LATO'NA (Lat., from Gk. An76, Leto). In Grecian mythology, the mother of Apollo and Artemis by Zeus. The oldest version of the legend is in the Homeric Hymn to Apollo. All lands refuse to receive the goddess in her need. except. Delos. and the island yields only when Leto swears it shall be the specially favored seat of worship for the new god. Later legend made the jealousy of Hera more prominent, and added the tale of the fixing by Poseidon of the floating island of Delos, that it furnish a refuge. This later version also made Artemis the twin sister of Apollo. Leto was commonly worshiped in conjunction with her children, but we hear of separate shrines at Delos. Platxa. and other places. In Hellenistic and Roman times the name was given to the nature-goddess worshiped under the name of the 'Mother' throughout much of Asia Minor, and often called Artemis.
LA liu Louis RENE VAS8OR, Viscount de (1745-1304). A French naval officer, born at Rochefort. He
entered the navy in 1757, and distinguished him self especially in the American Revolution. In 1780 he was put in eommand of a frigate for his bravery in the capture of a British vessel off Newport, P,, I., and in the next year was wounded at Yorktown. In 1786 he took part in the fram ing of the 3laritime Code, and three years later was Deputy to the States General from Mon targis. He commanded a squadron at Brest and met Nelson and forced him to retreat (1801), At the end of the same year he was put in command of the fleet at Aix destined for Santo Domingo. He got to Port-au-Prince in time to save the city from the negroes; fortified the place, and with it as a base made several suc cessful attacks on the British West Indies and English commerce. He succeeded in beating off the fleet sent to capture him (1803). In 1804 lie took command of the French fleet in the Mediterranean, but died in the same year.