CESAR CHESNEAU DU, an eminent literary character, was born at Marseilles 1676. He attached himself at an early period of life to the order of the congregation of the oratory; but the situation was too narrow for his genius, and he soon left it. At Paris he married, became advocate, and entered on this new profession with great success and approbation. Disappointed, however, in his expectations of making a speedy fortune, he abandoned the law also. About this time the peevish humour of his wife occasioned a separation. We next find him as governor to the son of the president de Maisons; and when the premature death of the father deprived him of the fruits of his industry, he engaged with the famous Law in the same capacity. After the fall of this extraordinary projector, he completed the education of the marquis de Beaufremont's children, and reared pupils worthy of his genius and industry. Although he was accused of a tendency to Deism, and though there was good reason for the accusation; yet he never infuaded into the minds of his scholars any principle inconsistent with sound morality, or with the Christian religion.

When he left M. de Beaufremont's family, he took a boarding house, in which, after a method of his own, he educated a certain number of young men. Unexpected circumstances obliged him to abandon this useless undertaking. He was even constrained to give some occasional lessons for the bare necessaries of life. Without fortune, without hope, and almost without resource, he was reduced to extreme indigence. In this situation he was found by the authors of the Encyclopédie, and made a partner in conducting that great work. Among many other excellent pieces, the article Grammar breathes the spirit of sound philosophy. His principles are clear and solid. He discovers an extreme knowledge of the subject, great accuracy in the rules, and great propriety in the application. M. le Comte de Lauraguais was so much affected with the distresses, and so much convinced of the merit of Du Marfaïs, that he procured him a pension of 1300 livres. Du Marfaïs died at Paris on the 11th of June 1756, in his eightieth year, after having received the sacrament.

The compliment which he paid to the priest on this occasion has been considered by some as rather equivocal. But there is no necessity to deprive religion of this triumph, or philosophy of that honour which conviction and penitence must confer on it. "The faith of a great genius (says Bayle, who is entitled to credit on this subject), is not totally extinguished: It is like a spark under the ashes. Reflection and the prospect of danger call forth its exertions. There are certain situations in which philosophers are as full of anxiety and remorse as other men." Whatever were the last sentiments of Du Marfaïs, it cannot be denied that in the vigour of health he furnished several examples of irreverence, and to these have been added many absurd stories. The superiority of Du Marfaïs's talents consisted in exactness and perspicuity. His ignorance of the world, and of the customs of mankind, together with the greatest latitude in expressing whatever he thought, gave him that frank and unguarded simplicity which is often the chief ingredient of genuine humour. Fontenelle used to say of him, "that he was the most lively simpleton, and as a man of wit the most simple he ever knew." He was the Fontaine of philosophers. In consequence of this character, he was a nice judge of what was natural in every production, and a great enemy to all kind of affectation. His principal works are, 1. Exposition de la doctrine de l'Eglise Gallicane par rapports aux pretentions de la Cour de Rome, 12mo. This accurate work was begun at the desire of the pre- Marsais fident de Maisons, and did not appear till after the death of the author. 2. Exposition d'une méthode rai- sonnée pour apprendre la langue Latine, 1722, rare.

This method appears conformable to the natural unfold- ing of the powers of the mind, and on that account ren- ders the acquisition of the language less difficult; but it was liable to two great objections to vulgar and un- enlightened understandings, namely, its novelty, and the censure which it conveyed against the former meth- od. 3. Traité des tropes, 1739, 8vo; again printed in 1771, 12mo. This work is intended to explain the different significations of the same word. It is a matter- piece of logic, of accuracy, of perspicuity, and preci- sion. The observations and the rules are illustrated by striking examples calculated to show both the use and the abuse of the rhetorical figures. It is wonderful at the same time that this excellent book had very little fame, and is scarcely known. A gentleman who want- ed to compliment the author on this extraordinary per- formance, told him that he had heard a great deal of his Histoire des Tropes, and begged to know in what particular part of the world the nation flourished. 4. Les veritable Principes de la Grammaire raisonnée pour apprendre la langue Latine, 1729, 4to. There was only the preface of this work published, in which he introduced the greatest part of his méthode raisonnée.

5. L'abégie de la fable du Père Jouvenel, arranged after the manner of the original plan, 1731, 12mo. 6. Une réponse manuscrite à la Critique de l'Histoire des Oracles par le Père Balus. There are only imperfect frag- ments of these papers to be found. 7. Logique, ou re- flexions sur les operations de l'Esprit. This is a short tract, which nevertheless contains every thing necessary to be known on the art of reasoning. It was reprinted at Paris in two parts, together with the articles which he had furnished for the Encyclopédie, 1762.