In drama, vaudeville is a light and amusing play in which dialogue is intermingled with songs, and almost identical with musical comedy. The term originated in the 15th century with Olivier Basselin of the valleys of the Vire, in Normandy, the author of a number of drinking and love songs, which he circulated under the title Lais des Vaux de Vire, of which Vaudeville is a corruption. Research Vaudeville
Henry Brougham (BaronBrougham and Vaux) was a Scottish politician. He was born at in 1778 at Edinburgh and died in 1868. He was educated at Edinburgh, studied law there, and was admitted a member of the Society of Advocates in 1800. Along with Jeffrey, Horner, and Sydney Smith he bore a chief part in the starting of the Edinburgh Review in 1802, to which he contributed a great number of articles.
Finding too circumscribed a field for his abilities in Edinburgh he removed to London, and in 1808 was called to the English bar. In 1810 he entered parliament as member for the borough of Camelford, joined the Whig party, which was in opposition, and soon after obtained the passing of a measure making the slave-trade felony. From 1812 until 1816 he remained without a seat, when he was returned for Winchelsea. He represented this borough up to 1830. On his return to parliament he at once began an agitation for social, political, and especially educational reform. In 1825 he was elected LordRector of Glasgow University, and also introduced a bill into parliament for the incorporation of the London University, of which he may be considered one of the chief founders.
He bore an active part in establishing the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge in 1827. Meantime his reputation as a brilliant speaker and able barrister had been gradually increasing, and his fearless and successful defence of Queen Caroline in 1820 and 1821 placed him on the pinnacle of popular favour. At the general election of 1830 he was returned for the large and important county of York. In the ministry of Earl Grey he accepted the post of lord-chancellor, and was raised to the peerage in 1830 with the title of BaronBrougham and Vaux. In this post he distinguished himself as a law reformer, and aided greatly in the passing of the Reform Bill of 1832.
In 1834 the Whig ministry were dismissed, and this proved the end of his official life, as he was never afterwards a member of any ministry, though for years he continued an active member of the House of Lords. In connection with his later years we may mention his presidency of the Law Amendment Society and of the Social Science Association. In legal procedure he was the means of introducing various reforms. He latterly resided much at Cannes. LordBrougham accomplished a large amount of literary work, contributing to newspapers, reviews, and encyclopaedias, besides writing several independent works; and he had no mean reputation in mathematics and physical science. His works, collected by himself, and published in eleven volumes between 1857 and 60, include; 1st, Lives of Men of Science, time of George III; 2nd, Lives of Men of Letters, time of George III.; 3rd, 4th, British Statesmen, time of George III; 5th, Foreign Statesmen, time of George III; 6th, Natural Theology; 7th, Rhetorical and Literary Dissertations and Addresses; 8th, Rhetorical and Political Dissertations; 9th and. 10th, Speeches on Social and Political Subjects; llth, The British Constitution. He also wrote an autobiography published posthumously under the title: Life and Times of Henry, LordBrougham. Research Henry Brougham
Isidore Augusts Marie Francois Xavier Comte was a French philosopher. He was born in 1798 at Montpellier and died in 1857. His family were zealous Catholics and royalists and he was educated at the Ecole Polytechnique, and embraced enthusiastically the socialist tenets of St Simon. As one of his most distinguished pupils he was employed, in 1820, to draw up a formula of the doctrines professed by the St Simonian school, which he accordingly accomplished in his Systeme de Politique Positive (founding the 'positive' system of philosophy). This work did not, however, meet with the approbation of St Simon, who asserted that Comte had made a very important omission by overlooking the religious or sentimental part of human nature.
In 1826 Comte commenced a course of lectures on positive philosophy, but only four lectures were given when he became allegedly deranged in mind, and did not recover until the end of 1827. In 1830 he commenced the publication of his Cours de Philosophie Positive, which was completed in six volumes in 1842, and was freely translated into English and condensed by Harriet Martineau in two volums in 1853.
Some aspersions on his superiors at the Ecole Polytechnique, where he held the posts of teacher and examiner, cost him his job and he was sacked, and some English friends subscribed a temporary subsidy; and at a later period Monsieur Littre organized a general subsidy, which afforded him a moderate degree of comfort in his later years. In 1845 he made the acquaintance of Clotilde de Vaux, who seems to have inspired him with a depth and tenderness of moral and aesthetic feeling before unknown in him. This appears in his second great work, Positive Polity (1851-1854); the Positivist Catechism (1852); and his last work, Subjective Synthesis (1855). In his Religion of Humanity he himself assumed the office of high-priest, performing marriage and funeral rites on behalf of the disciples who had been induced to adopt his system. These, however, were never very numerous; and as a practical faith his system never took off, though as a philosophy of knowledge it was widely accepted. Research Isidore Comte
BaronVaux of Harrowden is an English title held by the family of Mostyn. In 1523 Sir Nicholas Vaux, a soldier of repute, was made a baron, and the title was held by his descendants until the fifth baron died in 1662. It was thence forward in abeyance until 1838, when George Mostyn, a descendant of the last baron's sister, was given the barony. It is still held by his descendants. The seat is at Harrowden Hall, Northamptonshire. Research Vaux of Harrowdean
The Battle of Vaux-Fossoy was an American exploit in the Great War, which took place in July, 1918. Vaux and Fossoy are villages of France, in the department of Marne. Vaux is 4.5 miles from Chateau-Thierry and Fossoy, situated on the south bank of the Marne, is also near it. In the Chateau-Thierry sector the 3rd US division held the front east and west of the town, while the Germans attempted to cross the Marne in their drive of July the 15th, 1918. Early in the morning the Germans made a determined effort to take Vaux on the west and reached the village, but, heavily counter-attacked by the Americans, were quickly repulsed, with the loss of positions farther back. On the east the Germans succeeded in crossing the Marne, capturing Fossoy, and gaining some further ground, but the Americans here also counter-attacked, and drove the enemy back. Research Battle of Vaux-Fossoy
Vauxfort was one of the key-positions to Verdun, and was defended between June the 2nd and June the 6th, 1916, by a French force under Major Raynal, after it had been isolated by the Germans. The defence was one of the outstanding episodes of French heroism. Research Defence of Vaux Fort
Abbreviations
Research Vaudeville
