D'Alembert, who
in his note said the work. gave me a decided superiority, and ought to
place me at the head of men of letters, did not sign what he wrote,
although he had signed every note I had before received from him.
Duclos, a sure friend, a man of veracity, but circumspect, although he
had a good opinion of the work, avoided mentioning it in his letters
to me. La Condomine fell upon the Profession of Faith, and wandered
from the subject. Clairaut confined himself to the same part; but he
was not afraid of expressing to me the emotion which the reading of it
had caused in him, and in the most direct terms wrote to me that it
had warmed his old imagination: of all those to whom I had sent my
book, he was the only person who spoke freely what he thought of it.
Mathas, to whom also I had given a copy before the publication, lent
it to M. de Blaire, counselor in the parliament of Strasbourg. M. de
Blaire had a country-house at St. Gratien, and Mathas, his old
acquaintance, sometimes went to see him there. He made him read
Emile before it was published. When he returned it to him, M. de
Blaire expressed himself in the following terms, which were repeated
to me the same day: "M. Mathas, this is a very fine work, but it
will in a short time be spoken of more than, for the author, might
be wished." I laughed at the prediction, and saw in it nothing more
than the importance of a man of the robe, who treats everything with
an air of mystery. All the alarming observations repeated to me made
no impression upon my mind, and, far from foreseeing the catastrophe
so near at hand, certain of the utility and excellence of my work, and
that I had in every respect conformed to established rules; convinced,
as I thought I was that I should be supported by all the credit of
M.
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