Again thanking you, on behalf of both of us, Believe me Very faithfully yours, THEODORE ROOSEVELT. To M. Frédéric Mistral. The Nobel Prize has been devoted to the same patriotic cause as that to which the poet has invariably consecrated everything he possesses. In this instance the gift from Sweden has gone towards the purchase of an ancient palace in Arles, which in future will be the Félibréan Museum, the present hired building being far too small for the purpose. The object of the museum is to be for all times a record and storehouse of Provençal history, containing the weapons, costumes, agricultural implements, furniture, documents, &c., dating from the most ancient times up to the present day. The Memoirs, which Monsieur Mistral defines as “Mes Origines,” end with the publication of his _Mireille_ in the year 1859 at the age of twenty-eight. He adds as a supplement a chapter written some three years later, a souvenir of Alphonse Daudet (also among the prophets), which gives a picture of the way these youthful poet-patriots practised the Gai-Savoir in the spring-time and heyday of their lives. I have added also a short summary translated from the writings of Monsieur Paul Mariéton, which brings the history of Félibrige and its Capoulié up to the present date. CONSTANCE ELISABETH MAUD. CHELSEA, _June 1907_. CONTENTS CHAP. PAGE I. CHILDHOOD AT MAILLANE 1 II. MY FATHER 24 III. THE MAGI KINGS 32 IV. NATURE’S SCHOOL 45 V. AT ST. MICHEL DE FRIGOLET 61 VI. AT MONSIEUR MILLET’S SCHOOL 80 VII. THREE EARLY FÉLIBRES 104 VIII. HOW I TOOK MY DEGREE 120 IX. DAME RIQUELLE AND THE REPUBLIC OF 1848 131 X. MADEMOISELLE LOUISE 147 XI. THE RETURN TO THE FARM 165 XII. FONT-SÉGUGNE 185 XIII. “THE PROVENÇAL ALMANAC” 198 XIV. JOURNEY TO LES SAINTES-MARIES 235 XV. JEAN ROUSSIÈRE 250 XVI. “MIREILLE” 270 XVII. THE REVELS OF TRINQUETAILLE 286 APPENDIX 307 MISTRAL’S POEMS IN THE PROVENÇAL 324 ILLUSTRATIONS _To face page_