Page:A cyclopaedia of female biography.djvu/468

 which, from extrinsic circumstances, were highly popular in their day. The first, "Glenarvon," was published in 1816; and the hero was understood to shadow forth the character and sentiments of Lord Byron! It was a representation of the dangers attending a life of fashion. The second, "Graham Hamilton," depicted the difficulties and dangers inseparable, even in the most amiable minds, from weakness and irresolution of character. The third, "Ada Reis," (1823,) is a wild Eastern tale, the hero being introduced as the Don Juan of his day, a Georgian by birth, who, like Othello, is sold to slavery, but rises to honours and distinctions. In the end Ada is condemned, for various misdeeds, to eternal punishment!  LAMB, MARY, daughter of respectable parents, was born in London about 1766. She was subject to attacks of insanity, and in one of them, in 1796, brought on by over-exertion, and anxiety about her mother, then quite an aged person, she stabbed her mother to the heart, killing her instantly. After recovering from this attack, she resided with her brother Charles, the well-known author of "Essays of Elia," who devoted his whole life to her. They lived in or near London. In connection with her brother. Miss Lamb wrote two volumes of juvenile poetry; "Stories for Children, or Mrs. Leicester's School," and "Tales from Shakspere." Miss Lamb was remarkable for the sweetness of her disposition, the clearness of her understanding, and the gentle wisdom of all her acts and words, notwithstanding the distraction under which she suffered for weeks, and latterly for months, in every year. She survived her brother eleven years, dying May 20th., 1847. She was buried with him in Edmonton church-yard.  LAMBALLE, MARIE THERESE, LOUISE, OF SAVOY, CARIGNAN, PRINCESS DE, born at Turin, September 8th., 1749, and married the Duke of Bourbon Penthifevre, by whom she was left a wealthy, young, beautiful, and amiable widow. When appointed intendant of the royal household of Marie Antoinette, she gained and deserved the confidence and warm affection of her mistress. On the unfortunate flight of the royal family to Varennes, Madame Lamballe escaped by another road from France to England, where she might have lived in safety; but she no sooner beard of the imprisonment of her royal friend, than she hastened back to Paris to soothe her miseries. This fidelity and devotion proved fatal to her. Dragged to the prison of La Force, she was tried before the bloody tribunal, September 3rd., 1792, and, when questioned about the queen, she answered with firmness and dignity. Some of the judges, moved by her heroism, youth, and beauty, wished to spare her; but as soon as she had left the place of her trial, she was seized by the mob and literally torn and cut to pieces. Her head was placed on a pike, and paraded by the diabolical monsters in view of the unfortunate queen and her family.

The character of the Princess de Lamballe was so perfect, that not even her enemies and assassins dared to asperse it.