le　will　renounce　their　errors　of　their　own　accord。　Are　not　losses　the　result　of　economical　errors　of　every　kind？　And　is　it　not；　therefore；　to　every　one's　interest　to　rectify　them　in　the　long　run？
  〃Luckily　I　found　a　tabula　rasa　in　this　district。　They　have　followed　my　advice；　and　the　land　is　well　cultivated；　but　there　had　been　no　previous　errors　in　agriculture；　and　the　soil　was　good　to　begin　with；　so　that　it　has　been　easy　to　introduce　the　five…ply　shift；　artificial　grasses；　and　potatoes。　My　methods　did　not　clash　with　people's　prejudices。　The　faultily　constructed　plowshares　in　use　in　some　parts　of　France　were　unknown　here；　the　hoe　sufficed　for　the　little　field　work　that　they　did。　Our　wheelwright　extolled　my　wheeled　plows　because　he　wished　to　increase　his　own　business；　so　I　secured　an　ally　in　him；　but　in　this　matter；　as　in　all　others；　I　sought　to　make　the　good　of　one　conduce　to　the　good　of　all。
  〃Then　I　turned　my　attention　to　another　kind　of　production；　that　should　increase　the　welfare　rather　than　the　wealth　of　these　poor　folk。　I　have　brought　nothing　from　without　into　this　district；　I　have　simply　encouraged　the　people　to　seek　beyond　its　limits　for　a　market　for　their　produce；　a　measure　that　could　not　but　increase　their　prosperity　in　a　way　that　they　felt　immediately。　They　had　no　idea　of　the　fact；　but　they　themselves　were　my　apostles；　and　their　works　preached　my　doctrines。　Something　else　must　also　be　borne　in　mind。　We　are　barely　five　leagues　from　Grenoble。　There　is　plenty　of　demand　in　a　large　city　for　produce　of　all　kinds；　but　not　every　commune　is　situated　at　the　gates　of　a　city。　In　every　similar　undertaking　the　nature；　situation；　and　resources　of　the　country　must　be　taken　into　consideration；　and　a　careful　study　must　be　made　of　the　soil；　of　the　people　themselves；　and　of　many　other　things；　and　no　one　should　expect　to　have　vines　grow　in　Normandy。　So　no　tasks　can　be　more　various　than　those　of　government；　and　its　general　principles　must　be　few　in　number。　The　law　is　uniform；　but　not　so　the　land　and　the　minds　and　customs　of　those　who　dwell　in　it；　and　the　administration　of　the　law　is　the　art　of　carrying　it　out　in　such　a　manner　that　no　injury　is　done　to　people's　interests。　Every　place　must　be　considered　separately。
  〃On　the　other　side　of　the　mountain　at　the　foot　of　which　our　deserted　village　lies；　they　find　it　impossible　to　use　wheeled　plows；　because　the　soil　is　not　deep　enough。　Now　if　the　mayor　of　the　commune　were　to　take　it　into　his　head　to　follow　in　our　footsteps；　he　would　be　the　ruin　of　his　neighborhood。　I　advised　him　to　plant　vineyards；　they　had　a　capital　vintage　last　year　in　the　little　district；　and　their　wine　is　exchanged　for　our　corn。
  〃Then；　lastly；　it　must　be　remembered　that　my　words　carried　a　certain　weight　with　the　people　to　whom　I　preached；　and　that　we　were　continually　brought　into　close　contact。　I　cured　my　peasants'　complaints；　an　easy　task；　for　a　nourishing　diet　is；　as　a　rule；　all　that　is　needed　to　restore　them　to　health　and　strength。　Either　through　thrift；　or　through　sheer　poverty；　the　country　people　starve　themselves；　any　illness　among　them　is　caused　in　this　way；　and　as　a　rule　they　enjoy　very　fair　health。
  〃When　I　first　decided　to　devote　myself　to　this　life　of　obscure　renunciation；　I　was　in　doubt　for　a　long　while　whether　to　become　a　cure；　a　country　doctor；　or　a　justice　of　the　peace。　It　is　not　without　reason　that　people　speak　collectively　of　the　priest；　the　lawyer；　and　the　doctor　as　'men　of　the　black　robe'so　the　saying　goes。　They　represent　the　three　principal　elements　necessary　to　the　existence　of　societyconscience；　property；　and　health。　At　one　time　the　first；　and　at　a　later　period　the　second；　was　all…important　in　the　State。　Our　predecessors　on　this　earth　thought；　perhaps　not　without　reason；　that　the　priest；　who　prescribed　what　men　should　think；　ought　to　be　paramount；　so　the　priest　was　king；　pontiff；　and　judge　in　one；　for　in　those　days　belief　and　faith　were　everything。　All　this　has　been　changed　in　our　day；　and　we　must　even　take　our　epoch　as　we　find　it。　But　I；　for　one；　believe　that　the　progress　of　civilization　and　the　welfare　of　the　people　depend　on　these　three　men。　They　are　the　three　powers　who　bring　home　to　the　people's　minds　the　ways　in　which　facts；　interests；　and　principles　affect　them。　They　themselves　are　three　great　results　produced　in　the　midst　of　the　nation　by　the　operation　of　events；　by　the　ownership　of　property；　and　by　the　growth　of　ideas。　Time　goes　on　and　brings　changes　to　pass；　property　increases　or　diminishes　in　men's　hands；　all　the　various　readjustments　have　to　be　duly　regulated；　and　in　this　way　principles　of　social　order　are　established。　If　civilization　is　to　spread　itself；　and　production　is　to　be　increased；　the　people　must　be　made　to　understand　the　way　in　which　the　interests　of　the　individual　harmonize　with　national　interests　which　resolve　themselves　into　facts；　interests；　and　principles。　As　these　three　professions　are　bound　to　deal　with　these　issues　of　human　life；　it　seemed　to　me　that　they　must　be　the　most　powerful　civilizing　agencies　of　our　time。　They　alone　afford　to　a　man　of　wealth　the　opportunity　of　mitigating　the　fate　of　the　poor；　with　whom　they　daily　bring　him　in　contact。
  〃The　peasant　is　always　more　willing　to　listen　to　the　man　who　lays　down　rules　for　saving　him　from　bodily　ills　than　to　the　priest　who　exhorts　him　to　save　his　soul。　The　first　speaker　can　talk　of　this　earth；　the　scene　of　the　peasant's　labors；　while　the　priest　is　bound　to　talk　to　him　of　heaven；　with　which；　unfortunately；　the　peasant　nowadays　concerns　himself　very　little　indeed；　I　say　unfortunately；　because　the　doctrine　of　a　future　life　is　not　only　a　consolation；　but　a　means　by　which　men　may　be　governed。　Is　not　religion　the　one　power　that　sanctions　social　laws？　We　have　but　lately　vindicated　the　existence　of　God。　In　the　absence　of　a　religion；　the　Government　was　driven　to　invent　the　Terror；　in　order　to　carry　its　laws　into　effect；　but　the　terror　was　the　fear　of　man；　and　it　has　passed　away。
  〃When　a　peasant　is　ill；　when　he　is　forced　to　lie　on　his　pallet；　and　while　he　is　recovering；　he　cannot　help　himself；　he　is　forced　to　listen　to　logical　reasoning；　which　he　can　understand　quite　well　if　it　is　put　clearly　before　him。　This　thought　made　a　doctor　of　me。　My　calculations　for　the　peasants　were　made　along　with　them。　I　never　gave　advice　unless　I　was　quite　sure　of　the　results；　and　in　this　way　compelled　them　to　admit　the　wisdom　of　my　views。　The　people　require　infallibility。　Infallibility　was　the　making　of　Napoleon；　he　would　have　been　a　god　if　he　had　not　filled　the　world　with　the　sound　of　his　fall　at　Waterloo。　If　Mahomet　founded　a　permanent　religion　after　conquering　the　third　part　of　the　globe；　it　was　by　dint　of　concealing　his　deathbed　from　the　crowd。　The　same　rules　hold　good　for　the　great　conqueror　and　for　the　provincial　mayor；　and　a　nation　or　a　commune　is　much　the　same　sort　of　crowd；　indeed；　the　great　multitude　of　mankind　is　the　same　everywhere。
  〃I　have　been　exceedingly　firm　with　those　whom　I　have　helped　with　money；　if　I　had　not　been　inflexible　on　this　point；　they　all　would　have　laughed　at　me。　Peasants；　no　less　than　worldlings；　end　by　despising　the　man　that　they　can　deceive。　He　has　been　cheated？　Clearly；　then；　he　must　have　been　weak；　and　it　is　might　alone　that　governs　the　world。　I　have　never　charged　a　penny　for　my　professional　advice；　except　to　those　who　were　evidently　rich　people；　but　I　have　not　allowed　the　value　of　my　services　to　be　overlooked　at　all；　and　I　always　make　them　pay　for　medicine　unless　the　patient　is　exceedingly　poor。　If　my　peasants　do　not　pay　me　in　money；　they　are　quite　aware　that　they　are　in　my　debt；　sometimes　they　satisfy　their　consciences　by　bringing　oats　for　my　horses；　or　corn；　when　it　is　cheap。　But　if　the　miller　were　to　send　me　some　eels　as　a　return　for　my　advice；　I　should　tell　him　that　he　is　too　generous　for　such　a　small　matter。　My　politeness　bears　fruit。　In　the　winter　I　shall　have　some　sacks　of　flour　for　the　poor。　Ah！　sir；　they　have　kind　hearts；　these　people；　if　one　does　not　slight　them；　and　to…　day　I　think　more　good　and　less　evil　of　them　than　I　did　formerly。〃
  〃What　a　deal　of　trouble　you　have　taken！〃　said　Genestas。
  〃Not　at　all；〃　answered　Benassis。　〃It　was　no　more　trouble　to　say　something　useful　than　to　chatter　about　trifles；　and　whether　I　chatted　or　joked；　the　talk　always　turned　on　them　and　their　concerns　wherever　I　went。　They　would　not　listen　to　me　at　first。　I　had　to　overcome　their　dislikes；　I　belonged　to　the　middle　classesthat　is　to　say；　I　was　a　natural　enemy。　I　found　the　struggle　amusing。　An　easy　or　an　uneasy　consciencethat　is　all　the　difference　that　lies　between　doing　well　or　ill；　the　trouble　is　the　same　in　either　case。　If　scoundrels　would　but　behave　themselves　properly；　they　might　be　millionaires　instead　of　being　hanged。　That　is　all。〃
  〃The　dinner　is　growing　cold；　sir！〃　cried　Jacquotte；　in　the　doorway。
  Genestas　caught　the　doctor's　arm。
  〃I　have　only　one　comment　to　offer　on　what　I　have　just　heard；〃　he　remarked。　〃I　am　not　acquainted　with　any　account　of　the　wars　of　Mahomet；　so　that　I　can　form　no　opinions　as　to　his　military　talents；　but　if　you　had　only　watched　the　Emperor's　tactics　during　the　campaign　in　France；　you　might　well　have　taken　him　for　a　god；　and　if　he　was　beaten　on　the　field　of　Waterloo；　it　was　because　h