LAMARD, probably a rival of Felix Gaudissart. In a cafe in Blois, May,
1831, he praised the well-known commercial traveler, who treated him,
nevertheless, as a "little cricket." [Gaudissart the Great.]
LAMBERT (Louis), born in 1797 at Montoire in Loire-et-Cher. Only son
of simple tanners, who did not try to counteract his inclination,
shown when a mere child, for study. He was sent in 1807 to Lefebvre, a
maternal uncle, who was vicar of Mer, a small city on the Loire near
Blois. Under the kindly care of Madame de Stael, he was a student in
the college of Vendome from 1811 to 1814. Lambert met there Barchon de
Penhoen and Jules Dufaure. He was apparently a poor scholar, but
finally developed into a prodigy; he suffered the persecutions of
Father Haugoult, by whose brutal hands his "Treatise on the Will,"
composed during class hours, was seized and destroyed. The
mathematician had already doubled his capacity by becoming a
philosopher. His comrades had named him Pythagoras. His course
completed, and his father being dead, Louis Lambert lived for two
years at Blois, with Lefebvre, until, growing desirous of seeing
Madame de Stael, he journeyed to Paris on foot, arriving July 14,
1817. Not finding his illustrious benefactress alive, he returned home
in 1820. During these three years Lambert lived the life of a workman,
became a close friend of Meyraux, and was cherished and admired as a
member of the Cenacle on rue des Quatre-Vents, which was presided over
by Arthez. Once more he went to Blois, journeyed over Touraine, and
became acquainted with Pauline Salomon de Villenoix, whom he loved
with a passion that was reciprocated. He had suffered from brain
trouble previous to their engagement, and as the wedding day
approached the disease grew constantly worse, although occasionally
there were periods of relief. During one of these good periods, in
1822, Lambert met the Cambremers at Croisic, and on the suggestion of
Pauline de Villenoix, he made a study of their history. The malady
returned, but was interrupted occasionally by outburts of beautiful
thought, the fragments of which were collected by Mademoiselle
Salomon. Louis had likewise occasional fits of insanity. He believed
himself powerless and wished, one day, to perform on his own body
Origene's celebrated operation. Lambert died September 25, 1824, the
day before the date selected for his marriage with Pauline. [Louis
Lambert. A Distinguished Provincial at Paris. A Seaside Tragedy.]
LAMBERT (Madame), lived in Paris in 1840. She was then at a very pious
age, "played the saint," and performed the duties of housekeeper for
M. Picot, professor of mathematics, No. 9, rue du Val-de-Grace. In the
service of this old philosopher she reaped enormous profits. Madame
Lambert hypocritically took advantage of her apparent devotion to him.
She sought Theodose de la Peyrade, and begged him to write a memorial
to the Academy in her favor, for she longed to receive the reward
offered by Montyon. At the same time she put into La Peyrade's keeping
twenty-five thousand francs, which she had accumulated by her
household thefts. On this occasion, Madame Lambert seems to have been
the secret instrument of Corentin, the famous police-agent. [The
Middle Classes.]
LANGEAIS (Duc de), a refugee during the Restoration, who planned, at
the time of the Terror, by correspondence with the Abbe de Marolles
and the Marquis de Beauseant to help escape from Paris, where they
were in hiding, two nuns, one of whom, Sister Agathe, was a Langeais.
[An Episode Under the Terror.] In 1812 Langeais married Mademoiselle
Antoinette de Navarreins, who was then eighteen years old. He allowed
his wife every liberty, and, neither abandoning any of his habits, nor
giving up any of his pleasures, he lived, indeed, apart from her. In
1818 Langeais commanded a division in the army and occupied a position
at court. He died in 1823. [The Thirteen.]
LANGEAIS (Duchesse Antoinette de),[*] wife of the preceding, daughter
of the Duc de Navarreins; born in 1794; reared by the Princesse de
Blamont-Chauvry, her aunt; grand-niece of the Vidame de Pamiers; niece
of the Duc de Grandlieu by her marriage. Very beautiful and
intelligent, Madame de Langeais reigned in Paris at the beginning of
the Restoration. In 1819 her best friend was the Vicomtesse Claire de
Beauseant, whom she wounded cruelly, for her own amusement, calling on
her one morning for the express purpose of announcing the marriage of
the Marquis d'Ajuda-Pinto. Of this pitiless proceeding she repented
later, and asked pardon, moreover, of the foresaken woman. Soon
afterwards the Duchesse de Langeais had the pleasure of captivating
the Marquis de Montriveau, playing for him the role of Celimene and
making him suffer greatly. He had his revenge, however, for, scorned
in her turn, or believing herself scorned, she suddenly disappeared
from Paris, after having scandalized the whole Saint-Germain community
by remaining in her carriage for a long time in front of the
Montriveau mansion. Some bare-footed Spanish Carmelites received her
on their island in the Mediterranean, where she became Sister Therese.
After prolonged searching Montriveau found her, and, in the presence
of the mother-superior, had a conversation with her as she stood
behind the grating. Finally he managed to carry her off--dead. In this
bold venture the marquis was aided by eleven of The Thirteen, among
them being Ronquerolles and Marsay. The duchess, having lost her
husband, was free at the time of her death in 1824. [Father Goriot.
The Thirteen.]
[*] At the Vaudeville and Gaite theatres in Paris, Ancelot and Alexis
Decomberousse at the former, and Messieurs Ferdinand Dugue and
Peaucellier at the latter, brought out plays founded on the life
of Antoinette de Langeais, in 1834 and 1868 respectively.