this was a general edition of my works.I thought this edition of themnecessary to ascertain what books, amongst those to which my namewas affixed, were really written by me, and to furnish the public withthe means of distinguishing them from the writings falselyattributed to me by my enemies, to bring me to dishonor andcontempt.This was besides a ****** and an honorable means of insuringto myself a livelihood, and the only one that remained to me.As I hadrenounced the profession of an author, my memoirs not being of anature to appear during my lifetime; and as I no longer gained afarthing in any manner whatsoever, and constantly lived at a certainexpense, I saw the end of my resources in that of the produce of thelast things I had written.This reason had induced me to hasten thefinishing of my Dictionary of Music, which still was incomplete.I hadreceived for it a hundred louis and a life annuity of three hundredlivres; but a hundred louis could not last long in the hands of aman who annually expended upwards of sixty, and three hundred livres ayear was but a trifling sum to one upon whom parasites and beggarlyvisitors lighted like a swarm of flies.
A company of merchants from Neuchatel came to undertake thegeneral edition, and a printer or bookseller of the name of Reguillat,from Lyons, thrust himself, I know not by what means, amongst themto direct it.The agreement was made upon reasonable terms, andsufficient to accomplish my object.I had in print and manuscript,matter for six volumes in quarto.I moreover agreed to give myassistance in bringing out the edition.The merchants were, on theirpart, to pay me a thousand crowns down, and to assign me an annuity ofsixteen hundred livres for life.
The agreement was concluded but not signed, when the Letters fromthe Mountain appeared.The terrible explosion caused by thisinfernal work, and its abominable author, terrified the company, andthe undertaking was at an end.
I would compare the effect of this last production to that of theletter on French Music, had not that letter, while it brought uponme hatred, and exposed me to danger, acquired me respect and esteem.
But after the appearance of the last work, it was matter ofastonishment at Geneva and Versailles, that such a monster as theauthor of it should be suffered to exist.The little council,excited by Resident de France, and directed by the attorney-general,made a declaration against my work, by which, in the most severeterms, it was declared to be unworthy of being burned by the handsof the hangman, adding, with an address which bordered upon theburlesque, there was no possibility of speaking of or answering itwithout dishonor.I would here transcribe the curious piece ofcomposition, but unfortunately I have it not by me.I ardently wishsome of my readers, animated by the zeal of truth and equity, wouldread over the Letters from the Mountain: they will, I dare hope,feel the stoical moderation which reigns throughout the whole, afterall the cruel outrages with which the author was loaded.But unable toanswer the abuse, because no part of it could be called by thatname, nor to the reasons because these were unanswerable, my enemiespretended to appear too much enraged to reply: and it is true, if theytook the invincible arguments it contains for abuse, they must havefelt themselves roughly treated.
The remonstrating party, far from complaining of the odiousdeclaration, acted according to the spirit of it, and instead of****** a trophy of the Letters from the Mountain, which they veiled tomake them serve as a shield, were pusillanimous enough not to dojustice or honor to that work, written to defend them, and at theirown solicitation.They did not either quote or mention the letters,although they tacitly drew from them all their arguments, and byexactly following the advice with which they conclude, made them thesole cause of their safety and triumph.They had imposed on me thisduty: I had fulfilled it, and unto the end had served their causeand the country.I begged of them to abandon me, and in their quarrelsto think of nobody but themselves.They took me at my word, and Iconcerned myself no more about their affairs, further thanconstantly to exhort them to peace, not doubting, should they continueto be obstinate, of their being crushed by France; this however didnot happen; I know the reason why it did not, but this is not theplace to explain what I mean.