, one of the French academy, and professor of grammar in the military
, one of the French academy,
and professor of grammar in the military school, was born
at Verdun, May 9, 1717, and died at Paris, Jan. 25, 1789.
Of his early life we have no account, but he appears to
have been selected by the encyclopedists to furnish the
articles on grammar in their celebrated undertaking. The
abbe BarrueL who says he was a layman much to be respected
for his piety, once asked him, how a man of his principles
came to be associated with the encyclopedists, who were
notoriously infidels. “The very same question,
” answered
Beauzee, “have I put to d‘Alembert. At one of the sittings, seeing that I was almost the only person who believed
in God, 1 asked him how he possibly could ever have
thought of me for a member, when he -knew that my sentiments and opinions differed so widely from those of his
brethren? D’Aiembert without hesitation answered,
” I
am sensible of your amazement, but we were in want of a
skilful grammarian, and among our party not one had acquired a reputation in that study. We knew that you believed in God, but being a good sort of a man, we cast our
eyes on you, for want of a philosopher to supply your
place.“About the same time, probably, Beauzee published his
” Grammaire generate, ou exposition raisonnee
des elemens necessaires du Langage, pour servir de fondement a l'etude de toutes les Langues,“Paris, 1767, 2 vols.
a work which, although it falls short of its title, contains
much valuable instruction, especially respecting the French
language. The chief fault is, that the author wants precision, and is frequently too metaphysical to be intelligible.
He published also a new edition of the abbe
” Girard’s
“Synonymes,
” with great additions, 2 vols. 12mo; translations of Sallust, often reprinted, and much admired
of Quintus Curtius, which likewise became popular; and
of Thomas a Kempis. He promoted the publication
of the translation of sir Isaac Newton’s Optics by Marat,
2 vols. 8vo, 1787, which is thought to be very correct. The Dict. Hist, mentions another work by Beauzee,
but without date, “Exposition abregee des preuves historique de le religion,
” 12mo.