, a French grammarian, born at Paris, in 1716, was the pupil of
, a French grammarian, born at Paris,
in 1716, was the pupil of Louis Le Beau, and many years
professor of rhetoric in the college of Lisieux. The duke
de Choiseul, who had a friendship for him, sent him to Venice as charge d'affaires to that republic, where he resided
twelve years. On his return to France, he published his
various elementary treatises, which have been much approved by teachers. 1. “La vraie maniere d'apprendre
une Langue quelconque, vivante ou morte, par le moyen de
la langue Française,
” Les quatre chapitres, de la Raison, de l‘Amour de soi, de l’Amour du prochain, de la Vertu,
”
, a French grammarian of high reputation, was born at Marseilles,
, a French grammarian of high reputation, was born at Marseilles, July 17,
1676, and entered into the congregation of die oratory,
but disgusted at the too great confinement of that institution, soon quitted it, and went to Paris. There he married in 1704, and practised for a time with some success
as an advocate. Ere long, however, we find him quitting
that profession, as not continuing to be advantageous, and
separated from his wife, on finding her temper intolerable.
He then undertook the care of educating pupils in several
great families; among others, that of the president des Maisons, of the Scottish adventurer Law, and the marquis de
Beaufremont. Some of these pupils did great honour to
his care of their principles and learning. Still he was not
fortunate enough to obtain any permanent provision; and
undertook a kind of academy, which did not succeed; and
he was for a considerable time reduced to go about giving
lessons at private houses, and subsisting in a very straitened
and precarious manner. At length, the persons who conducted the Encyclopedia, engaged him to bear a part in
that great work, to which the articles on the subject of
grammar, furnished by him, proved a most important aecession. They are distinguished by a sound and luminous
philosophy, an extent of learning by no means common,
great precision in the rules, and no less accuracy in the
application of them.
He had now struggled for the chief part of his life with
adverse circumstances; when the count de Lauragais,
struck with his merit, and affected by his situation, settled
upon him an annuity of a thousand livres. He died June
11, 1756, at the age of eighty. Du Marsais had been
considered during his life as sceptical, but is said to have
returned to a sense of religion before his death. Several
anecdotes were circulated respecting his indifference to
religion, which materially injured his fortune. It was even
said, that being called upon to educate three brothers in a
great family, he asked the parents in what religion they
would have them brought up? A story of little probability,
but which passed sufficiently current to injure him in the
minds of many respectable persons. His disposition was
mild and equal, his understanding clear and precise; and
his manners had a kind of simplicity which occasioned him
to be called the Fontaine of philosophers. Fontenelle said
of him, “C‘est le nigaud le plus spirituel, & l’homme
d'esprit le plus nigaud que je connoisse,
” that is, “He is
for a simpleton the most ingenious, and for a man of genius the most of a simpleton of any one I know.
” As his
own character was so natural, so also was he an ardent admirer of nature, and an enemy to all affectation; and his
precepts are said to have had great effect in teaching the
celebrated actress le Couvreur, that simple and natural
style of declamation which made her performance so pathetic, and raised her reputation to so great a height.