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ROUSSEAU.

169

lie, because he had declared the French language to heunfit for music. He was angry when he heard that the“ Divin du Village” was represented and applauded;saying that it was done under the pretence that themusic was stolen. He occupied himself on his un-fortunate work of “ Rousseau Juge de Jean Jaques,”which is a monument of the frenzy which it served toconfirm ; yet at the same time he wrote his “ Prome-nades d’un Solitaire,” which, with the exception of someof the letters of the “ Nouvelle Heloise,” and a fewpassages in the “Confessions,” are the most finished,the most interesting, and eloquent of his works : thepeculiar charm of Rousseau reigns throughout; a mix-ture of lofty enthusiasm, of calm repose, and of the mostdelicate taste.

The friends about him saw traces of attacks of abso-lute madness : he could no longer apply himself to histask of copying music, and the miseries of poverty beganto be felt in his household. M. de Corancez tried to bringa remedy, by offering him a house at Sceaux , in whichto live: Rousseau refused, yet hesitated. M. de Girar-din offered his house at Ermenonville , where the superbgardens, of which he was proprietor, might well tempta lover of nature. Therese favoured this offer—Rous-seau consented to accept it, and his removal was effectedwith some precipitancy. It might have been supposedthat the charm of his new abode would have calmed hismind and restored his health. It was not so. Greatobscurity hangs over the last scene of his life. He died 1778.suddenly at Ermenonville , on the 2d of July, two-® tat ‘months after his departure from Paris . The surgeonswho examined his bodypronounced, at their examination,that he died of a serous apoplexy.

Many circumstances combine to engender the sus-picion that this opinion was given merely to preventscandal, and that in reality he shot himself. It is cer-tain that, at the moment of death, instead of beingsenseless, he was carried to the window, which he causedto be thrown open; the weather was beautiful, and he