cents ecus prescrits par l'ordonnance. Il est amoureux d'une jeune
paysanne aussi pauvre que lui, je viens d'acheter pour eux un petit
bien qui m'a coute huit cent francs. Le vieux pere est perclus, aux
deux bras, de rhumatismes, je lui ai fourni trois boites du baume
des Valdejeots, si estime en ce pays-ci. La vieille mere est sujette
a des maux d'estomac, et je lui ai apporte un pot de confection
d'hyacinthe. Ils travaillaient dans le champ, voisin du bois, je suis
alle les voir tandis que vous marchiez en avant. Ils m'ont suivi
malgre moi. Ne parlez de cela a personne. On dirait que je veux
faire le genereux et le bon philosophe, mais je ne suis que humain,
et mes charites sont la plus agreable depense de mes voyages.

This humanity of Holbach's is the very keynote of his character and
of his intellectual life as well. As M. Walferdin has said, the
denial of the supernatural was for him the base of all virtue, and
resting on this principle, he exemplified social qualities that do the
greatest honor to human nature. He and Madame Holbach are the only
conspicuous examples of conjugal fidelity and happiness among all the
people that one has occasion to mention in a study of the intellectual
and literary circles of the eighteenth century. They were devoted to
each other, to their children and to their friends. Considering the
traits of Holbach's character that have been cited, there can scarcely
be two opinions in regard to completeness with which he realized his
ideal of humanity and sociability. M. Naigeon has well summed up in
a few words Holbach's relation to the only duties that he recognized,
"He was a good husband, a good father and a good friend."