Among the collections of lyrics of love and patriotism by Mistral the earlier volume in 1875, entitled _Les Isles d’Or_, contained songs in many moods. Lamartine listened to recital of these and other verses “in the sweet nervous idiom of Provence, which combines the Latin pronunciation with the grace of Attica and the serenity of Tuscany.” He adds, “The verses of Mistral were liquid and melodious, they pleased without intoxicating me.”[20] The later collection, issued in 1912, was entitled _Les Olivades_. Mistral thus explained the title: “The days that grow chill and the swelling seas--all things tell me that the winter of my life has come, and that I must without delay gather _my_ olives and offer the virgin-oil on the altar of God.” At this time the poet was eighty-two years old. He had written an autobiography, _Mes origines_, with reminiscences of his youth, which was translated as _Memoirs of Mistral_ by Constance Elisabeth Maud; the lyrics of Provence were rendered into English here by Alma Strettell (Mrs. Lawrence Harrison). Few writers have had more intensive love of country than Mistral. He refused the offer of a chair in the French Academy because it would necessitate leaving Provence; he was given prizes by the Academy and badges of the Legion. Late in mature years he married a beautiful young woman of Arlesian family; she has been crowned Queen of the Félibres, in a yearly festival of contests and songs. Towards the close of the nineteenth century Mistral began collecting specimens of Provençal flowers, rocks, and archeological relics for a museum at Arles; he called this his “last poem.” In a typical _mas_, or farmstead, he placed these collections and equipment of varied kinds, showing the customs of the land. He represented, also, certain feasts and traditions by wax figures. Among others, here is the Arlesian legend of the feast of Noël and the visit of three women to a mother and her first-born; one brings a match that the child’s body may be straight, another brings an egg, that his life may be full, and a third brings salt, symbol of wisdom.[21] A large part of the Nobel prize money was used by Mistral for the housing and equipment of this Museum.