Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 05.djvu/503

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LATITUDINARIAN 427 LATVIA 60 nautical or about 69 ^/^ English miles. In surveying, the distance between two E. and W. lines drawn through two ex- tremities of a course. If the course is run toward the N., the latitude is called northing, if toward the S., it is called southing. LATITUDINARIAN, a party in the Church of England, about the middle of the 17th century, who, wearied by the fierce religious disputes of the time, aimed at a broad or comprehensive sys- tem which might reconcile the contend- ing parties, or at least diminish the vehemence of their controversies. They were attached to Episcopacy, but were prepared to welcome as brethren those who believed in other forms of church government. LATIUM (la'shi-um), a considerable division of Central Italy deriving its name from the city Latium, said to have been founded by King Latinus, 1240 B. c. JEneas, according to the legend, settled here with a colony of Trojans, 1181 B. c, and the new colonists and aboriginal in- habitants, having united into one nation under his government, were known as the Latins. They formed a confederacy of towns, with Alba Longa at their head; and after the destruction of that town by the Romans, 665 b. c, the whole territory was reduced to subjection. The Latins rebelled 502 b. C. and a treaty was concluded between them and the Romans 493 B. C, by which their independence was acknowledged, and an alliance con- cluded between the two powers. They joined other states against Rome, and the last war waged against them com- menced 340 B. C, and terminated 338 B. C., in the defeat of the Latins, after which time they ceased to exist as an in- dependent people. The Roman fran- chise, 91 B. c, bestowed upon all people of Italy who were allies of Rome. LATOUR D'AUVERGNE, THEO- PHILE MALO CORRET DE (la-tor' d5-varny), dubbed by _ Napoleon "First Grenadier of the Armies of the Repub- lic"; born in Carhaix, Finistere, of an illegitimate branch of the family of the Dukes of Latour d'Auvergne, Nov. 23, 1743. He enlisted as a musketeer in 1767, and distinguished himself at the siege of Port Mahon in 1782. But he steadily refused advancement in military rank, and was killed, a simple captain, June 28, 1800, at Oberhausen, near Neu- burg in Bavaria. His remains were car- ried to Paris and interred in the Pan- theon on Aug. 4, 1889. French biogi-a- phies are full of instances of his daring valor, his Spartan simplicity of life, and his chivalrous affection for his friend-:;. When he died the whole French army mourned for him three days; his saber was placed in the Church of the Invalides at Paris. Latour d'Auvergne was also a student of languages, and wrote "Lan- guage, Origin and Antiquity of the Bre- tons." LA TRAPPE, a Cistercian abbey of Northern France, in a narrow valley of Normandy, 30 miles N. E. of Alen^on. Founded in 1140, it had become in the 16th century a haunt of licentious monks known as the bandits of La Trappe. In the 17th century, however, the Abbot Armand Jean le Bouthelier de Ranee in- stituted a vigorous reform, and caused the monks to adopt a life of severe ascet- icism. The austere Trappists prayed 11 times daily, spoke no word to each other except the salutation of Memento mori (Remember thy death), fed on fruit and pulse, and every evening dug their ovra graves. At the Revolution the Trappists were obliged to leave France, but at the Restoration they returned to their old homes, though expulsions took place again in 1880. La Trappe con- tinues to be the head monastery of the order, and they have also establishments in various parts of Europe, and in Amer- ica. The professed brothers wear a dark-colored frock, cloak, and hood, which covers the whole face. A female order of Trappists was founded by Louisa, Princess of Conde. LATROBE, a borough of Pennsyl- vania, in Westmoreland co. It is on the Loyalhanna Creek, and on the Pennsylva- nia and the Ligonier Valley railroad^ It is in the center of an important agri- cultural and coal and iron mining dis- trict. Its industries include the manu- facture of coke ovens, steel mills, paper mills, flour mills, glass factories, etc. It is the seat of a convent and a monas- tery, and a hospital. Pop. (1910) 8,777; (1920) 9,484. LATTER-DAY SAINTS, CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF. See MOR- MONS. LATVIA, a province of the Republic of Russia, along the southern part of the Baltic littoral. It consists of the former Russian province of Courland, four southern districts of the former Russian province of Livonia, and three western districts of the former Russian province of Vitebsk. It has a total area of about 24,440 square miles. The government consists of a Constituent Assembly of 152 members. The first elections were held on April 17 and 18, 1920, on tho basis of universal suffrage. There is a State Council of 102 members.