othing to my
prejudice could be done, unless they were falsified? As for the
marechal, with whose friendship for me, and invariable integrity, I was
perfectly acquainted, I never could suspect him for a moment. The most
reasonable supposition, after long tormenting my mind in endeavoring to
discover the author of the theft, that which imputed it to D'Alembert,
who, having thrust himself into the company of Madam de Luxembourg, might
have found means to turn over these papers, and take from amongst them
such manuscripts and letters as he might have thought proper, either for
the purpose of endeavoring to embroil me with the writer of them, or to
appropriate those he should find useful to his own private purposes. I
imagined that, deceived by the title of Morale Sensitive, he might have
supposed it to be the plan of a real treatise upon materialism, with
which he would have armed himself against me in a manner easy to be
imagined. Certain that he would soon be undeceived by reading the sketch
and determined to quit all literary pursuits, these larcenies gave me
but little concern. They besides were not the first the same hand had
committed upon me without having complained of these pilferings.

[I had found in his 'Elemens de Musique' (Elements of Music)
several things taken from what I had written for the 'Encyclopedie',
and which were given to him several years before the publication of
his elements. I know not what he may have had to do with a book
entitled 'Dictionaire des Beaux Arts' (Dictionary of the Fine Arts)
but I found in it articles transcribed word for word from mine, and
this long before the same articles were printed in the
Encyclopedie.]

In a very little time I thought no more of the trick that had been
played me than if nothing had happened, and began to collect the
materials I had left for the purpose of undertaking my projected
confessions.

I had long thought the company of ministers, or at least the citizens and
burgesses of Geneva, would remonstrate against the infraction of the
edict in the decree made against me. Everything remained quiet, at least
to all exterior appearance; for discontent was general, and ready, on the
first opportunity, openly to manifest itself. My friends, or persons
calling themselves such, wrote letter after letter exhorting me to come
and put myself at their head, assuring me of public separation from the
council. The fe