The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Confessions of J. J. Rousseau, Book XI.
by Jean Jacques Rousseau

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Title: The Confessions of J. J. Rousseau, Book XI.

Author: Jean Jacques Rousseau

Release Date: December 6, 2004 [EBook #3911]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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Produced by David Widger

THE CONFESSIONS OF JEAN JACQUES ROUSSEAU
(In 12 books)

Privately Printed for the Members of the Aldus Society

London, 1903

BOOK XI.

Although Eloisa, which for a long time had been in the press, did not
yet, at the end of the year, 1760, appear, the work already began to make
a great noise. Madam de Luxembourg had spoken of it at court, and Madam
de Houdetot at Paris. The latter had obtained from me permission for
Saint Lambert to read the manuscript to the King of Poland, who had been
delighted with it. Duclos, to whom I had also given the perusal of the
work, had spoken of it at the academy. All Paris was impatient to see
the novel; the booksellers of the Rue Saint Jacques, and that of the
Palais Royal, were beset with people who came to inquire when it was to
be published. It was at length brought out, and the success it had,
answered, contrary to custom, to the impatience with which it had been
expected. The dauphiness, who was one of the first who read it, spoke of
it to, M. de Luxembourg as a ravishing performance. The opinions of men
of letters differed from each other, but in those of any other class
approbation was general, especially with the women, who became so
intoxicated with the book and the author, that there was not one in high
life with whom I might not have succeeded had I undertaken to do it.
Of this I have such proofs as I will not commit to paper, and which
without the aid of experience, authorized my opinion. It is singular
that the book should have succeeded better in France than in the rest of
Europe, although the French, both men and women, are severely treated in
it. Contrary to my expectation it was least successful in Switzerland,
and most so in Paris. Do friendship, love and virtue reign in this
capital more than elsewhere? Certainly not;