Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume X.djvu/221

 LAVAUR LAVENDER 215 many discussions, and was assailed with ridi- cule by Lichtenberg at Gottingen, by Nicolai at Berlin, and by Zimmermann in a parody on the physiogomy of tails. The author was visited at Zurich by numerous curious and emi- nent persons, whose characters he usually judged with sagacity; at a glance he recog- nized Necker, Mirabeau, and Mercier. He made a long and philosophically impartial com- mentary on his own physiognomy as displayed in several silhouettes : "A most delicate organ- ization, forming a singular ensemble, many of whose parts are in contrast. He delights in high metaphysical speculations, and his intelli- gence cannot grasp the simplest mechanism. His imagination is extravagant, disordered, im- mensely eccentric; but it is checked by two severe guardians, good sense and a good heart. He knows much, but is the least erudite of all professional savants. None of his knowledge has been acquired; everything has been in some sort given to him. He loves, and has never been in love." The last years of his life were connected with the efforts of the Swiss for freedom. He had hailed the French revo- lution with an enthusiasm which was quickly changed to horror. His declamations in the pulpit against the French party caused him to be banished to Basel in 1796. He was soon permitted to return, renewed his pastoral of- fices, and opposed the oppressive measures of the French directory, till, when Massena took Zurich (Sept. 26, 1799), he was shot in the streets while encouraging the soldiers and re- lieving the wounded. The shot is said to have proceeded not from a French but a Swiss sol- dier, who thus gratified a personal and partisan spite ; and though Lavater recognized him he did not divulge his name, but wrote verses of forgiveness. He languished from the wound with severe suffering for more than a year. The original and peculiar character of Lavater was admired by Goethe, who pronounced him " the best, greatest, wisest, sincerest of all mor- tal and immortal men that I know." Their friendship was however interrupted in conse- quence of Lavater's portraiture of the non- Christian in his " Pontius Pilate." A selection from his voluminous works was edited by Orelli (8 vols., Zurich, 1841-'4). His biography was written by Gessner (1802-'3). His work on physiognomy has been issued in various forms in the principal languages of Europe. The best English translation is by Henry Hun- ter, D. I). (5 vols., London, 1789-'98), the en- gravings for which were under the superin- tendence of Fuseli, who also translated his u Aphorisms on Man " (London, 1788). Other translations are by Thomas Holcroft (3 vols., London, 1789-'93 ; 10th ed., 1 vol., 1858), Mor- ton (3 vols., 1793), and Moore (4 vols., 1797). LAVAIJR, a town of Languedoc, France, in the department of Tarn, on the Agout, 21 m. N. E. of Toulouse ; pop. in 1866, 7,376. It has a col- lege, a public library, and a flourishing silk in- dustry. Near it are coal mines. It was the strongest fortress of the Albigenses, and was in 1211 taken by Simon de Montfort. From 1317 to 1801 it was the seat of a bishop. LAVENDER (lavandula, Linn.), a genus of hoary, narrow-leaved, fragrant, sub-shrubby or perennial-herbaceous plants, of the natural order labiates, indigenous to the south of Eu- rope, the Canaries, N. Africa, &c. Both the common and botanical names are derived from the latin lavare, to wash, either on account of the use made of the distilled water in bathing, or because the flowers were used to scent new- ly washed linen, whence the expression to be " laid up in lavender." There are several spe- cies, but two only which are economically em- ployed. The common lavender (L. vera, Linn.) has been long known in gardens, and in deep, dry, warm soil it forms a compact hemispheri- cal bush, flowering abundantly every year. Its flowers are lilac or purple, though a white- flowered variety is known. In the climate of Common Lavender. New York it is scarcely hardy, but in the vi- cinity of Philadelphia considerable quantities are grown for market. The dried flowers are used to make sachets or scent-bags for perfuming drawers, and the fresh flowers dis- tilled with alcohol furnish the officinal spirits of lavender. By distillation with water they yield the fragrant oil of lavender, extensively used in perfumery. The lavender is easily propagated from cuttings, which often send up flower stalks the same season. The second kind, sometimes called French lavender, and sometimes spike or broad-leaved lavender, is L. spica. Its oil, called oil of spike, is employed by painters on porcelain and in the preparation of varnishes for artists. The plant has the habit of the common lavender, but more humble and the aspect more hoary, the spikes more dense and shorter; it yields by distillation twice as much essential oil as the preceding. The sweet basil is frequently called lavender in