ROUSSEAU JEAN-JACQUES: (1712-1778) French Writer and Philosopher. A very interesting autograph manuscript, one page, 4to, n.p., [Paris], n.d. (c.1745), in French. The page manuscript, in Rousseau's hand, refers to a passage from the Code of Justinian in support of women´s rights and is from his unpublished work relating to the history of women and laws which he prepared between 1745 and 1751 for his benefactress Louise Marie Madeleine Dupin, born Fontaine.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 where he annotates the provenance of the text `Novel: Const: 87 art. 333´, referring to the “Novellae Constitutiones”, the Code of Emperor Justinian, Rousseau stating in part `Si la femme ou un autre pour elle a promis la dotte, qu´ils ayent offert de la payer et que par la négligence du mari elle n´ait pas été reçue, il faut à la dissolution du mariage par mort ou autrement, que la dotte soit censée avoir été reçue. De sorte que si la femme a quelque chose à prétendre par don avant les noces, elle est en droit de l´exiger, quoiqu´elle n´ait point délivré de dot, parce qu´il n´a tenu qu´au mari de la recevoir…´ (Translation: “If the wife or another person on her behalf has promised the dowry they have offered to pay it and if through the negligence of the husband it has not been received, it is necessary for the dissolution of the marriage by death or otherwise, that the dowry is deemed to have been received. So that if the woman has something to claim by gift before the wedding, she is entitled to demand it, although she has not delivered a dowry, because it was only up to the husband to receive it…”) 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.