HOLBACH, PAUL THYRY, BARON D', was born in 1723 at Heide:el:eine in the Palatinate, of a wealthy family. He spent the greater part of his life in Paris, where he became the friend and patron of many of the men of learning about Paris, especially of those who contributed to the first Encyclopedie. (Dtneaor.) llolbach was himself a great admirer and disciple of Diderot. The baron was fond of conviviality, and he gave good dinners ; for nearly forty years he assembled round his table every Sunday a coterie of literary men, including at one time Diderot, Rousseau, Marmontel, Galiani, Orimin, Damilaville, Morellet, Helvetius, and others. This coterie had at first assembled at Madame Oeoffein'e; but that lady not proving bold enough in her way of thinking, they transferred their meetings to the house of the Baron D'Holbach, who was a freethinker of the freest kind, and with whom they bad no reason for disguising their opinions. Much information concerning these parties is given in the memoirs of the Abbe Morellet, of Madame D'Epinay, in Grimm's ' Correspond ence,' and lastly, in a curious though not very impartial work of Madame de Geniis, styled ' Lea Diners du Baron D'Holbach, dens leequele so trouvent assembles, sous lours noms, uue partie des Gene de In Cour et des Litterateurs les plus remarquables du 18 Sibele.' D'Holbach
was acquainted to a certain extent with the physical sciences, especially chemistry and metallurgy, and he translated into French several useful German works on those subjects: he also contributed many articles to the Encyclopedia.' He wrote, either wholly or iu part, several philo sophical works, which were published in Holland under fictitients names, and of which those which made most noise at tho time are ]. ' Le Systeme do la Nature,' a system of pure materialism, and which Voltaire characterised as absurd as to physics, illogically written, and abominable as to ethics. Frederick 11. undertook to refute it ; but the beat refutation of it is that of Bergier, in the Exameu du Ma terialiame.' 2. ' Morale Uuiverselle, ou Devoira do I'llomme fondes sur la Nature,' 3 vols. 8vo, Amsterdam, 1776. This work is much better written than the preceding, the precepts are generally good, and the tone is calm, rational, and tolerant. 3. ' Le Christianisme Devoile,' attributed by some to Damilaville; and other works against revealed religion, which are now mostly forgotten. D'Holbach died at Paris in 1789. lie seem, to have been a man of very muderate talents, rather credulous, though a sceptic, of a generous disposition, and a pleasing host and table companion.