Philippe, advocate of the parliament of Paris, where he was born in 1720, being descended from a respectable family. A weakness in his lungs having prevented him from engaging in the laborious exercises of pleading, he dedicated himself to literary pursuits. His works are, 1. L'Abrégé Chronologique de l'Histoire Ecclesiastique, 3 vols. 8vo. written in the manner of the present Henault's History of France, but not possessed of equal spirit and elegance. 2. Les Annales Romances, 1756, 8vo; another chronological abridgement, and much better supported than the former. Into this work the author has introduced every thing most worthy of notice which has been written by Saint Evremond, Abbé Saint-Real, President Montesquieu, Abbé Mably, &c. concerning the Romans; and, if we except a difference of style, which is easily discernible, it is, in other respects, a very judicious compilation. 3. Abrégé Chronologique de l'Histoire d'Espagne et de Portugal, 1759, 1765, in 2 vols. 8vo. This book, in point of accuracy, is worthy of the president Henault, by whom it was begun; but it displays no discrimination of character nor depth of research. The author received assistance from M. Lacombe, whose talents for chronological abridgment are well known. The republic of letters sustained a loss by the death of M. Macquer, which happened on the 27th of January 1770, at the age of 50. As to his character, he was industrious, agreeable, modest, and sincere, and an enemy to all foolish vanity and affection. He had a cold imagination, but a correct taste. He had an eager thirst for knowledge of every kind, and he had neglected no useful branch of study. He had a share in the Dictionary of Arts and Professions, in 2 vols. 8vo, and in the Translation of the Syphilis of Fracastor published by Lacombe.

Pierre Joseph, brother to the former, was born at Paris the 9th of October, 1718, and died there February 16, 1784. He was a member of the Academy of Sciences, and professor of pharmacy; and was engaged in the Journal de Scavans, for the articles of medicine and chemistry. With the latter science he was intimately acquainted. He had a share in the Pharmacopoeia Parisiensis, published in 1738, in 4to. His other works are, 1. Elemens de Chimie theorique; Paris, 1749, 1753, 12mo; which have been translated into English and German.—2. Elemens de Chimie pratique, 1751, 2 vols. 12mo. These two works were republished together, in 1756, in 3 vols. 12mo. 3. Plan d'un cours de Chimie experimentale et raisonnée, 1757, 12mo; in the composition of which he was associated with M. Beaumé. 4. Formule Medicamentorum Magistralium, 1763. 5. L'Art de la Teinture en Soie, 1763. 6. Dictionnaire de Chimie, contenant la Théorie et la Pratique de cet art, 1766, 2 vols. 8vo; which has been translated into German, with notes; and into English, with notes, by Mr Kier. Macquer has, by his labours and writings, greatly contributed to render useful an art which formerly tended only to ruin the health of the patient by foreign remedies, or to reduce MACQUER reduce the professors of it to beggary, while they prosecuted the idle dreams of converting every thing into gold.