Nevertheless, the people of Nerac continued to be proud of their old monarch.
The bronze statue of Henry IV.

was unveiled in 1829.

On one side of the marble pedestal supporting the statue were the words "Alumno, mox patri nostro, Henrico quarto," and on the reverse side was a verse in the Gascon dialect: "Brabes Gascons! A moun amou per bous aou dibes creyre; Benes! Benes! ey plaze de bous beyre! Approucha-bous!" The words were assumed to be those of; Henry IV., and may be thus translated into English: "Brave Gascons! You may well trust my love for you; Come! come! I leave to you my glory! Come near! Approach!"{1} It is necessary to explain how the verse in Gascon came to be engraved on the pedestal of the statue.

The Society of Agriculture, Sciences, and Arts, of Agen, offered a prize of 300 francs for the best Ode to the memory of Henry the Great.

Many poems were accordingly sent in to the Society; and, after some consideration, it was thought that the prize should be awarded to M.Jude Patissie.