ROUSSEAU. 161 



by the recollection of past scenes of enjoyment in a 

 more sensual kind ; and the void left by these gratifica- 

 tions, now past, or only existing in his memory, he 

 filled up with creations of his fancy, embodying beings 

 of a lovely and excellent nature, and placing them in 

 situations of lively interest, which, if his own experi- 

 ence and recollections failed to suggest, it cost his 

 imagination, sometimes sentimental, sometimes pruri- 

 ent, nothing to invent. This was the origin of the 

 ' Nouvelle Heloi'se,' of all his works the most re- 

 nowned, and of all, except his posthumous ' Memoirs,' 

 the best, though certainly very greatly overrated both by 

 the public opinion and by his own. He describes the 

 delight he had in composing it as approaching to an 

 actual enjoyment, though it only consisted in the plea- 

 sures of an indulged fancy. He wandered all day in the 

 forest of Montmorency ; he had his pencil and note- 

 book with him ; Theresa walked calmly by. In the 

 afternoon returning home, he wrote what had occurred 

 on the finest paper, sanded with gold and blue dust, 

 bound with bright-coloured ribbons ; and he read at 

 night the produce of the day to the mother, who 

 entered not into it with any comprehension, much less 

 tasted it with any relish, but said "Monsieur, cela est bien 



V 



beau ;" and to the daughter, who entered not into it at 

 all, but sighed and sobbed when she saw him appear 

 to be moved. 



To deny the great merit of this work would be 

 absurd ; the degree in which it has been overrated, 

 owing chiefly to its immorality, and in part also to its 

 vices of taste, not unnaturally leads to its depreciation 

 when the critic soberly and calmly exercises his stern and 



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