Môtiers
© Collection Jean-Jacques Monney, Geneva
Worried by the Bernese authorities, Jean-Jacques Rousseau must leave Yverdon in July 1762. It then finds refuge at Mrs Boy of the Tower, the niece of Daniel Roguin, in Môtiers. Located in Valley-of-Through, this village depends on the principality of Neuchâtel, and Rousseau hastens to ask for the authorization of remain in Môtiers: the king of Prussia, on which this area depends, grants his protection then to him.
In the vicinity of village, Jean-Jacques herborizes with doctor d' Ivernois and finds the occasion of new walks. Also thinks he of settling definitively in Môtiers:
“I found the stay of Môtiers extremely pleasant, and to determine me to finish my days there I missed only one assured subsistence; but one saw there rather dearly”
(Confessions).
Rousseau, however, is distinguished too obviously moreover from the population which, for example, is astonished to see it equipped in Armenian. Especially, between October 1763 and May 1764, it writes the Written letters of the mountain, which cause a real scandal.
The vicar of Môtiers, Montmollin, with which Rousseau maintained positive ratios hitherto, condemns the writings of the philosopher and, according to the Confessions, the insult in front of the population: on September 6th, 1765, one launches stones against the house of Jean-Jacques who, very cut down, leaves Môtiers on on September 8th.