wrote Hume from Paris, “but no nation was ever so proud of genius as this, and no person ever so much engaged their attention as Rousseau!  Voltaire and everybody else are quite eclipsed by him.”  Even Theresa Le Vasseur, who was declared very homely and very awkward, was more talked of than the Princess of Morocco or the Countess of Egmont, on account of her fidelity towards him.  His very dog had a name and reputation in the world.[352] Rousseau is always said to have liked the stir which his presence created, but whether this was so or not, he was very impatient to be away from it as soon as possible.

In company with Hume, he left Paris in the second week of January 1766.  They crossed from Calais to Dover by night in a passage that lasted twelve hours.  Hume, as the orthodox may be glad to know, was extremely ill, while Rousseau cheerfully passed the whole night upon deck, taking no harm, though the seamen were almost frozen to death.[353] They reached London on the thirteenth of January, and the people of London showed nearly as lively an interest in the strange personage whom Hume had brought among them, as the people of Paris had done.  A prince of the blood at once went to pay his respects to the Swiss philosopher.  The crowd at the playhouse showed more curiosity when the stranger came in than when the king and queen entered.  Their majesties were as interested as their subjects, and could scarcely keep their eyes off the author of Emilius.  George III., then in the heyday of his youth, was so pleased to have a foreigner of genius seeking shelter in his kingdom, that he readily acceded to Conway’s suggestion, prompted by Hume, that Rousseau should have a pension settled on him.  The ever illustrious Burke, then just made member of Parliament, saw him nearly every day, and became persuaded that “he entertained no principle either to influence his heart, or guide his understanding, but vanity."[354] Hume, on the contrary, thought the best things of his client; “He has an excellent warm heart, and in conversation kindles often to a degree of heat which looks like inspiration; I love him much, and hope that I have some share in his affections....  He is a very modest, mild, well-bred, gentle-spirited and warm-hearted man, as ever I knew in my life.  He is also to appearance very sociable.  I never saw a man who seems better calculated for good company, nor who seems to take more pleasure in it.”  “He is a very agreeable, amiable man; but a great humorist.  The philosophers of Paris foretold to me that I could not conduct him to Calais without a quarrel; but I think I could live with him all my life in mutual friendship and esteem.  I believe one great source of our concord is that neither he nor I are disputatious, which is not the case with any of them.  They are also displeased with him, because they think he over-abounds in religion; and it is indeed remarkable that the philosopher of this age who has been most persecuted, is by far the most devout."[355]