Note To The First Edition

________________________________________________
_ VOLUME I

This work differs from its companion volume in offering something more like a continuous personal history than was necessary in the case of such a man as Voltaire, the story of whose life may be found in more than one English book of repute. Of Rousseau there is, I believe, no full biographical account in our literature, and even France has nothing more complete under this head than Musset-Pathay's Histoire de la Vie et des Ouvrages de J.J. Rousseau (1821). This, though a meritorious piece of labour, is extremely crude and formless in composition and arrangement, and the interpreting portions are devoid of interest.

The edition of Rousseau's works to which the references have been made is that by M. Auguis, in twenty-seven volumes, published in 1825 by Dalibon. In 1865 M. Streckeisen-Moultou published from the originals, which had been deposited in the library of Neuchatel by Du Peyrou, the letters addressed to Rousseau by various correspondents. These two interesting volumes, which are entitled Rousseau, ses Amis et ses Ennemis, are mostly referred to under the name of their editor.

February, 1873.

* * * * *

The second edition in 1878 was revised; some portions were considerably shortened, and a few additional footnotes inserted. No further changes have been made in the present edition.

January, 1886.

JEAN JACQUES ROUSSEAU
Born                                          1712
Fled from Geneva                      March,  1728
Changes religion at Turin             April,   "
With Madame de Warens, including 
various intervals, until              April,  1740
Goes to Paris with musical schemes            1741
Secretary at Venice                   Spring, 1743
Paris, first as secretary to M.            {  1744
Francueil,then    as composer, and copyist {   to
                                           {  1756
The Hermitage               April 9, 1756
Montmorency                 Dec. 15, 1757
Yverdun                     June 14, 1762
Motiers-Travers             July 10, 1762
Isle of St. Peter             Sept., 1765
Strasburg                      Nov.,  "
Paris                      December,  "
Arrives in England          Jan. 13, 1766
Leaves Dover                 May 22, 1767
Fleury                         June,  "
Trye                           July,  "
Dauphiny                       Aug., 1768
Paris                          June, 1770
Death                        July 2, 1778

PRINCIPAL WRITINGS.
Discourse on the Influence of 
        Learning and Art               PUBLISHED 1750
Discourse on Inequality                    "     1754
Letter to D'Alembert                       "     1758
New Heloisa (began 1757, finished 
   in winter of 1759-60)                   "     1761
Social Contract                            "     1762
Emilius                                    "     1762
Letters from the Mountain                  "     1764
Confessions (written 1766-70)          {  Pt. I  1781
                                       {  Pt. II 1788
Reveries (written 1777-78).

Comme dans les etangs assoupis sous les bois,
Dans plus d'une ame on voit deux choses a la fois:
Le ciel, qui teint les eaux a peine remuees
Avec tous ses rayons et toutes ses nuees;
Et la vase, fond morne, affreux, sombre et dormant,
Ou des reptiles noirs fourmillent vaguement.

---HUGO. _

Read next: Volume 1: Chapter 1. Preliminary


Table of content of Rousseau; Volumes 1 and 2


GO TO TOP OF SCREEN

Post your review
Your review will be placed after the table of content of this book