th had been to create a new form of misery； an envious； jealous form of misery； much more cruel than the former one； for it filled the heart with a ferment of hatred； a passion for destruction。
It was Pierre Leroux； also； who led George Sand on to Socialism。 She had been on the way to it by herself。 For a long time she had been raising an altar in her heart to that entity called the People； and she had been adorning it with all the virtues。 The future belonged to the people； the whole of the future； and first of all that of literature。
Poetry was getting a little worn out； but to restore its freshness there were the poets of the people。 Charles Poncy； of Toulon； a bricklayer； published a volume of poetry； in 1842； entitled _Marines_。 George Sand adopted him。 He was the demonstration of her theory； the example which illustrated her dream。 She congratulated him and encouraged him。 〃You are a great poet；〃 she said to him； and she thereupon speaks of him to all her friends。 〃Have you read Baruch？〃 she asks them。 〃Have you read Poncy； a poet bricklayer of twenty years of age？〃 She tells every one about his book； dwells on its beauties； and asks people to speak of it。
As a friend of George Sand； I have examined the poems by Poncy of which she specially speaks。 The first one is entitled _Meditation sur les toits_。 The poet has been obliged to stay on the roof to complete his work； and while there he meditates。
_〃Le travail me retient bien tard sur ces toitures_。 。 。 。〃
He then begins to wonder what he would see if； like Asmodee in the _Diable boiteux_； he could have the roof taken off； so that the various rooms could be exposed to view。 Alas！ he would not always find the concord of the Golden Age。
_Que de fois contemolant cet amas de maisons Quetreignent nos remparts couronnes de gazons； Et ces faubourgs naissants que la ville trop pleine Pour ses enfants nouveaux eleve dans la plaine。 Immobiles troufieaux ou notre clocher gris Semble un patre au milieu de ses blanches brebis； Jai pense que； malgre notre angoisse et nos peines； Sous ces toits paternels il existait des haines； Et que des murs plus forts que ces murs mitoyens Separent ici…bas les coeurs des citoyens。_
This was an appeal to concord； and all brothers of humanity were invited to rally to the watchword。
The intention was no doubt very good。 Then； too； _murs mitoyens_ was an extremely rich and unexpected rhyme for _citoyens_。 This was worthy indeed of a man of that party。
Another of the poems greatly admired by George Sand was _Le Forcat_。
_Regarder le forcat sur la poutre equarrie Poser son sein hale que le remords carie_。 。 。
Certainly if Banville were to lay claim to having invented rhymes that are puns； we could only say that he was a plagiarist after reading Charles Poncy。
In another poem addressed to the rich； entitled _L'hiver_； the poet notices with grief that the winter
。 。 。 _qui remplit les salons； les Wdtres； Remplit aussi la Morgue et les amphitheatres。_
He is afraid that the people will； in the end； lose their patience； and so he gives to the happy mortals on this earth the following counsel：
_Riches； a vos plaisirs faites participer L'homme que les malheurs s'acharnent a frapper Oh； faites travailler le pere de famille； Pour qu'il puisse arbiter la pudeur de sa fille； Pourqu'aux petits enfants maigris par les douleurs Il rapporte； le soir； le pain et non des pleurs； Afin que son epouse； au desespoir en proie； Se ranime a sa vue et l'embrasse avec joie； Afin qua l'Eternel； a l'heure de sa mort。 Vous n'offriez pas un coeur carie de remords_。
The expression certainly leaves much to be desired in these poems； but they are not lacking in eloquence。 We had already had something of this kind； though； written by a poet who was not a bricklayer。 He； too； had asked the rich the question following：
_Dans vos fetes d'hiver； riches； heureux du monde； Quand le bal tournoyant de ses feux vous inonde。 。 。 Songez…vous qu'il est la； sous le givre et la neige； Ce pere sans travail que la famine assiege？_
He advises them to practise charity； the sister of prayer。
_Donnez afin qu'un jour； a votre derniere heure；
Contre tous vos peches vous ayez la Priere
D'un mendiant puissant au ciel_。〃
We cannot； certainly； expect Poncy to be a Victor Hugo。 But as we had Victor Hugo's verses； of what use was it for them to be rewritten by Poncy？ My reason for quoting a few of the fine lines from _Feuilles d'automne_ is that I felt an urgent need of clearing away all these platitudes。 Poncy was not the only working…man poet。 Other trades produced their poets too。 The first poem in _Marines_ is addressed to Durand； a poet carpenter； who introduces himself as 〃_Enfant de la foret qui ceint Fontainebleau_。〃
This man handled the plane and the lyre； just as Poncy did the trowel and the lyre。
This poetry of the working…classes was to give its admirers plenty of disappointment。 George Sand advised Poncy to treat the things connected with his trade； in his poetry。 〃Do not try to put on other men's clothes； but let us see you in literature with the plaster on your hands which is natural to you and which interests us；〃 she said to him。
Proud of his success with the ladies of Paris； Poncy wanted to wash his hands； put on a coat； and go into society。 It was all in vain that George Sand beseeched Poncy to remain the poet of humanity。 She exposed to him the dogma of impersonality in such fine terms； that more than one _bourgeois_ poet might profit by what she said。
〃An individual；〃 she said； 〃who poses as a poet； as a pure artist； as a god like most of our great men do； whether they be _bourgeois_ or aristocrats； soon tires us with his personality。 。 。 。 Men are only interested in a man when that man is interested in humanity。〃
This was all of no use； though； for Poncy was most anxious to treat other subjects rather more lively andslightly libertine。 His literary godmother admonished him。
〃You are dedicating to _Juana l'Espagnole_ and to various other fantastical beauties verses that I do not approve。 Are you a _bourgeois_ poet or a poet of the people？ If the former； you can sing in honour of all the voluptuousness and all the sirens of the universe； without ever having known either。 You can sup with the most delicious houris or with all the street…walkers； in your poems； without ever leaving your fireside or having seen any greater beauty than the nose of your hall…porter。 These gentlemen write their poetry in this way； and their rhyming is none the worse for it。 But if you are a child of the people and the poet of the people； you ought not to leave the chaste breast of Desiree； in order to run about after dancing…girls and sing about their voluptuous arms。〃＇38＇
＇38＇ See the letters addressed to Charles Poncy in the _Correspondance。_
It is to be hoped that Poncy returned to the chaste Desiree。 But why should he not read to the young woman the works of Pierre Leroux？ We need a little gaiety in our life。 In George Sand's published _Correspondance_； we only have a few of her letters to Charles Poncy。 They are all in excellent taste。 There is an immense correspondence which M。 Rocheblave will publish later on。 This will be a treat for us； and it will no doubt prove that there was a depth of immense candour in the celebrated authoress。
It does not seem to me that the writings of the working…men poets have greatly enriched French literature。 Fortunately George Sand's sympathy with the people found its way into literature in another way； and this time in a singularly interesting way。 She did not get the books written by the people themselves； but she put the people into books。 This was the plan announced by George Sand in her preface to the _Compagnon du tour de France_。 There is an entirely fresh literature to create； she writes； 〃with the habits and customs of the people； as these are so little known by the other classes。〃 The _Compagnon du tour de France_ was the first attempt at this new literature of the people。 George Sand had obtained her documents for this book from a little work which had greatly struck her； entitled _Livre du compagnonnage_； written by Agricol Perdiguier； surnamed Avignonnais…la…Vertu； who was a _compagnon_ carpenter。 Agricol Perdiguier informs us that the _Compagnons_ were divided into three chief categories： the _Gavots_； the _Devorants_ and the _Drilles_； or the _Enfants de Salomon_； the _Enlants de Maitre Jacques_ and the _Enfants du_ _Pere Soubise_。 He then describes the rites of this order。 When two _Compagnons_ met； their watchword was 〃_Tope_。〃 After this they asked each other's trade； and then they went to drink a glass together。 If a _Compagnon_ who was generally respected left the town； the others gave him what was termed a 〃conduite en regle。〃 If it was thought that he did not deserve this； he had a 〃conduite de Grenoble。〃 Each _Compagnon_ had a surname； and among such surnames we find _The Prudence of Dragui