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〃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 meeting of the five academies on Thursday； May 2； 1839； 〃has paid especial attention to manuscripts No。 1 and No。 4。 Still； it does not feel able to grant the prize to either of these works； because they do not appear to be sufficiently elaborated。 The committee； which finds in No。 4 some ingenious analyses； particularly in regard to the mechanism of the Hebrew language； regrets that the author has resorted to hazardous conjectures； and has sometimes forgotten the special recommendation of the committee to pursue the experimental and comparative method。〃
Proudhon remembered this。 He attended the lectures of Eugene Burnouf； and； as soon as he became acquainted with the labors and discoveries of Bopp and his successors； he definitively abandoned an hypothesis which had been condemned by the Academy of Inscriptions and Belles…lettres。 He then sold； for the value of the paper； the remaining copies of the 〃Essay〃 published by him in 1837。 In 1850； they were still lying in a grocer's back…shop。
A neighboring publisher then placed the edition on the market； with the attractive name of Proudhon upon it。 A lawsuit ensued； in which the author was beaten。 His enemies； and at that time there were many of them； would have been glad to have proved him a renegade and a recanter。 Proudhon； in his work on 〃Justice；〃 gives some interesting details of this lawsuit。
In possession of the Suard pension； Proudhon took part in the contest proposed by the Academy of Besancon on the question of the utility of the celebration of Sunday。 His memoir obtained honorable mention； together with a medal which was awarded him； in open session； on the 24th of August； 1839。 The reporter of the committee； the Abbe Doney； since made Bishop of Montauban； called attention to the unquestionable superiority of his talent。
〃But；〃 says Sainte Beuve； 〃he reproached him with having adopted dangerous theories； and with having touched upon questions of practical politics and social organization； where upright intentions and zeal for the public welfare cannot justify rash solutions。〃
Was it policy； we mean prudence； which induced Proudhon to screen his ideas of equality behind the Mosaic law？ Sainte Beuve； like many others； seems to think so。 But we remember perfectly well that； having asked Proudhon； in August； 1848； if he did not consider himself indebted in some respects to his fellow… countryman； Charles Fourier； we received from him the following reply： 〃I have certainly read Fourier； and have spoken of him more than once in my works； but； upon the whole； I do not think that I owe anything to him。 My real masters； those who have caused fertile ideas to spring up in my mind； are three in number： first； the Bible； next； Adam Smith； and last； Hegel。
Freely confessed in the 〃Celebration of Sunday；〃 the influence of the Bible on Proudhon is no less manifest in his first memoir on property。 Proudhon undoubtedly brought to this work many ideas of his own； but is not the very foundation of ancient Jewish law to be found in its condemnation of usurious interest and its denial of the right of personal appropriation of land？
The first memoir on property appeared in 1840； under the title； 〃What is Property？ or an Inquiry into the Principle of Right and of Government。〃 Proudhon dedicated it； in a letter which served as the preface； to the Academy of Besancon。 The latter； finding itself brought to trial by its pensioner； took the affair to heart； and evoked it； says Sainte Beuve； with all possible haste。
The pension narrowly escaped being immediately withdrawn from the bold defender of the principle of equality of conditions。 M。 Vivien； then Minister of Justice； who was earnestly solicited to prosecute the author； wished first to obtain the opinion of the economist； Blanqui； a member of the Academy of Moral and Political Sciences。 Proudhon having presented to this academy a copy of his book； M。 Blanqui was appointed to review it。 This review； though it opposed Proudhon's views； shielded him。 Treated as a savant by M。 Blanqui； the author was not prosecuted。 He was always grateful to MM。 Blanqui and Vivien for their handsome conduct in the matter。
M。 Blanqui's review； which was partially reproduced by 〃Le Moniteur；〃 on the 7th of September； 1840； naturally led Proudhon to address to him； in the form of a letter； his second memoir on property； which appeared in April； 1841。 Proudhon had endeavored； in his first memoir； to demonstrate that the pursuit of equality of conditions is the true principle of right and of government。 In the 〃Letter to M。 Blanqui；〃 he passes in review the numerous and varied methods by which this principle gradually becomes realized in all societies； especially in modern society。
In 1842； a third memoir appeared； entitled； 〃A Notice to Proprietors； or a Letter to M。 Victor Considerant； Editor of ‘La Phalange；' in Reply to a Defence of Property。〃 Here the influence of Adam Smith manifested itself； and was frankly admitted。 Did not Adam Smith find； in the princi