This patriotic soul and powerful mind, who had managed to profit by the energetic passions of his compatriots whilst momentarily repressing their intestine quarrels, dreamed of an ideal constitution for his island; he sent to ask for one of J.J.

Rousseau, who was still in Switzerland, and whom he invited to Corsica.

The philosophical chimeras of Paoli soon vanished before a piece of crushing news.

The Genoese, weary of struggling unsuccessfully against the obstinate determination of the Corsicans, and unable to clear off the debts which they had but lately incurred to Louis XV., had proposed to M.de Choiseul to cede to France their ancient rights over Corsica, as security for their liabilities.

A treaty, signed at Versailles on the 15th of May, 1768, authorized the king to perform all acts of sovereignty in the places and forts of Corsica; a separate article accorded to Genoa an indemnity of two millions.
A cry arose in Corsica.