Part 17 (1/2)

After having froth took courage, and called upon Madam de Beuzenval She receivedthe chahter, this is M Rousseau, of wholie co to her harpsichord proved toit to be about one o'clock, I prepared to take reat distance from the quarter of the town in which you reside; stay and dine here” I did not want asking a second time A quarter of an hour afterwards, I understood, by a word, that the dinner to which she had invited me was that of her servants' hall Madaood kind of wo, and too full of her illustrious Polish nobility: she had no idea of the respect due to talents On this occasion, likewise, she judged h very plain, was very neat, and by noforgotten the way to the place where they eat to be inclined to take it again Without suffering er to appear, I told Mada nature which I had just recollected obliged me to return holie approached her mother, and whispered in her ear a feords which had their effect

Mada, and said, ”I expect that you will do us the honor to dine with us” In this case I thought to show pride would be a oodness of Madalie had besidesin lad to dine with her, and hoped, that when she knewprocured non, very intimate in the falie, was a on of Paris Poor Jean Jacques was unable to h not to pretend to it, and was silent Happy would it have been for me, had I always possessed the same wisdom; I should not be in the abyss into which I a unable to justify to Madalie what she had done in ht of my ordinary resource I had inment was not without so, and made them all three shed tears Whether it was vanity, or really the truth, I thought the eyes of Madalie see you this man was fitter to dine with us than with your women?” Until then e I felther favorable opinion of ht I should immediately acquire fauide ave me the confessions of the Count de ----- ”This book,” said she, ”is a Mentor, of which you will stand in need in the great world You will do well by so it” I kept the book upwards of twenty years with a sentiratitude to her frohed at the opinion the lady seeallantry Fro the friendshi+p of the author My inclination led stbeen of the sa well founded, that since my return to Paris I confided to him the manuscript of my confessions The suspicious J J

never suspected perfidy and falsehood until he had been their victiht depend on the services of Madalie, and that they would not long leave me without resource In this I was not deceived

But I must now speak ofconsequences

Madahter of Samuel Bernard and Madaht be called the three graces Madaland with the Duke of Kingston Madam Darby, the eldest of the three; the friend, the only sincere friend of the Prince of Conti; an adorable wo character, as by her agreeable wit and incessant cheerfulness

Lastly, Madam Dupin, more beautiful than either of her sisters, and the only one who has not been reproached with some levity of conduct

She was the reward of the hospitality of M Dupin, to whoeneral and an iiven her in his province When I saw her for the first time, she was still one of the finest women in Paris She received me at her toilette, her ar-cloth ill-arranged

This scene was new to me; it was too powerful for my poor head, I became confused, my senses wandered; in short, I was violently smitten by Madam Dupin

My confusion was not prejudicial to me; she did not perceive it She kindly received the book and the author; spoke with infor, accompanied herself on the harpsichord, kept me to dinner, and placed me at table by her side Less than this would have turned my brain; I became mad She permitted me to visit her, and I abused the permission I went to see her almost every day, and dined with her twice or thrice a week I burned with inclination to speak, but never dared attempt it Several circumstances increased my natural timidity

Permission to visit in an opulent family was a door open to fortune, and in ainst myself

Madam Dupin, a in herto embolden me Her house, at that time, as brilliant as any other in Paris, was frequented by societies the less numerous, as the persons by whouishedevery one who had claireat men of letters, and fine women No person was seen in her circle but dukes, ambassadors, and blue ribbons The Princess of Rohan, the Countess of Forcalquier, Madanole, and Lady Hervey, passed for her intimate friends The Abbes de Fontenelle, de Saint Pierre, and Saltier, M de Fourmont, M de Berms, M de Buffon, and M de Voltaire, were of her circle and her dinners If her reservedpeople, her society inspired the greater awe, as it was coraver persons, and the poor Jean-Jacques had no reason to flatter hiuished part in the e to speak; but no longer able to contain myself, I took a resolution to write For the first two days she said not a word to me upon the subject On the third day, she returnedit with a few exhortations which froze my blood I attempted to speak, but uished with my hopes, and after a declaration in form I continued to live with her upon the sa to her even by the language of the eyes

I thought otten, but I was deceived M de Francueil, son to M Dupin, and son-in-law to Madam Dupin, was ood person, and ht have pretensions

This was said to be the case, and probably proceeded froly wife of a mild disposition, hom, as well as with her husband, she lived upon the best of terms M de Francueil was fond of talents in others, and cultivated those he possessed Music, which he understood very well, was aa connection between us I frequently saw hiained ave ht ed me to discontinue them Such a compliment would have been proper when she returned ht or ten days afterwards, and without any new cause, it appeared to ular, as M and Madaood reception as before

I however er, and I should entirely have ceased calling on them, had not Madam Dupin, by another unexpected caprice, sent to desire I would for a few days take care of her son, who changing his preceptor, reht days in such tor Madam Dupin could render supportable: I would not have undertaken to pass eight other days like theiven me herself for the recompense

M de Francueil conceived a friendshi+p for ether a course of cheht be nearer at hand, I left e at the Tennis Court, Rue Verdelet, which leads into the Rue Platiere, where M

Dupin lived There, in consequence of a cold neglected, I contracted an inflas that had liked to have carried er days I frequently suffered from inflammatory disorders, pleurisies, and especially quinsies, to which I was very subject, and which frequently brought e

During my convalescence I had leisure to reflect upon my situation, and to lamentthe fire hich I found uish in an inactivity ofpreceding the day on which I was taken ill, I went to an opera by Royer; the na my prejudice in favor of the talents of others, which has ever ht the music feeble, and devoid of animation and invention I sometimes had the vanity to flatter myself: I think I could do better than that But the terrible idea I had formed of the composition of an opera, and the importance I heard , instantly discouraged ht of it Besides, where was I to find a person to write the words, and one ould give hi? These ideas ofs, duets, and choruses I am certain I composed two or three little pieces, 'di prima infenzione', perhaps worthy of the admiration of masters, could they have heard them executed Oh, could an account be taken of the dreas would sometimes proceed from his deliriuedand frequent meditations, and which were often involuntary, and made such an impression upon my mind that I resolved to attempt both words and music

This was not the first time I had undertaken so difficult a task Whilst I was at Chambery I had composed an opera entitled 'Iphis and Anaxarete', which I had the good sense to throw into the fire At Lyons I had composed another, entitled 'La Decouverte du Nouveau Monde', which, after having read it to M Bordes, the Abbes Malby, Trublet, and others, had ue and the first act tothe coes in it worthy of Buononcini

Before I began the work I took time to consider of my plan In a heroic ballet I proposed three different subjects, in three acts, detached fro for each subject the amours of a poet I entitled this opera Les Muses Galantes

My first act, in ly characterized, was Tasso; the second in tender harmony, Ovid; and the third, entitled Anacreon, was to partake of the gayety of the dithyrambus I tried my skill on the first act, and applied to it with an ardor which, for the first tihtful sensation produced by the creative power of co ly incited and overpowered by ain into my pocket, returned toclose drawn all the curtains, that every ray of lightmyself entirely to this ht hours rapidly coreatest part of an act I can truly say my love for the Princess of Ferrara (for I was Tasso for the moment) and my noble and lofty sentiht a hundred times more delicious than one passed in the ar but a very little of what I had done remained in my head, but this little, almost effaced by sleep and lassitude, still sufficiently evinced the energy of the pieces of which it was the scattered remains

I this ti interrupted by other affairs Whilst I attached myself to the falie, whootten uards, had just been appointed ambassador to Venice He was an ambassador made by Barjac, to whom he assiduously paid his court His brother, the Chevalier de Montaigu, 'gentilhomme de la manche' to the dauphin, was acquainted with these ladies, and with the Abbe Alary of the French acade heard the a a secretary, proposed me to him A conference was opened between us I asked a salary of fifty guineas, a trifle for an employment which requiredto giveme to make the journey at ree, and M de Francueil, who used all his efforts to prevent u set out on his journey, taking with him another secretary, one M Follau, who had been recon affairs They no sooner arrived at Venice than they quarrelled Bollau perceiving he had to do with anobody with hi abbe of the name of Binis, rote under the secretary, and was unfit to succeed him, had recourse toes annexed to the place of secretary, prevailed upon me to accept the thousand livres

I was paid twenty louis in advance for my journey, and ily have taken the road to Mount Cenis, to see my poor mamma But I went down the Rhone, and embarked at Toulon, as well on account of the war, and from a motive of economy, as to obtain a passport from M de Mirepoix, who then commanded in Provence, and to who able to do withoutI would hasten ed

It was at the tilish fleet had anchored there, and visited the Felucca, on board of which I was, and this circu and difficult voyage, to a quarantine of one--and--twenty days