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FRANCESCA

706

FRANCIS JOSEPH

increase of population Is slower than in the other chief countries of Europe, owing to the small number of marriages and the small number of children in a family. In 1907 the death-rate was greater than the birth-rate. The French emigrate only in small numbers, and the French colonies have never brought any^ large revenue to the state. There are, it is estimated, 125,000 French immigrants in the United States.

Education. This is free, and provided by common schools, classical and scientific schools, colleges and universities. Free public instruction commences with infant-schools attended by children from 2 to 6 years of age. Then follow the primary schools, which all children between 6 and 13 are obliged to attend. Next come the superior primary schools; then the Lycees, the latter two being maintained separately for the sexes.

The record for one year estimates the annual cost of maintaining these institutions as, for boy's Lycees 16 million francs for girl's Lycees 3^- million francs. Among other higher institutions of learning maintained by public funds are the College of France and the Museum of Natural History. In Paris is the famous University of Paris, which as early as the i6th century had 12,000 students and now has 15,000 to 18,000 in attendance. There is a naval school at Brest, and there are many schools providing professional and technical education.

Francesca, Piero della (pe-a'ro dal'la frdn-chas'ka), an Italian painter, was born in 1398, and died in 1484. Some fine pictures of his exist still, but his early ones perished, and Raphael painted out his frescoes in the Vatican. His fame comes chiefly from his being the first Italian artist to formulate the principles of linear perspective, study the anatomy of the nude and employ lay figures. He modeled these in clay, and draped them with costumes folded wet. He lost his sight at 60, and devoted himself to mathematics.

Francis I of France, was born at Cognac, France, on Sept. 12, 1494, and became king on Jan. i, 1515. His first act was to reconquer Milan. Charles V, Henry VIII and ^the pope were in alliance against him, driving his troops out of Italy and invading France on the north. Taken prisoner at the battle of Pavia (1525), Francis was kept a year at Madrid, gaining his freedom only by renouncing Flanders, Artois, the duchy of Burgundy and all his Italian possessions. His struggles with Charles V continued until the peace of Crecy or Cressy, 1744. His reign is marked by the Renaissance (the new birth of learning), the beginning of the Protestant Reformation and the strengthening of the power of the monarchy.^ He fostered learning and art, invited painters and scholars to his king-

dom, founded libraries, opened schools and built several of the finest palaces in France; but his persecution of the Vaudois has left a stain on his u^emory. He died March 31, 1547. See Court and Reign of Francis I by Pardoe and Francis I and His Times by Corgriet.

Francis II of Germany and I of Austria, was born at Florence, Italy, on Feb. 12, 1768, and succeeded his father, Leopold II, in 1792. His reign was a series of wars against Napoleon, in which, with the exception of the last, he was beaten. In 1806 he formally abdicated the crown of the Holy Roman Empire and made Austria an empire, himself becoming its first emperor. Although narrow-minded, Francis was a popular ruler. He died at Vienna on March

2.  1835.

Francis d' Assisi (as-se'ze), founder of the Franciscan order and a saint of the Roman Catholic church, was born in 1182. In his early years he was remarkable for his love of gayety; but sickness turned his thoughts from earth, and he at once commenced the practice of the strictest forms of religious discipline. He submitted to humiliations without number. By 1210 he had ii followers, and he then drew up a set of rules for their guidance. The order was approved by Pope Innocent III in 1210, and in 1212 the Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli was assigned as their home. At the first general assembly, held in 1219, 5,000 members were present. From the sultan of Egypt Francis obtained for his order the guardianship of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which it still retains. Francis died at Assisi, on Oct. 4, 1226, and was canonized by Gregory IX in 1228. See Mrs. Oliphant's Francis d' Assisi and Sabatier's life of him.

Francis Joseph, emperor of Austria, was born at Vienna, on Aug. 18, 1830, and

ascended the throne in 1848. He was crowned King of Hungary in 1867. His first task was to subdue the Hungarian revolt and pacify Lombard y. After this was accomplished a reaction set in. Lombardy was ceded to Sardi-nia; and by the war with JPrus-sia in 1866 Austria was excluded from Germany. The emperor then adopted a policy of conciliation, and the now aged monarch reigns at present the most peaceful of European sovereigns. By the death of his only son,

FRANCIS JOSEPH I