godless, and brutal warrior, married Blanche d'Awrebruche, viscountess of Arsy, and immediately seized the persons and possessions of her father and mother, who afterwards died in his dungeons. But justice at last overtook the miscreant. His wife, Blanche, resolved to put a period to his brutalities. Accordingly she and her lover, Pierre de Louvain, hired a barber, who cut his throat while he was enjoying his accustomed siesta after dinner.—R. M., A.
FLAXMAN, John, R.A., was born at York, July 6, 1755, but was brought while a child to London. His father kept a plaster cast shop in the Strand, and this was Flaxman's first school of art. He was a sickly boy, and was never strong as a man. He may be considered to have been a diligent art student from his infancy, and persevered, notwithstanding the little rebuff he received from Mortimer the painter, who, upon being shown some eyes by the boy, asked him if they were meant for flounders? In his twelfth year he gained a silver palette from the Society of Arts. He won another prize the following year, then entered the royal academy as student, and in his fourteenth year gained a silver medal. This was the first year of the opening of the schools of the academy, 1769. He competed in the following year for the gold medal, but in this he failed. It was obtained by a student of the name of Engleheart. Flaxman at first combined painting with modelling, to which he was partly led by the Rev. Mr. Matthew, who seems early to have appreciated his powers of invention, and induced him to study classical subjects. A picture of "Œdipus and Antigone," by the young Flaxman, was sold at an auction as a Belisarius by Domenichino. While pursuing his art under the usual difficulties of the aspiring student, he did not consider it beneath him to devote himself to ornamental designing for pottery; indeed, the admirable skill and taste with which he worked for Mr. Wedgwood improved the manufacture of pottery in England, so as to immensely increase the trade and obtain it a world-wide reputation, of which it feels the advantages and benefits to this day. Some of Flaxman's classical decorations for the Wedgwood ornamental pottery are still unrivalled, and the old original examples produced in his time are very valuable. He devoted his attention to shapes, as well as to superficial decoration. In 1782 he married Ann Denman, and established himself in a house in Wardour Street. By this time he had acquired some reputation as a sculptor, chiefly for sepulchral monuments, but he had executed a group of "Venus and Cupid," which was much admired. With his reputation his ambition increased, yet his determination to visit Italy is attributed to an observation of Sir Joshua Reynolds, who, one day meeting the sculptor, saluted him with some such remark as—"So, Mr. Flaxman, I hear that you are married; if so, you are ruined for an artist." He went with his wife to Italy in 1787. In Rome he executed a colossal group of the "Fury of Athamas" from Ovid, for Lord Bristol, then bishop of Derry, by which he is said to have lost money. It is now at Ickworth house, Suffolk. He also executed a group of "Cephalus and Aurora" for Mr. Thomas Hope. But the work which he executed in Rome that has done most for Flaxman's reputation, is the series of designs in outline from Homer, Æschylus, and Dante; the "Iliad and Odyssey" for Mrs. Hare; the "Tragedies of Æschylus" for the Countess Spencer; and the "Dante" for Mr. Hope. They were all well engraved in outline by Thomas Piroli, and published at Rome in 1793. These outlines are admirable in their style, masterly in their composition, and most thoroughly illustrate the spirit of their several works; they are translations of the great poets that are intelligible to all. They are somewhat slightly executed, and from this insignificant technical defect they were spoken of disparagingly by Goëthe, who seems to have quite overlooked their grand character in other respects, and accordingly they were for a time neglected in Germany; but they are now duly appreciated by the artists of that country, as of every other. In their class they are of the highest possible character of art, and would have sufficiently immortalized the name of Flaxman had he done nothing else. They have been since republished in various countries, but no sets are so good as the original sets of Piroli. He returned to England in 1794, was elected an associate of the Academy in 1797, a member in 1800, and professor of sculpture in 1810, being the first to occupy that office in England. In 1820 he lost his wife, to whom he was devotedly attached. They never had any family, and on the 7th of December, 1826, he ended his now solitary life, and followed his wife to the grave. He was buried at St. Giles'. Flaxman was as remarkable for the simplicity and piety of his life as for his industry. He was a reader of the writings of Swedenborg, and one of his biographers who knew him says—"He preserved a purity of heart and character rarely to be met with; it was this purity of heart which inspired the delightful cheerfulness and amenity of manner that won the affection of the young and gay, as well as the respect and friendship of those of equal years; the more intimately he was known, the more he was beloved." The ten lectures delivered by Flaxman to the students of the Royal Academy have been twice published; with some additional papers furnished by his executrix. Miss Maria Denman, in the second edition, published by H. G. Bohn in 1838. They contain much useful information and many fine sentiments, but make no pretensions to literary style. Their subjects are—English, Egyptian, and Grecian sculpture, science, beauty, composition, style, drapery, ancient art, modern art, with two addresses on Banks and Canova. Sir Richard Westmacott, who succeeded Flaxman in the professorship of sculpture, remarks in an address to the students of the Academy—"No modern sculptor has entered so deeply into the recesses of ancient art as Flaxman; his style was founded upon its principles, combined with the simplicity of the Pisani and others of the fourteenth century, whilst that of Canova was a union of the ideal with nature. The one attracts us by the originality and sweetness of his invention; the other delights us with a delicacy and beauty peculiar to himself. Execution was with Flaxman subservient to invention, whilst Canova suffered invention to be subordinate, and seduces us by the luxuriance of execution." This is not a place for a list of Flaxman's works, but among the most celebrated are—the monument to Lord Mansfield in Westminster abbey; the statue of Sir Joshua Reynolds in St. Paul's cathedral; the "Shield of Achilles" for Messrs. Rundell and Bridge; and the colossal group of "Satan and the Archangel Michael," made for the earl of Egremont. His collection of plaster casts from his own original models in clay, about one hundred and forty in number, many of which were retouched after they were cast, have been given by Miss Denman to the council of University college, London, where they have been arranged under the dome as the "Flaxman gallery," under the superintendence of Mr. Cockerell, R.A.—R. N. W.
FLECHIER, Esprit, a French bishop, celebrated for his eloquence, was born of an obscure family, 10th June, 1632, at Pernes, a small town in the diocese of Carpentras. He owed his early education to his uncle, Father Andefret, general of the congregation of the christian doctrine, a religious order which devoted itself to the instruction of youth. He gave early indications of a talent for eloquence, which his uncle did his best to cultivate and direct. Joining himself to the congregation, Fléchier began to teach, and in 1659 became a professor of rhetoric at Narbonne, where he pronounced the first of his funeral orations upon M. de Rebé, archbishop of that city. In 1660 he came to Paris, and was for some time an obscure catechist in one of the parishes of that city; but his elegant verses, both in Latin and French, soon brought him into notice; especially his "Circus regius," in which he described with great skill and elegance a brilliant spectacle given by Louis XIV. in 1662. This piece was his first decided success, and led to his being appointed tutor in the family of De Caumartin, one of the councillors of state—in which place he became acquainted with many of the principal men of Paris, who frequented the house of his patron. Among others he secured the favour of the duke de Montausier, who was governor of the dauphin, and who procured for him the office of a reader to the young prince. Meanwhile, applying himself to the study and practice of pulpit eloquence, his reputation as a preacher began to rise high; and a funeral oration which he pronounced upon madame de Montausier, was of such distinguished merit, as to obtain for him a place in the French Academy in 1673, to which he was admitted on the same day with Racine. He now rose rapidly in the church by the favour of Louis XIV.; who made him successively abbot of St. Severin, almoner to the dauphiness, bishop of Lavaur in 1685, and finally, bishop of Nismes in 1687. In the administration of his dioceses he was distinguished not only for his pastoral zeal and diligence, but also for his moderation towards the protestants; and for his efforts to purify the devotions of his flock from the grosser superstitions which gave offence to the enemies of the church He continued to the end
