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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 December 2020
On August 18, 1756, acting prudently through an intermediary, Dr. Théodore Tronchin of Geneva, Rousseau sent to Voltaire a long letter in refutation of the latter's pessimistic Poème sur le Désastre de Lisbonne, which, provoked by the terrible earthquake at Lisbon on November 1, 1755, had been the cause of heated discussion among orthodox and unorthodox at Paris and Geneva during the preceding six months. Rousseau's letter has come to be known as his Lettre sur la Providence.
Note 1 in page 109 J.-J. Rousseau, Correspondance générale (Paris: Colin, 1924–34), 20 vols., ii, 324–325.
Note 2 in page 109 Ibid., 303–324.
Note 8 in page 109 Cf. Voltaire, Œuvres complètes, Moland ed. (Paris: Garnier, 1877–85), ix, 465–480.
Note 4 in page 109 Rousseau, Corr. gén., ii, 326–328. Voltaire's reply, dated Sept. 12, was received by Rousseau, as indicated below (Note 8), exactly one week later on Sept. 19. Hence the two letters of Aug. 18 should have reached Tronchin about Aug. 25 or shortly thereafter.
Note 5 in page 109 “Lorsqu'il eut fait son Poëme,” says Tronchin, “je le conjurai de le bruler.” (Ibid., 327.)
Note 6 in page 109 Cf. Voltaire, Moland ed., xxxix, 101–105, 107–108, 110–111, 113, for frequent references to these illnesses, that of Mme de Fontaines being mentioned as early as August 27. (Moland, xxxix, 103.)
Note 7 in page 109 Moland, xxxix, 108–109. The text of Voltaire's letter as given here by Moland appears more accurate than that in Rousseau's Corr. gén., ii, 328. Rousseau's copy uses the endings -ois and -oit, which Voltaire had abandoned in favor of the modern spelling, and it omits the important phrase, “et que ma nièce soit guérie.” (Moland, xxxix, 108.)
Note 8 in page 109 For the date, corrected from the 17th to the 20th, see Rousseau, Corr. gén., iii, 377 (Errata).
Note 9 in page 109 Ibid., ii, 342.
Note 10 in page 110 Ibid., iii, 8.
Note 11 in page 110 Georges Ascoli, Voltaire, Poèmes philosophiques (Paris: Centre de documentation universitaire, mimeographed ed., n. d. [1935 or 1936]), Fasc. v, p. 188.
Note 12 in page 110 Rousseau, Corr. gin., v, 133–135. Rousseau wrote: “Je ne vous aime point, Monsieur. . . . Je vous hais, enfin.” (Ibid., p. 135.)
Note 13 in page 110 Ibid., v, 134. Cf. Th. Dufour, Recherches bibliographiques sur . . . J.-J. Rousseau (Paris, 1925), i, 66; ii, 210.
Note 14 in page 110 “M. de Voltaire ne m'a point écrit. Il me met tout-à-fait à mon aise, et je n'en suis pas fâché.” Rousseau to Vernes, Jan. 6, 1759. (Corr. gin., iv, 156.) Voltaire himself explained the breach as due to their difference over the theater. (Cf. ibid., x, 351.)
Note 15 in page 110 Cf. the final paragraph of Rousseau's letter of rupture (ibid., v, 135), and his references to Voltaire as “un maître en plaisanteries” (ibid., iv, 270, 291 ; v, 28–29, 32, etc.).
Note 16 in page 110 Hatchette, viii, 308.
Note 17 in page 110 Rousseau, Corr. gén., x, 347. Cf. pp. 312, 351.
Note 18 in page 111 George R. Havens, Voltaire, Candide (New York: Holt, 1934), Introduction, pp. xlii–xlv.
Note 19 in page 111 Moland, xxxix, 109, and xxxviii, 446–450 (letter of August 30, 1755).
Note 20 in page 111 Cf. my article, “Twelve New Letters of Voltaire to Gabriel Cramer,” RR, xxxi (1940), 342, note 8, and 343, note 9.
Note 21 in page 111 G. Ascoli, op. cit., pp. 186, 189, editions indicated as G, G2, and P, the two former published in Geneva in March, the latter in Paris in May.
Note 22 in page 111 Rousseau, Corr. gén., ii, 254.
Note 23 in page 111 Ibid., 255.
Note 24 in page 111 Grimm, Corr. litt., Tourneux ed. (Paris: Gamier, 1877–82), 16 vols., iii, 160–161, 170.
Note 25 in page 111 Ibid., 169.
Note 26 in page 111 Rousseau, Corr. gén., ii, 254, 255. It should be noted that the letter of “ce vendredi” (Corr. gén., iii, 2–3) must precede by nearly a week the above letter of “ce jeudi.” In the former letter, Rousseau says : “Il ne me sera guéres possible de vous donner Lundi le Trio. . . . Mais je compte vous le renvoyer ou vous le porter jeudi matin si cela vous convient.” (Ibid., iii, 3.) In the later letter, of Thursday, he says: “Voici votre Air.” (Ibid., ii, 254.) The former letter must therefore also date from early in 1756, not from the end of 1755, which is suggested by the editor as an alternative possibility.
Note 27 in page 112 D'Argenson, Mémoires (Paris: Jannet, 1857–58), 5 vols., iv, 256 (entry of the “28 Janvier 1756“). Cf. Confessions (Hachette), viii, 291, 303.
Note 28 in page 112 Rousseau, Corr. gén., ii, 273.
Note 29 in page 112 Ibid., 260. Cf. 263, 267. While there is no doubt that Rousseau was considering certain “propositions” relative to his going to Geneva (ibid., 260), there is hesitation as to whether Tronchin's offer of the post of “bibliothécaire” dates from Feb. 1756 or Feb. 1757. Cf. Courtois, Ann. J.-J. R., xv, 85, for the former date; Corr. gén., iii, 15, note 1 by Th. Dufour, for the latter.
Note 30 in page 112 Corr. gén., ii, 267, 268, 269, 271.
Note 31 in page 112 Ibid., iii, 2. Cf. supra, note 26, for the date.
Note 32 in page 112 Ibid., ii, 278.
Note 33 in page 112 Ibid., 279, Cf. 262, 263, 276.
Note 34 in page 113 Courtois, op. cit., 87.
Note 35 in page 113 Ibid.
Note 36 in page 113 Ibid.
Note 37 in page 113 Voltaire's secretary, Colini, wrote to Dupont on March 20, 1756, of the excitement caused by Voltaire's poem, when “il eut la bêtise de le lire à quelques Suisses.” (Moland, xxxix, 10.)
Note 38 in page 113 Gustave Desnoiresterres, Voltaire, v (2e éd., 1875), 135.
Note 39 in page 113 M. J. Gaberel, Rousseau et les Genevois (Genève, 1858), 102–103, not Bungener, as Ducros (Rousseau, iii [1918], 95) states, though citing the same page and title. By error, he gives the impossible date of 1758 instead of a century later.
Note 40 in page 113 Rousseau, Corr. gèn., iii, 387.
Note 41 in page 113 Th. Dufour, Recherches bibliographiques, ii, 199.
Note 42 in page 113 Rousseau, Corr. gén., iii, 56–57.
Note 43 in page 114 Gaberei, pp. 102–103; Desnoiresterres, v, 135.
Note 44 in page 114 Confessions (Hachette), viii, 280.
Note 45 in page 114 “Au reste si l'article dont vous me parlez est indiscret et répréhensible il n'est assurément pas offensant. Cependant s'il peut nuire à vôtre corps, peut-être fera-t-on bien d'y répondre.” (Corr. gén., iii, 286, Feb. 18, 1758). While this appears to refer to a reply by the pastors themselves, it may have acted also as a suggestion to Rousseau. In any case, the latter, prudently, did not reveal that he already had such a reply well on toward completion.
Note 46 in page 114 Ibid., iv, 72 (Oct. 6, 1758).
Note 47 in page 114 Ibid.
Note 48 in page 114 Moland, xxxviii, 541.
Note 49 in page 114 Rousseau, Corr. gén., ii, 273–274.
Note 50 in page 114 Ibid., 325.
Note 51 in page 115 Gaston Maugras, Voltaire et J.-J. Rousseau, Paris, 1886, p. 51.
Note 52 in page 115 Desnoiresterres, op. cit., v, 137.
Note 53 in page 115 Ibid.
Note 54 in page 115 Moland, xxxix, 51.
Note 55 in page 115 G. Ascoli, op. cit., p. 189 (edition G2).
Note 56 in page 115 RSL, xv (1908), 138.
Note 57 in page 115 “ . . . Diogène Rousseau qui est retiré avec un berger [sic] dans la plaine de Saint-Denis dans une chaumière que lui ont donnée M. et Mad. d'Epinay.” (Ibid.)
Note 58 in page 115 Moland, xxxix, 51.
Note 59 in page 116 Ibid., p. 13.
Note 60 in page 116 RHL, xv, 141.
Note 61 in page 116 Cf. supra, note 36.
Note 62 in page 116 Rousseau, Corr. gén., ii, 303.
Note 63 in page 116 Moland, xxxix, 54 (June 14, 1756). Cf. xxxviii, 408, 412, 425.
Note 64 in page 116 In the Confessions also Rousseau says: “Je reçus un exemplaire du poëme sur la ruine de Lisbonne, que je supposai m'être envoyé par l'auteur.” (Hachette, viii, 307.)
Note 65 in page 117 Rousseau, Corr. gin., ii, 279 (April 12, 1756).
Note 66 in page 117 Pierre-Maurice Masson, La “Profession de foi du Vicaire savoyard” de J.-J. Rousseau (Paris: Hachette, 1914), p. xvii.
Note 67 in page 117 Th. Dufour, Recherches bibliographiques, ii, 108, 210, 211.
Note 68 in page 117 Cf. supra, notes 4 and 8.
Note 69 in page 117 Rousseau, Corr. gin., v, 134.
Note 70 in page 117 Ibid., viii, 63.
Note 71 in page 118 Ibid., v, 134.
Note 72 in page 118 Ibid., iii, 261.
Note 73 in page 118 Confessions (Hachette), viii, 332.
Note 74 in page 118 Cf. Corr. gên., iii, 99. Does not the following passage in Mme d'Epinay's note of August 1757 refer to the Lettre sur la Providence rather than, as she thought, to the Nouvelle Eéloïse? “M. de St. Lambert me charge de mille amitiés pour vous, et de vous demander si vous n'apporterez pas ce que vous avez promis de lui lire.” (Ibid., 106.)
Note 75 in page 118 Ibid., 124.
Note 76 in page 118 Ibid., 126.
Note 77 in page 118 Ibid., 129.
Note 78 in page 118 Ibid., 220.
Note 79 in page 118 Ibid., 222.
Note 80 in page 118 Ibid., 223.
Note 81 in page 119 Ibid., 257.
Note 82 in page 119 Ibid., 261–262.
Note 83 in page 119 On October 2. (Cf. Corr. gin., iv, 90, 93.)
Note 84 in page 119 Ibid., iv, 70, 72.
Note 85 in page 119 Ibid., 91.
Note 86 in page 119 “Qu'est-ce qu'un livre de Jean-Jacques contre la comédie?” (Moland, xxxix, 500, Sept. 17, 1758.) “Pour Jean-Jacques, il a beau écrire contre la comédie, tout Genève y court en foule.” (Ibid., 511, October 3.) “Je suis fâché que Rousseau écrive contre la comédie, après avoir fait des comédies.” (Ibid., 532, Nov. 16.)
Note 87 in page 120 Rousseau, Corr. gén., iv, 156.
Note 88 in page 120 Ibid., 269–270.
Note 89 in page 120 Ibid., 291.
Note 90 in page 120 Ibid., 336.
Note 91 in page 120 Ibid., v, 29.
Note 92 in page 120 Ibid., 32.
Note 93 in page 120 Italics mine.
Note 94 in page 120 Rousseau, Corr. gé., v, 135.
Note 95 in page 121 Moland, xl, 437.
Note 96 in page 121 Ibid., 438.
Note 97 in page 121 Ibid., 460. Cf. pp. 523, 561.
Note 98 in page 121 Rousseau, Corr. gên., x, 351.
Note 99 in page 121 Confessions (Hachette), viii, 388.
Note 100 in page 122 Rousseau, Corr. gen., v, 126.
Note 101 in page 122 Ibid.
Note 102 in page 122 Ibid., 127.
Note 103 in page 122 Ibid. Cf. 140.
Note 104 in page 122 Ibid., 127.
Note 105 in page 122 Ibid., 139. Cf. 153.
Note 106 in page 122 Ibid., 127.
Note 107 in page 122 Ibid., 129–130.
Note 108 in page 122 Rey replied negatively on the 23rd (ibid., 146) and added that he was writing to Formey. The latter's reply was inclosed with a letter of July 31 (ibid., 166), which is not reproduced in the Correspondance, presumably because it was similar to that received by Trublet on July 8 (cf. ibid., 158).
Note 109 in page 122 Ibid., 132.
Note 110 in page 122 2e édition (Paris, 1886), pp. 113–115.
Note 111 in page 123 Corr. gén., iii, 261.
Note 112 in page 123 Moland, xl, 111, note 1; 115.
Note 113 in page 123 Rousseau, Corr. gên., v, 139.
Note 114 in page 123 Ibid., 142.
Note 115 in page 123 Ibid., 143.
Note 116 in page 123 Ibid., 144.
Note 117 in page 123 Ibid., 140.
Note 118 in page 124 Ibid., 150.
Note 119 in page 124 Ibid., 144.
Note 120 in page 124 Ibid.
Note 121 in page 124 Ibid., 158. Cf. the copy found by Moultou in possession of a young German, who had brought it from Francfort (ibid., 321, Jan. 14, 1761).
Note 122 in page 124 Ibid., 139, 153.
Note 123 in page 124 Hachette, viii, 387.
Note 124 in page 124 Rousseau, Corr. gén., v, 274.
Note 125 in page 124 Ibid., 283. Cf. 287.
Note 126 in page 124 Hachette, viii, 363.
Note 127 in page 124 RHL, xv, 141.
Note 128 in page 125 Hachette, viii, 340.
Note 129 in page 125 Con. gên., v, 127.
Note 130 in page 125 Ibid., 134. Cf. ix, 259, 260. (April 28, 1763.)
Note 131 in page 125 Ibid., v, 310
Note 132 in page 125 “Convenu.” (Ibid., 144.)
Note 133 in page 125 Cf. supra, notes 42, 51, 52, 53, and text.
Note 134 in page 125 Rousseau, Corr. gên., v, 310. Cf. ix, 64.
Note 135 in page 125 Ibid., v, 321–322.
Note 135 in page 125 Ibid., vi, 336.
Note 137 in page 126 Ibid.
Note 138 in page 126 Ibid., 349.
Note 139 in page 126 Maugras observed ironically: “La petite anecdote que nous venons de raconter a dû édifier le lecteur sun la façon dont Rousseau comprenait les égards vis à vis de son ennemi.” (Op. cit., p. 116.)
Note 140 in page 126 Corr. gên., vii, 22.
Note 141 in page 126 Cf. supra, note 70 and text.
Note 142 in page 126 Corr. gen., vii, 63.
Note 143 in page 127 Dufour (Recherches, i, 66) prints: “que j'ai conservé.“
Note 144 in page 127 Corr. gén., ix, 151.
Note 145 in page 127 Ibid., 259. On Moulton's rôle in procuring a printed copy, cf. ibid., v, 321–322.
Note 146 in page 127 Ibid., ix, 260. This further confirms Rousseau's statement in his letter to Voltaire of June 17, 1760. Cf. supra, notes 61, 62, and text.
Note 147 in page 127 Ibid. Cf. v, 310.
Note 148 in page 127 Ibid., ix, 331.
Note 149 in page 127 Ibid., x, 91, 248.
Note 150 in page 127 Ibid., xi, 38. “Vous devez avoir receu la lettre imprimée de M. de Voltaire que vous m'avez redemandée et que je vous ai expédiée il y a quinse jours.” (Letter of Duchesne, May 6, 1764.)
Note 151 in page 127 This must have been the one read with pleasure by the Prince de Wurtemberg at the end of January, 1764. Cf. infra, note 157, and text.
Note 152 in page 127 Th. Dufour, Recherches, i, 66, 68.
Note 153 in page 127 Rousseau, Corr. gên., x, 274.
Note 154 in page 127 Cf. ibid., viii, 150.
Note 155 in page 127 Ibid., 186.
Note 156 in page 128 Critical edition of the Vicaire savoyard (Paris, 1914), p. xxxviii.
Note 157 in page 128 Rousseau, Corr. gén., x, 312.
Note 158 in page 128 Ibid.
Note 159 in page 128 Cf. supra, note 17 and text.
Note 160 in page 128 Ibid., x, 347. Cf. 351.
Note 161 in page 128 “Il y a quinse ans que je travaille pour me rendre digne de vos regards,” Rousseau had written to Voltaire in 1745 (Corr. gén., i, 275). Looking back on his early years with Mme de Warens, he recalled in his Confessions: “Rien de tout ce qu'écrivoit Voltaire ne nous échappoit” (Hachette, viii, 152).
129
Note 162 in page 128 His statement: “Cette lettre vous ayant été réellement addressée n'étoit point destinée à l'impression” (Corr. gên., v, 133) can hardly mean more than that he did not envisage publication without Voltaire's permission, which was asked, repeatedly (ibid., v, 134; vii, 63), and refused.
Note 163 in page 128 Moland, xxxviii, 453; Rousseau, Corr. gén., ii, 210.
Note 164 in page 128 In September, 1755, with the Orphelin de la Chine, and in October and November of the same year in the Mercure de France. (Cf. Moland, xxxviii, 446, note 1.)
Note 165 in page 128 Cf. my article, “The Conclusion of Voltaire's Poème sur le Désastre de Lisbonne, MLN, lvi (June, 1941), 422–426.
166 “D'ailleurs, plus votre second poème [Sur la Loi naturelle] m'enchante, plus je prends librement parti contre le premier [Sur Lisbonne].” (Corr. gén., ii, 304.)
Note 167 in page 128 Francis J. Crowley, Voltaire's Poème sur la Loi naturelle (University of California Press, 1938), p. 232.
Note 168 in page 130 Corr. gén., x, 347; Confessions (Hachette), viii, 308.
Note 169 in page 130 Ibid. Cf. supra, notes 17, 159, and text.
Note 170 in page 130 The Nouvelle Héloïse was finished by September, perhaps by February, 1758. (Cf. Daniel Mornet, La Nouoelle Héloïse, édition critique [Paris, 1925], i, 84–85). The first version of the Vicaire savóyard, anterior to the rest of Emile, dates likewise from 1757–58, according to Pierre-Maurice Masson. Cf. his critical edition of the Vicaire savoyard (Paris 1914), p. xxxviii.