"We arrived at the habitation of the Hermits a little before they sat down to their table, and while they were still at church.

J.J.Rousseau proposed to me to offer up our devotions.

The hermits were reciting the Litanies of Providence, which are remarkably beautiful.

After we had addressed our prayers to God, and the hermits were proceeding to the refectory, Rousseau said to me, with his heart overflowing, 'At this moment I experience what is said in the gospel: Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

There is here a feeling of peace and happiness which penetrates the soul.' I said, 'If Finelon had lived, you would have been a Catholic.' He exclaimed, with tears in his eyes, 'Oh, if Finelon were alive, I would struggle to get into his service, even as a lackey!'" In my sketch of Saint Pierre, it will be seen that I have somewhat antedated the period of his old age.
At that time he was not probably more than fifty.