Dumarsais

(César Chesneau ), French grammarian and philosopher, b. Marseilles, 17 July, 1676. When young he entered the congregation of the oratory. This society he soon quitted, and went to Paris, where he married. A friend of Boindin and Alembert, he wrote against the pretensions of Rome and contributed to the Encyclopédie . He is credited with An Analysis of the Christian Religion and with the celebrated E ai sur les Préjugés , par Mr. D. M., but the latter was probably written by Holbach, with notes by Naigeon. Le Philosophe , published in L’Evangile de la Raison by Dulaurens, was written by Voltaire. Died 11 June, 1756. Dumarsais was very simple in character, and was styled by D’Alembert the La Fontaine of philosophers.