The Sun.
London, England, 1864-10-17 00:00:00

(ck "VOW 3V:erg*
in a heavy sea, is the only thing v7krttritOowliig,Cluor4,,-
the Admiralty and their chief adviser retolutely refit*"
examine. The excuse is so ludicrous that it eanAtily kakft
been invented as an afterthought. That it is publishe-dria
the Times newspaper, we probably owe to the misdirected
literary zeal of a well- known adviser of the Admiralty, who
does not scruple in person to descend masked into the
arena of anonymous controversy. It is that in July a list
of defects was sent up by Captain Osborn to Whitehall,
which have not yet been made good. A hawsepipe was
accidentally destroyed, it seems, by a casual shot ; this
much we know upon authority. The other defects are
not detailed, and on the legal principle that all things are
to be presumed against wrong-doers, we shall presume
that they are lighter and more trifling than the Admiralty
like to say. But what have the Admiralty been doing to
mend them ever since July ? Apparently nothing, and
unless their advocate gives us a list of what defects still
require immediate attention, we may fairly assume that the
awful catastrophe of the hawsepipe will have been sufficient
to send a British ship into dock for all the autumn and
winter months.

" THE READER" ON THE LAST OF TUE TROUBADOURS.

—Till within the last few days. at the entrance of the
Promenade du Gravier at Ager., on crossing the street,
ene object was sure to attract the eye of the passer by—
a bright blue flag, cl.stined hereafter to become more
celebrated than either of those banners which have re-
cently occupied Garter King-at-Arms and his assistant
heralds for two whole days in removing or fixing up at
Windsor. This blue flag was free from all coat armour,
and simply, within a border of gold, contained the words
" Jasmin, Coiffeur." To the readers of Longfellow tho
name has long been familiar as that of the famous Lan-
guedoc troubadour, The flag is now removed; the poet
barber died on the 6th inst., and another knight, not less
celebrated than those whom Garter represents, has passed
away, for the poets coiffeur was a knight of several orders,
wore the Cross of the Legion of Honour, the Order of Gre-
gory the Great (presented to him by Pius IX. for his devo-
tion to religion), and the Spanish Order of Isabella the
Catholic. Though up to the time of his death he followed
his lowly calling, tiv,Jottrual de Lot et Garonne appeared
with a mourning-beZder when announcing his death, for ift
life the poet was honoured by the great and good. A gold
watch-chain and seals, the gift of the citizen king Innis
Philippe, and an emerald ring from the late Duke of Orleans
were among the personal oinaneents worn by Aim. A
golden laurel crown from St Clemente TBaure, Toulouse,
and a golden goblet from /inch testified the esteem in
which he was held by his compatriots. His portfolio was
filled with compliments from ambassadors, great lords, and
poets ; and, through the good offices of the late Duchess of
Orleans, M. Salvandy, then Minister of the Interior, gave
him, in 1840, a pension of 1,000 francs. No wonder that
Jacques Jasmin was vain, Like the great Napoleon, he
summed up his pedigree in one word :—D'un pare bossu,
d'une mere boiteuse, naquit un enfant—at cet enfant etait
Moi I" He was the son of a poor tailor, and was born at
Agen in 1798. In 1825 he began his political career with
the poem "Me cal mouri." In 1835 appeared " Los Papa■
lotos," and in 1836 " L'Abuglo de Castel-Cuillee," the
story of a girl abandoned by her lover on her being struck
with blindness. This beautiful poem attracted universal
attention. Longfellow translated it, and it will be found in
his works with these introductory lines—
" Only the Lowland tongue of Scotland might
Rehearse this little tragedy aright;
Let me attempt it with an English quill,
And take, 0 reader, for the deed the will."
Indeed, Jasmin's verses bear a strong resemblance to Burns.
In 1840 he published " Frangonnedo." It was his favourite.
When travelling about, as was his wont, from town to
town of the South, reciting his poetry like a troubadour
of old, he once said, with great naviete, " True, true, I am
a troubadour ; but I am far above all others : they
were but bungling tyros, and never eent forth a poem like
my Frangonnette. " " Marthe la Folle" followei in 1544,
"Les Deux Freres Jumaux" in 1845, "La Scmain d'un
Fits" in 1849, and, close upon it, " Ma ti igne," in which he
confesses that he allowed the lads to steal his grapes, be-
cause, as a boy, he had often stolen fruit himself. It is said
that several unpublished poems are left behind him. Of
simple habits and a most kindly disposition, he was much
beloved; and on Saturday last, the day of his funeral,
which took place at Agen, the entire population turned out
to honour his remains. The funeral was a publics one, but
the mourning was sincere and general. During the solemn
service of the Church a deep impression was produced by
the organ playing the air of Jasmin's first poem, "Me cal
mouri" (I must die), before the last tones of Mozart's
" Miserere" had died away.