Appendix
Holbach’s Correspondence
The following letters of Holbach are extant:
Holbach to Hume, Aug. 23, 1763.
Holbach to Hume, Mar. 16, 1766.
Holbach to Hume, July 7, 1766.
Holbach to Hume, Aug. 18, 1766.
Holbach to Hume, Sept. 7, 1766.
These were printed in Hume’s Private Correspondence, London, 1820, pp. 252-263, and deal largely with Hume’s quarrel with Rousseau.
Holbach to Garrick, June 16, 1765.
Holbach to Garrick, Feb. 9, 1766.
These two letters are in manuscript in Lansdowne House,
Coll. Forster, and were published by F. A. Hedgcock,
David Garrick et ses amis français. Paris, 1911, pp. 251-253.
Holbach to Wilkes, Aug., 1746, 9 (Brit. Mus. Mss., Vol. 30867, p. 14). Holbach to Wilkes, Dec. 10, 1746 (Brit. Mus. Mss., Vol. 30867, p. 18). Holbach to Wilkes, May 22, 1766 (Brit. Mus. Mss., Vol. 30869, p. 39) Holbach to Wilkes, Nov. 9, 1766 (Brit. Mus. Mss., Vol. 30869, p. 81). Holbach to Wilkes, Dec. 10, 1767 (Brit. Mus. Mss., Vol. 30869, p. 173). Holbach to Wilkes, July 17, 1768 (Brit. Mus. Mss., Vol. 30870, p. 59). Holbach to Wilkes, Mar. 19, 1770 (Brit. Mus. Mss., Vol. 30871, p. 16). Holbach to Wilkes, April 27, 1775, 9 (Wilkes, Correspondence, London, 1804, Vol. IV, p. 176).
The first seven of these letters are published for the first time in the present volume, pp. 6-11 and pp. 75-80.
Holbach to Galiani, Aug. 11, 1769 (Critica, Vol. I, pp. 488 sq.).
Galiani to Holbach, April 7, 1770 (Galiani, Correspondence, Paris, 1890, Vol. I, p. 92).
Galiani to Holbach, July 21, 1770 (Galiani, Correspondence, Paris, 1890, Vol. I, p. 199).
Holbach to Galiani, Aug. 25, 1770 (Critica, Vol. I, p. 489).
There are references to other letters in Critica which I have not been able to find.
Holbach to Beccaria, Mar. 15, 1767, published by M. Landry
Beccaria, Scritte e lettre inediti, 1910, p. 146.
Holbach to Malesherbes, April 6, 1761 (hitherto unpublished). See present volume, p. 30.
HOLBACH TO HUME
(Hume, Private Correspondence, London, 1820, pp. 252-263)
PARIS, the 23rd. of August, 1763
Sir,—
I have received with the deepest sense of gratitude your very kind and obliging letter of the 8th. inst: favors of great men ought to give pride to those that have at least the merit of setting the value that is due upon them. This is my case with you, sir; the reading of your valuable works has not only inspired me with the strongest admiration for your genius and amiable parts, but gave me the highest idea of your person and the strongest desire of getting acquainted with one of the greatest philosophers of my age, and of the best friend to mankind. These sentiments have emboldened me to send formally, though unknown to you, the work you are mentioning to me. I thought you were the best to judge of such a performance, and I took only the liberty of giving a hint of my desires, in case it should meet with your approbation, nor was I surprized, or presumed to be displeased, at seeing my wishes disappointed. The reasons appeared very obvious to me; not withstanding the British liberty, I conceived there were limits even to it. However, my late friend’s book has appeared since and there is even an edition of it lately done in England: I believe it will be relished by the friends of truth, who like to see vulgar errors struck at the root. This has been your continued task, sir; and you deserve for it the praises of all sincere wellwishers of humanity: give me leave to rank myself among them, and express to you, by this opportunity you have been so kind as to give me, the fervent desire we have to see you in this country. Messrs. Stuart, Dempster, Fordyce, who are so good as to favor me with their company, have given me some hopes of seeing you in this metropolis, where you have so many admirers as readers, and as many sincere friends as there are disciples of philosophy. I don’t doubt but my good friend M. Helvétius will join in our wishes, and prevail upon you to come over. I assure you, sir, you won’t perceive much the change of the country, for all countries are alike for people that have the same minds.
I am, with the greatest veneration and esteem, sir, your most obedient and most humble servant. D’HOLBACH. Rue Royale, butte St. Roch, à Paris.
HOLBACH To GARRICK
(Coll. Forster, Vol. XXI; pub., Hedgcock, p. 253)
PARIS, Feb ye 9th, 1766.
I received, my very Dear Sir, with a great deal of pleasure, your agreeable letter of ye 24th of January, but was very sorry to hear that you are inlisted in the numerous troup of gouty people. Tho’ I have myself the honour of being of that tribe I dont desire my friends should enter into the same corporation. I am particularly griev’d to see you among the invalids for you have, more than any other, occasion for the free use of your limbs. However, don’t be cross and peevish for that would be only increasing you distemper; and I charge you especially of not scolding that admirable lady Mrs Garrick, whose sweetness of temper and care must be a great comfort in your circumstances. I beg leave to present her with my respects and ye compliments of my wife, that has enjoyed but an indifferent state of health, owing to the severity of the winter. Mr and Made Helvetius desire you both their best wishes and so do all your friends, for whom I can answer that every one of them keeps a kind remembrance of your valuable persons. Dr. Gem thinks you’ll do very well to go to Bath, but his opinion is that a thin diet would be more serviceable to you than anything else; believe he is in the right. Abbé Morellet pays many thanks for the answers to his queries, but complains of their shortness and laconism; however it is not your fault. He is glad to hear you have receiv’d his translation of Beccaria’s book, Des délits et des peines and the compliments of our friend Dr Gatti to whom I gave your direction before he went to London. Our friend Suard has entered his neck into the matrimonial halter; we are all of us very sorry for it for we know that nothing combin’d with love, will at last make nothing at all.
I was not much surpris’d at the particulars you are pleas’d to mention about Rousseau. According to the thorough knowledge I have had of him I look on that man as a mere philosophical quack, full of affectation, of pride, of oddities and even villainies; the work he is going to publish justifies the last imputation. Is his memory so short as to forget that Mr Grimm, for those 9 years past, has taken care of the mother of his wench or gouvernante whom he left to starve here after having debauch’d her daughter and having got her 3 or 4 times with child. That great philosopher should remember that Mr. Grimm has in his hands letters under his own hand-writing that prove him the most ungrateful dogg in the world. During his last stay in Paris he made some attempts to see Mr Diderot, and being refused that favor, he pretended that Diderot endeavoured to see him, but that himself had refused peremptorily to comply with his request. I hope these particulars will suffice to let you know what you are to think of that illustrious man. I send you here a copy of a letter supposed to come from the King of Prussia, but done by Mr Horace Walpole, whereby you’ll see that gentleman has found out his true character. But enough of that rascal who deserves not to be in Mr Hume’s company but rather among the bears, if there are any in the mountains of Wales.
I am surprized you have not receiv’d yet the Encyclopédie, for a great number of copies have been sent over already to England unless you have left your subscription here, where hitherto not one copy has been delivered for prudent reasons.
We have had in the French Comedy a new play called Le Philosophie sans le savoir done and acted in a new stile, quite natural and moving: it has a prodigious success and deserves it extremely well. Marmontel will give us very soon upon the Italian stage his comical opera of La Bergère des Alpes. I hope it will prove very agreeable to the Publick, having been very much delighted by the rehearsal of it; the music was done by Mr Cohaut who teaches my wife to play on the luth. We expect a tragedy of the Dutch Barnvelt.
Mr Wilkes is still in this town, where he intends to stay until you give him leave to return to his native country. We have had the pleasure of seeing Mr Chanquion, your friend, who seems to be a very discerning gentleman and to whom in favor of your friendship I have shown all the politeness I could. I hear that Sr James Macdonald has been ill at Parma, but is now recovered and in Rome. Abbé Galliani is still at Naples and stands a fair chance of being employ’d in the ministry there.
Adieu, very dear Sir and remember your affectionate friend
D’HOLBACH
HOLBACH TO WILKES
(Brit. Mus. Mss., Vol. 30869, p. 39)
PARIS the 22d Of May (1766)
My dear Sir I am extremely glad to know your lucky passage and happy arrival in your native country. I hope you know too well the sincere dispositions of my heart as to doubt of the friendship I have vowed to you for life; it has been of too long a duration to be shaken by any circumstances, and especially by those that do honor to you. I shall be very happy if your affairs (that seem to be in a fair way) permit you to drop over very soon to spend some time in this place along with Miss Wilkes to whom Made D’Holbach and I pay our best compliments. I can easily paint to my imagination the pleasure you both felt at your first meeting; everybody that has any sensibility must be acquainted with the grateful pangs in those moving circumstances.
Your case with the hawker at your entry in London is very odd and whimsical you did extremely well to humour the man in his opinion about Mr. Wilkes. I dare say if you had done otherwise his fist would have convinc’d you of the goodness of your cause, and then it would have been impossible for you to pass for a dead man any longer; which however, I think was very necessary for you in the beginning. I expect with great eagerness the settlement of your affairs with the ministry to your own satisfaction; be persuaded, Dear Sir, that nobody interests himself in your happiness than myself, and nothing will conduce more to it than your steady attachment to the principles of honor and patriotism.
If you don’t find a way of disposing of the little packet, you need not take much trouble about it, and you may bring it back along with you, when you come to this place, as to the kind offers you are so good as to make me about commissions, experience has taught me that it is unsafe to trust you with them, so I beg leave with gratitude to decline your proposals as that point.
All our common friends and acquaintances desire their best compliments to you, and believe me, my dear Sir.
Your affectionate oblig’d humble servant
D’HOLBACH
HOLBACH TO WILKES
(Brit. Mus. Mss., VOL 30869, p. 81)
PARIS 9ber 10th 1766
My very Dear Sir I receiv’d with the greatest pleasure the news of your lucky arrival in Engelland. You know the sentiments of my heart, and are undoubtedly convinc’d how much I wish for the good success of all your enterprises tho I am to be a great looser by it. I rejoice very heartily at the fine prospect you have now in view and don’t doubt but the persons you mention will succeed if they are in good earnest: which is allways a little doubtful in people of that Kidney.
We have had the pleasure of seeing Miss Wilkes three or four times since your departure, she is extreamly well and longs for the return of her friend Mlle Helvetius the 20th of this month.
Rousseau will very likely hate the English very cordially for making him pay so dear for his books, it is however a sign that he told us a lye when he pretended in his writings to have no books at all, as to his guitar he should buy a new one to tune his heart a little better than he did before.
We have no news here, except the Election of Mr Thomas as a member of the french academy. Marquis Beccaria is going to leave us very soon being obliged to return to Milan: Count Veri will at the same time set out for England.
I’ll be oblig’d to you for a copy or two of the book printed in holland you mentioned in your letter you may send it by some private opportunity to Miss Wilkes, with, proper directions. A gentleman of our Society should be glad to get 2 copies of Baskervilles’ virgil in octavo.
Tho Mr Davenport and Rousseau seem to be pleased very much with one another, I suppose they may very soon be tired of their squabbling, and the latter like the apostles will shake of against the barbarous Britons the dust of his feet.
Receive the hearty compliments of my wife and all our friends. You know the true sentiments of my heart for you, Dear Sir. I am with great sincerity your most obedient humble Servant D’HOLBACH
HOLBACH TO WILKES
(Brit. Mus. Mss., Vol. 30869, p. 173)
Dear Sir I receiv’d with a great deal of pleasure your friendly letter from Ostende of the 26th. nov. I was extreamly glad to hear your happy arrival at that place, and do not doubt but you met with a lucky passage to Dover the following day, we are now enjoying the conversation of your British friends about elections; that will not be tedious for you if, according to your hopes, you should succeed in your projects.
I see by your letter that instead of coming back directly by Calais you intend to travel with Miss Wilkes through Antwerp and the Low countries, which I should think not very advisable in this rigorous season of the year, for generally at that time the waters are lock’d up by the frost and travelling is bad et tedious and may be would prove hurtful to your tender fellow traveler to whom my wife and I desire our best compliments. Such a scheme will be more advantagious for you both and more conformable to the wishes of your friends in this place.
I hope your arrival in London will contribute to reconcile abbé Galliani to that place, where he complains of having not heard of the sun since he set his foot on British shore, however he may comfort himself for we have had very little of it in this country. The Abbé must be overjoy’d at the news of the Jesuits being expell’d from his Native country for now he may say Gens inimica mihi Tyrrhenum navigat aquor. We have no material news in this country, except that the queen continues to be in a very bad state of health.
If there is some good new romance I’ll be oblig’d to bring it over along with you as, well as a couple of french books call’d Militaire philosophe and Théologie portative in case you may easily find them in London, for we cannot get them here. I am told the works of one Morgan have been esteem’d in your country but I don’t know the titles of them, if you should know them and meet with them with facility, I should be very much oblig’d to you provided you make me pay a little more than you have done hitherto for your commissions.
All our common friends beg their compliments and I wish for your
speedy return, and I am Sincerely
Dear Sir
Your faithful affectionate humble servant
D’HOLBACH
PARIS the 10th of decemb. 1767
HOLBACH TO WILKES
(Brit. Mus. Mss., Vol. 30870, p. 59)
GRANDVAL, 17th of July 1768
Dear Sir I receiv’d with a great deal of pleasure your very agreeable letter of the 28th of last month. I am extreamly glad that your generous soul is very far from sinking under the weight of these Misfortunes, and to see that you don’t give up the hopes of carrying triumphantly your point notwithstanding the discouragements you have met with lately. I need not tell you how much your friends in Paris and I in particular interest ourselves in all the events that may befall you. Our old friendship ought to be a sure pledge of my sincere sentiments for you, and of my best wishes for your good success in all your undertakings. I believe you can do no better but to keep strictly to the rules you have laid down for your conduct, and I don’t doubt but you’ll find it will answer the best to your purpose.
I am very much oblig’d to you, Dear Sir, for the kind offers you make in your friendly letter. I have desir’d already Mr Suard to bring over a few books lately published in your metropolis. I am very glad to hear that Gentleman is pleas’d with his journey.
There’s no possibility of getting for you a compleat sett of Callots engravings. Such a collection must be the business of many years; it is to be found only after the decease of some curious men who have taken a great deal of trouble to collect them. I found indeed in two shops 8 or 10 of them, but the proofs (les épreuves) were very indifferent and they wanted to sell them excessively dear; in general 200 guineas would procure a collection very far from being compleat.
My wife and all our common acquaintence desire their best compliments to you and to Miss Wilkes and you know the sentiments wherewith I am for ever Dear Sir your affectionate friend and very humble servant D’HOLBACH
HOLBACH TO WILKES
(Brit. Mus. Mss., Vol. 30871, p. 16)
PARIS the 19th of March 1770
Dear Sir I receiv’d with a due sense of gratitude the favour of your last letter, and was overjoy’d to hear from yourself that your long confinement has not been able hitherto to obstruct the lively flow of your spirits. A little more patience and you’ll reach the end of all your misfortunes, that have been faithfully partaken by your friends in England and abroad, for my own part I wish most sincerely that everything for the future may turn to your profit and welfare, without hurting that of your country, to whom, as a lover of mankind, I am a well wisher.
My wife desires her best compliments to you and your beloved Daughter, whom we both expect to see again with a great deal of pleasure in this country next month. Notwithstanding our bad circumstances we are making very great preparations for the Wedding of the Dauphin, and our metropolis begins already to be filled with foreigners that flock hither from all parts of the world. Our friend Mr D’Alainville is to set out at the end of April to fetch the Archdutchess at Strasbourg and bring mask (ed) (?) her different stages on the road to Versailles.
We have no news in the literary world except that Voltaire is become lately le père temporal, that is to say the benefactor of the Capucins du pays de Gex where he lives, a title of which all his pranks seemd to exclude him, but grace you know, is omnipotent, and monks are not over nice when there is something to be got by their condescension.
If the hurry of affairs whould leave you any moments to read curious books I would advise you to peruse two very strange works lately publish’d viz Recherches philosophiques sur les américains, le Système de la Nature par Mirabaud. I suppose you’ll find them cheaper and more easily in London that at Paris.
All your late acquaintances in this Town desire me to present you with their sincere compliments and best wishes; as to mine you know that they have no other object but your Welfare.
I am, Dear Sir, for ever
your most affectionate friend
and humble servant
D’HOLBACH
P. S. I’ll be very much oblig’d to you for sending over to me in 2 vol. small octavo.
HOLBACH TO WILKES
(Wilkes, Correspondence, London, 1805, Vol. 4, p. 176)
PARIS, April 27; 1775
“My Lord,
“I received with the utmost gratitude your lordship’s friendly letter of the 28th of March. (1775?) I should have done myself the honor of answering sooner to your kind propositions, if I had not been prevented by some gouty infirmities that have assailed in the beginning of this spring. I esteem myself very happy to find that the hurry of business, and your exhaltation to the rank of chief-magistrate, could not make you forget your friendship to me; though my present circumstances do not permit me to make use of your friendly invitation, be persuaded my very dear lord that Madame D’Holbach and myself shall forever keep these signs of your kindness, in very grateful remembrance.
We both desire our best compliments to your very amiable lady-mayoress: who acted so well her part lately in the Egyptian hall, to the satisfaction of that prodigious crowd you have been entertaining there. All members of our society that have had the happiness of being acquainted with you, desire to be kindly remembered; and a continuation of your valuable friendship shall for ever be the utmost ambition my lord of your most sincerely devoted D’HOLBACH”
GALIANI To HOLBACH
(Galiani, Corresp., Vol. I, p. 199)
NAPLES, le 21 juillet, 1770
Bonjour, mon cher Baron, J’ai vu le Système de la Nature. C’est la ligne où finit la tristesse de la morne et sèche vérité, au-delà commence la gaieté du roman. Il n’y a rien de mieux que de se persuader que les dés sont pipés: cette idée en enfante milles autres, et un nouveau monde se régénère. Le M. Mirabaud est un vrai abbé Terray de la métaphysique. Il fait des réductions, des suspensions, et cause la banqueroute du savoir, du plaisir et de l’esprit humain. Mais vous allez me dire qu’aussi il y avait trop de nonvaleurs: on était trop endetté, il courait trop de papiers non réels sur la place. C’est vrai aussi, et voilà pourquoi la crise est arrivée.
Adieu, mon cher baron. Ecrivez-moi de longues lettres, pour que le plaisir en soit plus grand. Embrassez moi longuement la baronne, et soyez longue dans tout que vous faites, dans tout ce que vous patientez, dans tout ce que vous espérer. La longanimité est une belle vertu; c’est elle qui me fait espérer de revoir Paris. Adieu.
HOLBACH To GALIANI
(Critica, Vol. I, 1903, p. 489)
GRANDVAL, le 25 d’août 1770
Bonjour, mon très délicieux abbé, J’ai bien reçu votre très-précieuse lettre du 21 de juillet qui m’accuse la réception de celle que je vous avais écrite le 3 de juin. Je vois que celle-ci a été longtemps en route, attendu que M. Torcia à qui M. Diderot s’était chargé de la remettre, a encore traînassé quelque temps à Paris, suivant la louable coutume des voyageurs qui nous quittent toujours avec peine.
Je suis bien aise que vous ayez lu le livre de Mirabaud qui fait un bruit affreux dans ce pays. L’abbé Bergier l’a déjà réfuté très-longuement et sa réponse paraîtra cet hiver. La Sorbonne est, dit-on, occupée à détruire ce maudit Système qui lui paraît au moins hérétique. Voltaire lui-même se prépare à le pulvériser; en attendant nos seigneurs du Parlement y viennent d’y répondre par des fagots, ainsi qu’à quelque autres ouvrages de même trempe. Ce qu’il y a de fâcheux c’est que l’ouvrage de V. qui a pour titre Dieu et les hommes a été enveloppé dans la même condamnation, ce qui doit déplaire souverainement à l’auteur. Je me rappelle à cette occasion ce que M. Hume dit d’un catholique que Henri VIII fit conduire au bûcher avec quelques hérétiques, et dont le seul chagrin était d’être brûlé en si mauvaise compagnie. Nonobstant toutes ces réfutations, il parait tous les jours quelques nouveaux ouvrages impies, au point que je suis très surpris que la récolte ait été si bonne dans le royaume. En dernier lieu on vient de publier un ouvrage sous le titre de Droit des souverains sur les biens du clergé, qui, sans contenir des impiétés n’en est pas moins déplaisant pour cela: Il va droit à la cuisine, et veut que pour liquider la dette nationale on vende tous les biens ecclésiastiques et que l’on met nos pontifes à la pension. Vous sentez qu’une proposition si mal sonnante n’a pu manquer de mettre le ciel en courroux; sa colère s’est déchargé sur cinq ou six libraires et colporteurs qui ont été mis en prison.