Confessions of Jean-Jacques Rousseau Book 12, 1765 Summary

  • Rousseau's refutation of Letters written from the Country, the aptly-named Letters from the Mountain, is finally making a stir.
  • On the night of the Motiers fair, some rabble-rousers throw stones at Rousseau's home and threaten to become violent.
  • Rousseau takes this as his cue. He plans to go stay under the protection of Lord Walpole on the island of Saint-Pierre. Once there, Rousseau plans to hang out and be idle.
  • Oh, and he loves botany. Why not dedicate himself to a life of tending to plants?
  • Alas, it's not to be. The governor of Nidau, ruler of the territory, orders Rousseau to get out.
  • Rousseau scrambles to find a new place to go. He thinks he'll head over to Berlin, but he ends up in England.
  • This is the end, folks. Rousseau has been reading this entire volume to the Count and Countess d'Egmont and some other pals.
  • Now that he's told the whole truth, everyone can determine whether to judge him.
  • Countess d'Egmont seems like the only person moved by his final declaration, but she quickly controls her emotion.