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Jean Jacques Rousseau Autograph Letter Signed. ...
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Description
Jean Jacques Rousseau Thanks a Benefactor During his Exile from France Just Days After Arriving at Refuge Provided by Frederick the Great
Jean Jacques Rousseau Autograph Letter Signed. One page of a
bifolium, 4 3/4 x 71/4 inches, A Môtters-travers [Môtiers]; July
24, 1762.A letter written in French to Madame Marianne-Françoise De Luze Warney, a Swiss aristocrat and patron to Rousseau during his exile. Translated into English, the letter reads:
"I see, Madam, with pleasure and acknowledgment that you have deigned to take care of me. Your memory and your care are precious to me, and if I ever go to Neufchatel, I will fulfill my duty with great eagerness to thank you for it. In the meantime, would you like me to ask you for the note of your expenses for which I hope you will spare yourself the trouble of writing a second time, if the first time you had been kind enough to indicate the amount to me? Accept once more, Madam, my very humble thanks, and jointly with Mr. De Luze the assurance of all my respect.
Rousseau."
Addressed to "Madam de Luze Warney" on the integral page verso.
Rousseau wrote this letter after being forced to flee France for the publication of his controversial 1762 piece, Emile, or On Education. One anti-clerical chapter that advocated for the rejection of Christianity in favor of "natural religion" so angered the French parliament that the governing body issued for the immediate arrest of the renowned thinker. Rousseau first traveled to Switzerland, where he also faced condemnation. Finding himself in need of a safe haven, Rousseau received support from Frederick the Great of Prussia who arranged for accommodations in Môtiers, fifteen miles from the Principality of Neuchâtel. It is here that Rousseau likely met Madame De Luze.
A Genevan philosopher, Rousseau is credited as one of the most important thinkers of the Age of Enlightenment. His works focused primarily on political and moral understandings of freedom, and his publications had ramifications across Europe, including moments of the French Revolution. Most notably, his 1755 Discourse on Inequality asserted that private property was the root of social inequality. In addition to his intellectual contributions, Rousseau produced a number of musical compositions and novels focused on the wonders of nature.
Condition: Creased along folds with dampstaining to the upper left corner. The integral page has small separations along the right margin and there is an open tear from the wax seal.
Auction Info
2023 December 15 Historical Platinum Session Signature® Auction #6280 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
December, 2023
15th
Friday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 2
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