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 138 LANCELOT OF THE LAKE Cyran, which was published in Cologne in 1738, and an account of a tour in 1667 to La Grande Chartreuse and Alet (London, 1813). LANCELOT OF THE LAKE, a hero of British mythology, one of the knights of King Arthur's round table. He was brought up at the court of Vivien, the Lady of the Lake, whence his surname. He became Arthur's favorite knight ; and when the king was about to marry, he was sent to conduct the royal bride, Guinevere, to the court. Afterward he is represented as carrying on an intrigue with the queen, which is the origin of most of his adventures. He is the subject of a celebrated romance by an un- known author, which was originally written in Latin, and was translated into Anglo-Norman by Walter Mapes in the latter part of the 12th century. Tennyson has used the character of Lancelot more than any other modern poet, making him the hero of two of the " Idyls of the King," viz., "Elaine" and "Guinevere." Elaine, " the lily maid of Astolat," preserves his shield in her chamber, which he had ex- changed for her brother's when he went to tilt for the great diamond, dreaming ov^r it, and finally dies broken-hearted because her love for Lancelot is not returned. LANCEWOOD, a wood imported from the West India islands and South America in poles from 15 to 20 ft. long and 3 to 6 in. in diameter. The tree is the Duguetia, Quitarensis, of the anonacece, the family to which our papaw be- longs. It resembles boxwood, but is of some- what paler yellow. It is remarkably stiff and elastic, and is consequently well adapted for the shafts of carriages, bows, and springs. It is largely employed for these, as well as for surveyors' rods, billiard cues, and rules, which ordinarily pass for boxwood, and for anglers' rods. Species of oxandra and cananga, of the same family, are called lancewood in Jamaica. LANCISI, Giovanni Maria, an Italian physician, born in Rome, Oct. 26, 1654, died there, Jan. 21, 1720. He abandoned the study of theology for the natural sciences, and at 18 graduated doctor in medicine and philosophy at the Sa- pienza college in Rome. In 1676 he was ap- pointed assistant physician to one of the hospi- tals, and some time later was nominated to the chair of anatomy at the Sapienza, which he filled with great reputation for 13 years. In- nocent XI. in 1684 presented him with a can- onry. He filled various professional offices, and wrote a number of valuable works, chiefly relating to his favorite studies of anatomy, nat- ural philosophy, and mathematics. A collec- tion of them appeared in his lifetime (2 vols. 4to, Geneva, 1718), and a complete edition in folio was published at Venice in 1739. LANDAU, a fortified town of Rhenish Bavaria, on the Queich, 18 m. N. W. of Carlsruhe, on the railway from Paris to Mentz ; pop. in 1871, 6,921, exclusive of the garrison. The ground plan of the ramparts is an octagon, surrounded by moats. The barracks and casemates are bomb-proof. The town is regularly built, has LANDER two gates, a large parade, a church used by Protestants and Catholics in common, various public offices, and some manufactories. During the thirty years' war it was taken seven times by the troops of Count Mansfeld, by the Span- iards, Swedes, imperialists, and French. In 1680 it was ceded to France and fortified by Vauban. It was taken in 1702 by Margrave Louis of Baden, but was recovered by the French in 1703, taken by the Austrians in 1704, and held till 1713, when it was again ceded to France. It sustained a siege of nine months in 1793, when 30,000 shells were thrown into it. The treaty of Paris in 1814 confirmed it to France, but the treaties of 1815 gave it to Bavaria, as a fortress of the Ger- manic confederation. LANDEN, John, an English mathematician, born at Peakirk, near Peterborough, in Janu- ary, 1719, died Jan. 15, 1790. From 1762 to 1788 he was agent for Earl Fitzwilliam. His earliest mathematical writings appeared in the " Ladies' Diary " for 1744, and most of his subsequent papers were contributed to the " Transactions " of the royal society of Lon- don, of which he was admitted a member in 1766. He is best known by his "Residual Analysis " (London, 1764), in which he pro- posed a new form of fluxionary calculus, and invented a set of symbols. His plan has been thought an improvement on the method of ul- timate ratios, but it lacks simplicity, and was never in general use. The principal other works of Landen are: "Mathematical Lucu- brations" (4to, London, 1755); "Animadver- sions on Dr. Stewart's Computation of the Sun's Distance " (4to, 1771) ; " Observations on Converging Series " (4to, 1781) ; " Mathe- matical Memoirs" (2 vols. 4to, 1780-'89). LANDER, a N. county of Nevada, intersected by Humboldt river and watered by the Reese ; area, 10,000 sq. m. ; pop. in 1870, 2,815, of whom 218 were Chinese. The surface is di- versified with mountains, hills, and valleys, comprising mineral, agricultural, and grazing lands. S. of the Humboldt are high moun- tain ranges, enclosing extensive valleys, some of which are fertile. These mountains form the most important metal-bearing portion of the county. The Reese river region in the S. W. is one of the principal mining districts of the state. The Central Pacific railroad crosses the county from E. to W. In 1 873 the E. half, com- prising the Eureka district and other rich mining sections, was set off to form Eureka co., redu- cing the area given above. The principal metal is silver, but considerable lead and some gold are found. The shipments of bullion in 1871 amounted to $3,800,000. The chief agricultu- ral productions in 1870 were 1,363 bushels of wheat, 2,062 of oats, 29,307 of barley, 17,599 of potatoes, 4,600 Ibs. of wool, 20,950 of but- ter, and 2,245 tons of hay. There were 597 horses, 570 milch cows, 7,695 other cattle, 1,501 sheep, and 205 swine; 3 manufactories of pig lead and 1 quartz mill. Capital, Austin.