L'AUBESPINE

l'aubespine, a french family which sprang from claude de l'aubespine, a lawyer of orleans and bailiff of the abbey of st euverte in the beginning of the 16th century, and rapidly acquired distinction in offices connected with the law. sebastien de l'aubespine (d. 1582), abbot of bassefontaine, bishop of vannes and afterwards of limoges, fulfilled important diplomatic missions in germany, hungary, england, the low countries and switzerland under francis i. and his successors. claude (c. 1500-1567), baron of chateauneuf-sur-cher, sebastien's brother, was a secretary of finance; he had charge of negotiations with england in 1555 and 1559, and was several times commissioned to treat with the huguenots in the king's name. his son guillaume was a councillor of state and ambassador to england. charles de l'aubespine (1580-1653) was ambassador to germany, the low countries, venice and england, besides twice holding the office of keeper of the seals of france, from 1630 to 1633, and from 1650 to 1651. the family fell into poor circumstances and became extinct in the 19th century. (m. p.*) lauchstadt, a town of germany in the province of prussian saxony, on the laucha, 6 m. n.w. of merseburg by the railway to schafstadt. pop. (1905) 2034. it contains an evangelical church, a theatre, a hydropathic establishment and several educational institutions, among which is an agricultural school affiliated to the university of halle. its industries include malting, vinegar-making and brewing. lauchstadt was a popular watering-place in the 18th century, the dukes of saxe-merseburg often making it their summer residence. from 1789 to 1811 the weimar court theatrical company gave performances here of the plays of schiller and goethe, an attraction which greatly contributed to the well-being of the town. see maak, _das goethetheater in lauchstadt_ (lauchstadt, 1905); and nasemann, _bad lauchstadt_ (halle, 1885).