Fortia Durban

Fortia d'Urban Marquis of, was born February 18, 1756, and died at Paris August 4, 1843. After completing his studies at the Military School in Paris, he entered the army in 1773, but resigned his commission in 1779 to attend to an important suit in Rome before the papal court of appeals (the Rota), pending the decision of which he devoted himself to the study of the fine arts, antiquities, and mathematics. He was a prolific author, and wrote on a variety of subjects, of which we mention Principes et Questions de Morale Naturelle (Paris, new ed., 1834, 2 volumes, 12mo): — Direction pour la Conscience dun roi (Paris, 1821, 12mo): Chronologie de la vie de Jesus- Christ (Paris, 1827, 8vo, and 1830, 12mo): — Note sur la Genie du Christianisme (Par. 1830, 8vo): — Essai sur l'origine de l'ecriture, etc. (Paris, 1832, 8vo): — Sur les trois systemes d'Ecriture des Egyptiens (Paris, 1833, 12mo): — Essai sur l'immortalite de l' me et sur la resurrection (Paris, 1835, 12mo) — Discours prononces au Cercle de Morale Universelle (Paris. 1835-9, 12mo): — Memoires pour servir a ' histoire de l'introdsuction du Christianisme dans les Gaules (Par. 1838, 8vo). He was also a collaborator in the Chefsd' OEuvsres des Peres de l'Eglise (Paris, 15 volumes, 8vo), and the Annales. de la Philosophie Chretienne. — Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, 18:217-221. (J.W.M.)