ties, and ultimately attained to some eminence in
chemistry and mineralogy. He married when very young, and he had not
been married one year when his wife died. He afterwards obtained a
dispensation from the Pope, and married his deceased wife's sister, by
whom he had four children, two sons and two daughters.

D'Holbach appeared to have spent the greater part of his life in Paris,
and for forty years he assembled around his table, every Sunday, the
_elite_ of the literary world, including nearly the whole of those who
took part in the first Encyclopedia. If that table were only in the
hands of some of our spirit friends of the present day, what brilliant
anecdotes might it not rap out--the sparkling wit of Diderot, the good
humor of out host, the hospitable and generous D'Holbach, the occasional
bitterness of Jean Jacques Rousseau, the cautious expression of opinion
by D'Alembert, the agreeable variety of Montesquieu, and the bold
enthusiasm of the youthful but hardworking Naigeon! If ever a table were
inclined to turn, this table should have been; but perhaps it may be
that tables never turn when reason is the ruler of those who sit around.

It seems more than probable that D'Holbach at first held opinions
differing widely from those entertained by him during the later periods
of his life, and it is asserted that Diderot contributed much to this
change of opinion. D'Holbach was an amiable man of the world, fond of
amusement, and without pretension; he was, notwithstanding, well versed
in Roman and Grecian literature, mathematics, chemistry, botany, and
modern languages. He was generous to every one. "I content myself," he
said, "with performing the disagreeable character of benefactor, when I
am forced to it. I do not wish to be repaid my money; but I am pleased
when I meet with some little gratitude, if it be only as proving that
the persons I have assisted were such sort of men as I desired."

Although about forty-five works are now ascribed to D'Holbach, not
one of them was published during his life-time in his own name. The
manuscripts were taken to Amsterdam by Naigeon, and there printed by
Michael Rey. D'Holbach never talked publicly of his literary productions
himself and his secrets seem to have been well kept by his friends.
Several of the works were condemned and suppressed by the government;
but D'Holbach lived unsuspected and unmolested. The expression used by
the Avocat, General Seguier, in his requisito