A Treatise Upon the Life of Elegance. Translated, by Edward Howland, from the French of Honore de Balzac (for the New York Saturday Press) Balzac sets forth his treatise on three classes of men: workers, thinkers, and those who do nothing. The final class of men are those who can lead a life of elegance because they are able to live off their fortune, spending freely and generously.