,
he wrote Portraits and Pictures) (2 vols.
he wrote Portraits and Pictures) (2 vols.
Warner - World's Best Literature - v29 - BIographical Dictionary
He was one of the chief repre-
sentatives of positivism in Germany, though
his strength lay more in criticism than in con-
struction. His principal work, Idealism and
Positivism) (3 vols. , 1879-84), opposed the views
of Plato and Kant. Of his pedagogical writ-
ings, the most important are (German Com-
position in the Upper Gymnasium Classes) (2d
ed. 1877-78), an epoch-making work, and (Ger-
man Education in the Higher Institutions of
Instruction (2d ed. 1886).
Labanca, Baldassare (lä-bänk'ä). An Ital-
ian philosopher; born at Agnone (Molise), 1829.
He has attained great eminence with such works
as Readings in Natural Philosophy) (1864);
(Concerning the True and the False Spirit in
Philosophy' (1857); and many similar ones.
Labarre, called Louis Labar (lä-bär'). A
Belgian journalist and man of letters ; born at
Dinan, Namur, May 1, 1810; died at Ixelles,
Jan. 17, 1892. His first success was a volume
of "Satires and Elegies) (1836), in which his
republican sentiments are strongly expressed.
He has edited Charivari Belge and other jour-
nals. His best works include: A Revolution
to Laugh At,' a comedy; Antoine Wiertz)
(1867), a biography; "Waterloo) (1868), a his-
torical study; and other miscellany.
Labé, Louise (lä-bā). A French poet; true
name Charlieu ; called “the fair rope-maker »
from her husband's business (about 1526-66).
She was early noted for beauty, linguistic talent,
and intrepidity. At 16, disguised as a cavalier,
she took part in the siege of Perpignan. After
marriage at Lyons, her house became the ren-
dezvous of poets, scholars, artists, and musicians.
Her poems are true lyrics, singularly graceful
and original, though showing Petrarch's influ-
ence. She also wrote in prose a charming alle-
gory, Dispute between Folly and Love.
La Bédollière, Émile Gigault de (lä bād-
ol-yır'). A French historian, and social ana-
lyst; born at Amiens, 1812; died in Paris, 1883.
He wrote much, his best works being: "His-
tory of Paris) (1864); (History of the Morals
and Private Life of the French) (1847); (His-
tory of Mother Michel and of her Cat) (1851),
a delightful mock-serious tale, translated into
English by T. B. Aldrich for St. Nicholas.
## p. 318 (#334) ############################################
318
LABEO - LA BRUYÈRE
(
Labeo, Marcus Antistius (lab'ê-7). A cele-
brated Roman jurist of the Augustan age. He
wrote some 400 works on jurisprudence; but of
them one only has come down to our time,
being embodied in the Pandects of the Justin.
ian (Corpus Juris.
Laberius, Decimus (la-bē'ri-us). A Roman
knight and miscellaneous writer; born about
105 B. C. ; died at Puteoli, January 43 B. C. His
writings consisted of farces, comic and satirical
poems, an epic poem on Cæsar's Gallic war,
and a prose work containing anecdotes, etc.
He was compelled by Cæsar to appear on the
stage in one of his own farces, thereby forfeit-
ing his knighthood, which was restored to him
by the dictator.
Labesse, Antoine Édouard Decaudin (lä-
bes'). A French miscellaneous writer; born in
Angoulême, April 11, 1848. He is a prolific
writer on a variety of subjects, his works
including: (The Terrestrial World,' a pop-
ular scientific study ; (Monsieur, Madame, and
Baby'; My First Case); (The King of the
Fjords); and many more.
Labiche, Eugène (lä-bēsh'). An important
French comedy-writer; born in Paris, May 5,
1815; died there, Jan. 23, 1888. Of over 100
comedies, vaudevilles, farces, etc. , of his writ-
ing, almost all possessed strong qualities, in-
cluding striking dialogue, caustic yet never
cruel humor, and stage technique, while several
were models of their kind. Among the best
are: (The Italian Straw Hat) (1851); (The
Misanthrope and the Auvergnat) (1853); Eye
Powder) (with Martin, 1862); (Célimare the
Well-Beloved) (1863); “Cagnotte) (1864); One
Foot in Crime) (with Choler, 1866); etc. (Dra-
matic Works, 10 vols. , 1878–79. ) He wrote a
number of pieces in collaboration.
La Boëtie, Étienne de (lä bo-e-te'). A French
anti-monarchical poet; born at Sarlat, Nov. 1,
1530; died at Germignan, Aug. 18, 1563. He
was a friend of Montaigne, who brought out
an edition of his writings (1570-71). Of these
the best known is the Discourse on Voluntary
Slavery, a rather fat philippic against mon-
archy. (Works, Paris, 1892. )
Laborde, Alexandre Louis Joseph, Count
de (lä-bord'). A French writer of travels; born
in Paris, Sept. 17, 1773; died there, Oct. 24, 1842.
He wrote: (Picturesque and Historic Journey
in Spain) (4 vols. , 1807-18; new ed. 1823);
Description of the New Gardens and Ancient
Castles of France) (1808-15); “The Monuments
of France) (2 vols. , 1816-36); Picturesque Jour-
ney in Austria) (3 vols. , 1821-23); Descriptive
Itinerary of Spain) (3d ed. , 6 vols. , 1827-31);
(Versailles, Ancient and Modern (1840). He
was a soldier, accompanying Napoleon to Spain
and Austria, and a politician.
Laborde, Léon, Marquis de. A French mis-
cellaneous writer, son of Alexandre; born in
Paris, June 15, 1807; died there, March 25, 1869.
Having accompanied his father on a trip to
the East, he wrote : Journey in Arabia Petræa)
(1830–33); Journey in the East) (2 vols. , 1837-
62); History of Engraving) (1839); “The Dukes
of Burgundy) (1849-51); Account of the En-
amels, Jewelry, and Various Objects on Exhi-
bition in the Galleries of the Louvre) (2 vols. ,
1853); (The Renaissance of the Arts at the
Court of France. Vol. I. : Painting) (1855). In
the revolution of 1830 he was General Lafay-
ette's adjutant, was afterwards in the diplomatic
service at London, The Hague, and Cassel, and
succeeded to his father's office.
Labouchere, Henry (lä-bö-shår'). An Eng-
lish journalist and politician; born in London,
1831. He was in the diplomatic service, part
of the time at Washington, and a member of
Parliament. An advanced republican, he used
Truth, the journal established by him in 1876 as
a society and political organ, for the promul-
gation of his ideas, often thereby getting into
serious difficulties. He wrote (Diary of a Be.
sieged Resident in Paris) (1871).
Laboulaye, Édouard René Lefebvre de (lä-
bö-lā'). A distinguished French jurist, histo-
rian, and writer of tales; born at Paris, Jan. 18,
1811; died there, May 25, 1883. He was ap-
pointed professor of comparative jurisprudence
in the Collège de France in 1849, having already
won distinction by several treatises on Roman
and French law. His greatest work outside of
the field of jurisprudence is a (Political His-
tory of the United States, 1620-1789) (3 vols. ,
1855-66). He wrote also (The United States
and France) (1862) and the humorous satiric
novel Paris in America) (1863), which had a
very large circulation (27th ed. 1872). His
novel of Prince Caniche) (1868) reached a
20th edition. But by far his best-known works
of fiction are the three series of Blue Stories,
tales of fairies, elves, enchanters, etc. , original
and retold. Some of his essays on contempo-
rary political and social questions have been
collected and published under the titles "Con-
temporary Studies of Germany and the Slavic
States) (1856); “Religious Liberty) (1858). *
Labrunie. See Gérard de Nerval.
La Bruyère, Jean de (lä brii-yår'). A fa-
mous French moralist and satirist; born in
Paris, August 1645; died at Versailles, May 10,
1696. Appointed tutor of the dauphin, he spent
a large part of his life at the court of Louis
XIV. His great work, on which his reputation
rests, (The Characters of Theophrastus, Trans-
lated from the Greek, with the Characters or
Manners of this Century) (1688), was a cloak
for the keenest and most sagacious observations
on the characters and manners of the court. It
abounds in wit, shows him to have been an ex-
cellent judge of men, and is written in an ad-
mirable style. The number of characters ” was
greatly increased as the various editions came
out. Numerous keys appeared, the first in 1720.
It has been translated into well-nigh every mod-
ern language. A true philosopher, desiring but
to lead a quiet life with his books and friends,
only his worth and tact enabled him always to
(
## p. 319 (#335) ############################################
LACAILLE-LACORDAIRE
319
)
preserve his dignity among the ignorant and ar-
rogant courtiers. *
Lacaille, Nicolas Louis de (lä-käy'). A noted
French astronomer (1713-62). In 1750 he pro-
posed to the Paris Academy an astronomical
expedition to the Cape of Good Hope; the
project being officially sanctioned, he made the
voyage to the Cape 1751, and spent three years
in the southern hemisphere. He made more
observations and calculations than all the other
astronomers of his time put together, and his
exactitude was not inferior to his diligence.
Ilis principal writings are : (The Foundations
of Astronomy) (1757); “Solar Tables); (The
Southern Starry Heavens) (1763), a catalogue
of 10,000 southern stars ; elementary treatises
on Mathematics) (1741), Mechanics (1743),
Astronomy) (1746), "Optics) (1750).
La Calprenède, Gauthier de Coste, Sei-
gneur de (lä käl-pre-nād'). A French romancer
(1610-63). He first entered the field of litera-
ture with tragedies and tragi-comedies, but
had little success.
He then wrote a romance
of chivalry, Cleopatra) (12 vols. , 1647-58), in
which contemporary personages and manners
are portrayed under names and amid surround-
ings of the age of Augustus. The episodes of
intrigue and gallantry are to the last degree
and wearisome; but the characters are
for the most part well defined, some of the
scenes skillfully contrived, and the style always
elegant and perspicuous. Among his other
romances, in a like vein, are Cassandra! (10
vols. , 1642-50); Pharamond' (7 vols. , 1661-70);
Diversions of the Princess Alcidiana (1661).
Lacaussade, Auguste (la-ko-sad'). A French
poet; born in the Isle of Bourbon, 1817. His
most notable volumes of verse include : (Na-
tional Poems) (1871); (Anacreontics); etc.
Lacépède, Bernard Germain Étienne de
Laville, Count de (lä-sā-ped'). A distinguished
French naturalist; born at Agen, Dec. 26, 1756;
died at Épinay, Oct. 6, 1825. The perusal of
Buffon's Natural History) in early life de-
cided his after career. Most noteworthy among
his works are : History of Oviparous Quad-
rupeds) (1788); Natural History of Reptilia)
(1788); Natural History of Fishes,' a work of
the highest authority (6 vols. , 1798-1805); Nat-
ural History of Man (posthumous).
Lachambeaudie, Pierre (lä-shon-bo-dē'). A
French fabulist; born at Sarlat, Dec. 16, 1807;
died at Brunoy, near Paris, July 7, 1872. His
principal work was Popular Fables) (7th ed.
1849), a number of which have been trans-
lated into German.
Lachaud, Georges (lä-sho'). A French story
and political writer; born in Paris, 1846. (The
Bonapartists and the Republic) (1877) is a
typical specimen of his political writings, and
(Pitiless Love) (1884) of his fiction.
La Chaussée, Pierre Claude Nivelle de (lä
sho-sā'). A French dramatist, founder of the
so-called mixed ” or “weeping ” comedy ; born
in Paris, 1692; died there, March 14, 1754.
His comedy (The False Antipathy) (1734)
was the first French pathetic comedy. Of
eighteen dramas written by him, among the
best are : Fashionable Prejudice) (1735), di-
rected against the idea, then wide-spread, that
a man of rank can have no love for his wife;
(School of Friendship) (1737); Mélanide)
(1741); "Love for Love) (1742); Pamela)
(1743); “School of Mothers) (1745); (The Gov-
erness) (1747). His plays were all written in
verse and followed strictly the rules of the
classic drama, but inclined to be somewhat tedi-
ous in their moralizing. (Works, 5 vols. , 1762. )
Lachmann, Karl (lacb'män). A noted Ger-
man philologist and critic; born at Brunswick,
March 4, 1793; died at Berlin, March 13, 1851.
With Jakob Grimm he was the founder of the
Old-German philology, and was distinguished
for the keenness of his critical method. Among
the most important of his works were his treat-
ment of the Nibelungen (1836), arguing that it
is composed of twenty old folk-songs; Views
on Homer's Iliad (1847), aiming to show it to
be made up of single songs; and his editions
of the Nibelungenlied (1826); Walther von der
Vogelweide, Wolfram von Eschenbach, Proper-
tius, Catullus, Tibullus, Lucretius, etc. He was
professor at Konigsberg (1818) and Berlin
(1825).
Laclos, Pierre Ambroise François Choderlos
de (lä-klö'). A French novelist; born at Ami-
ens, 1741; died at Taranto, Italy, 1803. He
is best known by his Dangerous Connections)
(4 vols. , 1782). He wrote also a satire against
Madame Dubarry, CA Letter to Marget. His
life was spared by Robespierre, for the reason,
so it was said, that he composed R. 's speeches
for him.
La Condamine, Charles Marie de (lä kon".
dä-mēn'). A French scientist ; born in Paris,
Jan. 28, 1701 ; died there, Feb. 4, 1774. He is
best known as having with Bouger and Godin
measured an arc of the meridian on the plain
of Quito, South America. The expedition lasted
nine years (1735-44). On his way home he
descended the Amazon, being the first scientist
to do so, and the first man to publish accurate
maps of the river. He is said to have intro-
duced the knowledge of india-rubber into Eu-
rope. He wrote : Journal of an Expedition to
the Equator by Order of the King' (1751);
(Abridged Account of a Journey Made in the
Interior of South America) (1745); (Ilistory of
Small-Pox Inoculation (1773); etc.
Lacordaire, Jean Baptiste Henri Domi-
nique (lä-kor-dãr'). A noted French pulpit or-
ator and journalist; born at Recey-sur-Ource,
May 12, 1802; died at Sorèze, Nov. 22, 1861.
He became famous as a preacher at Votre
Dame, speaking from the pulpit on the ques-
tions of the day, and was a member of the Na-
tional Assembly. With Lamennais, he founded
the democratic journal L'Avenir (The Future :
1830), which was condemned by the Pope.
Among his works were : Philosophical Con.
## p. 320 (#336) ############################################
320
LACRETELLE
LA FARGE
siderations on the System of Lamennais) (1834);
(Life of St. Dominic) (1840); Detached Ser-
mons and Funeral Orations) (1844-47), the
most impressive of which was the oration
preached over the remains of Gen. Drouot;
and a voluminous correspondence.
Lacretelle, Henri de (lä-kret-el'). A French
poet and prose-writer, son of Jean; born Aug.
21, 1815. He was a member of the national
legislature. He wrote Lamartine and his
Friends' (1878).
Lacretelle, Jean Charles Dominique de, the
Younger. A noted French historian and jour-
nalist, brother of Pierre Louis; born at Metz,
Sept. 3, 1766; died at Bel-Air, near Macon,
March 26, 1855. He was editor of the Journal
des Débats, censor of the press, president of
the French Academy, and professor of history
at the University of Paris. He wrote a num-
ber of histories of France at different periods,
among which may be named: (Compendium of
the History of the French Revolution) (6 vols. ,
1801-6); (History of France during the Eigh-
teenth Century) (6 vols. , 1808). He wrote also
interesting memoirs of his own time: (Ten
Years of Trials during the Revolution (1842);
(Philosophic and Literary Last Will and Testa-
ment) (2 vols. , 1840).
Lacretelle, Pierre Louis. A French legal and
miscellaneous writer; born at Metz, 1751; died
Sept. 5, 1824. Besides several legal works, etc.
,
he wrote Portraits and Pictures) (2 vols. , 1817),
containing masterly descriptions of Napoleon I. ,
Mirabeau, and Lafayette. He edited the Mer-
cure de France and the Minerve Française.
((Works, 6 vols. , 1823-24. )
Lacroix, Jules (lä-krwä'). A French poet,
dramatist, and novelist, brother of Paul ; born
in Paris, May 7, 1809; died Nov. 10, 1887. He
wrote numerous romances; a volume of poetry,
Les Pervenches) (The Periwinkles : 1838); sev-
eral dramas; and (The Year of Infamy) (1872),
a collection of patriotic poems.
Lacroix, Paul. A French novelist and his-
torian; born at Paris, Feb. 27, 1806; died there,
Oct. 16, 1884. Under the pseudonym “P. L.
Jacob, Bibliophile,” he edited with valuable
commentaries the works of Rabelais and other
great 16th-century authors. Among his works
are: Dissertations on Some Curious Points of
the History of France) (3 vols. , 1838); "The
16th Century in France) (2 vols. , 1838); (His-
tory . . . of Napoleon III. (4 vols. , 1853); sev-
eral historical novels; numerous works of great
value on such subjects as (Historic Costumes
of France) (10 vols. , 1852); (Manners, Costumes,
etc. , of the Middle Ages) (1870); (The 18th
Century: Institutions, Usages, and Costumes)
(1879); (The Directorate and the Empire, etc.
(1883); these works on costumes, usages, etc. ,
are illustrated with most elaborate and accurate
designs executed by the foremost artists.
Lactantius Firmianus (lak-tan'shi-us fer-
mi-ā-nus), Lucius Cælius or Cæcilius. An
eminent Christian author of the fourth century,
A. D. A pupil of the rhetorician Arnobius, he
became a teacher of rhetoric in Nicomedia,
and afterwards tutor to Crispus, son of Con-
stantine the Great. His principal work, (The
Divine Institutes,' a production of a polem-
ical character, earned for him the title of the
(Christian Cicero. ”
Lacy, John. An English dramatist and
comedian ; born near Doncaster, before 1620;
died in London, Sept. 17, 1681. His best play
is (The Old Troop,' of which Scott makes use
in Woodstock. '
Ladd, George Trumbull. An American
educator and philosophical writer; born at
Painesville, O. , 1842. He was educated at
Western Reserve College and Andover Theo-
lo Seminary. He was pastor of Spring
Street Congregational Church, Milwaukee, Wis. ,
from 1871 to 1879; and professor of philosophy
at Bowdoin College from 1879 to 1881, when
he assumed the chair of philosophy at Yale.
His works include: Principles of Church Pol-
ity) (1881); Doctrine of Sacred Scripture)
(1883); Elements of Physiological Psychology)
(1887).
La Dixmerie, Nicolas Bricaire de (lä dēz-
mārē'). A French man of letters; born 1730;
died 1791. His works are able and powerful,
but not agreeable. They include: "Philosoph-
ical and Moral Tales) (1765), and (Eulogy of
Voltaire) (1779).
Laet, Jan Jakob de (lät). [Johan Alfried. ”]
A Flemish poet, novelist, and journalist; born
at Antwerp, Dec. 13, 1815; died there, April 22,
1891. He was a physician. After championing
Flemish rights and language in several journals,
some of them founded for the purpose by him-
self, he deserted journalism for business, but
engaged afterward in politics. Among his best-
known works were the romance (The House
of Wesenbeke) (1842); the village tale (The
Player) (1846); Poems) (1848; 2d ed. 1883).
La Fare, Charles Auguste, Marquis de (lä
fär). A French poet; born at Castle Valgorge,
Vivarais, 1644; died in Paris, 1712. A friend of
Marshal Turenne, he distinguished himself in
the campaigns of 1667 and 1674; but left the
army afterward and devoted himself to a life
of pleasure, the delights of which he celebrated
in verse.
The Duke of Orleans wrote the music
for his opera of Panthée. )
La Farge, John (lä färj). An American
artist of the first rank; born in New York city,
1835. He studied under Couture in Paris; be-
came a National Academician in 1869; and a
member of the Society of American Artists in
1877. He has executed remarkable paintings,
altar pieces, and decorations of interiors -
notably of Trinity Church, Boston; and de-
signed stained-glass windows for churches and
many other buildings, in the new American
manner, which is a revival of the art of mak-
ing colored glass (instead of painting glass),
of which he was the originator, in association
with Louis Tiffany. He has published a vol-
## p. 321 (#337) ############################################
LA FARINA - LAING
321
ume of (Lectures on Art,' and (An Artist's
Letters from Japan.
La Farina, Giuseppe (lä fä-rē'nä). An Ital-
ian statesman and historian; born at Messina,
July 20, 1815; died at Florence, Sept. 5, 1863. A
democratic leader, favoring Italian unity and in-
dependence, he lived part of his life as a polit-
ical refugee; but played an important part in the
movements of his time. His principal work
was History of Italy Narrated to the Italian
People) (10 vols. , 1846).
La Fayette, Marie Madeleine Pioche de la
Vergne, Comtesse de (lä-fi-et' or laf-ā-et'). A
distinguished French novelist; born at Paris,
1634; died there, May 25, 1693. All her life
she was in the foremost literary circles, after
marriage her house being a noted rendezvous
of wits and scholars, including Mme. de Sé-
vigné, Lafontaine, and La Rochefoucauld. Her
first novel was (The Princess de Montpensier)
(1660); ten years later appeared her second,
(Zaïde,' which among her works ranks next
after “The Princess of Cleves) (4 vols. , 1678),
her most celebrated work, and one of the
classics of French literature. She wrote also
a (History of Henrietta of England) (1720),
and Memoirs of the Court of France for the
Years 1688 and 1689) (1731). *
Lafontaine, August Heinrich Julius (lä-fon-
tān'). A German novelist; born at Brunswick,
Oct. 5, 1758; died at Halle, April 20, 1831. He
wrote more than 150 novels, and founded a
school which in its day was regarded with
high favor at the court of Prussia for its tone
of illiberal moralizing sentimentality. Among
his novels may be named: Picture of the
Human Heart) (1792); ( Descriptions of the Life
of Man (1811); “The Parsonage on the Lake
Side) (1816).
La Fontaine, Jean de. A celebrated French
fabulist and poet; born at Château-Thierry, in
Champagne, July 8, 1621 ; died in Paris, April
13, 1695. His first work was an adaptation of
Terence's 'Eunuch) (1654). His poem (Adonis )
was published in 1658. His principal works
are (Stories and Novels) (5 books, 1665-95),
and the (Fables) (12 books, 1668-95), - both in
verse. The (Stories) are mostly versions of
stories like Boccaccio's and Margaret of Na-
varre's, and almost unrivaled in variety and
vividness; but their licentiousness caused the
suppression of one book in 1675 by the public
censor. In this respect the "Fables) are with-
out blemish, while as works of literary art they
stand in the foremost rank. He wrote some
dramas, of little worth ; also a version in prose
and verse of “The Loves of Psyche) (1669). *
Lafuente, Modesto (lä-fwen'tā). A Spanish
historian; born at Rabanel de los Caballeros,
1806; died there, Oct. 25, 1866. Under the
pseudonymFray Gerundio » he published a
'series of satirical sketches which had wide
circulation; but his principal work is a (General
History of Spain) (30 vols. , 1850–66). It is
written without partisanship, and is the fruit of
laborious research; the style is excellent.
Lagarde, Paul Anton de (lä-gärd'). A dis-
tinguished German Orientalist; born at Berlin,
Nov. 2, 1827; died at Göttingen, Dec. 22, 1891.
He became professor of Oriental languages at
Göttingen, 1869. Of his very numerous writings
the majority relate to the books of the Hebrew
Scriptures; but he edited and commented on
versions of those books and of the books of
the New Testament in Greek, Armenian, Ara-
bic, Syriac, Coptic, etc.
Lagrange, Joseph Louis (lä-gränzh'). A
great French mathematician; born at Turin,
Jan. 25, 1736; died at Paris, April 10, 1813.
While still a youth he solved for Euler the
(isoperimetrical problem"); when Euler died,
he succeeded him as director of the Berlin
Academy (1766), and held that office till 1787.
In the mean time he contributed to the Pro-
ceedings of the Academy a long series of
memoirs, and wrote his greatest work, “Analyt-
ical Mechanics. After the death of Frederick
the Great he removed to Paris; there he was
lodged in the Louvre, and a pension was set-
tled on him equal to that granted by Frederick.
He remained in France during the Revolution,
safeguarded by the respect felt for his learn-
ing and his virtues even by the judges of the
revolutionary tribunals.
La Guéronnière, Louis Étienne Arthur
Dubreuil Hélion, Vicomte de (lä gār-on-yır').
A French publicist; born at Limoges, 1816;
died at Paris, Dec. 23, 1875. He became a
zealous partisan of Louis Napoleon after the
Coup d'État of 1851, being then chief editor of
the Pays. In a celebrated pamphlet, Napoleon
III. and Italy, he first heralded the approach-
ing war against Austria in Lombardy (1859).
In another pamphlet, France, Rome, and Italy)
(1861), he brought again to the front the ques-
tion of the Pope's temporal power. Hardly
less celebrated than these were his pamphlets
Napoleon III. and England) (1858); (The
Pope and the Congress) (1859).
La Harpe, Jean François de (lä ärp). A
French literary critic and poet; born at Paris,
Nov. 20, 1739; died there, Feb. II, 1803. After
publishing several volumes of mediocre verse,
he first came into public notice through his
tragedy (Warwick ) (1763), and then added
largely to his, fame by a number of elegant
and spirited Éloges) on great French worthies.
He was professor of literature in the Lycée,
1786-98, and his lectures were attended by all
the fashionables of Paris; the lectures were
collected and published in a series of volumes,
_Lycée, or Course of Literature (1799-1805).
Among his numerous works Sainte-Beuve as-
signs the first rank to (Cazotte's Prophecy. '
Laing, Malcolm (lāng). A Scotch lawyer and
historian ; born on the Island of Mainland,
Orkneys, in 1762; died in the Orkneys, Novem-
ber 1818. He was a lawyer by profession, and
later a member of Parliament, but devoted him-
self principally to historical investigation. He
wrote a continuation of Henry's (A History of
Great Britain) (1785), and History of Scot-
a
21
## p. 322 (#338) ############################################
322
LAING - LAMBERT
ist;
:
land) (2 vols. , 1800), which may be regarded as
supplementary to Dr. Robertson's History. In
the preliminary dissertation he presents an
elaborate argument to prove Queen Mary's par-
ticipation in the murder of Darnley.
Laing, Samuel. An English statesman and
philosophical writer; born at Edinburgh in 1810.
He has been prominently identified with rail-
way legislation in England, was for many years
prominent in Parliament, and from 1801 to 1863
held the office of finance minister to India.
Of his works, Modern Science and Modern
Thought) (1886), and (A Modern Zoroastrian)
(1887), have occasioned some discussion. His
other publications of a miscellaneous character
include : (India and China' (1863); (A Sport-
ing Quixote ; or the Life and Adventures of
the Hon. Augustus Fitzmuddle) (1886); (The
Antiquity of Man (1890); (Human Origins)
(1892).
Laistner, Ludwig (list'ner). A German
poet; born at Esslingen, Nov. 3, 1845. Among
his works are : (Barbarossa's Marriage-Broker)
(1875), an epic poem ; (Cloud-Myths) (1879),
relating to German mythology; (The Sphinx's
Riddle: Elements of a History of Mythology)
(2 vols. , 1889); (Germanic Names of Peoples)
(1892).
Lalande, Joséph Jérôme Lefrançais de
(lä-länd'). An eminent French astronomer;
born at Bourg-en-Bresse, July II, 1732; died at
Paris, April 4, 1807. Among his voluminous
works are: (A Treatise on Astronomy) (1764);
(French History of the Heavens) (1801), in
which are determined the places of 50,000 stars ;
(Astronomy for Ladies) (1785).
La Mara (lä mär'ä), pseudonym of Marie
Lipsius. A noted German writer on music;
born at Leipsic, Dec. 30, 1837. Her interesting
work, “Studies of Musicians' Heads) (5 vols. ,
1868-82), has had a wide circulation. She is
author also of Musical Thoughts) (1873), a
collection of sayings of eminent musicians ;
(Letters of Musicians) (1886); "Classicism and
Romanticism in the World of Music) (1892).
Lamarck, Jean Baptiste Pierre Antoine de
Monet, Chevalier de (lä-märk'). A celebrated
French naturalist; born at Barentin, Aug. 1,
1744; died at Paris, Dec. 18, 1829. He directed
his studies first to meteorology, but soon turned
mainly to botany: his (French Flora) (3 vols. ,
1778) became the basis of De Candolle's more
celebrated work. He wrote also an "Encyclo-
pædic Tableau of Botany) (3 vols. , 1791-1823)
and a Natural History of Plants) (15 vols. ,
1802). His most celebrated work, History of
the Invertebrates,' appeared in 1815-22 in seven
volumes. His theoretical views are expounded
in his (Zoological Philosophy) (2 vols. , 1809):
there he attacks the doctrine of the immuta-
bility of species, and lays the scientific founda-
tions of what later was called the development
theory of the origin of species.
Lamartine, Alphonse Marie Louis de (lä-
mär-tēn'). A celebrated French poet; born at
Milly, near Macon, Oct. 21, 1790; died at Passy,
March 1, 1869. His first volume of poems,
(Poetical Meditations) (1820), was in effect a
new departure in French lyrism, expressing
sympathy with nature and with religious senti-
ment which accorded with the then new reac-
tion against materialism. Then followed : 'New
Poetical Meditations) (1823); (Poetic and
Religious Harmonies) (1830); Recollections,
Impressions, and Reflections) (4 vols. , 1835);
(Jocelyn) (1836), an idyllic epos in which he
reaches the summit of his poetic inspiration ;
(The Fall of an Angel (1838), an imitation
of Byron ; (History of the Girondins) (8 vols. ,
1847); 'Confidences) (1849); New Confidences)
(1851); (History of the Restoration (8 vols. ,
1852). *
Lamb, Charles. A celebrated English essay-
born in London, Feb. 10, 1775; died at Ed.
monton, Dec. 27, 1834. His (Essays of Elia)
were originally contributed to the London Mag.
azine, beginning 1820; they were collected and
published in a volume in 1823, received with
universal public favor, and have a high place
among English classics. Last Essays of Elia)
were published in 1833. Lamb's cheerful phi-
losophy of life, his genuine and spontaneous
humor, and the easy grace of his style, are as
grateful to readers of to-day as to those of
two generations ago. He twice attempted dra.
matic composition, but without success. With
his sister Mary Lamb (1765-1847) he wrote
(Tales from the Plays of Shakespeare (1807),
intended for youthful readers, with whom it
has ever since been a favorite work. *
Lamb, Martha Joanna Reade Nash. An
American historian; born in Plainfield, Mass. ,
Aug. 13, 1829; died in New York city, Jan. 2,
1893. The best known of her works is the (His-
tory of the City of New York) (2 vols. , 1877-81).
She also wrote (The Homes of America (1879);
(Wall Street in History) (1883). For years she
was editor of the Magazine of American His-
tory. Mrs. Lamb was a member of many
learned societies in this country and Europe.
Lambecius, called Peter Lambeck (läm-bē'
shös). A German scholar (1628-80).
sentatives of positivism in Germany, though
his strength lay more in criticism than in con-
struction. His principal work, Idealism and
Positivism) (3 vols. , 1879-84), opposed the views
of Plato and Kant. Of his pedagogical writ-
ings, the most important are (German Com-
position in the Upper Gymnasium Classes) (2d
ed. 1877-78), an epoch-making work, and (Ger-
man Education in the Higher Institutions of
Instruction (2d ed. 1886).
Labanca, Baldassare (lä-bänk'ä). An Ital-
ian philosopher; born at Agnone (Molise), 1829.
He has attained great eminence with such works
as Readings in Natural Philosophy) (1864);
(Concerning the True and the False Spirit in
Philosophy' (1857); and many similar ones.
Labarre, called Louis Labar (lä-bär'). A
Belgian journalist and man of letters ; born at
Dinan, Namur, May 1, 1810; died at Ixelles,
Jan. 17, 1892. His first success was a volume
of "Satires and Elegies) (1836), in which his
republican sentiments are strongly expressed.
He has edited Charivari Belge and other jour-
nals. His best works include: A Revolution
to Laugh At,' a comedy; Antoine Wiertz)
(1867), a biography; "Waterloo) (1868), a his-
torical study; and other miscellany.
Labé, Louise (lä-bā). A French poet; true
name Charlieu ; called “the fair rope-maker »
from her husband's business (about 1526-66).
She was early noted for beauty, linguistic talent,
and intrepidity. At 16, disguised as a cavalier,
she took part in the siege of Perpignan. After
marriage at Lyons, her house became the ren-
dezvous of poets, scholars, artists, and musicians.
Her poems are true lyrics, singularly graceful
and original, though showing Petrarch's influ-
ence. She also wrote in prose a charming alle-
gory, Dispute between Folly and Love.
La Bédollière, Émile Gigault de (lä bād-
ol-yır'). A French historian, and social ana-
lyst; born at Amiens, 1812; died in Paris, 1883.
He wrote much, his best works being: "His-
tory of Paris) (1864); (History of the Morals
and Private Life of the French) (1847); (His-
tory of Mother Michel and of her Cat) (1851),
a delightful mock-serious tale, translated into
English by T. B. Aldrich for St. Nicholas.
## p. 318 (#334) ############################################
318
LABEO - LA BRUYÈRE
(
Labeo, Marcus Antistius (lab'ê-7). A cele-
brated Roman jurist of the Augustan age. He
wrote some 400 works on jurisprudence; but of
them one only has come down to our time,
being embodied in the Pandects of the Justin.
ian (Corpus Juris.
Laberius, Decimus (la-bē'ri-us). A Roman
knight and miscellaneous writer; born about
105 B. C. ; died at Puteoli, January 43 B. C. His
writings consisted of farces, comic and satirical
poems, an epic poem on Cæsar's Gallic war,
and a prose work containing anecdotes, etc.
He was compelled by Cæsar to appear on the
stage in one of his own farces, thereby forfeit-
ing his knighthood, which was restored to him
by the dictator.
Labesse, Antoine Édouard Decaudin (lä-
bes'). A French miscellaneous writer; born in
Angoulême, April 11, 1848. He is a prolific
writer on a variety of subjects, his works
including: (The Terrestrial World,' a pop-
ular scientific study ; (Monsieur, Madame, and
Baby'; My First Case); (The King of the
Fjords); and many more.
Labiche, Eugène (lä-bēsh'). An important
French comedy-writer; born in Paris, May 5,
1815; died there, Jan. 23, 1888. Of over 100
comedies, vaudevilles, farces, etc. , of his writ-
ing, almost all possessed strong qualities, in-
cluding striking dialogue, caustic yet never
cruel humor, and stage technique, while several
were models of their kind. Among the best
are: (The Italian Straw Hat) (1851); (The
Misanthrope and the Auvergnat) (1853); Eye
Powder) (with Martin, 1862); (Célimare the
Well-Beloved) (1863); “Cagnotte) (1864); One
Foot in Crime) (with Choler, 1866); etc. (Dra-
matic Works, 10 vols. , 1878–79. ) He wrote a
number of pieces in collaboration.
La Boëtie, Étienne de (lä bo-e-te'). A French
anti-monarchical poet; born at Sarlat, Nov. 1,
1530; died at Germignan, Aug. 18, 1563. He
was a friend of Montaigne, who brought out
an edition of his writings (1570-71). Of these
the best known is the Discourse on Voluntary
Slavery, a rather fat philippic against mon-
archy. (Works, Paris, 1892. )
Laborde, Alexandre Louis Joseph, Count
de (lä-bord'). A French writer of travels; born
in Paris, Sept. 17, 1773; died there, Oct. 24, 1842.
He wrote: (Picturesque and Historic Journey
in Spain) (4 vols. , 1807-18; new ed. 1823);
Description of the New Gardens and Ancient
Castles of France) (1808-15); “The Monuments
of France) (2 vols. , 1816-36); Picturesque Jour-
ney in Austria) (3 vols. , 1821-23); Descriptive
Itinerary of Spain) (3d ed. , 6 vols. , 1827-31);
(Versailles, Ancient and Modern (1840). He
was a soldier, accompanying Napoleon to Spain
and Austria, and a politician.
Laborde, Léon, Marquis de. A French mis-
cellaneous writer, son of Alexandre; born in
Paris, June 15, 1807; died there, March 25, 1869.
Having accompanied his father on a trip to
the East, he wrote : Journey in Arabia Petræa)
(1830–33); Journey in the East) (2 vols. , 1837-
62); History of Engraving) (1839); “The Dukes
of Burgundy) (1849-51); Account of the En-
amels, Jewelry, and Various Objects on Exhi-
bition in the Galleries of the Louvre) (2 vols. ,
1853); (The Renaissance of the Arts at the
Court of France. Vol. I. : Painting) (1855). In
the revolution of 1830 he was General Lafay-
ette's adjutant, was afterwards in the diplomatic
service at London, The Hague, and Cassel, and
succeeded to his father's office.
Labouchere, Henry (lä-bö-shår'). An Eng-
lish journalist and politician; born in London,
1831. He was in the diplomatic service, part
of the time at Washington, and a member of
Parliament. An advanced republican, he used
Truth, the journal established by him in 1876 as
a society and political organ, for the promul-
gation of his ideas, often thereby getting into
serious difficulties. He wrote (Diary of a Be.
sieged Resident in Paris) (1871).
Laboulaye, Édouard René Lefebvre de (lä-
bö-lā'). A distinguished French jurist, histo-
rian, and writer of tales; born at Paris, Jan. 18,
1811; died there, May 25, 1883. He was ap-
pointed professor of comparative jurisprudence
in the Collège de France in 1849, having already
won distinction by several treatises on Roman
and French law. His greatest work outside of
the field of jurisprudence is a (Political His-
tory of the United States, 1620-1789) (3 vols. ,
1855-66). He wrote also (The United States
and France) (1862) and the humorous satiric
novel Paris in America) (1863), which had a
very large circulation (27th ed. 1872). His
novel of Prince Caniche) (1868) reached a
20th edition. But by far his best-known works
of fiction are the three series of Blue Stories,
tales of fairies, elves, enchanters, etc. , original
and retold. Some of his essays on contempo-
rary political and social questions have been
collected and published under the titles "Con-
temporary Studies of Germany and the Slavic
States) (1856); “Religious Liberty) (1858). *
Labrunie. See Gérard de Nerval.
La Bruyère, Jean de (lä brii-yår'). A fa-
mous French moralist and satirist; born in
Paris, August 1645; died at Versailles, May 10,
1696. Appointed tutor of the dauphin, he spent
a large part of his life at the court of Louis
XIV. His great work, on which his reputation
rests, (The Characters of Theophrastus, Trans-
lated from the Greek, with the Characters or
Manners of this Century) (1688), was a cloak
for the keenest and most sagacious observations
on the characters and manners of the court. It
abounds in wit, shows him to have been an ex-
cellent judge of men, and is written in an ad-
mirable style. The number of characters ” was
greatly increased as the various editions came
out. Numerous keys appeared, the first in 1720.
It has been translated into well-nigh every mod-
ern language. A true philosopher, desiring but
to lead a quiet life with his books and friends,
only his worth and tact enabled him always to
(
## p. 319 (#335) ############################################
LACAILLE-LACORDAIRE
319
)
preserve his dignity among the ignorant and ar-
rogant courtiers. *
Lacaille, Nicolas Louis de (lä-käy'). A noted
French astronomer (1713-62). In 1750 he pro-
posed to the Paris Academy an astronomical
expedition to the Cape of Good Hope; the
project being officially sanctioned, he made the
voyage to the Cape 1751, and spent three years
in the southern hemisphere. He made more
observations and calculations than all the other
astronomers of his time put together, and his
exactitude was not inferior to his diligence.
Ilis principal writings are : (The Foundations
of Astronomy) (1757); “Solar Tables); (The
Southern Starry Heavens) (1763), a catalogue
of 10,000 southern stars ; elementary treatises
on Mathematics) (1741), Mechanics (1743),
Astronomy) (1746), "Optics) (1750).
La Calprenède, Gauthier de Coste, Sei-
gneur de (lä käl-pre-nād'). A French romancer
(1610-63). He first entered the field of litera-
ture with tragedies and tragi-comedies, but
had little success.
He then wrote a romance
of chivalry, Cleopatra) (12 vols. , 1647-58), in
which contemporary personages and manners
are portrayed under names and amid surround-
ings of the age of Augustus. The episodes of
intrigue and gallantry are to the last degree
and wearisome; but the characters are
for the most part well defined, some of the
scenes skillfully contrived, and the style always
elegant and perspicuous. Among his other
romances, in a like vein, are Cassandra! (10
vols. , 1642-50); Pharamond' (7 vols. , 1661-70);
Diversions of the Princess Alcidiana (1661).
Lacaussade, Auguste (la-ko-sad'). A French
poet; born in the Isle of Bourbon, 1817. His
most notable volumes of verse include : (Na-
tional Poems) (1871); (Anacreontics); etc.
Lacépède, Bernard Germain Étienne de
Laville, Count de (lä-sā-ped'). A distinguished
French naturalist; born at Agen, Dec. 26, 1756;
died at Épinay, Oct. 6, 1825. The perusal of
Buffon's Natural History) in early life de-
cided his after career. Most noteworthy among
his works are : History of Oviparous Quad-
rupeds) (1788); Natural History of Reptilia)
(1788); Natural History of Fishes,' a work of
the highest authority (6 vols. , 1798-1805); Nat-
ural History of Man (posthumous).
Lachambeaudie, Pierre (lä-shon-bo-dē'). A
French fabulist; born at Sarlat, Dec. 16, 1807;
died at Brunoy, near Paris, July 7, 1872. His
principal work was Popular Fables) (7th ed.
1849), a number of which have been trans-
lated into German.
Lachaud, Georges (lä-sho'). A French story
and political writer; born in Paris, 1846. (The
Bonapartists and the Republic) (1877) is a
typical specimen of his political writings, and
(Pitiless Love) (1884) of his fiction.
La Chaussée, Pierre Claude Nivelle de (lä
sho-sā'). A French dramatist, founder of the
so-called mixed ” or “weeping ” comedy ; born
in Paris, 1692; died there, March 14, 1754.
His comedy (The False Antipathy) (1734)
was the first French pathetic comedy. Of
eighteen dramas written by him, among the
best are : Fashionable Prejudice) (1735), di-
rected against the idea, then wide-spread, that
a man of rank can have no love for his wife;
(School of Friendship) (1737); Mélanide)
(1741); "Love for Love) (1742); Pamela)
(1743); “School of Mothers) (1745); (The Gov-
erness) (1747). His plays were all written in
verse and followed strictly the rules of the
classic drama, but inclined to be somewhat tedi-
ous in their moralizing. (Works, 5 vols. , 1762. )
Lachmann, Karl (lacb'män). A noted Ger-
man philologist and critic; born at Brunswick,
March 4, 1793; died at Berlin, March 13, 1851.
With Jakob Grimm he was the founder of the
Old-German philology, and was distinguished
for the keenness of his critical method. Among
the most important of his works were his treat-
ment of the Nibelungen (1836), arguing that it
is composed of twenty old folk-songs; Views
on Homer's Iliad (1847), aiming to show it to
be made up of single songs; and his editions
of the Nibelungenlied (1826); Walther von der
Vogelweide, Wolfram von Eschenbach, Proper-
tius, Catullus, Tibullus, Lucretius, etc. He was
professor at Konigsberg (1818) and Berlin
(1825).
Laclos, Pierre Ambroise François Choderlos
de (lä-klö'). A French novelist; born at Ami-
ens, 1741; died at Taranto, Italy, 1803. He
is best known by his Dangerous Connections)
(4 vols. , 1782). He wrote also a satire against
Madame Dubarry, CA Letter to Marget. His
life was spared by Robespierre, for the reason,
so it was said, that he composed R. 's speeches
for him.
La Condamine, Charles Marie de (lä kon".
dä-mēn'). A French scientist ; born in Paris,
Jan. 28, 1701 ; died there, Feb. 4, 1774. He is
best known as having with Bouger and Godin
measured an arc of the meridian on the plain
of Quito, South America. The expedition lasted
nine years (1735-44). On his way home he
descended the Amazon, being the first scientist
to do so, and the first man to publish accurate
maps of the river. He is said to have intro-
duced the knowledge of india-rubber into Eu-
rope. He wrote : Journal of an Expedition to
the Equator by Order of the King' (1751);
(Abridged Account of a Journey Made in the
Interior of South America) (1745); (Ilistory of
Small-Pox Inoculation (1773); etc.
Lacordaire, Jean Baptiste Henri Domi-
nique (lä-kor-dãr'). A noted French pulpit or-
ator and journalist; born at Recey-sur-Ource,
May 12, 1802; died at Sorèze, Nov. 22, 1861.
He became famous as a preacher at Votre
Dame, speaking from the pulpit on the ques-
tions of the day, and was a member of the Na-
tional Assembly. With Lamennais, he founded
the democratic journal L'Avenir (The Future :
1830), which was condemned by the Pope.
Among his works were : Philosophical Con.
## p. 320 (#336) ############################################
320
LACRETELLE
LA FARGE
siderations on the System of Lamennais) (1834);
(Life of St. Dominic) (1840); Detached Ser-
mons and Funeral Orations) (1844-47), the
most impressive of which was the oration
preached over the remains of Gen. Drouot;
and a voluminous correspondence.
Lacretelle, Henri de (lä-kret-el'). A French
poet and prose-writer, son of Jean; born Aug.
21, 1815. He was a member of the national
legislature. He wrote Lamartine and his
Friends' (1878).
Lacretelle, Jean Charles Dominique de, the
Younger. A noted French historian and jour-
nalist, brother of Pierre Louis; born at Metz,
Sept. 3, 1766; died at Bel-Air, near Macon,
March 26, 1855. He was editor of the Journal
des Débats, censor of the press, president of
the French Academy, and professor of history
at the University of Paris. He wrote a num-
ber of histories of France at different periods,
among which may be named: (Compendium of
the History of the French Revolution) (6 vols. ,
1801-6); (History of France during the Eigh-
teenth Century) (6 vols. , 1808). He wrote also
interesting memoirs of his own time: (Ten
Years of Trials during the Revolution (1842);
(Philosophic and Literary Last Will and Testa-
ment) (2 vols. , 1840).
Lacretelle, Pierre Louis. A French legal and
miscellaneous writer; born at Metz, 1751; died
Sept. 5, 1824. Besides several legal works, etc.
,
he wrote Portraits and Pictures) (2 vols. , 1817),
containing masterly descriptions of Napoleon I. ,
Mirabeau, and Lafayette. He edited the Mer-
cure de France and the Minerve Française.
((Works, 6 vols. , 1823-24. )
Lacroix, Jules (lä-krwä'). A French poet,
dramatist, and novelist, brother of Paul ; born
in Paris, May 7, 1809; died Nov. 10, 1887. He
wrote numerous romances; a volume of poetry,
Les Pervenches) (The Periwinkles : 1838); sev-
eral dramas; and (The Year of Infamy) (1872),
a collection of patriotic poems.
Lacroix, Paul. A French novelist and his-
torian; born at Paris, Feb. 27, 1806; died there,
Oct. 16, 1884. Under the pseudonym “P. L.
Jacob, Bibliophile,” he edited with valuable
commentaries the works of Rabelais and other
great 16th-century authors. Among his works
are: Dissertations on Some Curious Points of
the History of France) (3 vols. , 1838); "The
16th Century in France) (2 vols. , 1838); (His-
tory . . . of Napoleon III. (4 vols. , 1853); sev-
eral historical novels; numerous works of great
value on such subjects as (Historic Costumes
of France) (10 vols. , 1852); (Manners, Costumes,
etc. , of the Middle Ages) (1870); (The 18th
Century: Institutions, Usages, and Costumes)
(1879); (The Directorate and the Empire, etc.
(1883); these works on costumes, usages, etc. ,
are illustrated with most elaborate and accurate
designs executed by the foremost artists.
Lactantius Firmianus (lak-tan'shi-us fer-
mi-ā-nus), Lucius Cælius or Cæcilius. An
eminent Christian author of the fourth century,
A. D. A pupil of the rhetorician Arnobius, he
became a teacher of rhetoric in Nicomedia,
and afterwards tutor to Crispus, son of Con-
stantine the Great. His principal work, (The
Divine Institutes,' a production of a polem-
ical character, earned for him the title of the
(Christian Cicero. ”
Lacy, John. An English dramatist and
comedian ; born near Doncaster, before 1620;
died in London, Sept. 17, 1681. His best play
is (The Old Troop,' of which Scott makes use
in Woodstock. '
Ladd, George Trumbull. An American
educator and philosophical writer; born at
Painesville, O. , 1842. He was educated at
Western Reserve College and Andover Theo-
lo Seminary. He was pastor of Spring
Street Congregational Church, Milwaukee, Wis. ,
from 1871 to 1879; and professor of philosophy
at Bowdoin College from 1879 to 1881, when
he assumed the chair of philosophy at Yale.
His works include: Principles of Church Pol-
ity) (1881); Doctrine of Sacred Scripture)
(1883); Elements of Physiological Psychology)
(1887).
La Dixmerie, Nicolas Bricaire de (lä dēz-
mārē'). A French man of letters; born 1730;
died 1791. His works are able and powerful,
but not agreeable. They include: "Philosoph-
ical and Moral Tales) (1765), and (Eulogy of
Voltaire) (1779).
Laet, Jan Jakob de (lät). [Johan Alfried. ”]
A Flemish poet, novelist, and journalist; born
at Antwerp, Dec. 13, 1815; died there, April 22,
1891. He was a physician. After championing
Flemish rights and language in several journals,
some of them founded for the purpose by him-
self, he deserted journalism for business, but
engaged afterward in politics. Among his best-
known works were the romance (The House
of Wesenbeke) (1842); the village tale (The
Player) (1846); Poems) (1848; 2d ed. 1883).
La Fare, Charles Auguste, Marquis de (lä
fär). A French poet; born at Castle Valgorge,
Vivarais, 1644; died in Paris, 1712. A friend of
Marshal Turenne, he distinguished himself in
the campaigns of 1667 and 1674; but left the
army afterward and devoted himself to a life
of pleasure, the delights of which he celebrated
in verse.
The Duke of Orleans wrote the music
for his opera of Panthée. )
La Farge, John (lä färj). An American
artist of the first rank; born in New York city,
1835. He studied under Couture in Paris; be-
came a National Academician in 1869; and a
member of the Society of American Artists in
1877. He has executed remarkable paintings,
altar pieces, and decorations of interiors -
notably of Trinity Church, Boston; and de-
signed stained-glass windows for churches and
many other buildings, in the new American
manner, which is a revival of the art of mak-
ing colored glass (instead of painting glass),
of which he was the originator, in association
with Louis Tiffany. He has published a vol-
## p. 321 (#337) ############################################
LA FARINA - LAING
321
ume of (Lectures on Art,' and (An Artist's
Letters from Japan.
La Farina, Giuseppe (lä fä-rē'nä). An Ital-
ian statesman and historian; born at Messina,
July 20, 1815; died at Florence, Sept. 5, 1863. A
democratic leader, favoring Italian unity and in-
dependence, he lived part of his life as a polit-
ical refugee; but played an important part in the
movements of his time. His principal work
was History of Italy Narrated to the Italian
People) (10 vols. , 1846).
La Fayette, Marie Madeleine Pioche de la
Vergne, Comtesse de (lä-fi-et' or laf-ā-et'). A
distinguished French novelist; born at Paris,
1634; died there, May 25, 1693. All her life
she was in the foremost literary circles, after
marriage her house being a noted rendezvous
of wits and scholars, including Mme. de Sé-
vigné, Lafontaine, and La Rochefoucauld. Her
first novel was (The Princess de Montpensier)
(1660); ten years later appeared her second,
(Zaïde,' which among her works ranks next
after “The Princess of Cleves) (4 vols. , 1678),
her most celebrated work, and one of the
classics of French literature. She wrote also
a (History of Henrietta of England) (1720),
and Memoirs of the Court of France for the
Years 1688 and 1689) (1731). *
Lafontaine, August Heinrich Julius (lä-fon-
tān'). A German novelist; born at Brunswick,
Oct. 5, 1758; died at Halle, April 20, 1831. He
wrote more than 150 novels, and founded a
school which in its day was regarded with
high favor at the court of Prussia for its tone
of illiberal moralizing sentimentality. Among
his novels may be named: Picture of the
Human Heart) (1792); ( Descriptions of the Life
of Man (1811); “The Parsonage on the Lake
Side) (1816).
La Fontaine, Jean de. A celebrated French
fabulist and poet; born at Château-Thierry, in
Champagne, July 8, 1621 ; died in Paris, April
13, 1695. His first work was an adaptation of
Terence's 'Eunuch) (1654). His poem (Adonis )
was published in 1658. His principal works
are (Stories and Novels) (5 books, 1665-95),
and the (Fables) (12 books, 1668-95), - both in
verse. The (Stories) are mostly versions of
stories like Boccaccio's and Margaret of Na-
varre's, and almost unrivaled in variety and
vividness; but their licentiousness caused the
suppression of one book in 1675 by the public
censor. In this respect the "Fables) are with-
out blemish, while as works of literary art they
stand in the foremost rank. He wrote some
dramas, of little worth ; also a version in prose
and verse of “The Loves of Psyche) (1669). *
Lafuente, Modesto (lä-fwen'tā). A Spanish
historian; born at Rabanel de los Caballeros,
1806; died there, Oct. 25, 1866. Under the
pseudonymFray Gerundio » he published a
'series of satirical sketches which had wide
circulation; but his principal work is a (General
History of Spain) (30 vols. , 1850–66). It is
written without partisanship, and is the fruit of
laborious research; the style is excellent.
Lagarde, Paul Anton de (lä-gärd'). A dis-
tinguished German Orientalist; born at Berlin,
Nov. 2, 1827; died at Göttingen, Dec. 22, 1891.
He became professor of Oriental languages at
Göttingen, 1869. Of his very numerous writings
the majority relate to the books of the Hebrew
Scriptures; but he edited and commented on
versions of those books and of the books of
the New Testament in Greek, Armenian, Ara-
bic, Syriac, Coptic, etc.
Lagrange, Joseph Louis (lä-gränzh'). A
great French mathematician; born at Turin,
Jan. 25, 1736; died at Paris, April 10, 1813.
While still a youth he solved for Euler the
(isoperimetrical problem"); when Euler died,
he succeeded him as director of the Berlin
Academy (1766), and held that office till 1787.
In the mean time he contributed to the Pro-
ceedings of the Academy a long series of
memoirs, and wrote his greatest work, “Analyt-
ical Mechanics. After the death of Frederick
the Great he removed to Paris; there he was
lodged in the Louvre, and a pension was set-
tled on him equal to that granted by Frederick.
He remained in France during the Revolution,
safeguarded by the respect felt for his learn-
ing and his virtues even by the judges of the
revolutionary tribunals.
La Guéronnière, Louis Étienne Arthur
Dubreuil Hélion, Vicomte de (lä gār-on-yır').
A French publicist; born at Limoges, 1816;
died at Paris, Dec. 23, 1875. He became a
zealous partisan of Louis Napoleon after the
Coup d'État of 1851, being then chief editor of
the Pays. In a celebrated pamphlet, Napoleon
III. and Italy, he first heralded the approach-
ing war against Austria in Lombardy (1859).
In another pamphlet, France, Rome, and Italy)
(1861), he brought again to the front the ques-
tion of the Pope's temporal power. Hardly
less celebrated than these were his pamphlets
Napoleon III. and England) (1858); (The
Pope and the Congress) (1859).
La Harpe, Jean François de (lä ärp). A
French literary critic and poet; born at Paris,
Nov. 20, 1739; died there, Feb. II, 1803. After
publishing several volumes of mediocre verse,
he first came into public notice through his
tragedy (Warwick ) (1763), and then added
largely to his, fame by a number of elegant
and spirited Éloges) on great French worthies.
He was professor of literature in the Lycée,
1786-98, and his lectures were attended by all
the fashionables of Paris; the lectures were
collected and published in a series of volumes,
_Lycée, or Course of Literature (1799-1805).
Among his numerous works Sainte-Beuve as-
signs the first rank to (Cazotte's Prophecy. '
Laing, Malcolm (lāng). A Scotch lawyer and
historian ; born on the Island of Mainland,
Orkneys, in 1762; died in the Orkneys, Novem-
ber 1818. He was a lawyer by profession, and
later a member of Parliament, but devoted him-
self principally to historical investigation. He
wrote a continuation of Henry's (A History of
Great Britain) (1785), and History of Scot-
a
21
## p. 322 (#338) ############################################
322
LAING - LAMBERT
ist;
:
land) (2 vols. , 1800), which may be regarded as
supplementary to Dr. Robertson's History. In
the preliminary dissertation he presents an
elaborate argument to prove Queen Mary's par-
ticipation in the murder of Darnley.
Laing, Samuel. An English statesman and
philosophical writer; born at Edinburgh in 1810.
He has been prominently identified with rail-
way legislation in England, was for many years
prominent in Parliament, and from 1801 to 1863
held the office of finance minister to India.
Of his works, Modern Science and Modern
Thought) (1886), and (A Modern Zoroastrian)
(1887), have occasioned some discussion. His
other publications of a miscellaneous character
include : (India and China' (1863); (A Sport-
ing Quixote ; or the Life and Adventures of
the Hon. Augustus Fitzmuddle) (1886); (The
Antiquity of Man (1890); (Human Origins)
(1892).
Laistner, Ludwig (list'ner). A German
poet; born at Esslingen, Nov. 3, 1845. Among
his works are : (Barbarossa's Marriage-Broker)
(1875), an epic poem ; (Cloud-Myths) (1879),
relating to German mythology; (The Sphinx's
Riddle: Elements of a History of Mythology)
(2 vols. , 1889); (Germanic Names of Peoples)
(1892).
Lalande, Joséph Jérôme Lefrançais de
(lä-länd'). An eminent French astronomer;
born at Bourg-en-Bresse, July II, 1732; died at
Paris, April 4, 1807. Among his voluminous
works are: (A Treatise on Astronomy) (1764);
(French History of the Heavens) (1801), in
which are determined the places of 50,000 stars ;
(Astronomy for Ladies) (1785).
La Mara (lä mär'ä), pseudonym of Marie
Lipsius. A noted German writer on music;
born at Leipsic, Dec. 30, 1837. Her interesting
work, “Studies of Musicians' Heads) (5 vols. ,
1868-82), has had a wide circulation. She is
author also of Musical Thoughts) (1873), a
collection of sayings of eminent musicians ;
(Letters of Musicians) (1886); "Classicism and
Romanticism in the World of Music) (1892).
Lamarck, Jean Baptiste Pierre Antoine de
Monet, Chevalier de (lä-märk'). A celebrated
French naturalist; born at Barentin, Aug. 1,
1744; died at Paris, Dec. 18, 1829. He directed
his studies first to meteorology, but soon turned
mainly to botany: his (French Flora) (3 vols. ,
1778) became the basis of De Candolle's more
celebrated work. He wrote also an "Encyclo-
pædic Tableau of Botany) (3 vols. , 1791-1823)
and a Natural History of Plants) (15 vols. ,
1802). His most celebrated work, History of
the Invertebrates,' appeared in 1815-22 in seven
volumes. His theoretical views are expounded
in his (Zoological Philosophy) (2 vols. , 1809):
there he attacks the doctrine of the immuta-
bility of species, and lays the scientific founda-
tions of what later was called the development
theory of the origin of species.
Lamartine, Alphonse Marie Louis de (lä-
mär-tēn'). A celebrated French poet; born at
Milly, near Macon, Oct. 21, 1790; died at Passy,
March 1, 1869. His first volume of poems,
(Poetical Meditations) (1820), was in effect a
new departure in French lyrism, expressing
sympathy with nature and with religious senti-
ment which accorded with the then new reac-
tion against materialism. Then followed : 'New
Poetical Meditations) (1823); (Poetic and
Religious Harmonies) (1830); Recollections,
Impressions, and Reflections) (4 vols. , 1835);
(Jocelyn) (1836), an idyllic epos in which he
reaches the summit of his poetic inspiration ;
(The Fall of an Angel (1838), an imitation
of Byron ; (History of the Girondins) (8 vols. ,
1847); 'Confidences) (1849); New Confidences)
(1851); (History of the Restoration (8 vols. ,
1852). *
Lamb, Charles. A celebrated English essay-
born in London, Feb. 10, 1775; died at Ed.
monton, Dec. 27, 1834. His (Essays of Elia)
were originally contributed to the London Mag.
azine, beginning 1820; they were collected and
published in a volume in 1823, received with
universal public favor, and have a high place
among English classics. Last Essays of Elia)
were published in 1833. Lamb's cheerful phi-
losophy of life, his genuine and spontaneous
humor, and the easy grace of his style, are as
grateful to readers of to-day as to those of
two generations ago. He twice attempted dra.
matic composition, but without success. With
his sister Mary Lamb (1765-1847) he wrote
(Tales from the Plays of Shakespeare (1807),
intended for youthful readers, with whom it
has ever since been a favorite work. *
Lamb, Martha Joanna Reade Nash. An
American historian; born in Plainfield, Mass. ,
Aug. 13, 1829; died in New York city, Jan. 2,
1893. The best known of her works is the (His-
tory of the City of New York) (2 vols. , 1877-81).
She also wrote (The Homes of America (1879);
(Wall Street in History) (1883). For years she
was editor of the Magazine of American His-
tory. Mrs. Lamb was a member of many
learned societies in this country and Europe.
Lambecius, called Peter Lambeck (läm-bē'
shös). A German scholar (1628-80).
