The Confessions of J J Rousseau Author:Jean-Jacques Rousseau Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: Tircis, je n'ofe Ecouter ton chalumcau , Sous 1' ormeau ; Car on en caufe Deja dans notre hameau. . . . - un berger .... s'engager . . . fans danger; Et ... more »toujours 1' epine eft fous la rofe. I have fought for the moving charm my heart feels at thi fong : 'tis a caprice I cannot comprehend ; but there is an impoffibility of my finging it to the a id without being fuffb- cated by tears. 1 have an hundred times intended to write to Paris, to get the remaining words, if it ihould happen that any one Hill knows them. But I am almoft fure the plea- fure I take in recalling them to my mind would vanifh in part, if I had 9. proof that any other than my poor aunt Sufan fung them. Such were the firft affedtions of my entrance into life ; thus was formed and bsgan to fhew itfelf that heart of mine at once fo proud and fo tender, that charadter fo- effeminate, but neverthelefs invincible, which, always floating between weaknefs and courage, between cafe and virtue, has even to the laft fet me in contradiction with myfelf, and has caufed abiti- nence and enjoyment, pleafure and prudence, equally to fhun me. This courfe of education was interrupted by an accident whofe confequences influenced the reft of my life. My father had a difput B 6 withwith a Mr. G, a captain in France, and related to fome ;of the council. This G, an infolent and ungenerous man, bled ,at the nofe, and to revenge himfelf accufed my father of having; drawn his fword againft him in the city. My father, whom they wanted to fend to prifon, infifted that, according to law, the accufer fhould be fent there lilcewife. Not being: able to obtain it, he chofe rather to leave.Geneva and quit his country for the reft of his life, than to give up a point where honour, and liberty feemed in danger. 1 remain...« less