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　know　of　no　one　to　whom　he　can　be　more　fitly　compared　in　this　respect　than　George　Sand；　whose　correspondence　is　large；　and　at　the　same　time　full　of　sincerity。　　His　role　and　his　nature　correspond。　　If　he　is　writing　to　a　young　man　who　unbosoms　himself　to　him　in　sceptical　anxiety；　to　a　young　woman　who　asks　him　to　decide　delicate　questions　of　conduct　for　her；　his　letter　takes　the　form　of　a　short　moral　essay；　of　a　father…confessor's　advice。　　Has　he　perchance　attended　the　theatre　（a　rare　thing　for　him）　to　witness　one　of　Ponsart's　comedies；　or　a　drama　of　Charles　Edmond's；　he　feels　bound　to　give　an　account　of　his　impressions　to　the　friend　to　whom　he　is　indebted　for　this　pleasure；　and　his　letter　becomes　a　literary　and　philosophical　criticism；　full　of　sense；　and　like　no　other。　　His　familiarity　is　suited　to　his　correspondent；　he　affects　no　rudeness。　　The　terms　of　civility　or　affection　which　he　employs　towards　his　correspondents　are　sober；　measured；　appropriate　to　each；　and　honest　in　their　simplicity　and　cordiality。　　When　he　speaks　of　morals　and　the　family；　he　seems　at　times　like　the　patriarchs　of　the　Bible。　　His　command　of　language　is　complete；　and　he　never　fails　to　avail　himself　of　it。　　Now　and　then　a　coarse　word；　a　few　personalities；　too　bitter　and　quite　unjust　or　injurious；　will　have　to　be　suppressed　in　printing；　time；　however；　as　it　passes　away；　permits　many　things　and　renders　them　inoffensive。　　Am　I　right　in　saying　that　Proudhon's　correspondence；　always　substantial；　will　one　day　be　the　most　accessible　and　attractive　portion　of　his　works？〃


Almost　the　whole　of　Proudhon's　real　biography　is　included　in　his　correspondence。　　Up　to　1837；　the　date　of　the　first　letter　which　we　have　been　able　to　collect；　his　life；　narrated　by　Sainte　Beuve；　from　whom　we　make　numerous　extracts；　may　be　summed　up　in　a　few　pages。

Pierre　Joseph　Proudhon　was　born　on　the　15th　of　January；　1809；　in　a　suburb　of　Besancon；　called　Mouillere。　　His　father　and　mother　were　employed　in　the　great　brewery　belonging　to　M。　Renaud。　　His　father；　though　a　cousin　of　the　jurist　Proudhon；　the　celebrated　professor　in　the　faculty　of　Dijon；　was　a　journeyman　brewer。　　His　mother；　a　genuine　peasant；　was　a　common　servant。　　She　was　an　orderly　person　of　great　good　sense；　and；　as　they　who　knew　her　say；　a　superior　woman　of　HEROIC　character；to　use　the　expression　of　the　venerable　M。　Weiss；　the　librarian　at　Besancon。　　She　it　was　especially　that　Proudhon　resembled：　she　and　his　grandfather　Tournesi；　the　soldier　peasant　of　whom　his　mother　told　him；　and　whose　courageous　deeds　he　has　described　in　his　work　on　〃Justice。〃　　Proudhon；　who　always　felt　a　great　veneration　for　his　mother　Catharine；　gave　her　name　to　the　elder　of　his　daughters。　　In　1814；　when　Besancon　was　blockaded；　Mouillere；　which　stood　in　front　of　the　walls　of　the　town；　was　destroyed　in　the　defence　of　the　place；　and　Proudhon's　father　established　a　cooper's　shop　in　a　suburb　of　Battant；　called　Vignerons。　　Very　honest；　but　simple…minded　and　short…sighted；　this　cooper；　the　father　of　five　children；　of　whom　Pierre　Joseph　was　the　eldest；　passed　his　life　in　poverty。　　At　eight　years　of　age；　Proudhon　either　made　himself　useful　in　the　house；　or　tended　the　cattle　out　of　doors。　　No　one　should　fail　to　read　that　beautiful　and　precious　page　of　his　work　on　〃Justice；〃　in　which　he　describes　the　rural　sports　which　he　enjoyed　when　a　neatherd。　　At　the　age　of　twelve；　he　was　a　cellar…　boy　in　an　inn。　　This；　however；　did　not　prevent　him　from　studying。

His　mother　was　greatly　aided　by　M。　Renaud；　the　former　owner　of　the　brewery；　who　had　at　that　time　retired　from　business；　and　was　engaged　in　the　education　of　his　children。

Proudhon　entered　school　as　a　day…scholar　in　the　sixth　class。　　He　was　necessarily　irregular　in　his　attendance；　domestic　cares　and　restraints　sometimes　kept　him　from　his　classes。　　He　succeeded　nevertheless　in　his　studies；　he　showed　great　perseverance。　　His　family　were　so　poor　that　they　could　not　afford　to　furnish　him　with　books；　he　was　obliged　to　borrow　them　from　his　comrades；　and　copy　the　text　of　his　lessons。　　He　has　himself　told　us　that　he　was　obliged　to　leave　his　wooden　shoes　outside　the　door；　that　he　might　not　disturb　the　classes　with　his　noise；　and　that；　having　no　hat；　he　went　to　school　bareheaded。　　One　day；　towards　the　close　of　his　studies；　on　returning　from　the　distribution　of　the　prizes；　loaded　with　crowns；　he　found　nothing　to　eat　in　the　house。


〃In　his　eagerness　for　labor　and　his　thirst　for　knowledge；　Proudhon；〃　says　Sainte　Beuve；　〃was　not　content　with　the　instruction　of　his　teachers。　　From　his　twelfth　to　his　fourteenth　year；　he　was　a　constant　frequenter　of　the　town　library。　　One　curiosity　led　to　another；　and　he　called　for　book　after　book；　sometimes　eight　or　ten　at　one　sitting。　　The　learned　librarian；　the　friend　and　almost　the　brother　of　Charles　Nodier；　M。　Weiss；　approached　him　one　day；　and　said；　smiling；　‘But；　my　little　friend；　what　do　you　wish　to　do　with　all　these　books？'　　The　child　raised　his　head；　eyed　his　questioner；　and　replied：　　‘What's　that　to　you？'　　And　the　good　M。　Weiss　remembers　it　to　this　day。〃


Forced　to　earn　his　living；　Proudhon　could　not　continue　his　studies。　　He　entered　a　printing…office　in　Besancon　as　a　proof…　reader。　　Becoming；　soon　after；　a　compositor；　he　made　a　tour　of　France　in　this　capacity。　　At　Toulon；　where　he　found　himself　without　money　and　without　work；　he　had　a　scene　with　the　mayor；　which　he　describes　in　his　work　on　〃Justice。〃

Sainte　Beuve　says　that；　after　his　tour　of　France；　his　service　book　being　filled　with　good　certificates；　Proudhon　was　promoted　to　the　position　of　foreman。　　But　he　does　not　tell　us；　for　the　reason　that　he　had　no　knowledge　of　a　letter　written　by　Fallot；　of　which　we　never　heard　until　six　months　since；　that　the　printer　at　that　time　contemplated　quitting　his　trade　in　order　to　become　a　teacher。

Towards　1829；　Fallot；　who　was　a　little　older　than　Proudhon；　and　who；　after　having　obtained　the　Suard　pension　in　1832；　died　in　his　twenty…ninth　year；　while　filling　the　position　of　assistant　librarian　at　the　Institute；　was　charged；　Protestant　though　he　was；　with　the　revisal　of　a　〃Life　of　the　Saints；〃　which　was　published　at　Besancon。　　The　book　was　in　Latin；　and　Fallot　added　some　notes　which　also　were　in　Latin。


〃But；〃　says　Sainte　Beuve；　〃it　happened　that　some　errors　escaped　his　attention；　which　Proudhon；　then　proof…reader　in　the　printing　office；　did　not　fail　to　point　out　to　him。　　Surprised　at　finding　so　good　a　Latin　scholar　in　a　workshop；　he　desired　to　make　his　acquaintance；　and　soon　there　sprung　up　between　them　a　most　earnest　and　intimate　friendship：　a　friendship　of　the　intellect　and　of　the　heart。〃

Addressed　to　a　printer　between　twenty…two　and　twenty…　three　years　of　age；　and　predicting　in　formal　terms　his　future　fame；　Fallot's　letter　seems　to　us　so　interesting　that　we　do　not　hesitate　to　reproduce　it　entire。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃PARIS；　December　5；　1831。

〃MY　DEAR　PROUDHON；YOU　have　a　right　to　be　surprised　at；　and　even　dissatisfied　with；　my　long　delay　in　replying　to　your　kind　letter；　I　will　tell　you　the　cause　of　it。　　It　became　necessary　to　forward　an　account　of　your　ideas　to　M。　J。　de　Gray；　to　hear　his　objections；　to　reply　to　them；　and　to　await　his　definitive　response；　which　reached　me　but　a　short　time　ago；　for　M。　J。　is　a　sort　of　financial　king；　who　takes　no　pains　to　be　punctual　in　dealing　with　poor　devils　like　ourselves。　　I；　too；　am　careless　in　matters　of　business；　I　sometimes　push　my　negligence　even　to　disorder；　and　the　metaphysical　musings　which　continually　occupy　my　mind；　added　to　the　amusements　of　Paris；　render　me　the　most　incapable　man　in　the　world　for　conducting　a　negotiation　with　despatch。

〃I　have　M。　Jobard's　decision；　here　it　is：　　In　his　judgment；　you　are　too　learned　and　clever　for　his　children；　he　fears　that　you　could　not　accommodate　your　mind　and　character　to　the　childish　notions　common　to　their　age　and　station。　　In　short；　　he　is　what　the　world　calls　a　good　father；　that　is；　he　wants　to　spoil　his　children；　and；　in　order　to　do　this　easily；　he　thinks　fit　to　retain　his　present　instructor；　who　is　not　very　learned；　but　who　takes　part　in　their　games　and　joyous　sports　with　wonderful　facility；　who　points　out　the　letters　of　the　alphabet　to　the　little　girl；　who　takes　the　little　boys　to　mass；　and　who；　no　less　obliging　than　the　worthy　Abbe　P。　of　our　acquaintance；　would　readily　dance　for　Madame's　amusement。　　Such　a　profession　would　not　suit　you；　you　who　have　a　free；　proud；　and　manly　soul：　you　are　refused；　let　us　dismiss　the　matter　from　our　minds。　　Perhaps　another　time　my　solicitude　will　be　less　unfortunate。　　I　can　only　ask　your　pardon　for　having　thought　of　thus　disposing　of　you　almost　without　consulting　you。　　I　find　my　excuse　in　the　motives　which　guided　me；　I　had　in　view　your　well…being　and　advancement　in　the　ways　of　this　world。

〃I　see　in　your　letter；　my　comrade；　through　its　brilliant　witticisms　and　beneath　the　frank　and　artless　gayety　with　which　you　have　sprinkled　it；　a　tinge　of　sadness　and　despondency　which　pains　me。　　You　are　unhappy；　my　friend：　your　present　situation　does　not　suit　you；　you　cannot　remain　in　it；　it　was　not　made　for　you；　it　is　beneath　you；　you　ought；　by　all　means；　to　leave　it；　before　its　injurious　influence　begins　to　affect　your　faculties；　and　before　you　become　settl