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A part of the ancient city walls are still standing, some of them being Roman fortifications dating from the third centurv and decorated with tesserae. The best preserved of these remains are in the *' Carrera de los Cubos", on the north-west side of the city, be- tween the cathedral and the Puerta del Castillo. The modern city extends beyond this enclosure towards the railroad . The most notable monuments are the cathe- dral, the collegiate church of S . Isidoro, and the convent of S. Marcos. The cathedral of Sta. Marfa is one of the best examples of primitive Gothic in Spain. It is Bup- posed to have been commenced in the middle of the thirteenth century, in the episcopates of Nuno Alvarez and Martin III (Femdndez) a245-80), and the fa^de was completed at the end of the sixteenth century. Its excessive weight caused the dilapidation which occa- sioned repairs under the direction of Madrazo (d. 1881), Demetrio de los Rios (d. 1892), and Lazaro. Its plan is a Latin cross, with three naves, a transept, a choir of five naves, and a chevet of chapels. Above the lateral arcade runs the triforium f^allery ^ and above that again large ogival windows filled with stained fflass of great value. The choir, in the middle of the utrg^est nave, is magnificent Florid Gothic; the retro- choir. Renaissance. In the centre of the space behind the altar stands the mausoleum of Ordotio II. On the Gospel side of the main chapel is the tomb of St. Aivitus; on the Epistle side, that of Don Pelayo, the Bishop; in the chapel of the Saviour, that of the Countess Sancha; in the chapel of the Nativity, that of Bishop Rodrigo. The cloister is in the Renaissance- Transition ogival style. The exterior, uncovered in front and on one side, is dominated by the spires which crown the two lofty and massive towers; it is sustained by pinnacles and buttresses, strengthened with supports and abutments, and surrounded with cornices and pierced parapets. There are two orders of ogival windows and, opening to the west and south, a tnple doorway which is profusely ornamented with magnificent carvings, and gives access to a spacious vestibule paved with marble and closed by an iron grille. The two towers, of unequal height, stand apart from the nave of the church from theu* bases up, but are connected with it by means of abutments. The northern tower, which is the less lofty, is crowned with a parapet and an octagonal spire. The southern is taller and more ornate; its octagonal spire is of exquisite pierced work. Here, in lar^e Gothic charac- ters, may be read: Maria — Jesiis Xps — Deus homo; and higher up: Ave Maria — Gratia plena — Dns tecum. The porch consists of three arcades, corresponding to the three entrances; upon the pillar which bisects the middle portal standis the laiige and beautiful statue of the Blessed Vi.^ called la Blanca (the White). To- wards the north of the city is the basilica of S. Isidore, predominantly Byzantine in architecture, but with the addition of later constructions. The church has three lofty naves. In the north transept may be read the record of the consecration, performed by eleven bish- ops, 6 March, 1149. In the crypt of this church is the burial-place of the kings, which was desecrated by the French of Napoleon's army. The convent of S. Marco stands outsiae the city, to the west. It was once a residence of the Knights of Santiago. Its rebuilding was conmienced by Ferdinand the Catholic and was completed in 1715. Its decoration is in the Plater- esque style.

FiTA, Epigrafia romana de la ciudad de Ledn (Leon, 1806); FL6Bas-Ri800, Etpafla Sagmda, XXXIV- VI, Memoriae de la Sta, IgUwia exeiUa de Le&n (Madrid, 1784-86): Quadrado. Ee- pa4a. 9ue montunentoe y ariee (Barcelona, 1S.S5): Ceneo de looo and Movimienio de la poblacum en 1901 in Memoriae del Ineti- Mo Geoffrdfico u Eeladtetico; Mu5^os y Romero, Fueroe munici- poiee de Caetitta (1847); CoLBiBiRo. ConetUudun y gobiemo de he reinoe de Le&n y CaetiUa (Madrid. 1855); Davila, Teatro edeeideHco de Eepana, 1 (1618); LiAvina. La caledral de Leon OCadrid. 1876); Bblloso, Anuario Ecleeidatiro de Eepaila

liAuOn Ruiz Amai>o.

Le6n, Diocese of (Leonensib), suffragan of Micho* acan in Mexico, erected in 1863. In the early da^rt of the discovery of Mexico the whole country was divided into dioceses subiect to the Archbishop of Seville in Spain as metropolitan. Among these was Michoacan, erected as a bishopric in 1536. On 31 January, 1545, at the request of Charles V, Paul III formed the Archdiocese of Mexico, and Michoacan became one of its suffragan sees, its bishop residing in what is now the town of Morclia. In the Secret Consistory of 16 March, 1863, Pius IX divided the Diocese of Micho- acan into the Sees of Michoacan, Zamora, Le6n, and Queretaro. The Diocese of Le6n, which comprises tne civil State of Guanajuato, about SOOO sq. miles in area, and having a population of 968,163, is in the heart of a rich agricultural country famous for its cotton and woollen weaving. The richest silver mines in Mexico are in the neighbourhood of Guana- juato. The town of Guanajuato, situated 6(XX) feet above the level of the sea, and 250 miles north-west of Mexico, is famous also for its churches and monaster- ies. It was founded by the Spaniards in 1554, and has a population of 53,000, though under Spanish rule the population exceeded 100,(X)0. Le6n, or Le6n de los Aklamas, the chief town of the department of the same name, is the residence of the bishop, Mgr Eme- terio Valverde Telles. The town is situated on the right bank of the Rio Tor bio, at a height of 50(X) feet a}x)ve sea-level, and had a population of (>3,263 in 1900. It was founded in 1570. Another important town in the same department is San Francisco del Rinc6n. As an episcopal see Lc6n dates from 1863, and its present bisiiop was elected on 7 August, 1909. The cathedral chapter consists of 12 canons and 6 chap- lains. There is a diocesan seminary with 24 profes- sors, and the spiritual wants of the diocese are looked after by 264 secular priests and 48 regulars (see Mex- ico). Among former bishops may be mentioned Mgr Tomas Baron y Morales, appointed 1882; Mgr Zam- brano, appoint^^l 1886; and M^r Ruiz,appointed 1900.

Oerarehia Cattolica (1910); Ann. pont.calh. (I^IO)] Herdbb, Konveraalion^Lcx.; Diccianario di Cieiiciaa eclesidaitcas.

J. C. Grey.

Le6n, Luis de, Spanish poet and theologian, b. at Belmonte, Aragon, in 1528; d. at Madrigal, 23 August, 1591. lie came from an honourable bourgeois fam- ily, his father being "king's advocate" at Madrid. At fourteen the youth was sent to Salamanca to study law. Six months later he entered the Augustinian convent of that city. After completing his theolog- ical studies and obtaining his university degrees (1560) he was appointed to the chair of theology. The decree of the (Jouncit of Trent as to the authen- ticity of the Vulgate was then causing great dissen- sion among the professors at Salamanca. Some of them, Grajal, Martfnez, de Leon, and others continued to use in their courses or in their exegetical writings the Hebraic texts, the Septuagint, and even the ver- sion of Vatable. Some, like Medina and Leon de C^tro, saw in this a defiance of the coimcil's decree, and eflfectively denounced their adversaries, whom they called raljibinists. Early in 1572 Grajal and Martfnes were arrested at Salamanca and accused of heresy. On 27 March, de Leon met the same fate, and was in- carcerated at Valladolid by order of the Inquisition as l)eing their al)ettor. After examining liis ^Titings and hearing the witnesses, the Inquisition summed up in seventeen propositions the accusations urged against him. In these propositions he was not charged with heresy, but with imprudence and rashness, particu- larly on account of his rather disrespectful apprecia- tion of the Vulizjate. The tribunal atValladolia, after a trial extending over nearly five years, declaI^&d him guilty and asked that he be put to the rack and rebuked. This sentence, however, had to be ratified by the supreme coimcii at Madrid. But nine days later