Microsoft Word Byron and Scott 1809-1824

90: On St Helena. 
91: CHP III, 40, 3 (expanded). 
92: CHP III, 41, authorial note. 
93: CHP III, 46, 5-9. 
94: Augusta: Scott refers to The Castled Crag of Drachenfels. 
95: CHP III, 68, 9. 

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The next theme on which the poet rushes is the character of the enthusiastic and, as Lord Byron 
well terms him, ‘self-torturing sophist, wild Rousseau,’ a subject naturally suggested by the scenes in 
which that unhappy visionary dwelt, at war with all others, and by no means at peace with himself; an 
affected contemner of polished society, for whose applause he secretly panted, and a waster of 
eloquence in praise of the savage state in which his paradoxical reasoning, and studied, if not affected 
declamation, would never have procured him an instant’s notice. In the following stanza his character 
and foibles are happily treated. 
LXXX. 
‘His life was one long war with self-sought foes, 
Or friends by him self-banished; for his mind 
Had grown Suspicion’s sanctuary, and chose, 
For its own cruel sacrifice, the kind, 
’Gainst whom he raged with fury strange and blind. 
But he was phrenzied,—wherefore, who may know? 
Since cause might be which skill could never find; 
But he was phrenzied by disease or woe, 
To that worst pitch of all, which wears a reasoning show.’ [p.198] 
In another part of the poem this subject is renewed, where the traveller visits the scenery of La 
Nouvelle Eloïse. 
‘Clarens, sweet Clarens, birth-place of deep love, 
Thine air is the young breath of passionate thought; 
Thy trees take root in love; the snows above 
The very Glaciers have his colours caught, 
And sunset into rose-hues sees them wrought 
By rays which sleep there lovingly.’
96
There is much more of beautiful and animated description, from which it appears that the 
impassioned parts of Rousseau’s romance have made a deep impression upon the feelings of the noble 
poet. The enthusiasm expressed by Lord Byron is no small tribute to the power possessed by Jean 
Jacques over the passions; and to say truth, we needed some such evidence, for, though almost 
ashamed to avow the truth, which is probably very much to our own discredit,—still, like the barber of 
Midas, we must speak or die—we have never been able to feel the interest or discover the merit of this 
far-famed performance. That there is much eloquence in the letters we readily admit; there lay 
Rousseau’s strength. But his lovers, the celebrated St. Preux and Julie, have, from the earliest moment 
we have heard the tale (which we well remember) down to the present hour, totally failed to interest us. 
There might be some constitutional hardness of heart; but like Lance’s pebble-hearted cur, Crab, we 
remained dry-eyed while all wept around us.
97
And still, on resuming the volume, even now, we can 
see little in the loves of these two tiresome pedants to interest our feelings for either of them; we are by 
no means flattered by the character of Lord Edward Bomston, produced as the representative of the 
English nation,—and, upon the whole, consider the dullness of the story as the best apology for its 
exquisite immorality. To state our opinion in language much better than our own, we are unfortunate 
enough to regard this far-famed history of philosophical gallantry as an ‘unfashioned, indelicate, sour, 
gloomy, ferocious medley of pedantry and lewdness; of metaphysical speculations, blended with the 
coarsest sensuality.’
98
Neither does Rousseau claim a high rank with us on account of that Pythian 
inspiration which vented 
‘Those oracles which set the world in flame, 
Nor ceased to burn till kingdoms were no more.’
99
We agree with Lord Byron that this frenzied sophist, reasoning upon false principles, or rather 
presenting that show of reasoning which [p.199] is the worst pitch of madness, was a primary apostle 
of the French Revolution; nor do we differ greatly from his lordship’s conclusion that good and evil 
were together overthrown in that volcanic explosion. But when Lord Byron assures us, that after the 
successive changes of government by which the French legislators have attempted to reach a theoretic 
perfection of constitution, mankind must and will begin the same work anew, in order to do it better