ROCHEFOUCAULD, an old French family of great celebrity, whose original seat was the small town of Larochefoucauld, near Angonleme. The history of the family is traced back to 1026, when a certain Foucauld, first seigneur de In Roche, is spoken of in a 'charter of an abbey of Angouleme as vir nobilissimus Fulcaudus. In the religious wars of the 16th Q., it embraced the cause of the Protestants, FRANcOLS, Doc DE L., and PRINCE DE MARSILLAC, born 1613, was much attached to literary pursuits; and after having been involved in intrigues against cardinal Richelieu,. and in the tumults of the Fronde, he retired into private life, cultivated the society of the most eminent literary persons of his lime, Boileau, Racine, and Moliere, and composed his famous Memoires (Cologne, 1662; Amst. 1723, etc.), in which lie gives a simple but masterly historic account of the political events of his time. In 1665 he published also his Reflexions ou Sentences et Maximes Morales, a work containing 360 detached thoughts, of which, perhaps, the most widely celebrated is his definition • of hypocrisy, as " the homage which vice renders to virtue." The book is regarded as a model of French prose, and exhibits much acuteness of observation, and a clear perception of the preva lent corruption and hypocrisy of his time. He died Mar. 17, 1680. His G9uvres Com
pletes were edited by Depping (Par. 1818), and his writings have been commented on by a host of critics of the most different schools, as Voltaire, Vinet, Sainte•Beuve, and Victor ALEXANDRE FREDi1RIC, DUC•DE L.-LIANCOURT, an eminent philanthropist, born Jan. 11, 1747, was representative of the nobles-of.Clermont in the and was a zealous of reform, but sought to preserve the mon artily. Alter the catastrophe of Aug. 10, he fled to England, and lived in great penury, till he obtained back, iu 1794, some fragments of his property. He now visited North America, and afterward published his Viyage dens les Etats-Unis d'Amerique fait en 1795-97 (8 vols. Par. 1798). Having returned to Paris, he lived for some time in retire ment, occupied only with the extension of vaccination and similar works of benevolence. Napoleon restored him his ducal title in 1809. After the restoration, lie was made a peer. but soon gave offense to the court, by opposing its unconstitutional policy. He labored zealously iu promotion of many patriotic and philanthropic objects. He founded the first savings bank in France. He Wed Mar. 27. 1827.