GASCON POETRY. TO THE EDITOR OF THE GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE. Cork, 1842. MR. URBAN,-Various events of my junior years had contributed to familiarise to my ear and utterance, the patois of Southern France, in its analogous but distinctive dialects of Provence, Languedoc, and Gascony. (See Gentleman's Magazine for October 1838, page 380.) It was, therefore, with considerable gratification, that I saw announced a new volume of the poems of Jasmin, a hairdresser of Agen, in his native idiom. Three years since, he had published— "L'Abuglo de Castel-Cuille," or Blind Girl of CastelCuille, a most affecting story, which made many a fair bosom heave, and many a beauteous eye flow, in sympathetic emotion, and mingling of tears with his. "T'ey bisto ploura quand plourâbi," he says; and his "Soubenis," or Reminiscences, which appeared at the same time, contained an interesting narrative of his own life. When invited by a patronising friend to repair to Paris, the royal city, with his guitar and comb "M'escribès de pourta ma guitarro et moun pegne he prudently refuses; for, whatever might be his earnings, they would be soon consumed; and poverty and contempt succeed the momentary elevation, and pride of first applause. "Minjayoy tout moun amassat, E de riche, fier, mesprezaire, He, consequently, remained at home, happy and joyous, content with his barley-loaf and water from the spring. "Damori doun, jouyous è paoure, Dambé moun pa de segle, è l'ayga de ma foun." In conscious submission of his capacity, he aspires not to Ariosto's views of song, in ambitious enterprise, such as "Le donne, i cavalier, l'arme, gli amori, Orlando Fur. 1-1. for, in humbler strain, he says— "Ni de grandos damos d'aounou, * Car n'ès pas, coumo dit ma may, La qui parlo millou, qui sat ayma lou may." This last sentiment, derived, he states, from his mother, has been coincidentally expressed by Lord Chesterfield, though of anterior composition— "Silence in love betrays more woe Than words, though ne'er so witty; But the most considerable effort of his fancy is his of the heroine and title of the poem, dedicated to the city of Toulouse, and extended to about two thousand five hundred lines. This village-beauty-" la poulido “la de las poulidos," the fairest of the fair, from whose plump cheeks roses in handfulls might be gathered "Semblo que l'on prendro las rozos à manâdos, Sur sas gaoutos rapoutinâdos." becomes, as of old, the object of fierce contention, the "teterrima belli causa," between two rival wooers, during the desolating religious contests of the sixteenth century, under the sanguinary Montluc,* and the no less ferocious Beaumont des Adrets, Catholic and Protestant chiefs, then, (about 1560,) emulously concurrent in the race of blood; though the latter * Referring to the two sanguinary Chiefs, Protestant and Catholic, above mentioned, I find, in the catalogue of the "Treasures of Strawberry Hill," at p. 150 of the Gentleman's Magazine, for August, 1842, one name incorrectly printed, Laise de Montlac, instead of Blaise de Monluc. Of his opponent in battle, but compeer in evil, the Baron des Adrets, it is related by Bayle and others, that, after the capture of the citadel of Montbrison, he, to whom mercy for his prisoners was an unknown feeling, ordered the catholic garrison to be precipitated in individual succession from the battlements. Assisting, with glutted eye, at the frightful scene, he observed one soldier instinctively recoil at the gaping precipice, and again, when forced to advance, start back. "Come," said Des Adrets, "this won't do: off you must go; for I will wait no longer, after allowing you two attempts." "I will give you four," replied the soldier-" Je vous le donne en quatre." And the admirable presence of mind of his destined victim disarmed even the ferocious Des Adrets, who made this solitary exception to the general execution. In the extract from Walpole's Catalogue, at the ensuing page of this month's Magazine, the sign is considered to denote the religion-Catholic distinctively-of Thomas Howard, one of the numerous sacrifices to the security of Elizabeth's crown or person, during the captivity of Mary Stuart. But this Duke, from whose death, in 1572, until Buckingham's elevation to the rank, in 1623, England was without that title, invariably professed the Protestant faith, in which he had been educated by Fox, the Anglican martyrologist, who attended him at his decapitation; although most of his descendants adhered to the belief of their forefathers. subsequently changed sides, but with little moral improvement. The prize, long disputed, was eventually won, as was meet alike in strict and poetic justice, by the worthier aspirant, while the narrative, in incident or episode, is beautifully descriptive of the period and the people. Jasmin, born in 1799, has still the prospect of twenty additional years of imaginative exertion, and, having already reached, may yet surpass, the most celebrated of his predecessors, Pierre Goudelin. The poets who have written in the Gascon, Provençal-Bourguignon, and other old provincial, or patois, dialects, though not numerous, are still not very inconsiderable; but confining myself to those of Gascony, including Languedoc, I may name the "Poesias Gasconas de Pey de Garros," (Tolosa, 1567, 4to.) "Los Obros de P. Goudelin," with other poets, (Amsterdam, 1700, 8vo.)-now before me-"Lou Gentilhomme Gascoun de G. Ader, (Toloso, 1615, 8vo.) and "Les Ouvres d'Amand Daubasse, printed at Villeneuve d'Agen, in 1796, 8vo. This last, a native of Moissac, near Montauban, from the poverty of his family, was wholly destitute of education, and could only dictate his compositions, which are much like those of Jasmin; nor were their trades very different, (both being" chevaliers du peigne," or knights of the comb, as they are called,) for Daubasse was a combmaker. He addressed a poetic epistle to the Duke of Berwick, when Governor of Gascony, which procured him that eminent nobleman's patronage, and he equally enjoyed that of the Duke of Biron. In fact, he was a special favorite with persons of the highest rank, not only in his native province, but in Paris, where he passed some short time, as lately did Jasmin, and with a similarly gratifying effect. He died in 1720, when aged about sixty. "Les Noëls Bourguignons" of La Monnoie, (the continuator of the Ménagiana,) published, with other poetry of his, in the local dialect, at Châtillon, (1817, 12mo.) are of a higher literary character, but far more objectionable in a moral or religious view. Those of Jasmin and Daubasse, with several more of the lower, or poorer class, resemble pretty much the homely efforts of our Taylor, the Waterpoet, or those of the French carpenter, Adam Billaut. To draw any comparison between them and Burnes, would be to assimilate Bavius, or Mævius to Virgil. Jasmin had a liberal pension granted to him, and has continued his publications, with undiminished success. VOL. II. 20 |