CLAUD-ADRIAN, a man of letters, and celebrated French philosopher, was born at Paris in the year 1715. After receiving the rudiments of his education in his father's house, he was sent to the college of Louis the Great, where he discovered greater indications of genius than any of his fellow students, Helvetius, and thus gained the esteem of the professor of rhetoric, by whom particular attention was paid to his education. By his elegant and graceful exterior he endeavoured to ingratiate himself with the fair sex; but he was soon convinced, that although external accomplishments may dazzle for the moment, nothing short of intellectual accomplishments can secure the conquest. The circumstance which led him to perceive the absolute necessity of mental improvement in order to be truly esteemed and admired, is worthy of notice. When walking alone in one of the public gardens, he discovered a most extravagant figure amidst a circle of young and amiable ladies. This was M. Maupertuis, who engrossed all the care and attention of this charming group, notwithstanding the ridiculous and grotesque singularity of his dress. This convinced Helvetius that if he wished to be sincerely admired or esteemed, dancing, tennis, and all other bodily exercises must give place to the decoration of his mind. He therefore immediately became a solitary, silent student, and the mathematics in particular first attracted his notice; and in a short time he was deemed a fit companion for some of the first and most distinguished literary characters of the period in which he flourished. Voltaire and Montesquieu were among his early intimates; with the latter of whom he contracted a cordial and lasting friendship.

The first literary performance of M. Helvetius was of the poetical kind, consisting of epistles on happiness, but these were not communicated to the public till after his decease. When read in private, however, they were very much admired, and Voltaire considered them as a strong proof of the didactic and philosophical powers of their author. When the L'Esprit des Lois of Montesquieu appeared in public, it was studied by Helvetius with the utmost care and attention, and his only fault to it was, that it did not contain the first ideas of the things of which it professed to treat. Instead of examining systems of legislation, and comparing them with each other, Helvetius was of opinion, that the nature of man should be first studied, and the laws for governing him founded on his own nature. This was true philosophy, and such ideas determined him to undertake a work which might supply what he conceived to be defects in the publication of Montesquieu. In the year 1758 this work made its appearance, under the title of De l'Esprit, &c. which was condemned by the parliament of Paris, because it was considered as degrading the nature of man; but this impolitic method of suppressing his labours made them sought for with avidity all over France, as well as other European countries, and gave them more importance than perhaps they would have otherwise acquired.

To avoid the malice of his enemies, he came over to England in the year 1762, and in the following year he went to Prussia, where he was received by the king with every mark of respect, who gave him lodgings in the palace, and admitted him into his familiar parties. He was uncommonly liberal to the indigent, some of whom but ill requited him, on which occasions he was wont to say to his friends, "If I were a king, I would correct them; but as I am only rich, and they are poor, I did my duty in relieving them." Notwithstanding his constitution was excellent, from which his friends concluded that they would long enjoy the happiness of Helvetius, his society, he fell a victim to the gout in his head and stomach in the month of December 1771, in the 56th year of his age.

Besides his work De l'Esprit, he was the author of a "Treatise on Man, his Intellectual Faculties and his Education," in 2 vols. 8vo. published after his death. In both it must be confessed that he has displayed very great ingenuity and taste, an extensive knowledge of human nature, and a turn for ridiculing the follies of mankind; but some of his hypotheses appear rather paradoxical, and perhaps his ironical observations on credulity and false religion can hardly be reconciled with a belief of genuine Christianity, which he openly professes.