Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 08.djvu/245

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SAINT-PIERRE 201 SAINT-SAENS French cod fisheries, which employ many thousand persons, with exports amount- ing to nearly $3,000,000 per annum. The capital of the colony is Saint Pierre, where the headquarters of the governor are situated, and a representative of the colony sits in the French Chamber of Deputies. The capital has cable commu- nication with Europe and lines of steam- ers run between it and Boston and Hali- fax. Pop. about 6,000. The islands were the subject of controversies and ! wrangling between French and English ' from 1713 to 1816, but in the latter year France was confirmed in their possession. SAINT-PIEBRE, JACQUES HENRI BERNARDIN DE, a French author born in 1737. He learned engineering, and in the capacity of engineer worked in Malta, Russia, and Germany, and for about three years for the French Govern- JACQUES H. B. DE SAINT-PIERRE ment in Mauritius. Having returned to France he betook himself to literature. His "Studies of Nature," published in 1783, first secured him a literary position. Then followed his chief works : "Paul and Virginia" (1787) and "Indian Cottage" (1790), both of them (especially the for- mer) very popular. In 1795 he was ad- mitted to the Institute. He died in 1814. ST. POL DE LEON, a town in the Breton department of Finistere, France, near the English Channel, 13 miles N. N. W. of Morlaix. It has a 18th-century cathedral, dedicated to St. Pol, who came hither from Cornwall in the 6th century, and also the Kreizker church, with a beautiful spire 252 feet high. ST. QTJENTIN, a town in the French department of Aisne, on the Somme, 95 miles N. E. of Paris and 33 S. of Cam- brai. The church of St. Quenthi is a re- markably fine Gothic structure, dating from the 12th to the 15th century, and containing a much more ancient crypt. The town hall (15th and 16th centuries) is also a fine specimen of Gothic. The town is a center of the cotton industries, including the making of calicoes, tulle, cretonnes, jaconets, muslin, merino, cam- bric, gauze, and so forth. Further, vast quantities of embroidery are prepared, and machinery, hats, paper, sugar, soap, and beer are manufactured. St. Quentin and its vicinity has been the scene of memorable battles. The Spaniards under the Duke of Savoy and Ferdinand Gon- zaga, assisted by an English contingent under the Earl of Pembroke and Egmont in command of hie Flemings, inflicted a crushing defeat on the French under Con- stable Montmorency, Aug. 10, 1557 (St. Lawrence's Day), a victory which Philip II. commemorated in the Escorial. Shortly afterward the town, after a brilliant de- fense by Coligny, capitulated to the Span- ish army. On Jan. 19, 1871, the Germans under Von Goeben put to rout the army of Faidherbe, capturing nearly 10,000 prisoners. During the World War St. Quentin was reduced to ruins by the Ger- man guns. By the terms of the Treaty of Peace (1919) the city is to be rebuilt by German labor. Pop. before the war about 55,500. ST. REMY, a town in the department of Bouches-du-Rhone, France; 15 miles N. E. of Aries. Near it are antiquities from the Roman town of Glanum Livii. The most noteworthy are the triumphal arch, A. D. 100, and the tomb, or monu- ment, of the Julii. The latter is about 60 feet high, rising two stories above the square base. Around the base is a series of military scenes in relief; the first story is pierced by archways, and decorated with Corinthian semi-columns; and the second story is a circular edicule with 10 Corinthian columns and a domical roof sheltering two statues. This monument is assigned to the time of the early em- pire. SAINT-SAENS, CHARLES CAMILLE, a French musician ; born in Paris, France, Oct. 3, 1835. At the age, it is said, of two and a half years he was taught the pianoforte by his great-aunt, and at seven he had further instruction from Stamaty, and subsequently learned harmony under Maleden. In 1847 he studied the organ under Benoist. At the age of 16 he wrote his first symphony, which was performed with success, and was followed by numer*- ous other instrumental works. He became organist, first of the church of St. Mery, and in 1858 of the Madeleine, where he continued till 1877. His first opera, "The