▁however , ▁were ▁themselves ▁citizens ▁of ▁Gene va ▁of ▁the ▁upper ▁class , ▁and ▁possessed ▁both ▁rank ▁and ▁property , ▁though ▁the ▁father ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁village ▁past or . ▁His ▁uncle ▁by ▁marriage ▁was ▁the ▁prominent ▁past or ▁Jacob ▁Vern es , ▁a ▁friend ▁of ▁Vol taire ▁and ▁R ous seau . ▁ ▁The ▁future ▁historian ▁was ▁well ▁educated , ▁but ▁his ▁family ▁wished ▁him ▁to ▁dev ote ▁himself ▁to ▁commerce ▁rather ▁than ▁literature , ▁and ▁he ▁became ▁a ▁bank er ' s ▁cl erk ▁in ▁Lyon . ▁Then ▁the ▁Revolution ▁broke ▁out , ▁and ▁as ▁it ▁affected ▁Gene va , ▁the ▁Simon de ▁family ▁took ▁refuge ▁in ▁England ▁where ▁they ▁stayed ▁for ▁eigh teen ▁months ▁( 1 7 9 3 – 1 7 9 4 ). ▁Dis lik ing — it ▁is ▁said — the ▁climate , ▁they ▁returned ▁to ▁Gene va , ▁but ▁found ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁affairs ▁still ▁unf av ou rable ; ▁there ▁is ▁even ▁a ▁legend ▁that ▁the ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁family ▁was ▁reduced ▁to ▁s elling ▁milk ▁himself ▁in ▁the ▁town . ▁The ▁greater ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁family ▁property ▁was ▁sold , ▁and ▁with ▁the ▁proceed s ▁they ▁em igr ated ▁to ▁Italy , ▁bought ▁a ▁small ▁farm ▁in ▁P es cia ▁near ▁Lu cca ▁and ▁P isto ia , ▁and ▁set ▁to ▁work ▁to ▁cultiv ate ▁it ▁themselves . ▁ ▁S ism ond i ▁worked ▁hard ▁there , ▁with ▁both ▁his ▁hands ▁and ▁mind , ▁and ▁his ▁experiences ▁gave ▁him ▁the ▁material ▁of ▁his ▁first