eave it； before its injurious influence begins to affect your faculties； and before you become settled； as they say； in the ways of your profession； were it possible that such a thing could ever happen； which I flatly deny。 You are unhappy； you have not yet entered upon the path which Nature has marked out for you。 But； faint…hearted soul； is that a cause for despondency？ Ought you to feel discouraged？ Struggle； morbleu； struggle persistently； and you will triumph。 J。 J。 Rousseau groped about for forty years before his genius was revealed to him。 You are not J。 J Rousseau； but listen： I know not whether I should have divined the author of 〃Emile〃 when he was twenty years of age； supposing that I had been his contemporary； and had enjoyed the honor of his acquaintance。 But I have known you； I have loved you； I have divined your future； if I may venture to say so； for the first time in my life； I am going to risk a prophecy。 Keep this letter； read it again fifteen or twenty years hence； perhaps twenty…five； and if at that time the prediction which I am about to make has not been fulfilled； burn it as a piece of folly out of charity and respect for my memory。 This is my prediction： you will be； Proudhon； in spite of yourself； inevitably； by the fact of your destiny； a writer； an author； you will be a philosopher； you will be one of the lights of the century； and your name will occupy a place in the annals of the nineteenth century； like those of Gassendi； Descartes； Malebranche； and Bacon in the seventeenth； and those of Diderot； Montesquieu； Helvetius。 Locke； Hume； and Holbach in the eighteenth。 Such will be your lot！ Do now what you will； set type in a printing…office； bring up children； bury yourself in deep seclusion； seek obscure and lonely villages； it is all one to me； you cannot escape your destiny； you cannot divest yourself of your noblest feature； that active； strong； and inquiring mind； with which you are endowed； your place in the world has been appointed； and it cannot remain empty。 Go where you please； I expect you in Paris； talking philosophy and the doctrines of Plato； you will have to come； whether you want to or not。 I； who say this to you； must feel very sure of it in order to be willing to put it upon paper； since； without reward for my prophetic skill；to which； I assure you； I make not the slightest claim；I run the risk of passing for a hare…brained fellow； in case I prove to be mistaken： he plays a bold game who risks his good sense upon his cards； in return for the very trifling and insignificant merit of having divined a young man's future。
〃When I say that I expect you in Paris； I use only a proverbial phrase which you must not allow to mislead you as to my projects and plans。 To reside in Paris is disagreeable to me； very much so； and when this fine…art fever which possesses me has left me； I shall abandon the place without regret to seek a more peaceful residence in a provincial town； provided always the town shall afford me the means of living； bread； a bed； books； rest； and solitude。 How I miss； my good Proudhon； that dark； obscure； smoky chamber in which I dwelt in Besancon； and where we spent so many pleasant hours in the discussion of philosophy！ Do you remember it？ But that is now far away。 Will that happy time ever return？ Shall we one day meet again？ Here my life is restless； uncertain； precarious； and； what is worse； indolent； illiterate； and vagrant。 I do no work； I live in idleness； I ramble about； I do not read； I no longer study； my books are forsaken； now and then I glance over a few metaphysical works； and after a days walk through dirty； filthy； crowded streets。 I lie down with empty head and tired body； to repeat the performance on the following day。 What is the object of these walks； you will ask。 I make visits； my friend； I hold interviews with stupid people。 Then a fit of curiosity seizes me； the least inquisitive of beings： there are museums； libraries； assemblies； churches； palaces； gardens； and theatres to visit。 I am fond of pictures； fond of music； fond of sculpture； all these are beautiful and good； but they cannot appease hunger； nor take the place of my pleasant readings of Bailly； Hume； and Tennemann； which I used to enjoy by my fireside when I was able to read。
〃But enough of complaints。 Do not allow this letter to affect you too much； and do not think that I give way to dejection or despondency； no； I am a fatalist； and I believe in my star。 I do not know yet what my calling is； nor for what branch of polite literature I am best fitted； I do not even know whether I am； or ever shall be； fitted for any： but what matters it？ I suffer； I labor； I dream； I enjoy； I think； and； in a word； when my last hour strikes； I shall have lived。
〃Proudhon； I love you； I esteem you； and； believe me； these are not mere phrases。 What interest could I have in flattering and praising a poor printer？ Are you rich； that you may pay for courtiers？ Have you a sumptuous table； a dashing wife； and gold to scatter； in order to attract them to your suite？ Have you the glory； honors； credit； which would render your acquaintance pleasing to their vanity and pride？ No； you are poor； obscure； abandoned； but； poor； obscure； and abandoned； you have a friend； and a friend who knows all the obligations which that word imposes upon honorable people； when they venture to assume it。 That friend is myself： put me to the test。 〃GUSTAVE FALLOT。〃
It appears from this letter that if； at this period； Proudhon had already exhibited to the eyes of a clairvoyant friend his genius for research and investigation； it was in the direction of philosophical； rather than of economical and social； questions。
Having become foreman in the house of Gauthier & Co。； who carried on a large printing establishment at Besancon； he corrected the proofs of ecclesiastical writers； the Fathers of the Church。 As they were printing a Bible； a Vulgate； he was led to compare the Latin with the original Hebrew。
〃In this way；〃 says Sainte Beuve； 〃he learned Hebrew by himself； and； as everything was connected in his mind； he was led to the study of comparative philology。 As the house of Gauthier published many works on Church history and theology； he came also to acquire； through this desire of his to investigate everything； an extensive knowledge of theology； which afterwards caused misinformed persons to think that he had been in an ecclesiastical seminary。〃
Towards 1836； Proudhon left the house of Gauthier； and； in company with an associate； established a small printing…office in Besancon。 His contribution to the partnership consisted； not so much in capital； as in his knowledge of the trade。 His partner committing suicide in 1838； Proudhon was obliged to wind up the business； an operation which he did not accomplish as quickly and as easily as he hoped。 He was then urged by his friends to enter the ranks of the competitors for the Suard pension。 This pension consisted of an income of fifteen hundred francs bequeathed to the Academy of Besancon by Madame Suard； the widow of the academician； to be given once in three years to the young man residing in the department of Doubs； a bachelor of letters or of science； and not possessing a fortune； whom the Academy of Besancon SHOULD DEEM BEST FITTED FOR A LITERARY OR SCIENTIFIC CAREER； OR FOR THE STUDY OF LAW OR OF MEDICINE。 The first to win the Suard pension was Gustave Fallot。 Mauvais； who was a distinguished astronomer in the Academy of Sciences； was the second。 Proudhon aspired to be the third。 To qualify himself； he had to be received as a bachelor of letters； and was obliged to write a letter to the Academy of Besancon。 In a phrase of this letter； the terms of which he had to modify； though he absolutely refused to change its spirit； Proudhon expressed his firm resolve to labor for the amelioration of the condition of his brothers； the working…men。
The only thing which he had then published was an 〃Essay on General Grammar；〃 which appeared without the author's signature。 While reprinting； at Besancon； the 〃Primitive Elements of Languages； Discovered by the Comparison of Hebrew roots with those of the Latin and French；〃 by the Abbe Bergier； Proudhon had enlarged the edition of his 〃Essay on General Grammar。〃
The date of the edition； 1837； proves that he did not at that time think of competing for the Suard pension。 In this work； which continued and completed that of the Abbe Bergier； Proudhon adopted the same point of view； that of Moses and of Biblical tradition。 Two years later； in February； 1839； being already in possession of the Suard pension； he addressed to the Institute； as a competitor for the Volney prize； a memoir entitled： 〃Studies in Grammatical Classification and the Derivation of some French words。〃 It was his first work； revised and presented in another form。 Four memoirs only were sent to the Institute； none of which gained the prize。 Two honorable mentions were granted； one of them to memoir No。 4； that is； to P。 J。 Proudhon； printer at Besancon。 The judges were MM。 Amedde Jaubert； Reinaud； and Burnouf。
〃The committee；〃 said the report presented at the annual m