192 TRANSACTIONS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. [VOL. II. 



the old troiiveurs. His lays are not numerous, he is a young man yet, 

 it would perhaps be as impossible as impolitic to attempt too much of an 

 archaic kind. But tor what he has done he commands our esteem and 

 thanks. His longest poem is entitled Mireio, and opens thus: — 



Across the Crau, to the sea, through the Cante uno chato de ProuvenQo, 



wheat, Dins hs amour de sa jouvenfo, 



Whither love may lead or drive her agile A traves de la Crau, vers la mar, dins la 



feet bla, 



I will follow a Provencal maiden sweet. Umble escoulan dou grand Ouniero 



As her folks were only farmers, at the I en la vole sequi. Coume fero 



plough, Ren qu'uno chato de la terro, 



Her tale has not been told far from the En fero de la Crau se n"es gaire parla. 



Crau 

 And I follow Homer humbly, I avow. 



The story is exquisitely simple. Mireio, the only daughter of a rich and 

 thrifty farmer, becomes attached to Vincent, the son of an old sailor who 

 lives by making osier baskets. Love at first sight it was. Suitor after 

 suitor for the hand of the rustic heiress appears, only to be refused — and 

 according to the occupation of each, occasion is taken to describe the 

 gathering of mulberry leaves, the mixture and habits of silk-worms, the 

 herding of the local breeds of cattle, the horse- ranching industry, the 

 care of the flocks which migrate from the mountains to the great plains 

 of the Rhone in winter and back in summer time. Even the life of 

 the fishermen on the lagoons and on the inland sea of Provence 

 is described in verses which remind one much of the Virgilian Georgics. 

 The girl's parents at last discover the cause of her refusing eligible 

 partis^ and forbid her seeing or meeting her true love again. Mean- 

 while this youth's mind is much disturbed ; he knows he is poor, 

 but he is strong and active ; he leads in the local races ; he beats 

 in fair fight upon a lone hillside a young giant who was angered because 

 Mireio had refused him, though when the giant is allowed to rise he 

 treacherously stabs the youngster with an ox-goad and leaves him for 

 dead, when passers by carry him to Mireio s farm, and thus and there 

 the secret of their love is shewn. Finally he persuades his father, 

 as the only way to preserve his health and life, to call upon Mireio s 

 parents, tendering his life's devotion, and double service on the farm. 

 The interview between the two old gentlemen is beautifully told, and 

 when finally the rich farmer taunts the basket-maker with his poverty, 

 the latter indignantly derides mere wealth, and well describes his services 

 to France. Now Mireio had been told by her lover that in the last 

 extremity, she should at the shrine of the Three Maries invoke their aid. 

 The little church is miles away, but, driven to desperation by her parent's 



