essions as valid authority against them. Thirdly,
Rousseau told her that he had not taken his manuscripts to Paris (p.
302), whereas Grimm writing a few days later (p. 309) mentions that he
has received a letter from Diderot, to the effect that Rousseau's visit
had no other object than the revision of these manuscripts. The scene is
characteristic. "Rousseau kept him pitilessly at work from Saturday at
ten o'clock in the morning till eleven at night on Monday, hardly giving
him time to eat and drink. The revision at an end, Diderot chats with
him about a plan he has in his head, and begs Rousseau to help him in
contriving some incident which he cannot yet arrange to his taste. 'It
is too difficult,' replies the hermit coldly, 'it is late, and I am not
used to sitting up. Good night; I am off at six in the morning, and 'tis
time for bed.' He rises from his chair, goes to bed, and leaves Diderot
petrified at his behaviour. The day of his departure, Diderot's wife saw
that her husband was in bad spirits, and asked the reason. 'It is that
man's want of delicacy,' he replied, 'which afflicts me; he makes me
work like a slave, but I should never have found that out, if he had not
so drily refused to take an interest in me for a quarter of an hour.'
'You are surprised at that,' his wife answered; 'do you not know him? He
is devoured with envy; he goes wild with rage when anything fine appears
that is not his own. You will see him one day commit some great crime
rather than let himself be ignored. I declare I would not swear that he
will not join the ranks of the Jesuits, and undertake their
vindication.'"

Of course we cannot be sure that Grimm did not manipulate these letters
long after the event, but there is nothing in Rousseau's history to make
us perfectly sure that he was incapable either of telling a falsehood to
Madame d'Epinay, or of being shamelessly selfish in respect of Diderot.
I see no reason to refuse substantial credit to Grimm's account, and the
points of coincidence between that and the Confessions make its truth
probable.[296]

Rousseau's relations with Madame d'Epinay were more complex, and his
sentiments towards her underwent many changes. There was a prevalent
opinion that he was her lover, for which no real foundation seems to
have existed.[297] Those who disbelieved that he had reached this
distinction, yet made sure that he had a passion for her, which may or
may not have been true.[298] Madame d'Epin