CLAUDE MATTHIEU, advocate of the parliament of Aix, was born at Marfelles in 1701, and appeared at the bar with eclat. He had a chief hand in the establishment of the academy of Marfelles, and was one of its original members. He possessed a quick and lively genius. A few hours retirement from society and from his pleasures were frequently sufficient to enable him to speak and write, even on important causes; but his works commonly bore marks of haste. Given to excess in every thing, he would employ a fortnight in studying the Code and the Digest, or in storing his mind with the beauties of Demosthenes, Homer, Cicero, or Boeufu : and then abandon himself for another fortnight, frequently a whole month, to a life of frivolity and dissipation. He died in 1736, at the age of 35. He published, 1. L'Histoire de Philippe roi de Macédoine, et père d'Alexandre le Grand, 2 vols 12mo. No writer has so ably handled the history of the age of Philip, the interests of the different nations of Greece, and their manners and customs: but the conduct of the work is extremely defective. The digressions are too frequent, and often tedious. The style is in no respect suitable to a history. It is in general dry, unconnected, and like the style of a dissertation. Sometimes, however, we find in it passages full of fire and beauty, and turns of expression truly original. A disface of the brain, with which he was attacked, and under which he laboured several years, prevented him from putting his last hand to the work. 2. Mémoire sur les secours donnés aux Romains par les Marceillais pendant la 2de Guerre Punique. 3. Mémoire sur les secours donnés aux Romains par les Marceillais durant la Guerre contre les Gaulois.