DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.69942#0297
France.] ROUSSEAU.
belonging to Madame d’Epinay, near the village of
Montmorency. This was probably the most happy, as
it certainly was the most fertile sera of his life. During
the five years, (from 1756 to 1761,) that he lived at the
Hermitage, in a delightful solitude, and at peace with all
the world, he produced the celebrated works upon which
his .reputation is founded. It was here too that he
formed a romantic attachment for Madame d’Houdetot,
which, though it could not receive any encouragement
from a woman of her virtuous sentiments, he pursued
with a constitutional ardour that often amounted to
frenzy, and to which we are, no doubt, indebted for
many of the passionate scenes of the Eloisa.
His Letter to M. D’Alembert, which he published in
1758, was the first fruit of the calm he enjoyed at Mont-
morency. It was intended to prevent the establishment
of a theatre, which had been projected at Geneva.
Among the usual paradoxes inseparable from his writings
there are interspersed many important truths, admirably
developed, and which, serviceable to the cause of mora-
lity in general, were more peculiarly interesting to his
native city. It occasioned that deep-rooted animosity,
which Voltaire, who had settled in its neighbourhood,
never failed afterwards to indulge against him, and ex-
posed him to the malignant satire and incessant abuse of
that sarcastic and irritable poet. Rousseau affected to
be little sensible to his repeated attacks, but in truth, he
wished not to be at variance with the first writer of the
age, with a man, whose censure or approbation was then
alone sufficient to establish or depress the rising fame of
others. But, in attacking theatres, he had attacked the
darling passion of Voltaire, the source of all his great-
ness, and the scene of his literary triumphs. This oppo-
sition was, therefore, not to be endured, and the breach
28
belonging to Madame d’Epinay, near the village of
Montmorency. This was probably the most happy, as
it certainly was the most fertile sera of his life. During
the five years, (from 1756 to 1761,) that he lived at the
Hermitage, in a delightful solitude, and at peace with all
the world, he produced the celebrated works upon which
his .reputation is founded. It was here too that he
formed a romantic attachment for Madame d’Houdetot,
which, though it could not receive any encouragement
from a woman of her virtuous sentiments, he pursued
with a constitutional ardour that often amounted to
frenzy, and to which we are, no doubt, indebted for
many of the passionate scenes of the Eloisa.
His Letter to M. D’Alembert, which he published in
1758, was the first fruit of the calm he enjoyed at Mont-
morency. It was intended to prevent the establishment
of a theatre, which had been projected at Geneva.
Among the usual paradoxes inseparable from his writings
there are interspersed many important truths, admirably
developed, and which, serviceable to the cause of mora-
lity in general, were more peculiarly interesting to his
native city. It occasioned that deep-rooted animosity,
which Voltaire, who had settled in its neighbourhood,
never failed afterwards to indulge against him, and ex-
posed him to the malignant satire and incessant abuse of
that sarcastic and irritable poet. Rousseau affected to
be little sensible to his repeated attacks, but in truth, he
wished not to be at variance with the first writer of the
age, with a man, whose censure or approbation was then
alone sufficient to establish or depress the rising fame of
others. But, in attacking theatres, he had attacked the
darling passion of Voltaire, the source of all his great-
ness, and the scene of his literary triumphs. This oppo-
sition was, therefore, not to be endured, and the breach
28