hat 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 Draguignan_, _The Flower of Bagnolet_
and _The Liberty of Chateauneuf_. The unfortunate part was that among
the different societies, instead of the union that ought to have
reigned, there were rivalries, quarrels, fights, and sometimes all this
led to serious skirmishes; Agricol Perdiguier undertook to preach to
the different societies peace and tolerance. He went about travelling
through France with this object in view. His second expedition was-at
George Sand's expense.

A fresh edition of his book contained the letters of approval addressed
to him by those who approved his campaign. Among these signatures
are the following: Nantais-Pret-a-bien-faire, Bourgignonla-Felicite,
Decide-le-Briard. All this is a curious history of the syndicates of th