Buonaparte, who had
also been a refugee in England, returned to France, and on the 20th of
December was proclaimed President of the French Republic.

Jasmin and Masson accordingly suspended their tour. No one would listen
to poetical recitations in the midst of political revolutions. Freedom
and tranquillity were necessary for the contemplation of ideas very
different from local and national squabbles. The poet and priest
accordingly bade adieu to each other; and it was not until two years
later that they were able to recommence their united journeys through
the South of France. The proclamation of the Republic, and the forth
coming elections, brought many new men to the front. Even poets made
their appearance. Lamartine, who had been a deputy, was a leader in
the Revolution, and for a time was minister for foreign affairs. Victor
Hugo, a still greater poet, took a special interest in the politics
of the time, though he was fined and imprisoned for condemning capital
punishment. Even Reboul, the poet-baker of Nimes, deserted his muse and
his kneading trough to solicit the suffrages of his fellow-citizens.
Jasmin was wiser. He was more popular in his neighbourhood than Reboul,
though he cared little about politics. He would neither be a deputy,
nor a municipal councillor, nor an agent for elections. He preferred
to influence his country by spreading the seeds of domestic and social
virtues; and he was satisfied with his position in Agen as poet and
hair-dresser.

Nevertheless a deputation of his townsmen waited upon Jasmin to request
him to allow his name to appear as a candidate for their suffrages.
The delegates did not find him at his shop. He was at his vineyard; and
there the deputation found him tranquilly seated under a cherry-tree
shelling peas! He listened to them with his usual courtesy, and when one
of the committee pressed him for an answer, and wished to know if he
was not a good Republican, he said, "Really, I care nothing for the
Republic. I am one of those who would have saved the constitutional
monarchy by enabling it to carry out further reforms.... But,"
he continued, "look to the past; was it not a loss to destroy the
constitutional monarchy? But now we must march forward, that we may all
be united again under the same flag. The welfare of France should reign
in all our thoughts and evoke our most ardent sympathy. Choose among our
citizens a strong and wise man... If the Republic is to live in France