The fame of this celebrated man stands perhaps higher than that of any preacher who has preceded or followed him, by the number, variety, and excellence of his pro- ductions, and their eloquent and harmonious style. Grace, dignity, and force, and an inexhaustible fecun- dity of resources, particularly characterize his works. His A vent et Cui-cme, consisting of six volumes, may be justly considered as so many " chef-d'ceuvres." His mode of delivery contributed not a little to his success. "We seem to behold him stiU in imagination," said they who had been fortunate enough to attend his dis- courses, "with that simple air, that modest carriage, those eyes so luirably directed downwards, that unstud- ied gesture, that touching tone of voice, that look of a man fully impressed with the truths which he enforced, conveying the most brilliant instruction to the mind, and the most patlietic movements to the heart." The famous actor. Baron, after hearing him, told him to continue as he had begun. " You," said he, " have a manner of your own; leave the rules to others." At another time he said to an actor who was with him, "My friend, this is the true orator; we are mere play- ers." Voltaire is said to have kept a volume of jMassil- lon"s sermons constantly on his desk, as a model of elo- quence. He thought him "the preacher who best un- derstood the world — whose elo(iuence savored of the courtier, the academician, the wit, and the philoso]iher." Massillon's works, consisting mainly of sermons, have been collected and published under the title (Kiivres completes (Paris, 177t), 15 vols. Timo). In Kiiglisli we have, Sermons on the Duties of the Great, translated from the French ; preached before Louis XV during his minority ; by William Dodd, LL.D. (Lond. 177(), Sd ed. sm. 8vo) : — Sermons, selected and translated by Wil- liam Dickson (I>ond. 1826. <Svo) ■.—Charr/es, with tn-o Ks- sai/s, translated by Theo]iliilus St. John [the Kev. S. Claj)ham j (^Lond. 1805, 8vo) : — Sermons on Death, Psa.
Ixxxix, 47, translated (T.Wimbolt, Se7-mons) : — Ecclesi- astical Confere)\ces, Synodical Discourses, and Episcopal ]\[andates, etc., translated by C. H. Boylan, of Mav- nooth College (1825, 2yols. 8vo). See La Harpe, Cours de Litterut. ; Maury, Eloquence de la Chuire ; F. There- min, Demosthenes und Massillon (1845) ; D'Alembert, Elof/e de Jlfassillon ; Sainte-Beuve, Causeries de Liindi; Talbert, Eloge de Massillon (1773) ; Hoefer, Xour. Biog, Generale, s. v. ; Christian Remembrancer, 1854 (Jan.), p. 104 ; Presh. Rev. 1868 (AprU), p. 295. (J. H. W.)
Masson, John, a minister of the Reformed Church, who was a native of France, whence he emigrated to England after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. He then settled in Holland, and assisted in a critical journal entitled llistoire Critique de la Repuhlique de Lettres from 1712 to 1721. He also wrote lives of Hor- ace, Ovid, and Pliny the Younger, in Latin ; and llis- toire de Pierre Iluyle et de ses Ouvrages (12mo). He died in England about 1760. *
MassoH, Philip, a relative of the preceding, who assisted in the same journal, and was also the author of a critical dissertation designed to show the utilitj' of the Chinese language in explaining various passages of the Old Testament.
Masson, Samuel, brother of John, was pa?tor of the English Church at Dort, and conductor of the above journal.
Massorah. See Masoraii.
Massuet, Risni^, a French Benedictine monk of the Congregation of St. Maur, was born at St. Ouen, in Nor- mandy, in 1665. He studied philosophy and theology in different Benedictine convents; was made licentiatus juris at Caen ; and came to the abbey of St. Germain des Pres, at Paris, in 1703. Here he commenced his scien- tific labors, which secured him a distinguished place in that learned congregation. After the death of Ruinart, Massuet was intrusted with the continuation of the an- nals of the order, and he furnished the fifth vohmie. The principal work from his pen is an edition of the works of Irenseus, published under the title Sancti h-e- neei, ejnscopi Luf/dunensis, contra Ilcereses Lihri v (Paris, 1710, fol.); considered as having been the best edition of this Church father that had ajipeared up to INIassuet's time. He prefaced the works of Irenreus by three dis- sertations, which give good proof of the editor's pene- tration and judgment. In the first dissertation the per- son, character, and condition of I re nam s are considered, setting forth particularly the writings and heretics he encoimtered ; in the second, the life, actions, martyrdom, and writings of this saint are treated of; and in the third his sentiments and doctrines are reviewed. ]Mas- suet took an active part in the Jansenistic controversies. Having undertaken to defend the edition of the works of St. Augustine against the attacks of the Jesuit Lan- glois, he wrote Lettre dhtn Ecclesiaslique au R. P. E.L, sur celle qiiHl a ccrite aux R. P. Benedictins de la Cong, de Saint-Maur (Osnabruck, 1699). He is also the au- thor of a Lettre a Af. Vereque de Bayeux, sur son mande- ment du 5 Mai 1707 (La Haye, 1708, 12mo); and a book entitled Angnstinus Grcecus, in which he defends the opinions of his order on grace and free agency, but which was never published. He died at Paris, Jan. 1 1, 1716. See Hist. Litter, de la Cong, de St. Maur, p. 375 ; Hoefer, A o?»\j5/o^.G'(^»<?ra/e,xxxiv, 217; Herzog, /^f a/- Enci/klop. ix, 145.