d Jasmin, just arrived from Agen by the boat, which had
been six hours late. He was in great dismay; but he afterwards made up
for the disappointment by reciting to the people of Arcachon.

The same thing happened at Biarritz. A large assembly had met, and
everything was ready for Jasmin. But there was no Jasmin! The omnibus
from Bayonne did not bring him. It turned out, that at the moment of
setting out he was seized with a sudden loss of voice. As in the case of
Arcachon, the cure had to do without him. The result of his address was
a collection of 700 francs.

The Abbe Masson was a liberal-minded man. When Jasmin urged him to help
others more needy than himself, he was always ready to comply with his
request. When at Narbonne, in the department of Aude, a poor troupe of
comedians found themselves in difficulties. It was winter-time, and the
weather was very cold. The public could not bear their canvas-covered
shed, and deserted the entertainment. Meanwhile the artistes were
famished. Knowing the generosity of Jasmin, they asked him to recite at
one of their representations. He complied with their request; the place
was crowded; and Jasmin's recitations were received with the usual
enthusiasm. It had been arranged that half the proceeds should go to
the church at Vergt, and the other half to the comedians. But when the
entire troupe presented themselves to the Abbe and offered him the
full half, he said: "No! no! keep it all. You want it more than I do.
Besides, I can always fall back upon my dear poet!"

A fourth pilgrimage of the priest and poet was afterwards made to the
towns of Rodez, Villefranche-d'aveyron, Cahors, Figeac, Gourdon, and
Sarlat; and the proceeds of these excursions, added to a subvention
of 5,000 francs from the Government, enabled the church of Vergt to
be completed. In 1852 the steeple was built, and appropriately named
"Jasmin's Bell-tower" (Clocher Jasmin). But it was still without bells,
for which a subsequent pilgrimage was made by Jasmin and Masson.

To return to the honours paid to Jasmin for his works of benevolence
and charity. What was worth more to him than the numerous golden laurels
which had been bestowed upon him, was his recognition by the highest
and noblest of institutions, the Academy of France. Although one of
the objects of its members was to preserve the French language in its
highest purity they were found ready to crown a poet who wrote his poems
in the patois of the So