mine, which was quite ready, fearing obstacles might arise relative to
the impression of it, should the magistrate or my enemies hear of what I
had done. This work was, however known in France before the publication;
but government chose rather to let it appear, than to suffer me to guess
at the means by which my secret had been discovered. Concerning this I
will state what I know, which is but trifling: what I have conjectured
shall remain with myself.

I received, at Motiers, almost as many visits as at the Hermitage and
Montmorency; but these, for the most part were a different kind. They
who had formerly come to see me were people who, having taste, talents,
and principles, something similar to mine, alleged them as the causes of
their visits, and introduced subjects on which I could converse. At
Motiers the case was different, especially with the visitors who came
from France. They were officers or other persons who had no taste for
literature, nor had many of them read my works, although, according to
their own accounts, they had travelled thirty, forty, sixty, and even a
hundred leagues to come and see me, and admire the illustrious man, the
very celebrated, the great man, etc. For from the time of my settling at
Motiers, I received the most impudent flattery, from which the esteem of
those with whom I associated had formerly sheltered me. As but few of my
new visitors deigned to tell me who or what they were, and as they had
neither read nor cast their eye over my works, nor had their researches
and mine been directed to the same objects, I knew not what to speak to
them upon: I waited for what they had to say, because it was for them to
know and tell me the purpose of their visit. It will naturally be
imagined this did not produce conversations very interesting to me,
although they, perhaps, were so to my visitors, according to the
information they might wish to acquire; for as I was without suspicion,
I answered without reserve, to every question they thought proper to ask