with his frugal habits, placed .above want for severalyears to come.
Thee academy of Dijon proposing another question—the O'rigin of Inequality among Men. Rousseau seizedthe opportunity of further developing his opinions, andof asserting still more boldly the superiority of what hetermed the natural man over the nurslings of civilisation.
He soon after visited his native town. He dwells 1754.slightly on the motives of this journey : a wish to re- ^®tat.visit tlhe scenes which he had quitted a penniless ad- 42-venturer, and to enter Geneva attended by the celebrityhe had already gained, were no doubt principal motives.Theretsa and his friend Gauffecourt accompanied him.
He saw madame de Warens sunk in a low abyss ofpoverty ; he implored her to leave Savoy, and to takeup her abode with him in Paris ; she refused, and heleft her, never to see her more. While at Geneva heabjured the Roman catholic religion, and entered againthe protestant church. The pedantic clergy of Geneva were very desirous that he should make a speech on theoccasion ; Rousseau would not have been sorry to com-ply, but he broke down at the outset. He was treatedwith great distinction by the most distinguished of hisfellow citizens, and the design soon suggested itself ofhis establishing himself entirely among them; a placeof librarian, worth about 501. a year, was offered him, tosecure the respectability of his situation.
After some time spent in revisiting scenes dearthrough youthful association, and of entrancing beautyin themselves, he returned to Paris ; and here he wasassailed by many doubts as to his plans for the future.
The idea of residing an honoured and distinguishedcitizen in his native town, so flattering at first, began tolose its charm. In his heart he doubtless felt that thesort of inquisitorial and pedantic tone that reigned inGeneva , clothed in the garb of virtue and reason, wasmore likely to shackle the free expression of his geniusthan the versatile society of Paris. Voltaire also hadjust taken up his residence at les Delices. Without