Rousseau read of him only one part this last work, the History of the house of Stuart on the throne of England, in the translation of the Prévost abbot. As well their relation seems it to be placed on very an other plan as that of the ideas: Smells, after the judgment of the Emile, offers to Rousseau hospitality in England and Rousseau ends up accepting its in November 1765 proposal, after the proscription which drives out it island of Saint-Pierre.

They meet thus for the first time at Paris, in December 1765. Smells is then secretary of the ambassador of England in France (1763-1766), attends the most brilliant living rooms and the medium of the Encyclopedists. Those recognize their combat in that which “Hume brother” (Voltaire) carries out against the superstition and the prejudices, in favor of the tolerance and freedom to think. Rousseau has, him also, “any kind of prejudices in favor of Smells”, but they rest on a misunderstanding. The two philosophers are on the other hand one of the other, Hume rejecting the theory of the social contract so much - and, generally, research on the “principles of the political right” - that the republican tradition in which Rousseau fits. This one thus makes a misinterpretation by taking the Scottish philosopher for a “very republican heart”.

But the two men are not opposed less by their character that by their principles and it is difficult not to see in the particularly dark episode which one has habit to call the “quarrel Rousseau-Smells”, beyond his anecdotic character, the demonstration of these major divergences. More surprising in this “infernal business” is undoubtedly the publicity which was granted to him and which succeeds, after the various versions that each one gave some in its correspondence, with a report published by Hume under the title of brief Talk of the dispute which rose enters Hume and Rousseau, with the supporting documents (October 1766), written intended to make part with the memories that Rousseau was writing.

Consult the card on David Hume.