Another acquaintance I made much about the same time, but whichwas begun by letters, was that with M.Laliaud of Nimes, who wroteto me from Paris, begging I would send him my profile; he said hewas in want of it for my bust in marble, which Le Moine was making forhim to be placed in his library.If this was a pretense invented todeceive me, it fully succeeded.I imagined that a man who wished tohave my bust in marble in his library had his head full of my works,consequently of my principles, and that he loved me because his mindwas in unison with mine.It was natural this idea should seduce me.
I have since seen M.Laliaud.I found him very ready to render me manytrifling services, and to concern himself in my little affairs, butI have my doubts of his having, in the few books he ever read,fallen upon any one of those I have written.I do not know that he hasa library, or that such a thing is of any use to him; and for the busthe has a bad figure in plaster, by Le Moine, from which has beenengraved a hideous portrait that bears my name, as if it bore to mesome resemblance.
The only Frenchman who seemed to come to see me, on account of mysentiments, and his taste for my works, was a young officer of theregiment of Limousin, named Seguier de St.Brisson.He made a figurein Paris, where he still perhaps distinguishes himself by his pleasingtalents and wit.He came once to Montmorency, the winter whichpreceded my catastrophe.I was pleased with his vivacity.Heafterwards wrote to me at Motiers, and whether he wished to flatterme, or that his head was turned with Emile, he informed me he wasabout to quit the service to live independently, and had begun tolearn the trade of a carpenter.He had an elder brother, a captainin the same regiment, the favorite of the mother, who, a devotee toexcess, and directed by I know not what hypocrite, did not treat theyoungest son well, accusing him of irreligion, and what was stillworse, of the unpardonable crime of being connected with me.Thesewere the grievances, on account of which he was determined to breakwith his mother, and adopt the manner of life of which I have justspoken, all to play the part of the young Emile.Alarmed at thispetulance, I immediately wrote to him, endeavoring to make himchange his resolution, and my exhortations were as strong as I couldmake them.They had their effect.He returned to his duty, to hismother, and took back the resignation he had given to the colonel, whohad been prudent enough to make no use of it, that the young man mighthave time to reflect upon what he had done.St.Brisson, cured ofthese follies, was guilty of another less alarming, but, to me, notless disagreeable than the rest: he became an author.Hesuccessively published two or three pamphlets which announced a mannot devoid of talents, but I have not to reproach myself with havingencouraged him by my praises to continue to write.
Some time afterwards he came to see me, and we made together apilgrimage to the island of St.Pierre.During this journey I foundhim different from what I saw of him at Montmorency.He had, in hismanner, something affected, which at first did not much disgust me,although I have since thought of it to his disadvantage.He oncevisited me at the hotel de St.Simon, as I passed through Paris onmy way to England.land.learned there what he had not told me, thathe lived in the great world, and often visited Madam de Luxembourg.
Whilst I was at Trie, I never heard from him, nor did he so much asmake inquiry after me, by means of his relation MademoiselleSeguier, my neighbor.This lady never seemed favorably disposedtowards me.In a word, the infatuation of M.de St.Brisson endedsuddenly, like the connection of M.de Feins: but this man owed menothing, and the former was under obligations to me, unless thefollies I prevented him from committing were nothing more thanaffectation; which might very possibly be the case.
I had visits from Geneva also.The Delucs, father and son,successively chose me for their attendant in sickness.The fatherwas taken ill on the road, the son was already sick when he leftGeneva; they both came to my house.Ministers, relations,hypocrites, and persons of every description came from Geneva andSwitzerland, not like those from France, to laugh at and admire me,but to rebuke and catechise me.The only person amongst them, who gaveme pleasure, was Moultou, who passed with me three or four days, andwhom I wished to retain much longer; the most persevering of all,the most obstinate, and who conquered me by importunity, was a M.
d'Ivernois, a merchant at Geneva, a French refugee, and related to theattorney-general of Neuchatel.This man came from Geneva to Motierstwice a year, on purpose to see me, remained with me several daystogether from morning to night, accompanied me in my walks, brought mea thousand little presents, insinuated himself in spite of me intomy confidence, and intermeddled in all my affairs, notwithstandingthere was not between him and myself the least similarity of ideas,inclination, sentiment, or knowledge.I do not believe he ever reada book of any kind throughout, or that he knows upon what subject mineare written.When I began to herbalize, he followed me in my botanicalrambles, without taste for that amusement, or having anything to sayto me or I to him.He had the patience to pass with me three days in apublic house at Goumoins, whence, by wearying him and making himfeel how much he wearied me, I was in hopes of driving him.I couldnot, however, shake his incredible perseverance, nor by any meansdiscover the motive of it.