MEMOIRS OF MISTRAL BOOKS BY CONSTANCE E. MAUD AN ENGLISH GIRL IN PARIS Tenth Thousand, 6s. MY FRENCH FRIENDS. 6s. THE RISING GENERATION. 6s. FELICITY IN FRANCE. Fourth Edition, 6s. WAGNER’S HEROES. Illustrated by H. G. FELL. Sixth Impression, 5s. WAGNER’S HEROINES. Illustrated by W. T. MAUD. Third Impression, 5s. [Illustration: Portrait, 1907] MEMOIRS OF MISTRAL RENDERED INTO ENGLISH BY CONSTANCE ELISABETH MAUD Ich singe wie der Vogel singt Der in den Zweigen wohnet Das Lied, das aus der Kehle dringt Ist Lohn, der reichlich lohnet. GOETHE. LYRICS FROM THE PROVENÇAL BY ALMA STRETTELL (MRS. LAWRENCE HARRISON) _ILLUSTRATED_ LONDON EDWARD ARNOLD 1907 [_All rights reserved_] TO MY FRIEND THÉRÈSE ROUMANILLE (MADAME BOISSIÈRE) I DEDICATE THIS ENGLISH RENDERING OF MISTRAL’S MEMOIRS AND TALES, WHICH WITHOUT HER KINDLY ASSISTANCE I SHOULD NOT HAVE UNDERTAKEN, FOR TO HER I OWE ALL I KNOW OF THE LITERARY AND PATRIOTIC WORK OF THE FÉLIBRES AND OF THE REAL LIFE OF PROVENCE PREFACE It was one lovely day in early spring two years ago that, on the occasion of a visit to the great poet of Provence, I first heard of these Memories of his youth. Mistral had been for many years collecting and editing material for this volume, and was at the moment just completing a French translation from the Provençal original, which he laughingly assured us he was glad we had interrupted, since he found it _un travail brute_. The enthusiastic reception accorded to this French edition, not only in Paris but throughout the reading world of France, encourages me to think that perhaps in England, also, considering the increased interest caused by the _entente cordiale_ in all things concerning France, an English translation of this unique description of Provençal country life sixty years ago may be welcome; and in America too, where the name and life-work of Mistral have always been better known than in England.