GAUSSEN, FRANCO IS SAMUEL

ROBERT LOUIS (1790-1863), Swi Prot. theologian; in trouble with ecclesiastical authorities at Geneva; formed Societe Evangel i que. founder of Buddhism; son of chief of Aryan tribe of Sakyas, whose cap., Kapila-vastu, was c. 100 m. N.E. of Benares; received name of Gautama as child. Miraculous circumstances attended his conception and birth; many legends of his wisdom and prowe in childhood and youth; in twenty-ninth year saw visions which led him to devote himself to religion and _ philosophy; after birth of son parted from sleeping wife and babe, renounced wealth and power, and became homele wanderer, practicing rigorous asceticism for six years; resolving to return to more genial life, was deserted by his five disciples; underwent fierce temptation from demon of wickedne ; sat for six weeks plunged in abstraction, revolving the causes of things; under the Bodhi drum a (‘tree of intelligence,” Bo Tree) attained perfect wisdom of the Buddha; preached first at Benares; madé many converts during forty years of mi ionary work; died at Kusinagara (Oudh) at age of eighty: body burned; relics distributed among number of contending claimants, and topes erected to preserve them. Fr. poet and prose writer; disciple of Victor Hugo and Romantic school; began his career as poet with Alberius, 1830; which was followed by the Comedie de la Mort, 1832, but his best poetical work is contained in Emauzx et Camees, 1856. He achieved succe with his 1835, and other works of fiction include Mil it on a, etc. He was also a prolific writer of travel books, criticism and feuilletons, and was one of the greatest Fr. masters of the short story.