: "A testimony from the Bishop of
Saint-Flour, in acknowledgment of the services which the great poet has
rendered to the poor of his diocese."

No poet had so many opportunities of making money, and of enriching
himself by the contributions of the rich as well as the poor. But such
an idea never entered his mind. He would have regarded it as a sacrilege
to evoke the enthusiasm of the people, and make money; for his own
benefit, or to speculate upon the triumphs of his muse. Gold earned in
this way, he said, would have burnt his fingers. He worked solely for
the benefit of those who could not help themselves. His poetry was to
him like a sweet rose that delighted the soul and produced the fruits of
charity.

His conduct has been called Quixotic. Would that there were more

Quixotes in the world! After his readings, which sometimes produced from
two to three thousand francs, the whole of the proceeds were handed
over to those for whose benefit they had been given, after deducting,
of course, the expenses of travelling, of which he kept a most accurate
account.

It is estimated that the amount of money collected by Jasmin during his
recitations for philanthropic objects amounted to at least 1,500,000
francs (equal to 62,500 sterling). Besides, there were the labour of
his journeys, and the amount of his correspondence, which were almost
heroic. M. Rabain{1} states that from 1825 to 1860, the number of
letters received by Jasmin was more than twelve thousand.

Mr. Dickens, in giving the readings from his works in Great Britain,
netted over 35,000 sterling, besides what he received for his readings
in America. This, of course, led quite reasonably to the enhancing of
his fortune. But all that Jasmin received from his readings was given
away--some say "thrown away"--to the poor and the needy. It is not
necessary to comment on such facts; one can only mention and admire
them.

The editor of Le Pays says: "The journeys of Jasmin in the South were
like a triumphal march. No prince ever received more brilliant ovations.
Flowers were strewn in his way; the bells rang out on his appearance;
the houses were illuminated; the Mayors addressed him in words of
praise; the magistrates, the clergy followed him in procession. Bestowed
upon a man, and a poet, such honours might seem exaggerated; but Jasmin,
under the circumstances, represented more than poetry: he represented
Charity. Each of his verses transformed him into an alms-