ROUSSEAU JEAN-JACQUES: (1712-1778) French Writer and Philosopher. An interesting autograph manuscript, one page, 4to, n.p., [Paris], n.d. (c.1745), in French. The page of manuscript, in Rousseau's hand, is from his unpublished work relating to the history of women and laws which he prepared between 1745-51 for his benefactress Louise Marie Madeleine Dupin. Rousseau writes his text in the right column of the page, the left reserved for additional notes. Rousseau refers to the hatter´s job, and writes a text of ten lines, being one of the orders-decrees given by Kings of France which he resumed in his work Ordonnances des Rois de France, (“Ordinances of the Kings of France”), and identifies it as taken from `Ordon[nances] des R[ois] de Fr[ance], L[ivre] 4, p[age] 702´, stating `…par l´article 2 d´un réglement donné par le Roy Charles 5 pour le métier des chapeliers en 1366, que les ouvriers et compagnons ne pourront travailler que pour ceux qui sont Maitres, fils de Maitre, ou pour les f[emmes] qui ont aussi la maitrise´ (“…according to the article 2 of the regulation established by King Charles V related to the hatter´s job in 1366, the workers and companions will only be allowed to work for those who are masters, sons of masters or for the w[omen] who also have the mastery”) Overall very small age tone with right and bottom edges very slightly trimmed. G

 

At the time Rousseau wrote these pages, between 1745 and 1751, he was working as secretary to his benefactress Louise Marie Madeleine Dupin.

Charles V “The Wise” (1338-1380) King of France.