LENORMANT, FRANCOIS ( 1837-83). A French arehatologist, born in Paris, January 17, 1S37. He was early trained by his father, the archeologist Charles Lenormant. in the Greek literature and instructed as to the monuments; and when only fourteen years of age. he pub lished an article on some Greek tablets from Memphis in the Revue Areheologique. In 1857 he was awarded the numismatic prize by the Academic des Inscriptions, and two years later went with his father to Greece and the East. In 1860, after the massacre of Christians by the Druses, he went to Syria, and afterwards pub lished a Histoirc des tna&sucres de Syrie co 1860 (1S61). Returning to Greece. he conducted ex cavations at Eleusis and along the Sacred Way, of which the results were partially embodied in La vole sacree elcusinicnne (1864). a work un fortunately never completed, and in articles in periodicals. In 1862 he was appointed sub librarian of the French Institute, and in 1S74 professor of archnolog at the Bibliothequc Nationale. During his last years he devoted part of his time to an exploration of the less visited parts of Southern Italy. Pere he met with an accident, and after a long illness died, December 9, 1SS3. Lenormant was a scholar of • encyclopedic learning, a wonderful diversity of interest, and great productivity. In Greek archeology proper, his contributions were largely in the form of articles in such journals as the Recite Areheologique and the Gazette drcheolo gigue, of which be was founder (with De Witte), editor, and chief contributor. He edited, with Robiou, Chefs d'wu•re de Part antique (7 vols., 1867-68), and had begun to publish the results of his Italian travels in La Grande-Grece (1SSO-SI), and A tracers et la Laconic (1SS3). In the field of numismatics his great work was La monnaie dans Pantiquite (1878-79), of which only three volumes appeared, hut he also published a popular work. ilonnaies ct medailles (1883), and numerous essays. Per haps his most lasting work was done in the study of the ancient nations of the East, with especial reference to the origins and early forms of their civilization. His studies were sum
marized in the Manuel de Phistoirc ancienne de l'Orient (1869; 9th ed. 1881-83). and Les ori gincs dP l'histoire d'apres la bible et les tradi tions des pcnples orientaux (1880-84). His discovery of the Accadian, a non-Semitie lan truage, in the cuneiform texts. was announced and defended in a series of papers, and his investieation of the Chaldean religion led to the publication of Les sciences oreultrs rn Asir (1874-75). Important at the time of its publi cation was the Essai sur la propagation de ]'alphabet phenicien dans l'ancicn monde (1872 75).
LE NoTRE, le nn'tr'. ANDRE ( 1(113. 17 00 . A French landscape gardener, born in Paris. He was the on of the superintendent of the Tuileries gardens. and was sent to study painting under Simon Court. But Le Notre preferred the oc cupation of his father, and soon gained such a reputation that Fouquet gave him charge of lay out the grounds of the Chateau de Vaux. This was the first example of the formal French garden, stiffly designed on geometri cal lines. with artificial lakes and grottoes. and ornamented with statues and (lipped trees. But, despite its severity. the design had a cer tain grandeur, and it suited the architecture of the day. When Louis XIV. saw these gardens en fete. he made Le Nt,tre director of the royal grounds. and gave him charge of the new park of Versailles, which shows. more than any other of his works. his wonderful knowledge of per spective. Other French gardens that he laid out, entirely or partially, are those of Chantilly. Meudon , Saint-Cloud, Fontainebleau. Saint-Ger main-en-Laye, and Sceaux. He went to Italy in 1678, and was received by the Pope with great friendliness. In Rome he laid out the gardens of the Vatican. the Quirinal, the Villa Annuli, the Villa Ludovisi, and the Villa Doria Pamphili. Ile also designed the park at Greenwich. and the James and Kensington gardens in London.