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 LESLIE LESSEES 369 suspected by the government, he took refuge at the court of the pretender, and made an ef- fort to convert him to Protestantism, but the prince forbade him to speak on the subject of religion either to himself or his chaplains. After the failure of the pretender's expedition, Leslie accompanied him to Italy, but was al- lowed to return to England in 1721. The most important and popular of his works is his "Short and Easy Method with the Deists" (1694), many times reprinted. A collection of his theological works has been published in 7 vols. 8vo (Oxford, 1832). LESLIE, Sir John, a Scottish mathematician, born at Largo, Fifeshire, April 16, 1766, died at Coates, in the same county, Nov. 3, 1832. He was educated at the universities of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, and while a stu- dent in the latter institution was employed by Adam Smith as tutor to his nephew, after- ward Lord Reston. In 1788-'9 he was absent in America as tutor to two young Virginians of the Randolph family ; and in 1790 he went to London, intending to establish himself there as a lecturer on natural philosophy. Disap- pointed in this project, he translated Buffon's " Natural History of Birds," published in 1793 in 9 vols. Subsequently he travelled in the capacity of tutor to Thomas Wedgwood, and, after being an unsuccessful candidate for pro- fessorships at St. Andrews and Glasgow, ob- tained in 1805 the chair of mathematics in Ed- inburgh. In 1819 he succeeded Prof. Play- fair in the chair of natural philosophy, which he filled until his death, a few months previ- ous to which he was knighted. His scientific publications commenced with an "Essay on the Resolution of Indeterminate Equations," printed in the " Edinburgh Philosophical Trans- actions " for 1788 ; and in 1799 he contributed a description of a hygrometer and photome- ter invented by himself to Nicholson's "Phi- losophical Journal." His "Experimental In- quiry into the Nature and Propagation of Heat, "published in 1804, gained him the Rum- ford medal of the royal society. His " Course of Mathematics" (2 vols. 8vo, 1809-'22) com- prises " Elements of Geometry," " Geometrical Analysis," "Plane Trigonometry," and "Ge- ometry of Curve Lines ;" an abridgment of a portion of this work was published in 1828, entitled "Rudiments of Plane Geometry, in- cluding Geometrical Analysis and Plane Trig- onometry." He also published in 1817 "The Philosophy of Arithmetic," founded upon an article contributed to the " Encyclopaedia Bri- tannica." In 1810 he discovered the process of artificial congelation, by which he was enabled to freeze water and even mercury at pleasure, and three years later published in connection with the subject " A Short Account of Experi- ments and Instruments depending on the Rela- tions of Air to Heat and Moisture." He also produced " Elements of Natural Philosophy," vol. i., "Mechanics and Hydrostatics" (1823; 2d ed., enlarged, 1829); and "The Progress of Mathematical and Physical Science during the Eighteenth Century," one of the preliminary dissertations of the "Encyclopaedia Britannica." LESPmiSSE, Jnlie Jeanne Eleonorede, a French lady remarkable for her intellectual gifts and accomplishments, born in Lyons, Nov. 19, 1732, died in Paris, May 23, 1776. She was the illegitimate daughter of the countess d'Al- bon, on whose death in 1748 she accepted a place as governess in the family of her broth- er-in-law, Vichy-Chamrond, and in 1753 she was engaged as companion by her mother's sister-in-law, the marchioness du Deffand. This lady was D'Alembert's intimate friend, and her house was a favorite resort of many eminent persons. Julie's remarkable quali- ties, both of the mind and the heart, made a profound impression upon all who were brought in contact with her. Mme. du Def- fand's jealousy became excited, and a sepa- ration between the two ladies ensued in 1764. To the small annual income which had been bequeathed to Julie by her mother, a pension was added by the king. Her house soon be- came a great centre of attraction for the nota- bilities of Paris. She enlisted the regard of D'Alembert, Marmontel, La Rochefoucauld, and other eminent literary men, while even Mme. Geoff rin made an exception in her favor, and not only admitted her to her literary reunions, from which women were generally excluded, but conferred upon her an annuity of 3,000 francs. With D'Alembert her relation was fraternally intimate and enduring, but the warmth of her affections was reserved for the count de Mora, a Spanish nobleman, whose death plunged her into great affliction. An- other object of love soon presented itself in the person of Col. Guibert, celebrated for his relations with Frederick the Great, but this passion was not reciprocated. Her letters were published at Paris in 1809. LESSEPS, Ferdinand de, viscount, a French diplomatist, born in Versailles, Nov. 19, 1805. In 1825 he was attached to the French con- .sulate at Lisbon, and in 1828 to that in Tunis. After the taking of Algiers he was charged with securing the submission of the bey of Constantine, and in 1831 he went to Egypt, where at three different times he was temporary consul general at Alexandria. He obtained from Ibrahim Pasha, during the oc- cupation of Syria by the latter, protection for the Christians there, and did much toward rees- tablishing peace between Mehemet Ali and the sultan. He was appointed consul at Malaga in 1839, and at Barcelona in 1842. During the bombardment of the latter city by Espar- tero in the same year, he rendered great ser- vice to sufferers of all nations. He frequently exposed his life during the fighting to save the lives of others; his energetic remonstrances postponed the bombardment for several days, and when it took place he hired vessels and personally superintended the removal of fugi- tives. For this he received decorations from