Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 2.djvu/83

 LEA

Leagues make sl Degree or 20 French Leagues, or 69 5- Eng lip Stature Miles. The Leagues of Germany and Holland contain four Geographical Miles each. The Ferjian Leagues are nearly the fame with the Sfanip, that is, they are equivalent to four Italian Miles 5 which comes pretty near to what Herodotus mentions of the Farafanga, an anticnt Mcafure among the Perjians, containing thirty Sta- dia, eight whereof, according to Strabo, make a Mile. The Perjians ma.rk their ^Leagues by Trees, as the antient Romans did by Stones, Lapides ■-, for which reafon they call them Agag, a Turfafi Word fignifying Tree. In Ja- fan the League con&Rs of 1 800 Fathoms. Thefe are all diftinguifhed by little Hillocks, railed on purpofe by the Road-fide. See the Leagues of moft Countries, reduced to the Roman Foot, under the word Mile.

The word comes from Leuca, or Lettga, an antient Gaulip Word, as Menage has proved from Jjidore, St. 3e- rom, Am. Mirceffimts, &c. Some derive the word Leaca froniMt/Jttf white, in regard the Gauls, in imitation of the Romans, marked the Spaces and Diftances of their Roads by white Stones.

LEAGUE, an Union or Confederacy between Princes and States for their mutual Aid, either in attacking fome common Enemy, or in defending themfelves. There have been feveral holy Leagues entered into by theChri- fiians againft the Saracens and Infidels, fome times alfo called Crufado's. The League is ufed by way of Eminence for that famous one on foot in France, from the Year 1575, to 1595. Its Intent was toprevent the SuccefTton of Hen- ry IV. whowasof the Reformed Religion, to theCrown, and it ended with his Abjuration of that Faith. The Leaguers, or Confederates, were of three kinds : The zea- lous Leaguers aimed at the utter Deflrucrion, not only of the Hugoyiots, but alfo of the Miniflry. The Spamjb Leaguers had principally in view the transferring the Crown of France to the King of Spain, or the Infanta his Daughter. The moderate Leaguers aimed only at the Ex- tirpationof Calvinifm, without any Alteration of theGo- vernment. The "Word comes from liga, which, in the corrupt Latin, was ufed for Confederation, Qu<i quis cum alio ligatur.

LEAKAGE, is aLeaking or Leak in a Veffel, through which the Liquor runs out : Alfo an Allowance made to a Merchant in Liquid Goods of iz I. per cent. AlfoanAl- lowanceof Brewers of a in 22 Barrels of Ale, and 3 in 13 Barrels of Beer.

LEAP-YEAR, or BifTextilc, is every fourth Year, fo called from its leaping a Day more that Year than in a Common Year j for in the Common Year any fixed Day of the Month changeth fuccefltvely the Day of the "Week, but in the Leap-Tear it skips or leaps over one Day. The Common Year hath 36" 5 Days in it, but the Leap- Tear %66 Days, and then February hath 29 Days, which, in the Common Year hath but 28. To find the Leap- Year, this is the Rule 5

Divide by 4, what's left fjall be, For Leap-Yearo, for faji 1, %, or 3.

For Example,' what is the Year 1720, a. Leap-Tear, or Common Year

4)1720(430 There is Remainder, fo that it is Leap-Tear.

LEASE, in Law, fignifies a Demife, or letting of Lands, Tenements, Right of Common, Rent, or any Hereditament unto another, for Term of Years, or for Life, for a Rent referved, and is either written, called alfo Indenture, Deed Foil, or Leafe in writing ; or by word of Mouth, called Leafe Parol. The Party that letteth this Leafe is called the Leffor, and the Party to whom it it is lett the Lejjee. A Leafe hath in it fix Points 5 (1.) Words fufficient to import a Demife. (2.) A LefTee named. (3.) A Commencement from a Day certain. (4.) A Term of Years. (5.J A Determination. (iS.) A Refervation of Rent.

LEASH is a Term ufed in the Game for three Crea- tures of any Kind, as a Leafs of Greyhounds, as a Brace expreffeth two.

LEAVEN, any thing that will make a Bodyfwell by means of the moll fubtile and penetrating of its Parts 5 which being agitated and divided, divide and agitate the more grofs, as we may obferve in Pafte, in feveral Li- quors, &c. The word comes from levanum, a levando, be- caufe Leaven makes the Pair, &c. rife. See Ferment.

LEAVER. See Lever.

LECTICARIUS, an Officer in thcGreek Church, whofe Bufinefs it was to bear off the Bodies of thofe who died, and to bury them. The chief of the LeBicarii was the Deacon. The Romans had two Kinds of Left tear it different from thofe of the Greeks, and who anfwered nearly to the Office of our Chairmen.

LECTISTERNIUM, a religious Ceremony among the anticnt Romans 5 it confifted in a Feilival prepared, and

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folemnly given in the Temple. And becaufe, according" to the Cuitom of thofe Times, they placed Beds a-round the Tables, and fet the Statues of the Gods on thofe Beds, in the fame manner as Men fate at Meals: They call'd this Practice LeBiftermum, from LeBus, Bed, and Jiernete ofjterno to fpread, prepare. In this Ceremony the Epulones (mentioned under that Head) prefided. Ca- faubon has obferved from a PafTage in the Scholiaft of Pin- dar, that the Greeks had alfo the LeB'ijierniwn in Ufe. L'rcy obferves that the firft LeBifermum feen in Rome, was that which held for eight Days fucceffively, in honour of Apollo, Latona, Diana, Hercules, Mercury, and Ueptune, on occafion of a contagious Difeafe that kill'd all their Cattle, in the Year of Rome 354, tho Valerius Maximiis mentions one before that.

LEE, a Term variouily ufed at Sea, but its general Ufe is to fignify the Part oppofite to the Wind : Thus the Zee-Jhore is that on which the Wind blows, and therefore to be under the Lee of the Shore, is to be clofe under the Weather-Jhore, or under Wind- When they fay A -Lee the Helm, they mean, put the Helm to the Lee-ward Side of the Ship They fay alfo, take care of the Lee- latch, which is a Word of Command to the Man at the Helm, to take care that the Ship do not go to the Lee- ward of her Courfe? wherefore they call a Lee-ward Ship one that is not faft by a Wind, or which doth not fail fo near the Wind, nor make fo good way as /he mould. To lay a Ship by the Lee, or to come by the Lee, is to bring her fo, that all her Sails may lie flat againft her Mails and Shrouds, and that the Wind may come right upon her Broad-fide. The Lee-way of a Ship, is the Angle made by the Line on which the Ship fhould run, according to her Courfe, or the Point of the Compafs fleered upon, and the real Line of the Ship's Way ; for all Ships are apt to make fome Lee-toay, wherefore in calling up the Log-board, fomething rriuft always be allowed for Lee- way. The ordinary Rules are thefe: (1.) If the Ship be upon a Wind, you mud allow one Point for Lee-way. (2.) If the Wind blow hard, fo that you are forced to take in one Top-fail, allow two Points for Lee-vjay. (.) If it blow fo hard, that both Top-fails mutt be taken in, and the Sea runs high, allow three Points for Lee-way. (4.) If her Fore-fail being furled, me try under a Main-fail or Mizzen, Ihe will make her way four Points before the Beam. (5.J If ihe try with a Main-fail only, file will make her way near three Points before the Beam. But (tf.) If under a Mizzen only, ihe will make her Way about two Points before the Beam.

LEES, the grorfeft and thickeft Parts of Wine, Oil, and other Liquors j or the Sediment found at bottom of the Veffel. A kind of gravelly Sand is made with the Lees of Wine burnt and prepared, ufed by Dyers, £*?c. which ought to (land as a Caution to People troubled with the Stone, &c. The Word comes from the French Lie, and that either from Limus Mud, or from Lyeut one of the Surnames of Bacchus ; or, according to Du Cange, from Lia, a corrupt Latin Word fignifying the fame thing. The Vinegar-Makers make a great Trade of the Lees of Wine dried and made into Cakes, after having fqueez'd out the Remains of the Liquor in Preffes.

LEET, an old Saxon Word for a Law-day 5 from the Saxon Lite little, quafi a little Court ; or from the Ger- man Laet, i. e. a Country Judge. The Court-Leer is a Court held by the Lord of a Mannor, tho' in reality 'tis the King's Court, in whofe Mannor foever it is held, in regard the Authority thereof belongs originally to the Crown, and is derived thence to other Perfons; It is a Court of Record, and inquires of all Offences under High- Treafon, tho it cannot punifh many, but mutt, certify them to the Juftices of Aflize.

LEGACY in Law, any particular Thing given by a Laffc Will and Teftament 5 for if the whole Eftate be fo given, it is faid to be Hereditary, and he to whom it is fo given, is called Heres by the Civilians 5 though in com- mon Law, the Diftinftion is this, that he to whom all the Man's Lands and Hereditaments defcend by Right of Blood, is 'Hares Natus 5 the other to whom 'tis bequeathed is called Hares FaUus. In the Ecclefiafrical Senfe Legacy was formerly a Soul-Seat, a Bequeft to the Church, or accuftomed Mortuary: and this was to hold good, even tho' the Teflament it felf were declar'd null and invalid.

LEGALIS HOMO, in Law 5 a Perfon who ftands reBus in Curia, not out-law'd, nor excommunicated, nor defamed 5 and in this Senfe are thofe Words fo often ufed, Probi & Legates Homines. Hence Legality is taken for the Condition of fuch a Man.

LEGATE, a Prelate whom the Pope fendsas Embaffa- dor to any fovereign Prince. There are three Kinds of Le- gates, viz. Legates a latere. Legates de latere, and Legates by Office, or Legati Nati. Of thefe the mod confiderable are the Legates a latere 3 fuch are thofe whom the Pope com- miiTions to take his Place in Councils, fo called, in regard

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