**LA FOSSE, Jacques de.** - Scholar, born in Paris on 25 Nov. 1621, died in Sedan on 30 Apr. 1674. Admitted by St Vincent into his Congregation, he was assigned to teach literature at the Seminary of St Charles. There, and throughout his life, he composed several Latin poems, rich in mythological allusions, which are also found in his religious compositions.
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**Lagerlöf, Selma.** - Swedish writer, b. Mårbacka (Värmland) 20 Nov. 1858, d. there 16 Mar. 1940. The daughter of an officer, she was educated at home and later at the Royal Seminary for Women Teachers in Stockholm. She began her literary career with *Gösta Berlings saga* («The Story of Gösta Berling», Stockholm 1891), a poetic narrative of the legends of Värmland, which had filled her sad and imaginative childhood as an invalid girl. This work, which closed the door to women writers until then, together with V. von Heidenstam—superior to her in art but not in humanity—is one of the principal representatives of the neoromantic idealistic trend that, around 1890 in Sweden, opposed realism in literature and the triumphant materialism of the age in the name of beauty and spiritual values.
Her fame is especially linked to the novel *Gösta Berlings saga* («The Story of Gösta Berling», Stockholm 1891), a poetic narration of the legends of her native Värmland, which had filled her sad and imaginative childhood as an invalid girl. This was followed in 1894 by the collection of stories *Osvyliga länkar* («Invisible Bonds»). After leaving elementary teaching to dedicate herself exclusively to literary work, Lagerlöf sought inspiration in distant lands: thus she wrote the novel *Antikrists mirakler* («The Miracles of the Antichrist», ibid. 1897), set in Sicily, partly inspired by the encyclical *Rerum Novarum*; and *Jerusalem* (2 vols., ibid. 1899-1900), whose protagonists are a group of Swedish peasants transplanted to Palestine by a wave of religious fanaticism and sustained in their new and arduous existence by an absolute faith. Among her other works are the romantic *En herrgårdssägen* («A Manor House Legend», ibid. 1899) and *Drottningar i Kungahälla* («Queens at Kungahälla», ibid. 1899), the candid *Christuslegender* («Christ Legends», ibid. 1904), the dark historical novel *Herr Arnes penningar* («The Money of Arne», ibid. 1904). Known to every Swede from childhood is *Nils Holgerssons underbara resa genom Sverige* («The Wonderful Adventures of Nils», ibid. 1906-1907); followed by *En saga om en saga* («A Tale of a Tale», ibid. 1908), *Liljecronas hem* («Liljecrona’s Home», ibid. 1911), the hallucinatory tale *Körkarlen* («The Phantom Carriage», ibid. 1912), and the measured novel *Kejsarn av Portugallien* («The Emperor of Portugallia», ibid. 1914). Works with a thesis, in defence of human ideals, are *Troll och människor* («Trolls and Men», ibid. 1915); *Bannlyst* («The Outcast», ibid. 1918), while those tied to her native land are *Mårbacka* (ibid. 1922) and *Löwensköldska ringen* («The Löwensköld Ring», ibid. 1925-28).