Louis Braille

Louis Braille, the inventor of a method of writing with points for the blind, born at Lagny, a suburb of Paris, in 1809, died in 1852. He lost his sight at the age of six years by an accident, and in 1819 was admitted to the institute for the blind at Paris. He devoted himself to the study of the piano, violoncello, and organ, and became one of the most distinguished organists of Paris. In 1827 he was appointed a professor in the royal institute, and soon after modified M. Charles Barbier's system of writing with points so as to render it practicable and convenient. This system was introduced into most of the continental schools for the blind. Braille also applied his system to musical notation.

Louis Casabianca

Louis Casabianca, a French naval officer, born at Bastia about 1755, died Aug. 1, 1798. He entered the naval service when very young, and having adopted the principles of the French revolution, he was elected to the national convention; on the trial of Louis XVI. he did not vote for death, but merely for imprisonment. He subsequently became a member of the council of 500; after which he was appointed captain of L'Orient, the flag ship of Admiral Brueys, the commander of the fleet which took Bonaparte and his army to Egypt. When this fleet was attacked by the English in the bay of Aboukir, Casabianca fought bravely to the last, and was killed with his son, then 10 years old, by the explosion of his ship.

Louis Choris

Louis Choris, a Russian painter and traveller, born of German parents at Yekaterinoslav, March 22, 1705, died at Jalapa, Mexico, March 22, 1828. Ho accompanied Biberstein to the Caucasus in 1813, and sketched the most beautiful plants of that region. In 1814 he joined kotzebue in his voyage of circumnavigation. In 1819 he went to Paris, and engaged in the publication of the Voyage pit-toresque autour da monde (Paris, 1821-'3), of which his drawings formed the most valuable part, the text being by Cuvier and Chamisso, with phrenological dissertations by Gall. His Vues et paysages des regions equinoxiales (Paris, 1826)) was the complement of this work. He also studied historical painting in the studios of Gerard and Regnault, and assisted the former upon his "Consecration of Charles X." Having undertaken a new exploration of Mexico and Central America with an Englishman named Henderson, he was murdered by highwaymen near Jalapa.

Louis De Clermont De Bussy Damboise

Louis De Clermont De Bussy D'Amboise, a French cavalier of the second half of the 16th century. He became prominent during the St. Bartholomew massacre, of which he availed himself to murder his relative Antoine de Clermont, with whom he had been in litigation.

The duke of Anjou afterward procured for him the command of the castle of Angers. He attempted to seduce the countess of Montsoreau, who by her husband's command assigned an interview to him, when he was met by the count, and assassinated after a desperate resistance. His death, according to De Thou, was hailed with general delight. One of George Chapman's best dramas is "Bussy d'Ambois," and Alexandre Dumas made Bussy the hero of one of his novels, La Dame de Montsoreau.