The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-03-29
VII.


The authors conclusions are summed TN
at the end Of his tenth lecture. Here he
I replies TO the question, What novelties did
Rousseau introduce and what was his
double influence, political and literary,
Among the novelties NJ. Lemaitre sees first
Of all Rousseau's style, though on clone in.
speotionthis seems TO the lecturer an ancient
thing rediscovered and enriched. II has
been said Of Rousseau that he recreated
Bossuet's style; he at least adopted It's
grandeur and movement, It's harmonious,
complex and periodic phrases, HIS ON
struction is more closely knit together, Of
less free syntaE, more strictly correct DAD
that Of the great orator He seeks more
than BoSsuet antitheses and the music Of
words. His Is a singularly sensitive ear.
One Of the peculiaritles Of Rousseau's STYLE
which in this respect is the opposite Of
Matthew Arnold's-is the care with which
in the same phrase he avoids the repetition
Of words, replacing the ~substantives a.
much as possible by the personal pronoun,
demonstrative or possessive. "In a word,
Rousseau's style Ia very beautiful. II con-
tains, as has been said, that Of Bernardln
de Saint Pierre, that OF Georges Sand, that
Of Lemennsis and the 'argumentativs'
writers Of the nineteenth century, and.
much more than in germ, ChAteaubriand's
style. One certainly must acknowledge
that Rousseau's style gave elevation 10
French prose-
What other novelties did Rousseau brinEl
II has been said that he was a great re-
former Of manners, that he restored In
dividual morality by causing II to rest on
conscience, and domestic morality by
preaching respect for marriage and for
paternal and maternal duties. Our lee
turer comedies that there is truth in all
this, but all the same he suggests that
there is a little eXaggeration. II IL a mis-
take to assume that in R%ousseau'S time
morality had ceased to exist in France and
that nearly all the middle class wives and
mothers of Paris and the provinces had
become forgetful Of their duties to their
husbands and children. His influence on
the aristocracy has also been overratsd.
Because he persuaded a few young womSn
Of the highest class to nurse their babies
anu W INA u hNNiV iohboi III ~ COuHNIy
IL must not be inferred that he transformed
and ~regenerated French society. II has
also been said that he taught women TO
feel passion great true passion. which,
the implication Is, had been forgotten. A.
II Mile. de L~espinasse. Mile. d'Aisse-and
others doubtless who did not confde their
secrets TO the world-had the slightest
need Of his lessons.
On the other hand it is undeniable that
Rousseau influenced even bis contempora-
ries, rs well as their successors. by his
deism. He came to be really a religious
man, as NJ. Lemaitre has proved abund-
antly. As we have seen, he took position
as the declared antagonist Of the atheistios
encyclop edists, and that is why thsV hated
him His deism is not far removed from
C~hAteaubriand's sentimental Catholicity.
Moreover, during the early years Of the
nineteenth century It could De averred with
justice that IL Rousseau's influence had
led to a Jaoobin republic it contributed
soon afterward TO the Catholic RsUors-
tionH NJ w. n