthat”GalataiisthesamewordasKeltici，”whichindicatesthattheGaulswereKelts。ItissupposedthatSt。PaulwrotehisEpistletotheGalatianssoonafterhisvisittothecountryoftheirorigin。”Itsabruptnessandseverity，andthesadnessofitstone，arecausedbytheirsuddenperversionfromthedoctrinewhichtheApostlehadtaughtthem，andwhichatfirsttheyhadreceivedsowillingly。Itisnofancy，ifweseeinthisficklenessaspecimenofthat’espritimpretueux，ouvertatouteslesimpressions，’andthat’mobiliteextreme，’whichThierrymarksascharacteristicoftheGaulishrace。”Atallevents，thelanguageoftheGaulsdisappearedinCentralFrancetomakewayforthelanguageortheCapital——
　　themodernFrench，foundedontheLatin。TheGaulishrace，nevertheless，preservedtheircharacteristics——quickness，lightness，mobility，andelasticity——qualitieswhichenabledthemquicklytoconceivenewideas，andatthesametimetoquicklyabandonthem。TheFrankshadgiventhecountrythenameitnowbears——thatofFrance。ButtheywerelongregardedasenemiesbytheCentralandSouthernGauls。InGascony，theforeignerwascalledLowFranciman，andwasregardedwithsuspicionanddislike。”ThistermofFranciman，”saysMissCostello，whotravelledthroughthecountryandstudiedthesubject，”evidentlybelongstoaperiodoftheEnglishoccupationofAquitaine，whenaFrenchmanwasanotherwordforanenemy。”[3]Butthewordhasprobablyamoreremoteorigin。WhentheFranks，ofGermanorigin，burstintoGaul，andsettledinthecountrynorthoftheLoire，andafterwardscarriedtheirconqueststothePyrenees，theFrankswereregardedasenemiesinthesouthofFrance。”Thenallthecountries，”saysThierry，”unitedbyforcetotheempireoftheFranks，andoverwhichinconsequenceofthisunion，thenameofFrancehadextendeditself，madeunheard-ofeffortstoreconquertheirancientnamesandplaces。OfalltheGallicprovinces，nonebutthesouthernonessucceededinthisgreatenterprise；andafterthewarsofinsurrection，which，underthesonsofCharlemagne，succeededthewarsofconquest，AquitaineandProvencebecamedistinctstates。AmongtheSouthEasternprovincesreappearedeventheancientnameofGaul，whichhadforeverperishednorthoftheLoire。ThechiefsofthenewKingdomofAries，whichextendedfromtheJuratotheAlps，tookthetitleofGaulinoppositiontotheKingsofFrance。”[4]
　　Itisprobablethatthiswasthecauseofthenameof”Franciman”beingregardedasanhereditarytermofreproachintheGaulishcountrysouthoftheLoire。GasconandProvencalweretheprincipaldialectswhichremainedintheSouth，thoughLittreclassesthemtogetherasthelanguageoftheTroubadours。
　　TheywerebothwellunderstoodintheSouth；andJasmin’srecitationswerereceivedwithasmuchenthusiasmatNimes，Aries，andMarseilles，asatToulouse，Agen，andBordeaux。
　　Mezzofanti，averyTowerofBabelindialectsandlanguages，saidoftheProvencal，thatitwastheonlypatoisoftheMiddleAges，withitsnumerousderivationsfromtheGreek，theArabic，andtheLatin，whichhassurvivedthevariousrevolutionsoflanguage。Theothershavebeenalteredandmodified。
　　Theyhavesufferedfromthecapricesofvictoryoroffortune。
　　OfallthedialectsoftheRomantongue，thispatoisalonepreservesitspurityandlife。ItstillremainsthesonorousandharmoniouslanguageoftheTroubadours。ThepatoishasthesupplenessoftheItalian，thesombremajestyoftheSpanish，theenergyandprecisenessoftheLatin，withthe”Molleatquefacetum，ledolcede，l’Ionic；whichstilllivesamongthePhoceensofMarseilles。TheimaginationandgeniusofGasconyhavepreservedthecopiousrichnessofthelanguage。
　　M。deLavergne，inhisnoticeofJasmin’sworks，franklyadmitsthelocaljealousywhichexistedbetweentheTroubadoursofGasconyandProvence。Thereseemed，hesaid，tobenothingdisingenuousinthesilenceoftheProvencalsastoJasmin’spoems。Theydidnotallowthatheborrowedfromthem，anymorethanthattheyborrowedfromhim。ThesemenofSouthernFranceareborninthelandofpoetry。Itbreathesintheirnativeair。
　　Itechoesroundtheminitsvariedmeasures。Nay，therhymeswhichareitsdistinguishingfeatures，pervadetheirdailytalk。
　　Theseedsliedormantintheirnativesoil，andwhentroddenunderfoot，theyburstthroughthegroundandevolvetheirodourintheopenair。GasconandProvencalalikepreservethesamerelationtotheclassicromance——thatlovelybutshort-livedeldestdaughteroftheLatin——thelanguageoftheTroubadours。
　　WehavesaidthattheGascondialectwasgraduallyexpiringwhenJasminundertookitsrevival。Hissuccessinrecoveringandrestoringit，andpresentingitinawrittenform，wastheresultoflaboriousinvestigation。Hedidnotatfirstrealizetheperfectcomprehensionoftheidiom，butheeventuallysucceededbypatientperseverance，Whenwereadhispoems，weareenabledtofollow，stepbystep，hislexicologicalprogress。
　　Atfirst，heclungtothemeasuresmostapprovedinFrenchpoetry，especiallytoAlexandrinesandIambictetrameters，andtotheirirregularassociationinasortofballadmetre，whichinEnglandhasbeenbesthandledbyRobertBrowninginhisfineballadof’Harve；Riel。’
　　Jasmin’sfirstrhymeswerewrittenuponcurlpapers，andthenusedontheheadsofhisladycustomers。Whenthespiritoforiginalpoetrywithinhimawoke，hisstylechanged。Geniusbroughtsweetmusicfromhisheartandmind。Imaginationspiritualisedhisnature，liftedhissoulabovethecaresofordinarylife，andawakenedtheconsciousnessofhisaffinitywithwhatispureandnoble。Jasminsangasabirdsings；
　　atfirstinweaknotes，theninlouder，untilatlengthhisvoicefilledtheskies。NeartheendofhislifehewasstyledtheSaintVincentdePaulofpoetry。
　　JasminmightbeclassedamongtheUneducatedPoets。
　　Butwhatpoetisnotuneducatedatthebeginningofhiscareer?
　　Theessentialeducationofthepoetisnottaughtintheschools。
　　Thelowlyman，againstwhomtheasperitiesofhislothaveclosedthedoorsofworldlyacademies，mayneverthelesshavesomespecialvocationforthepoeticlife。Academiescannotshuthimoutfromtheodourofthevioletorthesongofthenightingale。
　　Hehearsthelark’ssongfillingtheheavens，asthehappybirdfansthemilk-whitecloudwithitswings。Helistenstothepurlingofthebrook，thebleatingofthelamb，thesongofthemilkmaid，andthejoyouscryofthereaper。Thushismindisdailyfedwiththechoicestinfluencesofnature。Hecannotbutappreciatethejoy，theglory，theunconsciousdelightofliving。”Thebeautifulismasterofastar。”Thisfeelingofbeautyisthenurseofcivilisationandtruerefinement。HavewenotourBurns，who”ingloryandinjoyFollowedhisploughalongthemountainside；”
　　Clare，thepeasantboy；Bloomfield，thefarmer’slad；Tannahill，theweaver；AllanRamsay，theperuke-maker；Cooper，theshoemaker；andCritchleyPrince，thefactory-worker；butgreaterthanthesewasShakespeare，——thoughallwereofhumbleorigin。
　　Francetoohashaditsuneducatedpoets。Thoughtheancientsong-writersofFrancewerenoble；HenryIV。，authorofCharmanteGabrielle；Thibault，CountofChampagne；Lusignan，CountdelaMarche；Raval，Blondel，andBasselindelaVive，whosesongswereasjoyousasthejuiceofhisgrapes；yetsomeofthebestFrenchpoetsofmodemtimeshavebeenofhumbleorigin——Marmontel，Moliere，Rousseau，andBeranger。TherewerealsoReboul，thebaker；Hibley，theworking-tailor；Gonzetta，theshoemaker；Durand，thejoiner；Marchand，thelacemaker；
　　Voileau，thesail-maker；
　　Magu，theweaver；Poucy，themason；Germiny，thecooper；[5]andfinally，Jasminthebarberandhairdresser，whowasnottheleastoftheUneducatedPoets。
　　ThefirstpoemwhichJasmincomposedintheGascondialectwaswrittenin1822，whenhewasonlytwenty-fouryearsold。ItwasentitledLafidelitatAgenoso，whichhesubsequentlyalteredtoMecalMouriIlmefaitmourir，or”Letmedie。”Itisalanguishingromanticpoem，afterthemannerofFlorian，Jasmin’sfirstmasterinpoetry。ItwasprintedatAgeninaquartoform，andsoldforafranc。Jasmindidnotattachhisnametothepoem，butonlyhisinitials。
　　Sainte-Beuve，inhisnoticeofthepoem，says，”Itisapretty，sentimentalromance，showingthatJasminpossessedthebrightnessandsensibilityoftheTroubadours。Asonemaysay，hehadnotyetquittedtheguitarfortheflageolet；andMarot，whospokeofhisflageolet，hadnot，inthemidstofhisplayfulspirit，thosetenderaccentswhichcontrastedsowellwithhispreviouscompositions。AnddidnotHenryIV。，inthemidstofhisGascongaietiesandsallies，composehissweetsongofCharmanteGabrielle?JasminindeedisthepoetwhoisnearesttheregionofHenryIV。”[6]MecalMouriwassettomusicbyFourgons，andobtainedgreatpopularityinthesouth。Itwasknownbyheart，andsungeverywhere；inAgen，Toulouse，andthroughoutProvence。ItwasnotuntilthepublicationofthefirstvolumeofhispoemsthatitwasknowntobetheworkofJasmin。
　　MissLouisaStuartCostello，whenmakingherpilgrimageintheSouthofFrance，relatesthat，inthecourseofherjourney，”
　　AfriendrepeatedtometwocharmingballadspickedupinLanguedoc，wherethereisavarietyinthepatois。Icannotresistgivingthemhere，thatmyreadersmaycomparethedifferenceofdialect。Iwrotethemclown，however，merelybyear，andamnotawarethattheyhaveeverbeenprinted。
　　ThemixtureofFrench，Spanish，andItalianisverycurious。”[7]
　　AsthewordsofJasmin’sromancewerewrittendownbyMissCostellofrommemory，theyarenotquiteaccurate；buthertranslationintoEnglishsufficientlyrendersthepoet’smeaning。ThefollowingisthefirstverseofJasmin’spoeminGascon——”Dejalaneyencrumislanaturo，Toutestranquilleettoutcargoloudol；
　　Dinslouclouchelabrezagomurmuro，Etloutuquetsuccedoalrossignol：
　　Delmal，helas！bebijusq’alaligo，Mouncogemissansespouerdegari；
　　Plusdebounhur，eyperdutmounamigo，Mecalmouri！mecalmouri！”
　　WhichMissCostellothustranslatesintoEnglish：”Alreadysullennightcomessadlyon，Andnature’sformisclothedwithmournfulweeds；
　　Aroundthetowerisheardthebreeze’smoan，Andtothenightingalethebatsucceeds。
　　Oh！Ihavedrainedthecupofmisery，Myfaintinghearthasnownohopeinstore。
　　Ah！wretchedme！whathaveIbuttodie?
　　ForIhavelostmyloveforevermore！”
　　Therearefourversesinthepoem，butthesecondversemayalsobegiven”Fair，tenderPhoebe，hastenonthycourse，MywoesrevivewhileIbeholdtheeshine，Forofmyhopethouartnomorethesource，Andofmyhappinessnomorethesign。
　　Oh！Ihavedrainedthecupofmisery，Myfaintinghearthasnownoblissinstore。