It was during one of these walks on a hot summer afternoon, that he first thought of that memorable literary effort, the essay against civilisation.

He sank down at the foot of a tree, and feverishly wrote a page or two to show to his friend.

He tells us that but for Diderot's encouragement he should hardly have executed his design.

There is a story that it was Diderot who first suggested to Rousseau to affirm that arts and sciences had corrupted manners.

There is no violent improbability in this.