SISMONDI, es-men'di (Fr. ses-m'en-de), Jean Charles Leonard Simonde de, Swiss his torian and political economist : b. Geneva, 9 May 1773; d. near there, 25 June 1842. He had scarcely completed a careful education at the College and the Auditoire of Geneva when the overthrow of the constitution of his native town obliged him to flee with his father to England. On his return, two years after, he was impris oned and lost the greater part of his prop erty by confiscation. Similar persecution fol lowed him even in Tuscany, whither he proceeded in 1795 and where he was hated by the French as an aristocrat and by the Italians as a Frenchman; but at length, on his return to Geneva in 1800 he was allowed to live in quietness and devote himself with the utmost diligence to literary pursuits without declining to bear his part in the discharge of municipal functions. His first published work appeared in 1801 and was entitled 'Tableau de 1'Agricul ture It discards all appearance of theory and abounds in practical details. In
1803 he published a work entitled De la Richesse Commerciale, ou Principes d'Econo mie Politique appliqué a la Legislation du Com merce.) This essay was afterward remodeled so as to form the groundwork of his treatise pub lished in 1819 under the title of Nouveaux Principes d'Economie Politique.' He had be come intimate with Madame de Stael, and in 1805 accompanied her suite on a tour through Italy. The associations thus awakened appear to have called his attention particularly to his tory. The first fruits of his labors in this department appeared in 1807, in the first two volumes of his Italiennes,) which ultimately reached 16 volumes, and was not completed till 1818. It was followed by la Literature du Midi de l'Europe) (1813, English translation by Roscoe, 1823). His des Francais) (1821-44) occupied the greater part of his remaining life. It was carried to 31 volumes, though reaching no farther than 1750.