ROUSSEAU JEAN-JACQUES: (1712-1778) French Writer and Philosopher. A curious and very interesting autograph manuscript, two pages, 4to, n.p., [Paris], n.d. (c.1745), in French. The two full pages manuscript, in Rousseau's hand, is from his unpublished work relating to the history of women and laws which he prepared between 1745 and 1751 for his benefactress Louise Marie Madeleine Dupin. Rousseau writes his text in the right column of the page, the left reserved for additional notes. Rousseau refers to the causes of repudiation of women in history, and writes six causes of few lines each, being taken from what he identifies as `Novell. Constit. 108 art. 384´, stating in part `1º Si elle a su quelque conspiration contre l´Empereur et qu´elle n´en ait pas averti son mari - 2º Si la femme est trouvée coupable d´adultère; alors le mari s´approprie non seulement de la dot… 4º Si elle a demeuré hors de la maison, excepté chez son père et sa mère, contre la volonté du mari - 5º Si elle a été au Cirque ou autre spectacle contre la défense ou même sans la permission du mari - 6º Si contre la defensse de son mari elle a mangé avec des étrangers, ou qu´elle ait été au bain avec des hommes´ (“1º If she knew of any conspiracy against the Emperor and did not inform her husband of it - 2º If the wife is found guilty of adultery; then the husband keeps not only the dowry… 4º If she has stayed out of the house, except with her father and mother, against the will of the husband - 5º If she has been to the Circus or another show against the refusal or even without the permission of the husband - 6º If against the refusal of her husband she ate with strangers, or bathed with men”) To the last paragraph Rousseau adds a reason according to which the husband will not be able to repudiate his wife, saying `Que si le mari la chasse de sa maison sans aucune des causes ci-dessus spécifiées, de sorte que n´ayant ni Père ni Mère elle ait été contrainte de passer la nuit dehors. Il est ordonné que le mari n´aura point pour cela droit de la répudier´ (“That if the husband drives her out of his house without any of the causes specified above, so that having neither Father nor Mother she was forced to spend the night outside. It is ordained that the husband shall not therefore have the right to repudiate her”) Small overall minor age tone, mostly to edges, with right and bottom edges slightly trimmed. G

 

At the time Rousseau wrote these pages, between 1745 and 1751, he was working as secretary to his benefactress Louise Marie Madeleine Dupin.