our minds with high ideas of the wild philoſopher. When he came into the walks of men, we know alas! how much theſe ideas ſuffered.
He entertained me very courteouſly; for I was recommended to him by my honoured friend the Earl Mariſchal, with whom I had the happineſs of travelling through a part of Germany. I had heard that M. Rouſſeau had ſome correſpondence with the Corſicans, and had been deſired to aſſiſt them in forming their laws. I told him my ſcheme of going to viſit them, after I had compleated my tour of Italy; and I inſiſted that he ſhould give me a letter of introduction. He immediately agreed to do ſo, whenever I ſhould acquaint him of my time of going thither; for he ſaw that my enthuſiaſm for the brave iſlanders was as warm as his own.
I accordingly wrote to him from Rome, in April 1765, that I had fixed the month of September for my Corſican expedition, and therefore begged of him to send me the letter of introduction, which if he refuſed, I ſhould certainly go without it, and probably be hanged as a ſpy. So let him anſwer for the conſequences.
The wild philoſopher was a man of his word; and on my arrival at Florence in Auguſt, I received the following letter:
