ROUSSEAU JEAN-JACQUES: (1712-1778) French Writer and Philosopher. A curious and very interesting autograph manuscript, two pages, 4to, n.p., [Paris], n.d. (c.1745), in French. The two full pages manuscript, in Rousseau's hand, is from his unpublished work relating to the history of women and laws which he prepared between 1745 and 1751 for his benefactress Louise Marie Madeleine Dupin, born Fontaine. Rousseau writes his text in the right column of the page, the left reserved for additional notes. Rousseau refers to the thesis of gender equality and mentions different countries in the world and ancient civilizations where and when women carried out tasks today considered more typical of man, stating in part `Les Egyptiens travaillaient aux laines dans les logis, pendant que les femmes négociaient et agissaient au dehors. Eusebe témoigne la même chose des Gétules, peoples de l´ancienne Médie. Les femmes Scythes, Gauloises et Lybiennes faisaient toutes les fonctions qu´on regarde ailleurs comme appurtenant aux hommes… suivant le témoignage d´Antoine Diogène rapport dans la Bibliothèque de Photius, les femmes faisaient la guerre, et les hommes avaient soin du ménage et gouvernaient l´intérieur de la maison. Dans une province du Pérou, les femmes labourent, tandis que les hommes causent et filent…´ (Translation: “The Egyptians worked on wool in their homes, while the women negotiated and acted outside. Eusebius gives testimony of the same behaviour about the Getulians, people of ancient Media. Scythian, Gaulish and Libyan women performed all the functions that are elsewhere considered to belong to men... according to the testimony of Antony Diogenes reported in the Library of Photius, women made war, and men took care of the household and governed inside the house. In a province of Peru, women plow, while men chat…”) An excellent content document which remains highly present nowadays. Small overall age wear, mostly to edges, otherwise G

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