Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 2.djvu/91

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LEV

Humeral Letters, are thofe ufed by the antient Remans inllead of Cyphers, to exprefs their lumbers by. Thefe Numeral Letters are fcven in number, C, D, I, L, M,V, X ; which are all form'd in defcribing a Circle, and drawing two Lines thro it, crofting each other at right Angles in the Center.

Dominical Letter, fee Dominical. Nundinal Letter, fee Niwdinalia.

LETTERED, Letrados, Lmerati, an Epithet given to fuch Perfons among the Chinefe as are able to read and write their Language. Thefe alone are capable of being made Mandarins.

This is alfo the Name of a particular Seel either in Religion, Phitofophy, or Politicks, confiding principally of the Learned Men of that Country : among whom 'tis called Jttkio, i. e. Learned. It had its Rife in the Year ofChrift 1400; when the Emperor, to awaken the native AffeSion of the People for Knowledge, which had been quite banifhed by the preceding Civil Wars among 'em, and to fiir up Emulation among the Mandarins, chofe out forty -two of the ableft among their Doftors, to whom he gave a Commiffion to compofe a Body of Docfrine agree- able to that of the Antients, which was then become the Rule or Standard of the Learned. The Delegates applied themfelves to the Bufinefs with a world of Attention; but they fecm rather to have wrefted the Doflrine of the Antients, to make it confiit with theirs, than to have built tip theirs to the Model of the Antients. They fpeak of the Deity as if it were no more than mere Nature ; or the Natural Power or Virtue that produces, difpofes, and preferves the feveral Parts of the Univerfe. It is, fay they, a pure, perfeft Principle without Beginning or End ; 'tis the Source of all Things, the Effence of every Be- ing 5 and that which determines it to be what it is. They make God the Soul of the World, fay he is diffufed throughout all Matter, and produces all the Changes that happen there. In fhort, 'tis not eafy to determine whe- ther they refolve God into Nature, or lift up Nature into God; for they afcribe to it many of thofe things which we attribute to God. This Doftrine, in lieu of the Idolatry that prevailed before, introduced a refin'd kind of Atheifm. The Work being compofed by fo many Perfons of Learn- ing and Parts, and approved by the Emperor himfelf, was received with infinite Applaufe by all the World. Many were pleafed with it, in regard it feem'd to fub- vert all Religion : others approved it, becaufe the little Religion that it left 'em could not give 'em much trouble. g&nd thus was form'd the Seel of the Litteratij which confifts of the Maintainers and Adherents to this Doctrine. The Court, the Mandarins, and the Perfons of Fortune and Quality, £S*C are generally Retainers to it; but a great part of the common People ftill hold to their Wor- ship or Idols. The Litteraxi freely tolerate the Mahome- tans becaufti they adore, with them, the King of Hea- ven 'and Author of Nature; but they bear a perfeci Aver- fion to all other Seels of Idolaters among 'em, and it was once refolved to extirpate them. But the Diforder this would have occafion'd in the Empire, prevented it : they now content themfelves with condemning them in general as Herefies ; which they do folemnly every Year at Tek'm. LETTER OF CREDIT, among Merchants, a Letter which a Merchant or Banker gives a Perfon he trufts in, to take up Money of his Correspondents in remote places, in cafe of need. Letters of Credit, tho different from thofe oi~ Exchange, yet have the fame Privileges, to compel the Payment of Sums received in confequence of 'em.

LETTER OF EXCHANGE, fee Bill of Exchange ; fee alfo Exchange. ■ ..

LETTER OF LICENCE, in Trade, is an Inffrument or Writing granted to a Man who has fail'd or broke, fign'dand feal'd by his Creditors; which Letter ufually gives a longer Time for Payment : fo that the Debtor having fuch an Affurance, can go about his Bufinefs with- out fearing an Arrefl.

LETTERS OF ATTORNEY, are Writings autho- rizing an Attorney, that is, a Man appointed to do a legal Act. in our Head. As a Letter of Attorney to give Seifin of Lands, to receive Debts, to fue a third Perfon, i3c.

LETTERS OF MART, are Letters under the Privy- Seal, granted to the King's Subjefls; impowering them to take by Force of Arms,' what was formerly taken from them contrary to the Law of Mart : and regards any Na- tion with whom Truce is broken. See Reprisal.

LETTERS PATENTS, are Writings fealed with the Great Seal of England, whereby a Man is authorized to do, or enioy any thing, that otherwife of himfelf he could not. And they are To call'd by reafon of their Form, becaufe they are open, with the Seal affixed, ready to be fhewn for the Confirmation of the Authority given by them. Common Perfons may grant Letters Patents ; but they are rather call'd Talents than Letters Patents, yet for difference thofe granted by the King are call'd Letters Pa-

tents Royal. Letters Patents conclude with TeJSe meip'a. Charters with hiis Tejlihus.

LETTERS OF RESPITE, Letters iffucd out by a Prince in favour of honeft unfortunate Debtors, againil too rigorous Creditors, whereby Payment is delay'd, for a certain Term. The Ufe of thefe Letters is very antient : Cajfodorut obferves, they were in ufe in the Time of Tbeo- doric King ot the Goths ; others will ihave 'em introduced towards the End of the eleventh Century by Pope LV- han 11. in favour of thofe who went on the Cruzados. They are ftill in ufe in France, and feme other Countries : and take their Name a reffirando, becaufe they give the Debtor a breathing while.

LEVANT, in Geography, fignifies any Country fituate to the Eaft of us, or the Eaftern fide of any Continent or Country, or that on which the Sun rifes. In Matters of Commerce, \3c. the Word is generally reftrain'd to the Mediterranean Sea, or the Country on the Eaftern part of it: Hence our Trade thither is call'd the Levant Trade, and a Wind that blows from thence out of the Streights- mouth, is call'd a Levant Wind.

LEVANT AND COUCHANT, in Law, is when Cattel have been fo long in another Man's Ground, that they have lain down, and have rifen again to feed.

LEVARI FACIAS, a Writ direaed to the Sheriff fur the Levying a Sum of Money on his Land and Tene- ments who has forfeited a Recognizance.

LEVATOR, an Epithet which the Anatomifts give to feveral Mufcles, whole Ufe is to raife or lift up the Parts to which they belong. There are Levators of the Eye- Lids, fee Attollens Palpebr. of the Omoplate, fee Omo- flate ; of the Anus, fee Anus ; and of the Scapula, fee Scapula.

LEUCOMA, in Phytic, is a little white Spot on the Cornea of the Eye, call'd by the Latins, Albugo. It is occafioned by an Humour gather'd in this Membrane, or by the Scar following a Wound, or by an Ulcer in this Part, as fometimes happens in the Small-Pox. The Word is Greek, and is formed from \ivm, white.

LEUCOPHLEGMATIA, a kind of Dropfy, otherwife call'd Anafarcha. It confifts in a Tumor or Bloating of the whole outer Surface of the Body, or fome of its Parts ; white and foft, eafily giving way to the Touch, and preferving the Impreflion made by the Finger for fome time. It may either be owing to fome Diforder of the Blood, which in this Difeafe is of a pale Colour, vif- cid, and cold ; or to an aqueous Humour extravafated, and gathered together in the Mufcles and the Pores of the Skin. The Word is Greek, and comes from >.ivw, white, and psjja, Pituita, Phlegm. ■ LEVEL, a Mathematical Inftrument, ferving to draw a Line parallel to the Horizon, to lay off Floors, the Cour- fes of Mafonry, £s?c horizontally, to meafure the diffe- rence of Afcent or Defcent between feveral Places, to convey Waters, drain Fens, £i?c. The Word comes from the Latin Lilella, the Crofs Beam that forms the Brachia of a Balance, which to be juft, mud ftand hori- zontally. There are feveral Inftruments of different Con- trivance and Matter, that have been invented for the Per- feaion of Levelling; all of which, for the Praaice, may be reduced to thefe that follow.

Water Level, which fhews the horizontal Line by means of a Surface of Water, or other Liquid ; founded on this Principle, that Water always naturally places itfelf level. The moft fimple is made of a long wooden Trough or Canal, whofe Sides are parallel to its Bafe ; fo that being equally fill'd with Water, the Surface thereof fhews the Line of Level : this is the Chorohates of the Antients, defcribed by Vitruvius, Lib. 8. Chap. 6. This Level is alfo made with two Cups fitted to the two Ends of a Pipe 5 or 4 Foot long, about an Inch in Diameter; by means whereof the Water communicates from the one to the other Cup •. and this Pipe being moveable on its Stand by means of a Ball and Socket, when the two Cups be- come equally full of Water, their two Surfaces mark; the Line of Level. This Inffrument, inftead of Cups, may be made with two fliort Cylinders of Glafs 5 or 4 Inches long, fallen'd to each Extreme of the Pipe with Wax or Malik. Into the Pipe is fill'd fome common or coloured Water, which fhews itfelf through the Cylinders by means whereof, the Line of Level is determined ; the Height of the Water, with refpefl to the Center of the Earth, being always the fame in both Cylinders. This Level, tho' very fimple, is yet very commodious for levelling of fmall Diftances.

Air Level, that which fhews the Line of Level, by means of a Bubble of Air inclofed with fome Liquor in a Glafs Tube of an indeterminate Length and Thicknefs, whofe two Ends are fealed hermetically ; that is are clofed with the Glafs itfelf, by heating it with the Flame of a Lamp, till it become foft and traaable. When the Bubble of Air fixes itfelf at a certain Mark made exaBly