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treasure ; round which he believed the peasants wouldgather, and pay for their amusement by their hospitality.

The fountain was soon spoiled; but they had a littlemoney, and enjoyed their rambles till the sight of An-necy recalled Rousseau to the realities of life.

Madame de Warens had, however, none of that rigiduprightness which thrusts the young into misery be-cause their untaught impulses lead them astray. Shereceived the wanderer with simple kindness. “ I fearedyou were too young,” she said, “for this journey; I amglad, however, that it has not turned out as ill as I ex-pected.” She received him into her house, and withmaternal care sought to find some permanent occupationfor which he was fitted. For some time her endeavourswere vain. He was pronounced to be incapable of beingable even to learn Latin enough for a country curate.

Her heart must have been indeed warm with naturalcharity, not to have been chilled by these rebukes ofany vanity she might have felt in patronising the out-‘ cast. A taste which Rousseau developed for music atlength afforded her some hope. She placed him with M. leMaitre, music master to the cathedral choir. Here he 1729 .remained for a year studying the art. M. le Maitre, how- AStat .ever, had a quarrel with a canon of the cathedral; and, 17 ‘to revenge himself, absconded with his case of music onthe eve of the holy week, when his services were mostwanted. Unable to dissuade him from this folly, ma-; dame de Warens permitted Rousseau to aid and ac-. company him in his flight. He did not go far: atLyons poor Le Maitre fell into an epileptic fit; andRousseau , frightened, hastily gave him in charge to thebystanders, made his own escape, and returned toAnnecy . This, he £ays, is his “ second painful con-fession.” It is here mentioned, as well as his first, toshow—as in the more heinous one that follows—thatRousseau ’s real defect was a want of moral courage tomeet any menacing and uncertain evil, and absence offixed principle to enable him to conquer this defect, andto recognise the omnipotent claims of duty. He re-