[Born at Geneva, 1712. Died at Ermenonville, in France, 1778. Aged
66.]
This singular and morally-distempered man, was endowed by nature with a
warm imagination, a teeming fancy, and ardent feeling; but his whole
nature was unhinged, by the absence of conscientiousness and directing
principle. He was not only self-loving and vain, but self-engrossed. His
early life was passed in reading romances, and in the loose indulgence
of his weaknesses and passions. Yet his pen was a potent one, and, even
more than that of Voltaire, helped to bring about the Revolution in
France, and all its social blasphemies. Whilst Voltaire, with his bright
and sharpened wit, cut away the cable that held religion to its
moorings, Rousseau penetrated to the households of men, invaded their
firesides, and poisoned their hearts. His writings were new,
fascinating, and eloquent; abounding in highly-wrought descriptions of
nature, and in what seemed genuine bursts of passion. His philosophy
attributed all vices to civilization, to the existence of property, and
to the tyranny of governments. His career was as disgraceful to himself,
as his works proved detrimental to the happiness of others. He committed
frequent thefts in his youth, and behaved with infamous ingratitude
towards his benefactress, Madame de Warens, who saved him from
threatened starvation; yet was left by him to starve in later days, when
the condition in life of both had changed. With all his profound
sentiment, Rousseau was a cold-blooded and cruel man. He was a subtle,
independent, and original inquirer.
[From the bronze in the Louvre which bears the name of Houdon, 1778.
The treatment is in the antique manner. The drapery is a mantle, and
the head is bound with a fillet. This bust has an especial interest,
from its having been executed from a cast taken after death by Houdon,
who was sent for to Ermenonville immediately after the decease of
Rousseau, by M. de Girardin, with whom he lived. The original cast
still exists, and shows its genuineness by the scar on the forehead,
caused by Rousseau’s falling from his chair; an accident which gave
rise to the report that he had shot himself.]
247*. JEAN DARCET. _Chemist and Physician._
[Born at Douazit, in France, 1725. Died in Paris, 1801. Aged 76.]
Disinherited by his father for preferring the study of natural
philosophy to that of jurisprudence; but befriended by Montesquieu, who
appointed him tutor to his sons. His great discovery was the composition
of porcelain. He artificially formed from minerals, found in France, the
earth of which porcelain is made, and which exists in a natural state in
Saxony, where the law forbade its exportation. The first to extract
gelatine from bones, and soda from the sea water. Director of the
Gobelins and of the Sèvres manufactories.
[Bust to come.]