*** start of the project gutenberg ebook 1417 *** sons of the soil by honore de balzac translated by katharine prescott wormeley dedication to monsieur p. s. b. gavault. jean-jacques rousseau wrote these words at the beginning of his nouvelle heloise: i have seen the morals of my time and i publish these letters. may i not say to you, in imitation of that great writer, i have studied the march of my epoch and i publish this work? the object of this pa...