Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 12.djvu/555

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LOTJTHERBOURG. 493 LOUVOIS. niade member of the Roy;il Academy. He died at Chiswick, JIarch 11, 1,S12. His" landscapes and marine subjects are characterized liy ro- mantic feeling. His large battle scenes, "Lord Howe's Victory on June 1, 1794," "Admiral Dun- can's Victory at Camperdown, 17!)7." "Landing of British Troops in Egjpt." and the Siege of Valenciennes," were much admired by his con- temporaries. His other works include the "Burn- ing of London in 1666" (1797), "Destruction of Spanish Armada," "Storm at Sea" (1767), and "Landscape After Storm" (1765). He designed many plates and vignettes for Jlacklin's fiihle, Bnwyer's History of England, and similar works. Consult Dussieux, Les artistes frauQais a I'itran- ger (Paris, 1876). LOUVAIN, loo'vaN' (Flem. Leuven, Ger. Loirrn) . A famous town in the Province of Brabant. Belgium, situated on the Dyk". 18 miles by rail east of Brussels (Map: Belgium, C 4). The old ramparts of the town, over 7 miles in circumference, have been converted into prome- nades. Architecturally, Louvain is of consider- able importance, and its town hall is regarded as among the finest on the Continent. It is a late Gothic building erected by Mattliew de Lay- ens in 1447-63. with three facades profusely adorned with statuary and reliefs and six octagonal turrets terminating in sjiires. The archives here are valuable. The Church of Saint Pierre (1425-97) is a well-pioportioned cruci- form building, and contains noteworthy pictures by Dierick Bouts. The Flamboyant fifteenth-cen- tury Church of Saint Gertrude is noted for its carved choir-stalls, dating from the sixteenth cen- tury. The churches of Saint jVIichel and Saint Jacques also contain some interesting paintings, and the modern Church of Saint Joseph has .some good frescoes. Tlie principal modern buildings are the theatre and the post-office. The famous Uni- versity of Louvain (q.v.) occupies the former warehouse of the clothmakers' guild. Besides the university, Louvain has an athena'um, two Beminaries for teachers, and an industrial and an art school. In the fourteenth century L(m- vain was one of the principal centres of <loth- making in Europe, about 15.000 people having been engaged in that industry. After several insurrections in the second half of the fourteenth century the town wa,s taken by Duke Wen- ceslas of Brabant in 1382. and his severe treat- ment of the citizens compelled thousands to emi- grate to Holland and England. The textile in- dustry of Louvain is now practically extinct. At present the chief products of the town are beer and spirits, tobacco, lace, and starch. Popula- tion, 1891, 40,024; 1901, 42,308. In 891 the Normans were defeated by Arnulf at Louvain. and in 986 the town became the residence of its own counts, who subsequently became the dukes of Brabant. In the sixteenth century the ])lague carried off about half of the population of the town. LOUVAIN, University of. A Belgian uni- versity which was founded in 1425-26 by John IV., Duke of Brabant, and richly endowed by the citizens. It had some twenty-eight colleges, the most famous of which was the Collegium Tri- lingue. founded in 1517 for the study of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew, by HieTouymus Bislidius. This made it for a time the greatest stronghold of the New Learning in Europe. In the later sixteenth century it became one of the most powerful agencies in the Counter Reformation. In 17S8 three of its faculties were moved to Brussels. It was suppressed during the wars of the French lievolution, restored after the expul- sion of the French from Belgium, and again sup- pressed when Belgium revolted from Holland. The nev University of Louvain grew out of a foundation at Mechlin by the I^lgian Church (Catholic) of a university in 1834, moved the ne.t year to Louvain, and was supported by the (-'liurch under control of the bishops. This has no connection with the old foundation. It had in 1901 nearly 1900 .students, in the usual four faculties. Consult Reusens, Documents relatifs a riiistoire de I'Universiie de Louvain, vols, iii.-v. (Louvain. 18S6-90). LOUVET DE COUVRAY, loC'v?/ dc kijo'- vnV, Jea>- Baptlstk (176097). A I'rench poli- tician and man of letters. He was born in Paris, and in 1787 acquired notoriety by the publication of a licentious romance, Les amours du Chevalier Fanhlas. Embracing the cause of the Revolution, he became a journalist and pamphleteer, and de- fended the excesses of the new regime against the supporters of the old. In the Jacobin Club, where he was a prominent speaker, he attacked Robes- pierre, and on being expelled, joined the Girond- ists in the Convention. On October 29. 1792, he delivered his famous |)hilii)])ic against Robes- pierre's aspirations toward the dictatorship. Involved in the fall of the (Girondists, he escaped cajiturc by flight. He returned to the Cunventiim in 1795, and became a member of the Five Hun- dred in the following year. Louvet undoubtedly was a man of high principles, apt to be carried away by enthusiasm, sincere, and patriotic. He wrote a novel, Emilie de Vermont (1791), deal- ing with the question of divorce, and ilemoires snr la rH^oluiion franfaise (edited by Aulard, 1889). LOTJVIERS, loo'vya'- -^ t""" '" the Depart- ment of Eure, France, situated (m the Eure, 26 miles by rail south-southeast of Rouen (Map: France. G 2). Its thirteenth-century Gothic Church of Notre Dame has a number of fine tombs, statues, and windows, and a magnificent portal of the fifteenth century. Louviers has long been noted for its cloth manufactures; it also produces niaehinerv and leather. Population, in 1891, 9979: in I90i, 10,219. LOUVOIS, loo'vwii'. Fr.woois ^Michel le Tkl- LiEH. .Marcpiis de (1G41-91). Minister of War under Louis XIV. He was born in P;iris, January 18. 1641. His father was Chancellor and Secre- tary of State in the War Department, and jnir- chased for him the reversion of this ollice. Louvois entered the public service in 1662. He displayed great administrative ability: the or- g;inization of the French Army and War Ollice under him was the most progressive and cllicient of any iii Europe; but he was always willing to involve Europe in the horrors of war, that he himself might be indispensable to the King. His war policy was ruthless. After the death of Colbert (i683) he became the chief adviser of the King, whose favor he partially lost l)y coun- seling him against the marriage with Mme. de Maintenon. He instigated the persecution of the Huguenots, and invcdved France in the long war of the League of Augsburg. He was re- sponsible under the King for the merciless dev-