That one of the most heedless vagrants in Europe, and as it happened one of the men of most extraordinary genius also, should have got a footing in the train of the ambassador of a great government, would naturally seem to him and others as chance's one critical stroke in his life.

In reality it was nothing.

The Count of Montaigu, his master, was one of the worst characters with whom Rousseau could for his own profit have been brought into contact.

In his professional quality he was not far from imbecile.

The folly and weakness of the government at Versailles during the reign of Lewis XV., and its indifference to competence in every department except perhaps partially in the fisc, was fairly illustrated in its absurd representative at Venice.