132 LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC MEN.

bourg. This futile reasoning does not need elaboraterefutation. Rousseau talks of public care, as if thatwere, in such a place as a Parisian foundling hospital,aught else but public desertion. The poor children inall probability died in their infancy.

Rousseau was indeed short-sighted. Brought up invirtue and honour, as a man of his talents ought to havebrought up his offspring,— or genius were a vainer gifteven than it is, — these children might have clusteredround him in his days of desolation, have cheered hishouse with smiles, and been a help and support in his age.He tvould not have felt friendless, nor been drivento suicide by the sense of abandonment and treachery.He indeed sowed the wind, and reaped the whirlwind.France was on the eve of a sanguinary revolution. Thesocial state of things was about wholly to change. Whoknows of what use Rousseau ’s sons might have been tocheck barbarous outrages, to teach justice, or displayfortitude ? Such ideas are vain, but will present them-selves. Our first duty is to render those to whom wegive birth, wise, virtuous, and happy, as far as in uslies. Rousseau failed in this,— can we wonder that hisafter course was replete -with sorrow ? The distortionof intellect that blinded him to the first duties of life,we are inclined to believe to be allied to that vein of in-sanity, that made him an example among men for self-inflicted sufferings. We now dismiss this subject. Itwas necessary to bring it so far forward as to show theevil effects of so bad a cause ; it is too painful to dwellfurther upon.

By degrees Rousseau overcame his dislike to its beingknown to his friends that he had formed this sort ofconnection with Theresa, and he made common house-hold with her. This species of intercourse was looked up-on in a different light in France than in England. Shewas regarded as Rousseau ’s housekeeper, and respectedas such ; and no one thought that they had a right toscrutinise their real relations, or to censure them. Thishad been praiseworthy as a proceeding founded on