MASSON, John, a reformed minister in Holland some years ago. He was originally of France, but fled into England, to enjoy that liberty in religion which his country refused him. He wrote, 1. Histoire critique de la république des lettres, from 1712 to 1717, in 15 vols 12mo. 2. Vita Horatii, Ovidii, et Plinii junioris, 3 vols small 8vo, and printed abroad, though dedicated to Englishmen of rank: the first at Leyden, 1708, to Lord Harvey; the second at Amsterdam, 1708, to Sir Justinian Itham; the third at Amsterdam, 1709, to the bishop of Worcester. These lives are drawn up in a chronological order, very learnedly and very critically; and serve to illustrate the history, not only of those particular persons, but of the times also in which they lived. 3. Histoire de Pierre Bayle et des ses ouvrages; Amsterdam, 1716, in 12mo. This at least is supposed to be his, though at first it was given to M. la Monnoye.