The first attempt to establish a mission on the coast of Labrador was made by the Moravians in 1752, when
LABROUSSE
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LA CHAISE
J, C. Erhardt was killed by the Esquimaux. In 1771 the Moravians succeeded in establishing the station of Nain, to which in the course of the following ten years the stations of Okak and Iloffenthal (Hopedale) were added. The mission met here with the same difficulties as in Greenland. Thirty-four years after the establish- ment of the first mission an extensive revival took place, in consequence of which the Esciuimaiix connected with these stations were gained to Christianity. For the Esquimaux living more to the north, Hebron was found- ed in 1830. In 18G-1 tlie station of Zoar was establish- ed for the tract of land lying between Nain and Iloffen- thal. All the Esquimaux in this part of Labrador are ivnv Christians. Only north of Hebron a few pagans are still living, for the conversion of whom in 1871 the station of Kama, situated on the Bay of Nullatorusek (a little north of lat. 59= N.) was founded. Famine and epidemics have greatly reduced the number of the Es- quimaux in Labrador. In 1870 the station of Nain numbered 239, Okak 339. Iloffenthal 250, Hebron 219, and Zoar 109 souls, while the number of missionaries and attendants was 45. The acquaintance of the natives with European necessities forced the missionaries to charge themselves with the importation of some of these arti- cles. Subsequently this trade was transferred to special agents. In the mean while, commercial interests have caused a number of Europeans to settle on the coast of Lalirador, and a number of trading-posts to be estab- lished. Besides the ^Moravians, the Society for the Prop- agation of the Gospel has begun missionary efforts on the southern coast, and the Roman Catholic Church has endeavored to gain an influence upon the Red Indians of the interior. See 'New'comh.Ci/ctopcedia of Missions ; Grundeman, Missionsittlas ; Roraer, Gescliichte der Lab- rador-Mission (Gnadau, 1871). (A. J. S.)
Labrousse, Clotilde Suzan Courcelles de, a French religious enthusiast, was born at Vauxain, Peri- gord. May 8, 17-17. While quite young she adopted exaggerated mystical notions, thought herself called to become a saint, and was so anxious to leave this world for a better one that she made an attempt at suicide when but nine years old. Her ascetic practices were very severe, and became still more so as she grew up, yet did not seem to ha\'e any injurious effect on her health. At the age of nineteen she became a mm of tlic third order of St. Francis, and soon after declared that she had received a mission to travel through the world to convert sinners, but was detained in the con- vent by her superior. Siie then wrote a history of lier life, which she addressed to JI. de Flamarens, bishop of Perigueux, without effect. The MS., however, attract- ed the attention of Dom Gerle, prior of the Chartreuse of Vauclaire, who entered into correspondence with the authoress in 17G9, and she afterwards declared, ^vhen he was elected a member of the National Assembly, that she had predicted it to him. When the Revolution broke out, Isl. Pontard, constitutional bishop of Dor- ilogne, attracted her to Paris, where she prophesied against the court of Rome, and in favor of the civil con- stitution of the clergy. She subsequently returned to Perigord, and left tlicre to go to Rome, thinking to con- vert the pope, cardinals, etc., to her views, and to induce them to renounce temporal power. On her way she ad- dressed the people wherever an opportunity offered. In August, 1792, she arrived at Bologna, whence she was driven by the legate. At Yiterbo she was arrested and taken to the castle of San Angelo. In 179t) the French Directory interfered to obtain lier liberation, but she preferred remaining, as she had been very kindly treat- ed; but when the French took Rome in 1798 she left the prison and returned to Paris, where she died in 1821. She persisted to the last in believing herself inspired, and actually succeeded in gathering a small circle of ad- licronts. Labrousse wrote Propheties concernant la Re- roliition Fran^nise, su.iries dhuie Prediction qui onnonce la Jin du monde (for 1899) (Paris, 1790, 8vo) -.—Lettre de Mile, de Labrousse (Paris, 1790, 8vo). Pontard pub-
lished a Pecueil des Ouvrages de la celebre Mlle.T^abroiis- se (Bordeaux, 1797, 8vo). See IMahul, Annuaire necro- lo(j. 1822; j\j-nault, Jay, Jouy et Norvins, Biog. noui: des Contemp. ; Querard, La France Litteraire. — Hoefer, Nouv, Biocj. Generale, xxviii, 418.
La Brune, Francois de. See La Bkune, Jean
DE.
La Brune, Jean de, a French Protestant minis- ter, flourished in the second hah' of the 17th and tlie earljr part of the 18th century. After the revocation of the edict of Nantes he went as pastor to Basle ; later he became minister at Schoonoven, in Holland. He is particularly celebrated as a writer, but many of the works -(vhich have generally been attributed to him are now believed to be the production of Francois de la Brune, also a Protestant French pastor, who flourished about the same time ; went to Amsterdam in 1G85, and, on ac- count of heterodox opinions, was suspended from the ministry in 1G91. We have under the name of La Brune, among other works. Morale de Confucius (Amst. 1688, 8vo): — Calvin's Truite de la Justification (ibid, lG9o, 8vo; 1705, 12mo) : — Hist, du Viiux et du Nouveait Test, en vers (173 1, 8vo). — Hoefer, Nouv. Bioej. Generale, xxviii, 423.