contents; she took it to church with her. This was in Lent 1763, when she was barely nine. Without knowing it she had become a Republican, and would often weep at not being a native of Sparta or Rome. Henceforth she was ripe for the Revolution.
By-and-by she became absorbed in Telemachus and in Tasso's Jerusalem Delivered. She used to put herself in the place of the fictitious heroines; and while fancying herself Eucharis or Erminia, her heart used to beat and her voice to falter with emotion. Sometimes her mother would request her to read from one or other of these books, but there were certain passages which she felt so acutely that no entreaties would have prevailed on her to utter them aloud. Having on one occasion observed her mother reading one of the identical works which she had previously perused with considerable inward misgivings, she now went more openly to work in her studies, and the obliging young apprentice seemed to buy books on purpose for her to read.
Voltaire followed next in order; and on one occasion the little girl was discovered by a stout, forbidding old lady, who had come to call on her mother, deeply engrossed in Candide! Solemn remonstrances being addressed by this officious visitor to Madame Phlipon, the child was ordered to put the book back in its place. In spite of this momentary prohibition, her parents never in any way interfered with her reading, unless the mother kept Rousseau out of her reach, which Madame Roland thought possible, as, with the former's deep knowledge of her daughter, she would apprehend no really bad influence from the writings of Voltaire, while dreading that of Rousseau on her susceptible temperament. Whether from design or accident,
