Lacarry, Giles, a French Jesuit, who was born at Castres in 1G05, and died in 1G84, is noted as the author of several works on the liistory of his coimtrj'. See General Biographical Dictionary, s. v.
Lace (^"^r^B, pathiV, from being twisted), the blue cord with which the high-priest's breastplate was at- tached to the ephod (Exod. xxviii, 28, 37; xxxix, 21, 31; rendered "riband" Numb, xv, 38); spoken of gold " w-iVe" (Exod. xxxix, 3), the chain for attaching a cover to its vessel (" bound," Numb, xix, 15) ; a strong "thread'' of tow (Judg. xvi, 9), or measuring-" line" of flax (Ezek. xl, 3) ; also of the string by which the signet-ring was suspended in the bosom (•' bracelet," Gen. xxxviii, 18, 35) ; finally (K\w(7j.ia, a spun thread, like pathil above, for which it stands in Nimib. xv, 3G), a cord (Ecclus. vi, 30).
Lacedsemo'nian (AaKioatpuvioc, 2 Jlacc. v, 9; elsewhere 'SlTrapridrrjc), an inhabitant of Lacediemon or Sparta, in Greece, with whom the Jews at one time claimed kindred (1 Mace, xii, 2, 5, G, 20, 21 ; xiv, 20, 23 ; XV, 23). See SpAiiXA.
Lacey, William B., D.D., a clergyman of the Prot- estant Episcopal Church, was born about 1781. He en- tered the ministry in 1813 as missionary of Chenango County, N. Y. ; in 1818 he became rector of St. Peter's Church, Albany. He lab.orcd there upwards of twenty years, his ministration being crowned with great suc- cess. Subsequently he became professor in the Uni- versity of I'ennsylvania, and president of a college at Laceyville, Pa. He died October 31, 186G. Dr. Lacey wrote a number of text-books for schools and coUeges which were deservedly popular in their day, particularly his Rhetoric and Morid Philosophy. During the last ten years of his life he employed his leisure hours in re- vising a History of the Fnglish Church pi-ior to the Time of the Monk A ugustin, and some of his choicest sermons and other MSS. See Am. Ch. Rev. 18G7, p. G47.
La Chaise or La Chaize d'Ais, Francois de, Pere, a celebrated French Jesuit and noted confessor of Louis XIY, was born of a noble family at the castle of Aix Aug. 25, 1624. He was educated at the College of Roanne, became a Jesuit, and afterwards went to com- plete his studies at Lyons, where he subsequently taught philosophy with great success. Having been appointed professor of theologj', he was soon called away from Ly- ons to direct the establishment of his order at Grenoble, but almost immediately returned with the office of pro- vincial. Finally, on tlie death of father Ferrier, he suc- ceeded him as confessor of the king in 1G75. iMadame de ]Montespan was then at the height of her favor, and all the efforts of father Ferrier, Bourdaloue, Bossuet, and
LA CHAPELLE
180
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Mascaron had proved ineffective against her. La Chaise proceeded more oautioii^ly than his predecessors, and ])roved more successt'id. Never directly contradicting his royal penitent, he knew how to gain him to his views hv slow but steady advances. Whenever he saw the king disposed to throw oflF his easy yoke, he would feign sickness and send some priest of strict and uncom- jjromising ijrinciples to the king, who, being positively refused absolution once by fatlier Deschamps, woidd, after such experiments, submit the more readily to the wilv Jesuit. The latter, moreover, was an agreeable companion as well as an easy confessor. Madame de Jlontespan, weary of the contest with La Chaise and Madame de Maintenon, retired linallj^ into a convent. The queen dying a few years afterwards. La Chaise is said to have given the king the idea of a morganatic marriage, and even to have performed the ceremony. Yet, in spite of all he had done for her, INIadame de INIain- tenon (q. v.) does not appear to have ever been verj- friendly towards the Jesuit; perhaps because he pre- vented a public recognition of her marriage ; perhaps also because she knew that in helping her he had work- ed onl}^ for himself. When Madame de Maintenon founded the institution of St. Cyr, La Chaise, Eacine, end Boileau were commissioned to revise its rules. The former opposed the rule that teachers should be required to take anything more than the simple vows, and car- ried his point, though subsequently this was changed, and they became subject to the rule of St. Augustine. After the death of the (pieen and of Colbert, the actions of the king were entirely governed by La Chaise and ]\L<idame de IMaintenon. Both agreed against the Prot- estants, and their joint efforts brought on the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. The Jesuit, mdeed, tried to con- ciliate the king and the pope when the difficulties arose about the declaration of the clergy in 1682, and the fa- mous four propositions, and CA'cn appeared more inclined to side with the temporal than with the spiritual mon- arch ; but he again balanced the account by advocating the dragonnades as a sure means of reclaiming erring consciences. He died Jan. 20, 1709. In the famous quarrel between Fenelon and Bossuet, La Chaise sided with the former, as far, at least, as he dared without of- fending the king. He even affected great regard for Quesnel, though, when it is remembered that he caused the works of that writer to be condemned, the sincerity of his regard may be doubted ; but it was his principle to attack individuals, not parties, and he therefore found it convenient, as a true Jesuit, to praise men whom, on account of their very principles, he secretly sought to destroy. See Jansenisji ; Jesuits. He was a shrewd, persevering politician, and did much good to his order, but pere La Chaise cannot be lauded either as a great man or as a good priest. Tlie kindest comment ever made on his character is that by "\"t)ltaire, who speaks of liim as '• a mild person, with whom the ways of con- ciliation were always open." He obtained the king's ]irotection for the College of Clermont, since called Col- lege Louis-le-Grand, and received for his order a fine estate to which his name was given, and which is now the cemetery of " Ph-e la Chdisb" at Paris. He wrote Perijmtctica; qiutd ntplicis philosophia: Placita raiionalis, etc. (Lyons, KiOl, 2 vols, fol.) : — Humanm sapientim Pro- positioiies propufjncitce Ijir/duni in colkf/io Soc. Jesu (Ly- ons, 1662, fol.) : — Reponse a qiielqiies difficultes proposees a un Ihidlofjien, etc. (Lyons, 1666, 4to); etc. See Saint- Simon, MinKHn.t ; ^ladame de JIaintenon, Con-espond- (inrf ; Voltaire, jSV«cZe de Loiris XFV; Bcnoist, IJisf. de riCdit de Xinites; Jurieu, PoUtigite du Clei-ge de France ; Sismondi, Hist, des Fran^ah, vol. xxv, xxvi, and xxvii ; Kegis de Chant elauze, Le Pere de la Chaise (Lyons, 1859, 8vo); Hoefcr, Noui: Bioffi: Generale, xxviii, 483.- See Louis XIV.