Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 8.djvu/854

 LAMY

772

LANA

Regnier in Vigouroux, Diet, de la Bible, s. v.; Ingold, Bssai dc bibliogmphie Oratoricnne (Paris, 1SS0-1SS2), V, 64-70.

James F. Driscoll.

Lamy, Franc, oi.s, an ascetical and apologetic writer of the CoiiKi't'jiation of St-Maur, b. in 1636 at Mon- tireau in the Department of Eure-et-Loir; d. 11 April, 1711, at the Abbey of St^Denis near Paris. While fighting a duel he was saved from a fatal sword-thrust by a book of the Rule of St. Benedict which he carried in his pocket. Seeing the finger of God it this remark- able occurrence, he took the Benedictine habit at the monastery of St-Remi at Reims in 16.58. Shortly after his elevation to the priesthood he was appointed sub- prior of St-Faron at Meaux, but a year later resigned this position out of humility. During 1672-5 he 1;aught philosophy at the monasteries of Mont St-Quentin and St-M^dard in Soissons. He was the first of the Maur- ists to teach the Cartesian system of philosophy. In 1676 he came to St-Oormain-des-Pres near Paris where he taught thedlofiy until 1679. The general chapter of 1687 appointed him prior of Rebais in the Diocese of Meaux, but he was onlered by the king to resign his office in 1689. The remainder of his life he spent in literary pursuits at St-Denis. He was one of the rnost famous writers of his times and was an intimate friend of Bossuet. Of his twenty printed works the follow- ing are the most important: "Verite (^vidente de la Religion chr6tienne " (Paris, 1694) ; " Le Nouvel Ath6- isme Renvers^, ou refutation du systeme de Spinoza " (Paris, 1696; 2nd ed., Brussels, 1711); "Sentiments de piete sur la profession religieuse" (Paris, 1697); "De la Connaissance de soi-meme" (6 vols., ibid., 1694-8; 2nd ed., 1700), which raised a controversy between the author and Malebranche concerning the disin- terested love of God; "L'incrcdule amene a la Religion par la Raison" (ibid., 1710); "De la Connaissance et de I'Amour de Dieu" (ibid., 1712); "Lettre d'un th^- ologien a un de ses amis" (ibid., 1699); "Plainte de I'apologiste des B^n^dictins a MM. les pr^lats de France" (ibid., 1699). In the last two treatises the author defends the Maurist edition of the works of St. Augustine against the Jansenists and the Jesuits.

Tassin, Hisloire litUraire de la Congn'gation de St-Maur (Brussels. 1770), 351-67; Le Cerf, Bibliotheque historique el critique des auteurs de la Congregation de St-Maur (La Haye, 1726), 1S5-95.

Michael Ott.

Lamy, Thomas Joseph, Biblical scholar and orien- talist, b. at Ohey, in Belgium, 27 Jan., 1827; d. at Louvain, 30 July, 1907. Ordained priest in 1853 after completing his studies at Floreffe and at the seminary of Namur, he entered the Catholic University of Lou- vain and received from his professors, Beelen (q. v.), the distinguished exegete and orientalist, and Le- febre, who was well versed in positive theology, his impulse towards Biblical, Oriental, and patristic stud- ies. He obtained the degree of Doctor of Theology in 1859. His career as professor at Louvain began in 1858 and continued uninterrupted till the year 1900, comprising eounses in Hebrew, Syriac, introduction to Sacred Scripture, and exegesis. Lamy succeeded Beelen on the latter's retirement in 1875. His writ- ings, too vohnninous for enimieration here, are listed in the bibliography of the university down to 1905, under one Inuidroil and fifty-eight entries. His most valuable contributions to learning took the form of editions of many prcviousl}^ unpublished Syriac writ- ings, notably his collection in six volumes of St. Eph- raem's hymns and discourses, under the title "Sancti Ephraemi Syri Ilyinni ct Sermones", and his edition of the"Chronicon]M'(lrsiaslicinn"of Bar Hebrteus. It is freely admittc(l that liis editions of text are marred by numerous errors, chiedy typographical. He is most widely known by his "Introductio in Sacram Scrip- turam", in 2 vols., which ran to six editions, an eru- dite collection of materials valuable in their day. Of his commentaries the most noted are his Latin com-

mentary on Genesis, in 2 vols. (2nd ed., 1883-84), and his French commentary on the Apocalypse (1893-94). Neither in his introduction nor in his commentaries did Lam}' grapple with the difficulties of the day; his ideas, acquired in the sixth decade of the nineteenth century, remained unmodified till the end. His "In- troduction" passed almost unchanged through six editions. Lamy's numerous articles show his great devotion to the Church, to his university, and to his country, as well as a marked predilection for Biblical and patristic studies. Before his death, which oc- curred at the age of eighty, Lamy was engaged in the revision and annotation of a French translation of the Bible. Besides his professorial labours, he served his university for thirty years as president of the CoUd^e Marie Th^rese. By his simplicity, his goodness, his piety, and kindness of heart, he won numerous friends in ail ranks of society and exerted a gentle but effec- tive and wide influence for good. Lamy received many honours from learned societies and from his country; he was made domestic prelate (1885) by Leo XIII, and member of the Biblical Commission (1903) by Pius X.

Ladeuze in Anrtuaire de VUniversitc Catholique de Louvain (1908), pp. cxxxi-clix, biographical notice, with portrait; ifcl'd., pp. v-vi, remarks by the rector, Mgr Hebbelynck; Reinhold in BocHBERGER. KirchUehes Handlex., s. v. For bibliography, see Vniversiii- Catholique de Louvain. Bibliographie; 1834-1900, 66-72- also Premier Suppli'menl, 1899-1901, 8-9; Dewcilme Supplfment, 1901-1903, 11-13; TroisUme Supplfmenl, 1903-

1903, 11. John F. Fenlon.

Lana, Francesco, b. 10 Dec, 1631, at Brescia in Italy; d. in the same place, 22 Feb., 1687. Mathe- matician and naturalist, he was also the scientific founder of aero- nautics. He be- longed to the an- cient family of the Counts of Lana- Terzi, which had come to Brescia as early as the four- teenth century from the neigh bourhood of Ber- gamo. Trained b\ able teachers m his natiM cit\ he enterid tin no\i tiate of the Society of Jesus in Rome on 11 Nov., 1647, and made his phil- osophical and theo- logical studies in the Roman College of the Society. He later taught the humanities for a short time at Terni, where the town council through gratitude to him and his family granted him the freedom of the city. After this he was mainly engaged as professor of physical science and mathematics, principally at Ferrara, until delicate licalth necessitated his return to his native Brescia. He there performed the duties of confessor, and was engaged at the same time on the pulilication of his great work on physical science, " Magisterium naturae et artis ". Eliminating everything that was uncertain, this work was to treat in nine volumes the entire field of the natural sciences on. strictly gcoinetrieal princi- ples and on the basis of carefully made experiments. Unfortunately Lana himself could jKiblish but two of these volumes (1684, 1686), but a third appeared at Parma after his death. The work found favourable notice in the learne<l publications of the time, though Lana's prim-iiul aehievrinrnt lay in another direction. In 1670 he had published, as" an advertisement for his chief work, a small volume entitled "Prodromo

Lana

\L Machi