An autograph fair copy made by Rousseau for the printer Marc-Michel Rey in Amsterdam, with some minor corrections, revisions and additions throughout. Bound in two volumes: parts 1-3 (paginated by Rousseau 1-3 (preface); 1-196; [1] (title page for part 2, signed); 1-144; 1-139) in vol. 1; and parts 4-6 (paginated by Rousseau 1-191; 1-161; [1-3] (preface); 1-159) in vol. 2. Each part is titled "Lettres de deux amans, habitants d'une petite ville aux pieds des Alpes." A later hand has added "La Nouvelle Héloïse" to p. 1 of vol. 1.
Date of writing based on a letter from Rousseau to Rey, dated Montmorenci, 14 March 1759, in which Rousseau discusses his intention to copy and send Julie to Rey in monthly installments, hoping to have the project completed by November. (He remarks: "Je veux tenir l'engagement que j'ai pris avec vous au sujet de la Julie. J'ai examiné l'état du manuscrit, et ne le trouvant pas assés net pour vous être envoyé dans cet état, je prends le parti de le recopier en entier, et je vous enverrai la copie partie par partie à mesure qu'elle sera faite. Je compte que la prémiére partie partira le dernier du mois prochain, et je tâcherai de vous envoyer les autres de mois en mois en sorte que vous ayez receu le tout dans le courant de novembre au plus tard.")--Cf. R. A. Leigh, ed. Correspondance complète de Jean Jacques Rousseau: 1759. (Geneva: Institut et Musée Voltaire, 1965-1998) vol. 6, p. 43-46, no. 788.
Formerly housed in a contemporary decorative pull-off box of red leather and paper, with green leather panel on spine and heavily gilt-tooled spine, which was made to hold both volumes. The volumes are no longer housed in the old box; but the box has been retained.
Marc-Michel Rey printed the original edition (the only one acceptable to Rousseau) from this manuscript.--Cf. Books and Manuscripts from the Heineman Collection (New York: Pierpont Morgan Library, 1963), p. 45-46.
The manuscript has been digitized.
With a note on the front pastedown of the first volume concerning the manuscript, initialed by Henry Seymour and dated March, 1837.