The Sun.
London, England, 1836-01-11 00:00:00

FOUNDER OF THE ST. SIMONIANS.

(From Mr. Henry L. Bulwer's Monarchy of the Middle
Classes in Prance. Second Series. -
In 1825, perishing from hunger, in a garret, died this
extraordinary man, related to the famous Duke, whose
Memoirs we arc acquainted with—uncle to the Count de
St. Simon, late Minister in Sweden, and descended from
the Dukes de Vermandois, Peers of Charlemagne.
Mahomet could not boast of a life more full of action
and adventure.
In 1760, he entered at the age of seventeen, into the mi-
litary service, and served five campaigns in America, with
the rank of Colonel. " Descartes,' he says in his works,
" was a soldier before he was a philosopher :—he was brave
in the field, and daring in his studies."
This quotation he wished to be applied to himself. But
the Constitution of America struck him more forcibly than
the war which secured it. " I was not born," he remarks,
"to be a great captain, my mind was framed for a different
species of activity ;'' and though he so far retained the
habits of a camp, as to have been known throughout life
as.much for a duellist as a philanthropist, he soon gave up
the career of arms and devoted himself to—what he con-
ceived—the cause of perfection and civilization. '
The revolution of America struck him in the same man-
ner that it struck Paine :—as the commencement of an era
in which the energies and destinies of the human race were
to take a new developement ; and separating himself from
the subversive system of the revolution of 89, he directed all
his thoughts to the reconstruction of society, on a different
foundation from that which had been destroyed.
Nor did he proceed without a plan !
The thirty-four years prior to the publication of " Le
Nouveau Christianisrne" were thus divided :
Seven years he allowed to the acquisition of pecuniary
means---seven to the acquisition of metaphysical and scien-
tific knowledge—ten to a philosophical—ten to a political
renovation.
Pursuanf to this course, he entered in 1770 into a com-
mercial association with Count Redern, the gains of which
were immense ; and, separating himself from his colleague,
St. Simon commenced the second part of his project.
And now, in order to pursue his studies with greater ad-
vantage, he established himself successively opposite the
Ecole de Medecine and. the Ecole Polytechnique. His
house, his table, his purse, were prodigally open to every
professor, or experimentalist, in science.
" Money !" said he to a physician, " is money what you
want to prosecute your discovery ? Here is money ! " And
he was known to have given to different individuals as much
as 100,000 francs (4,0001.) at a time.
It is easy to imagine that no fortune could long resist
so princely a disposition ; and from the donor to science,
this benevolent, if mistaken man, soon became the petitioner
in its favour. It was then that the speculative philosopher,
whose abilities every one had hitherto acknowledged, sunk
into the charlatan, whose reveries every one despised.
This sudden turn of opinion, of which he was much too
artless to perceive the cause, persuaded St. Simon, for a
moment, that he had mi§taken both his calling and his
genius ; and with the energy of his character, he immedi-
ately discharged a pistol at his head ; which, though it
miserably lacerated him, did not put an end to his existence.
Shortly afterwards, " The New Christianity" was pub-
lished ; in which work, passing beyond his former theories,
and taking them as the bases of his assertion, he proclaimed
the impossibility of establishing any general system except
upon a " Sentiment of religion." e
The last days of this unhappy enthusiast were passed in
an honourable state of misery, which it is difficult not to
feel for, as one considers the disinterestedness of his
conduct.
" For a fortnight," says he, not long before his death,
" I have ate nothing but bread, and drank nothing but
water. lam writing in the depth of winter without a fire ;
and I have just sold my coat in order to pay for the copy
of my work. It is my passion for science and the public
weal—it is my burning and unquenchable desire to deliver
humanity, by some gentle process, from.the errors in which
it finds itself, that makes me support my distress with cou-
rage, and deprives me of any shame in acknowledging it."
I confess that, upon the memory of such a man, ridicu-
lous and erroneous as I deem his opinions, I pause with a
certain respect

COTTON.—We have had a steady Cotton Market
to-day, and the sales amount to 3,000 bags without any
change in prices.

DARING ROBBERY.—A man, having the appear-
ance of a respectable mechanic, called on Wednesday
last, about eleven o'clock, at Mr. Wray's residence, Ash-
ville House, Battersea-fields, and said he had been sent by
Mr. Bailey, of Oxford-street, at Mr. Wray's request, for
a bronze lamp of considerable value, with four Argand
burners, to repair; he called again in the afternoon, and
said he had been sent for the lantern which hung in the
hall. After they had been delivered to him, suspirvlo4
arose, and on sending to Mr. Wray's place of bu,i4:00,.s on
Holborn-hill, the felony was discovered, ,