LABERIUS, DECIMUS, a Roman knight, who was par-
La Borde particularly distinguished as a writer of mini, that is, farces in the language of the common people, and for their amusement. The exact period of his birth is unknown, but he died n.c. 43, a few months after the murder of Caesar. Having caused some annoyance to the dictator by the freedom of his language, he was ordered by him to appear on the stage as an actor in one of his own plays, when he had reached the age of sixty. The prologue which he pronounced on this occasion is preserved by Macrobius (Stat. ii. 7), and is so beautiful that it makes us regret that more of his writings have not come down to us. When he had finished, he proceeded towards the places assigned to the knights; but his appearance on the stage had deprived him of all the privileges enjoyed by that order, and no one was willing to make way for him. Cicero, observing his embarrassment, said, in allusion to the number of new senators admitted by Caesar, "Recepissem te nisi anguste sederem?" upon which Laberius sarcastically replied, "Mirum si anguste sedes qui soles duabus sellis sedere," thereby reproaching Cicero with his versatility of conduct. We have the titles of forty of his pieces (see Fabricius Biblioth. Lat. i., p. 477), but only a few fragments of them have been preserved. They have been published by Stephanus, Paris, 1564; and are also found in the Catalecta veterum Poetarum by Scaliger, and in the Epigrammata vetera, Lyons, 1586. (C.T.R.)
LA BORDE, JEAN BENJAMIN DE, author of the great Essai sur la Musique Ancienne et Moderne, was born at Paris in 1734. His family was immensely wealthy. Instead of entering upon active life, as it had been intended that he should, he attached himself to the court, and became premier valet de chambre of Louis XV. He became a great favourite with that prince, and more than once brought himself to the verge of ruin by sharing in his costly pleasures. All the time that he could steal from his court duties was gladly devoted to music and the fine arts, of which he was passionately fond, and in which (especially music) he was deeply versed. On the death of Louis XV. La Borde became one of the farmers-general, and the immense revenues of his office enabled him to repair the fortunes he had squandered in his youth. He married, lived quietly, and spent all his spare time in study. One of the first fruits of his labours was his Essai on Music, in 4 vols. 4to., 1780. Next year he published a kind of continuation of this work under the title of Mémoire sur les proportions Musicales, le genre Enharmonique des Grecs et celui des Modernes. He brought out in a very splendid style several other works bearing on history, chronology, and geography. But these are for the most part mere compilations. In writing his Essai, La Borde derived valuable aid from the Abbé Roussier. The best part of the Ancient History of Music is his, and the sections assigned to the theory of the art among the Greeks are wholly so. Though somewhat unequal, and quite wanting in unity of design, the Essai contains a mass of information so carefully collected and so ably sifted as to be still on many points a final authority.
When the Revolution broke out, La Borde, like all the officials of his class, was obliged to flee for his life. He retired into Normandy, where he lived for some time without being recognised. An unlucky accident discovered his retreat. He was seized, taken to Paris, and there thrown into prison. He might have escaped had he acted prudently, but he insisted on being tried without delay. His trial resulted in his condemnation, and he perished on the scaffold on the 22d July 1794.