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Introduction.

Early Letters to John Wilkes.

Holbach's family.

Relations with Diderot, Rousseau, Hume, Garrick and other important persons of the century.

Estimate of Holbach. His character and personality.

Miscellaneous Works.

Translations of German Scientific Works.

Translations of English Deistical Writers.

Voltaire's correspondence on the subject.

Goethe's sentiment.

Refutations and criticisms.

Holbach's philosophy.

Five unpublished letters to John Wilkes.

BIBLIOGRAPHY.

BARON D'HOLBACH

A une extr?me justesse d'esprit il joignait une simplicit? de moeurs tout-?-fait antique et patriarcale.

INTRODUCTION

Diderot, writing to the Princess Dashkoff in 1771, thus analysed the spirit of his century:

Chaque si?cle a son esprit qui le caract?rise. L'esprit du n?tre semble ?tre celui de la libert?. La premi?re attaque contre la superstition a ?t? violente, sans mesure. Une fois que les hommes ont os? d'une mani?re quelconque donner l'assaut ? la barri?re de la religion, cette barri?re la plus formidable qui existe comme la plus respect?e, il est impossible de s'arr?ter. D?s qu'ils ont tourn? des regards mena?ants contre la majest? du ciel, ils ne manqueront pas le moment d'apr?s de les diriger contre la souverainet? de la terre. Le c?ble qui tient et comprime l'humanit? est form? de deux cordes, l'une ne peut c?der sans que l'autre vienne ? rompre.

The following study proposes to deal with this attack on religion that preceded and helped to prepare the French Revolution. Similar phenomena are by no means rare in the annals of history; eighteenth-century atheism, however, is of especial interest, standing as it does at the end of a long period of theological and ecclesiastical disintegration and prophesying a reconstruction of society on a purely rational and naturalistic basis. The anti-theistic movement has been so obscured by the less thoroughgoing tendency of deism and by subsequent romanticism that the real issue in the eighteenth century has been largely lost from view. Hence it has seemed fit to center this study about the man who stated the situation with the most unmistakable and uncompromising clearness, and who still occupies a unique though obscure position in the history of thought.

The sources are in a sense full and reliable for certain phases of his life and literary activity. His own publications, numbering about fifty, form the most important body of source material for the history and development of his ideas. Next in importance are contemporary memoirs and letters including those of Voltaire, Rousseau, Diderot, Grimm, Morellet, Marmontel, Mme. d'Epinay, Naigeon, Garat, Galiani, Hume, Garrick, Wilkes, Romilly and others; and scattered letters by Holbach himself, largely to his English friends. In addition there is a large body of contemporary hostile criticism of his books, by Voltaire, Frederick II, Castillon, Holland, La Harpe, Delisle de Sales and a host of outraged ecclesiastics, so that one is well informed in regard to the scandal that his books caused at the time. Out of these materials and other scattered documents and notices it is possible to reconstruct--though somewhat defectively--the figure of a man who played an important r?le in his own day; but whose name has long since lost its significance--even in the ears of scholars. It is at the suggestion of Professor James Harvey Robinson that this reconstruction has been made. If it shall prove of any interest or value he must be credited with the initiation of the idea as well as constant aid in its realization. For rendering possible the necessary investigations, recognition is due to the administration and officers of the Biblioth?que Nationale, the British Museum, the Library of Congress, the Libraries of Columbia and Harvard Universities, Union and Andover Theological Seminaries, and the Public Libraries of Boston and New York.

M. P. C.

NEW YORK CITY,

July, 1914.

Paul Heinrich Dietrich, or as he is better known, Paul-Henri Thiry, baron d'Holbach, was born in January, 1723, in the little village of Heidelsheim in the Palatinate. Of his parentage and youth nothing is known except that his father, a rich parvenu, according to Rousseau, brought him to Paris at the age of twelve, where he received the greater part of his education. His father died when Holbach was still a young man. It may be doubted if young Holbach inherited his title and estates immediately as there was an uncle "Messire Francois-Adam, Baron d'Holbach, Seigneur de H?eze, L?ende et autres Lieux" who lived in the rue Neuve S. Augustin and died in 1753. His funeral was held at Saint-Roch, his parish church, Thursday, September 16th, where he was afterward entombed. Holbach was a student in the University of Leyden in 1746 and spent a good deal of time at his uncle's estate at H?eze, a little town in the province of North Brabant . He also traveled and studied in Germany. There are two manuscript letters in the British Museum addressed by Holbach to John Wilkes, which throw some light on his school-days. It is interesting to note that most of Holbach's friends were young Englishmen of whom there were some twenty-five at the University of Leyden at that time. Already at the age of twenty-three Holbach was writing very good English, and all his life he was a friend of Englishmen and English ideas. His friendship for Wilkes, then a lad of nineteen, lasted all his life and increased in intimacy and dignity. The two letters following are of interest because they are the only documents we have bearing on Holbach's early manhood. They reveal a certain sympathy and feeling--rather gushing to be sure--quite unlike anything in his later writings, and quite out of line with the supposedly cold temper of a materialist and an atheist.

HOLBACH TO WILKES

H?EZE Aug. 9, 1746

A few days before my departure from Leyden I receiv'd a letter from Mr Freeman from Berlin, he seams vastly pleas'd with our Germany, and chiefly with Hambourg where a beautiful lady has taken in his heart the room of poor Mss. Vitsiavius, my prophesy was just; traveling seems to have alter'd a good deal his melancholy disposition as I may conjecture by his way of writing. He desired his service to you. As to me, Idleness renders me every day more philosopher every passion is languishing within me, I retain but one in a warm degree, viz, friendship in which you share no small part. I took a whim to study a little Physic accordingly I purchased several books in that Way, and my empty hours here are employ'd with them. I am sure your time will be much better employ'd at Alesbury you'll find there a much nobler entertainment Cupid is by far Lovlier than Esculapius, however I shall not envy your happiness, in the Contrary I wish that all your desires be crown'd with success, that a Passion that proves fatal to great many of men be void of sorrow for you, that all the paths of love be spred over with flowers in one Word that you may not address in vain to the charming Mss. M. I am almost tempted to fall in love with that unknown beauty, 't would not be quite like Don Quixotte for your liking to her would be for me a very strong prejudice of her merit, which the poor Knight had not in his love for Dulcinea.

I shall not ask your pardon for the length of this letter I am sure friendship will forgive the time I steal to Love however I cannot give up so easily a conversation with a true friend with whom I fancy to speak yet in one of those delightfull evening walks at Leyden. It is a dream, I own it, but it is so agreable one to me that nothing but reality could be compared to the pleasure I feel: let me therefore insist a little more upon't and travel with my Letter, we are gone! I think to be at Alesbury! there I see my Dear Wilkes! What a Flurry of Panions! Joy! fear of a second parting! what charming tears! what sincere Kisses!--but time flows and the end of this Love is now as unwelcome to me, as would be to another to be awaken'd in the middle of a Dream wherein he is going to enjoy a beloved mistress; the enchantment ceases, the delightfull images vanish, and nothing is left to me but friendship, which is of all my possessions the fairest, and the surest, I am most sincerely Dear Wilkes

Your affectionate friend and humble servant DE HOLBACH Heze the 9th august 1746 N. S.

I shall expect with impatience the letter you are to write me from Alesbury. Will it be here very soon!

HOLBACH TO WILKES

During a little voyage I have made into Germany I have received your charming letter of the 8th. September O. S. the many affairs I have been busy with for these 3 months has hindered me hitherto from returning to you as speedy an answer as I should have done. I know too much your kindness for me to make any farther apology and I hope you are enough acquainted with the sincerety of my friendship towards you to adscribe my fault to forgetfulness or want of gratitude be sure, Dear friend, that such a disposition will allways be unknown to me in regard to you. I don't doubt but you will be by this time returned at London, the winter season being an obstacle to the pleasures you have enjoyed following ye Letter at Alesbury during the last Autumn. I must own I have felt a good deal of pride when you gave me the kind assurance that love has not made you forget an old friend, I need not tell you my disposition. I hope you know it well enough and like my friendship for you has no bounds I want expressions to show it. Mr Dowdeswell has been so good as to let me enjoy his company here in the month of August, and returned to Leyden to pursue his studies in the middle of September. We often wished your company and made sincere libations to you with burgundy and Champaigne I had a few weeks there after I set out for Germany where I expected to spend the whole winter but the sudden death of my Uncle's Steward has forced me to come back here to put in order the affairs of this estate, I don't know how long I shall be obliged to stay in the meanwhile I act pretty well the part of a County Squire, id est, hunting, shooting, fishing, walking every day without to lay aside the ever charming conversation of Horace Virgil Homer and all our noble friends of the Elysian fields. They are allways faithfull to me, with their aid I find very well how to employ my time, but I want in this country a true bosom friend like my dear Wilkes to converse with, but my pretenssions are too high, for every abode with such a company would be heaven for me.

I perceive by your last letter that your hopes are very like to succeed by Mss Mead, you are sure that every happines that can befall to you will make me vastly happy. I beseech you therefore to let me know everytime how far you are gone, I take it to be a very good omen for you, that your lovely mistress out of compliance has vouchsafed to learn a harsh high-dutch name, which would otherwise have made her starttle, at the very hearing of it. I am very thankful for her kind desire of seeing me in Engelland which I dont wish the less but you know my circumstances enough, to guess that I cannot follow my inclinations. I have not heard hitherto anything about the books you have been so kind as to send me over by the opportunity of a friend. I have wrote about it to Msrs Conrad et Bouwer of Rotterdam, they answered that they were not yet there. Nevertheless I am very much oblided to you for your kindness and wish to find very soon the opportunity of my revenge. Mr Dowderswell complains very much of Mrs Bland and Weatherill, having not heard of them since their departure from Leyden. I desire my compliments to Mr Dyer and all our old acquaintances. Pray be so good as to direct your first letter under the covert of Mr Dowderwell at Ms Alliaume's at Leyden he shall send it to me over immediately, no more at Mr Van Sprang's like you used to do. I wish to know if Mr Lyson since his return to his native country, continues in his peevish cross temper. If you have any news besides I'll be glad to hear them by your next which I expect very soon.

Your faithfull humble Servant and Friend HOLBACH Heeze the 3 d Xber 1746 ns

Holbach had a very pleasant country seat, the ch?teau of Grandval, now in the arrondisement of Boissy St. L?ger at Sucy-en-Brie. It is pleasantly situated in the valley of a little stream, the Morbra, which flows into the Marne. The property was really the estate of Mme. d'Aine who lived with the Holbachs. Here the family and their numerous guests passed the late summer and fall. Here Diderot spent weeks at a time working on the Encyclopedia, dining, and walking on the steep slopes of the Marne with congenial companions. To him we are indebted for our intimate knowledge of Grandval and its inhabitants, their slightest doings and conversations; and as Danou has well said, if we were to wish ourselves back in any past age we should choose with many others the mid-eighteenth century and the charming society of Paris and Grandval.

Two other great Frenchmen, Buffon and d'Alembert, were for a time members of Holbach's society, but, for reasons that are not altogether clear, gradually withdrew. Grimm suggests that Buffon did not find the young philosophers sufficiently deferential to him and to the authorized powers, and feared for his dignity,--and safety, in their company. D'Alembert, on the other hand, was a recluse by nature, and, after giving up his editorship on the Encyclopedia, easily dropped out of Diderot's society and devoted himself to Mlle. Lespinasse and Mme. Geoffrin. Holbach and Helvetius were life-long friends and spent much time together reading at Helvetius's country place at Vor?. After his death in 1774, Holbach frequented Mme. Helvetius' salon where he knew and deeply influenced Volney, Cabanis, de Tracy, and the first generation of the Ideologists who continued his and Helvetius' philosophical doctrines. Among the other Frenchmen of the day who were on intimate relations with Holbach and frequented his salon were La Condamine, Condillac, Condorcet, Turgot, Morellet, Raynal, Grimm, Marmontel, Colardeau, Saurin, Suard, Saint-Lambert, Thomas, Duclos, Chastellux, Boulanger, Darcet, Roux, Rouelle, Barth?s, Venel, Leroy, Damilaville, Naigeon, Lagrange and lesser names,--but well known in Paris in the eighteenth century,--d'Alinville, Chauvelin, Desmahis, Gauffecourt, Margency, de Croismare, de Pezay, Coyer, de Valory, Charnoi, not to mention a host of others.

David Garrick and his wife were frequent visitors at the rue Royale on their trips to Paris where they were very much liked by Holbach's society. Nothing is more cordial or gracious than the compliments passed between them in their subsequent correspondence. There are two published letters from Holbach in Mr. Hedgecock's recent study of Garrick and his French friends, excellent examples of the happy spontaneity and sympathy that were characteristic of French sociability in the eighteenth century. Holbach in turn spent several months with Garrick at Hampton.

Holbach's early friendship for Wilkes has already been mentioned. Wilkes spent a great deal of time in Paris on the occasion of his exiles from England and became very intimate with Holbach. They corresponded up to the very end of Holbach's life and there was a constant interchange of friendly offices between them. Miss Wilkes, who spent much time in Paris, was a very good friend of Mme. Holbach and Mlle. Helvetius. Adam Smith often dined at Holbach's with Turgot and the economists; Gibbon also found his dinners agreeable except for the dogmatism of the atheists; Walpole resented it also and kept away. Priestley seems to have gotten on very well, although the philosophers found his materialism and unitarianism a trifle inconsistent. It was at Holbach's that Shelburne met Morellet with whom he carried on a long and serious correspondence on economics. There seem to be no details of Holbach's relations with Franklin, who was evidently more assiduous at the salon of Mme. Helvetius whom he desired to marry.

Among the other Italians whom Holbach befriended were Paulo Frizi, the mathematician; Dr. Gatti; Pincini, the musician; and Mme. Riccoboni, ex-actress and novelist; whose lively correspondence with Garrick whom she met at Holbach's sheds much light on the social relations of the century.

Among the well known women of the century Holbach was most intimate with Mme. d'Epinay, who became a very good friend of Mme. Holbach's and was present at the birth of her first son, and, in her will, left her a portrait by Rembrandt. He was also a friend of Mme. Geoffrin, attended her salon, and knew Mlle. de Lespinasse, Mme. Houderot and most of the important women of the day.

Personne n'?tait plus communicatif que M. le baron d'Holbach; personne ne prenait aux progr?s de la raison un int?r?t plus vif, plus sinc?re, et ne s'occupait avec plus de z?le et l'activit? des moyens de les acc?l?rer.

?galement vers? dans la plupart des mati?res sur lesquelles il importe le plus ? des ?tres raisonnables d'avoir une opinion arr?t?e, M. le baron d'Holbach portait dans leur discussion un jugement sain, une logique s?v?re, et une analyse exacte et pr?cise. Quelque fut l'objet de ses entretiens avec ses amis, ou m?me avec des indiff?rens, tels qu'en offrent plus ou moins toutes les soci?t?s; il inspirait sans effort ? ceux qui l'?coutaient l'enthousiasme de l'art ou de la science dont il parlait; et on ne le quittait jamais sans regretter de n'avoir pas cultiv? la branche particuli?re de connaissances qui avait fait le sujet de la conversation, sans d?sirer d'?tre plus instruit, plus ?clair?, et surtout sans admirer la claret, la justesse de son esprit, et l'ordre dans lequel il savait pr?senter ses id?es.

L'?loge fun?bre que M. Naigeon a consacr? ? la m?moire de M. le Baron d'Holbach suffit pour donner une id?e juste de ses lumi?res, mais le hasard m'a mis ? port?e de les juger encore mieux. J'ai vu M. le Baron d'Holbach dans deux voyages que j'ai faits aux eaux de Contrex?ville. S'occuper de sa souffrance et de sa gu?rison, c'est le soin de chaque malade. M. le Baron d'Holbach devenait le m?decin, l'ami, le consolateur de quiconque venait aux eaux et il semblait bien moins occup? de ses infirmit?s que de celles des autres. Lorsque des malades indigens manquaient de secours, ou p?cuniaires ou curatifs, il les leur procurait avec un plaisir qui lui faisait plus de bien que les eaux. Je me promenais un soir avec lui sur une hauteur couverte d'un massif de bois qui fait perspective de loin et pr?s duquel s'?l?ve un petit Hermitage. L?, demeure un c?nobite qui n'a de revenu que les aum?nes de ceux dont il re?oit les visites. Nous acquitt?mes chacun notre dette hospitali?re. En prenant cong? de l'Hermite, M. le Baron d'Holbach me dit de le pr?c?der un instant et qu'il allait me suivre. Je le pr?c?dai, et comme il ne me suivait pas je m'arr?tai, pour l'attendre sur un terte exhauss? d'o? l'on d?couvre tout le pays. Je contemplais le canton que je dominais, plong? dans une douce r?verie. J'en fus tir? par des cris et je me retournai vers l'endroit d'?u ils partaient. Je vis M. le Baron d'Holbach environn? d'une vieille femme et de deux villageois, l'un vieux comme elle et l'autre jeune. Tous trois, les larmes aux yeux, l'embrassaient hautement. Allez vous-en donc, s'?crait M. le Baron d'Holbach; laissez moi, on m'attend, ne me suivez pas, adieu; je reviendrai l'ann?e prochaine. En me voyant arriver vers eux, les trois personnes reconnaissantes disparurent. Je lui demandai le sujet de tant de b?n?dictions. Ce jeune paysan que vous avez vu s'etait engag?, j'ai obtenu de son colonel sa libert? en payant les cents ?cus prescrits par l'ordonnance. Il est amoureux d'une jeune paysanne aussi pauvre que lui, je viens d'acheter pour eux un petit bien qui m'a co?t? huit cent francs. Le vieux p?re est perclus, aux deux bras, de rhumatismes, je lui ai fourni trois bo?tes du baume des Valdejeots, si estim? en ce pays-ci. La vieille m?re est sujett? ? des maux d'estomac, et je lui ai apport? un pot de confection d'hyacinthe. Ils travaillaient dans le champ, voisin du bois, je suis all? les voir tandis que vous marchiez en avant. Ils m'ont suivi malgr? moi. Ne parlez de cela ? personne. On dirait que je veux faire le g?n?reux et le bon philosophe, mais je ne suis que humain, et mes charit?s sont la plus agr?able d?pense de mes voyages.

This humanity of Holbach's is the very keynote of his character and of his intellectual life as well. As M. Walferdin has said, the denial of the supernatural was for him the base of all virtue, and resting on this principle, he exemplified social qualities that do the greatest honor to human nature. He and Madame Holbach are the only conspicuous examples of conjugal fidelity and happiness among all the people that one has occasion to mention in a study of the intellectual and literary circles of the eighteenth century. They were devoted to each other, to their children and to their friends. Considering the traits of Holbach's character that have been cited, there can scarcely be two opinions in regard to completeness with which he realized his ideal of humanity and sociability. M. Naigeon has well summed up in a few words Holbach's relation to the only duties that he recognized, "He was a good husband, a good father and a good friend."

Holbach's published works, with the exception of a few scattered ones, may be divided into three classes, viz., translations of German scientific works, translations of English deistical writings, and his own works on theology, philosophy, politics and morals. Those which fall into none of these categories can be dealt with very summarily. They are:

Holbach's translations of German scientific works are as follows:

L'envie de me rendre utile, dont tout citoyen doit ?tre anim?, m'a fait entreprendre l'ouvrage que je pr?sente au Public. S'il a le bonheur de m?riter son approbation, quoiqu'il y ait peu de gloire attach?e au travail ingrat et fastidieux d'un Traducteur, je me d?terminerai ? donner les meilleurs ouvrages allemands, sur l'Histoire Naturelle, la Min?ralogie, la M?tallurgie et la Chymie. Tout le monde sait que l'Allemagne possede en ce genre des tr?sors qui ont ?t? jusqu'ici comme enfouis pour la France.

"La description si pr?cise et si d?taill?e que Mo?se fait du Deluge dans la Gen?se, ayant une autorit? infaillible, puis qu'elle n'est autre que celle de Dieu m?me, nous rend certains de la r?alit? et de l'universalit? de ce ch?timent terrible. Il s'agit simplement d'examiner si les naturalistes, tels que Woodward, Schenchzer, Buttner et M. Lehmann lui-m?me ne se sont points tromp?s, lorsqu'ils ont attribu? ? cet ?v?nement seul la formation des couches de la terre et lorsqu'ils s'en sont servis pour expliquer l'?tat actuel de notre globe. Il semble que rien ne doit nous emp?cher d'agiter cette question; l'Ecriture sainte se contente de nous apprendre la voie miraculeuse dont Dieu s'est servi pour punir les crimes du genre humain; elle ne dit rien qui puisse limiter les sentiments des naturalistes sur les autres effets physiques que le d?luge a pu produire. C'est une mati?re qu'elle paro?t avoir abandonn?e aux disputes des hommes." He then proceeds to question whether the deluge could have produced the results attributed to it and argues against catastrophism which, it must be remembered, was the received geological doctrine down to the days of Lyell. "Les causes les plus simples sont capables de produire au bout des si?cles les effets les plus grands, surtout lorsqu'elles agissent incessament; et nous voyons toutes ces causes r?unies agir perp?tuellement sous nos yeux. Concluons, donc, de tout ce qui pr?c?de, que le d?luge, seul et les feux souterrains seuls ne suffisent point pour expliquer la formation des couches de la terre. On risquera toujours de se tromper, lorsque par l'envie de simplifier on voudra d?river tous les ph?nom?nes de la nature d'une seule et unique cause."

HOLBACH TO MALESHERBES

J'ai l'honneur de vous envoyer ci-joint la liste des ouvrages dont M. Li?ge fils pourrait entreprendre la traduction. Je n'en connais actuellement point d'autres qui m?ritent l'attention du public. M. Macquer m'a ?crit une lettre qui a pour objet les m?mes choses dont vous m'avez fait l'honneur de me parler, et je lui fais la m?me r?ponse.

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