LENTO (Italian, slow); a term used in music.

LENTULUS; the name of one of the most illustrious families in Rome, several individuals of which distinguished themselves by their virtues and services; others were conspicuous in other ways. Publius Lentulus Sura, an accomplice of Catiline, was strangled in prison. Lentulus Spinther, one of the most luxurious and ostentatious men of his age, was a partisan of Pompey. Having been pardoned by Cæsar, who had made him prisoner, he again joined the former, and was present at the battle of Pharsalia. Cneius Lentulus was put to death, in the reign of Caligula, in consequence of being detected in forming a conspiracy against that monster. LEO I (the Great, St.) was born, according to some writers, in Rome, and, according to others, in Tuscany. The popes Celestine I and Sixtus III employed him in important ecclesiastical affairs, while he was only deacon. On the death of Sixtus III, in 440, Leo was elevated to the papal chair. The Romans were gratified with this choice; but the beginning of his pontificate was marked by an intolerant and impolitic act. He caused processes to be instituted against the Manicheans, who were concealed in Rome, and gave up those who persisted in their heresy to the secular arm. In the same manner, he proceeded against the Pelagians, Priscillianists and Eutycheans,whom he exterminated. During the session of the council of Chalcedon, in 451, to which Leo had sent four legates, Attila laid waste the Western empire, and threatened Rome. The emperor Valentinian employed Leo to intercede with that formidable warrior, in order to obtain peace. Leo addressed the barbarian with mildness, and, at the same time, with impressiveness; and Attila, induced probably, however, by other motives, left İtaly, and retired beyond the Danube; but, in the year 455, the Vandal Genseric took Rome, which was exposed to pillage for 14 days. All the favor that Leo could obtain from him was, to forbid the murder of the citizens, the burning of the city, and the plunder of the three principal churches in Rome, which contained the rich offerings of Constantine. Leo is the first pope whose writings have been preserved. They consist of 96 sermons, 141 letters, and some other works. A work On the Calling of the Gentiles, and the Epistle to Demetriades, have also been ascribed to him. His style is finished and rhetorical, and his periods have a measured rhythm, which is not

unpleasant. There have been several editions of his works; one by Quesnel, at Paris (1675, 2 vols., 4to.); another at Lyons (1700,fol.); a third at Rome, by Cacciari (3 vols., fol.); and a fourth at Venice (1757). Father Maimbourg has written his life.

LEO X (Giovanni de' Medici), second son of Lorenzo the Magnificent, born at Florence, in 1475, received the tonsure in his seventh year, and was loaded with benefices. The election of Innocent VIII to the papal chair, favored the ambitious views of his father, and, in 1488, Giovanni, then only 13 years old, was made a cardinal. Lorenzo intrusted his education to the Greek Chalcondylas and the learned Angelo Poliziano. Giovanni, naturally grave, took a greater interest in the writings of the ancient philosophers than in those of the fathers of the church; it was, therefore, made a condition of his nomination, that, before he should be invested with the purple, he should study theology three years at Pisa. In 1492, Giovanni took his seat in Rome, as a member of the holy college. His father died soon after, and was succeeded by his son Pietro, at Florence. As the young cardinal had opposed the election of Alexander VI to the papal see, he exchanged Rome for Florence, where he lived in high estimation, until the banishment of his family forced him to fly to Bologna. In 1499, he went to Venice, Germany and France, remained some time in Genoa, and then returned to Rome, where he lived in the enjoyment of a select society, and devoted to the arts, particularly music and literature. In 1505, he first took part in public affairs. Pope Julius II made him governor of Perugia, and, in 1511, placed him, with the title of legate of Bologna, at the head of his forces, in the holy league against France. As his suggestions, however, were little regarded by the Spanish generals of the allied armies, his influence was limited to preserving order in his camp. He was made prisoner by the French, at the battle of Ravenna, in 1512, but soon after regained his freedom, on the dispersion of the victorious army, and returned to Bologna, where he conducted the government as legate, and, after contributing to the reestablishment of the Medici, remained at Florence until the death of Julius II recalled him to Rome. The choice very unexpectedly fell upon him, and he ascended the papal chair in 1513, in the 38th year of his age, under the name of Leo X. He immediately appointed two of the principal writers of his time, Bembo and Sadolet,

his secretaries. In foreign politics, he followed the system of his predecessors, opposing the domination of foreigners in Italy as much as possible. He succeeded in driving out the French, put an end to the divisions in the church, and forced Louis XII to a formal submission. Having thus restored the public tranquillity, in the first year of his government, he gave all his attention to the promotion of literature and the arts, which had been neglected by his predecessors. The university at Rome was restored and endowed, privileges were granted it, and the most distinguished men selected as instructers. He also established a particular society for the publication of Greek authors, under the supervision of John Lascaris. That scholar, whom he had invited from Venice, and Marcus Musurus, brought over a number of young linguists, whose influence assisted in promoting a taste for classical literature. He requested the possessors of ancient manuscripts, in all countries, to make them known to him; and the publication of the five first books of the Annals of Tacitus, was one of the finest fruits of his efforts. Several private individuals followed the example of the pope; among whom, Chigi, a merchant, was distinguished, who established a collection of works of art, and published an edition of Pindar and Theocritus. To prevent a union of Spain, France and Austria, Leo favored a reconciliation between the kings of England and France, and even pretended to favor Louis's plans on Milan. His design of obtaining the kingdom of Naples for one branch of his family, and the duchies of Ferrara and Urbino for other branches, made the friendship of this monarch necessary, and produced a secret alliance between them; but, when a French army appeared on the frontiers, he was not satisfied with increasing his power, by a purchase of Modena from the emperor Maximilian, but also sent Bembo to Venice, to detach the republic from the French alliance; in which, however, he did not succeed. This artful, varying policy was, at that time, universal, and Leo cannot be especially blamed for it. After the death of Louis XII, Francis I having ascended the throne, and war appearing unavoidable, Leo joined the alliance of the emperor, the king of Arragon, the states of Florence, Milan and Switzerland; but, after the battle of Marignano, he withdrew, and, in 1515, he had an interview with Francis at Bologna, and formed with him a concordate, advantageous to both, but warmly censured

by the French nation. In order to increase the power and splendor of his family, after the death of his brother Giuliano, he deposed the duke of Urbino, in 1516, and gave the duchy to his nephew Lorenzo. Leo saw with regret the reconciliation of the belligerent powers, which was effected in the same year. In 1517, the duke of Urbino, who had been deprived of his estates, recovered them by force of armis. Leo, however, collected a powerful army against him, and forced him to renounce his claims on honorable terms. In the same year, a conspiracy against the pope was discovered, and cardinal Petrucci, who was suspected of being the principal, was hanged, notwithstanding the passport which had been given him. Others, whose guilt was not sufficiently proved, were tortured, deprived of their dignities, and banished. The conduct of the pope, in this instance, was neither magnanimous nor merciful. Leo's magnificence had exhausted his finances. To procure money, particularly for the completion of St. Peter's, he put all Christendom under contribution, by the sale of letters of indulgence. (q. v.) This abuse roused the zeal of Luther, and produced the reformation. Leo, at first, paid little regard to the attacks of Luther, and when he could no longer keep silence, was inclined to lenient measures. In compliance with the wishes of Maximilian, he assumed more rigor, and summoned Luther to appear in Rome, but finally agreed that he should defend himself at Augs burg, before the cardinal Caietan. Nothing being decided by that measure, he issued, in November, 1518, the well-known bull, in which he defended the papal authority of dispensing indulgences, and threatened all, who maintained contrary doctrines, with excommunication; on which Luther appealed to a general council. While open war had thus broken out in the church, Leo endeavored to unite all Christian monarchs in a crusade against the Turkish emperor Selim, who had made himself master of Egypt; bu: their mutual jealousies prevented the execution of his plan. Besides these public chagrins, Leo had great domestic mistortunes to suffer. Lorenzo, who had connected himself with the French court by marriage, having died, and left only a daughter, Leo therefore annexed Urbino to the States of the Church, and the cardinal Giulio de' Medici was placed in the government of Florence. Though, in Germany, the reformation (q. v.) continued to gain ground, Italy was not distur

ed by foreign wars. This state of things permitted Leo to indulge his taste for splendor, to promote the arts and sciences, and, at the same time, to increase the power of his family. Although in alliance with France, he did not give up his plan of preventing the aggrandizement of that power in Italy. With this view, he united with the emperor, in 1521, for the reëstablishment of the family of Sforza, in Milan, and took Swiss troops into pay. The war was begun successfully; Parma and Piacenza were taken by the papal troops, and annexed to the States of the Church. The allies entered Milan without resistance, and occupied the territory of the duke of Ferrara, whom Leo had excommunicated as an ally of France. While engaged in celebrating his successes, Leo died suddenly, December 1, 1521. The age of Leo is described in Roscoe's Life and Pontificate of Leo X, which has been translated into German, Italian and French.

LEO XII, Annibale della Genga, born at Genoa, Aug. 2, 1760, became cardinal March 8, 1816, and succeeded Pius VII in the papal chair, Sept. 28, 1823. He early served the interests of the Roman court as a nuncio in Switzerland, at Dresden, and at other German courts, went on an embassy to Louis XVIII from pope Pius VII, and was finally created vicargeneral of Rome. As pope, he made himself beloved by the people, by the remission of many taxes, by his benevolence, by personally inspecting the public institutions for the poor, the hospitals and the prisons. His firm maintenance of the rights of the court of Rome involved him in disputes with the French and Austrian governments in 1824. On Ascension-day, 1824, he announced the next year as the year of jubilee. His circular epistle to the nations of Christendom, on that occasion, contains a warın attack on Bible societies. May 17, 1824, he gave to the Jesuits and their general, Louis Fortis, the Roman college, which they had possessed until 1773, together with the church of the holy Ignatius, the oratorium, the museum, the library and the observatory, in order that they might devote themselves entirely to the education of the young. Leo XII also strengthened the connexion of the apostolic see with the Spanish American republics, particularly with Chile, and, in 1828, with Colombia, by recognising Bolivar's bishops. He endeavored to free the States of the Church from robbers and banditti, as well as to suppress the remains of Carbonarism. In 1825 he restored the

prisons of the inquisition. His attention was particularly directed to the remedy of numerous abuses in the departments of the Roman government, for instance, in the camera apostolica. Leo died in February, 1829, and was succeeded by cardinal Castiglione, who took the name of Pius VIII. Pius died December, 1830, and was succeeded by cardinal Cappellari (Gregory XVI.)

LEO VI, emperor of the East, surnamed the Philosopher, was the son of Basil 1, whom he succeeded, in 886. He reigned weakly, and the ill success of his generals against the Bulgarians, obliged him to submit to such terms of peace as those barbarians pleased to propose. A total defeat of his fleet, by the Saracens, also took place a short time before his death, which happened in 911, after a reign of 25 years. He gave his name to several works, the principal of which are, a Treatise on Tactics; Novella Constitutiones; and Opus Basilicon, a collection of laws, begun by his father. He also addressed a letter to the caliph Omar, on the truth of Christianity.

LEO, Leonardo, chapel-master in the Conservatorio St. Onofrio, and private composer to the royal chapel at Naples, born in 1694 (according to Piccini, 1701), at Naples, probably studied under Scarlatti. To him, to Pergolesi, and some other composers of that period, is to be attributed the reputation which the Neapolitan school acquired all over Europe. Among his scholars, Piccini, Sacchini, Pergolesi, Traetta, are distinguished. He surpassed all his predecessors, and, as he became equally perfect in all the departments of composition, he may be esteemed one of the greatest masters of Italy. All his works were studied with veneration by the Italian musicians. Although Leo was very successful in passionate, grand and elevated compositions, he was not less so in simple, tender and comic, as his comic opera Il cioè proves. Leo is, besides, the first composer who availed himself of the form of rondos in his comic operas. He died in 1742. His best operas are Sofonisba (1718, according to Burney, his first opera); Olimpiade; La Clemenza di Tito (1735); Achille in Sciro (1740). He composed two oratorios-Santa Elena al Calvario (to the words of Metastasio), and La Morte d'Abele. Of his church-music, his Ave Maria, and a Miserere alla Capella, are the most remarkable.

LEO, John (surnamed Africanus), a traveller and geographer of the sixteenth

century, was born of Moorish parents, at Grenada, in Spain, and, when that city was taken by the Spaniards, in 1492, retired to Africa. He studied at Fez, and afterwards travelled through various parts of the north of Africa. Having been captured by pirates, he was taken to Italy, and presented to pope Leo X, who persuaded him to embrace Christianity, and gave him his own name on his being baptized. At Rome, he acquired a knowledge of the Italian language, into which he translated his Description of Africa, originally written in Arabic. This is a very curious and interesting work, comprising accounts of several countries rarely visited by Europeans. Leo also composed a treatise on the lives of the Arabian philosophers. He is supposed to have

died soon after 1526.

LEOBEN; a town on the Mur, in the Austrian duchy of Styria, about 1600 feet above the sea, with 2400 inhabitants, famous as the place where the preliminaries of the treaty of Campo-Formio were concluded, between Austria, Naples and the French republic, Aug. 17, 1797, after Bonaparte's successful campaign of 1796 in Italy, against the arch-duke Charles. (See Campo-Formio, Peace of) Here the young French general displayed great talents as a statesman, deriving little aid from the instructions of the directory. (See Napoleon, and Italy.)

LEON, Pouce de Leon. (See Ponce de Leon.)

LEON; one of the great divisions of Spain, usually styled the kingdom of Leon; bounded north by Asturia, east by Old Castile, south by Estremadura, and west by Portugal and Galicia. It was united to Castile in the beginning of the eleventh century. The soil is generally fertile, and produces all the necessaries of life; and the wine is tolerably good. Population, 1,215,551; square miles, 21,000. It is divided into six provinces.

LEON (anciently Legio Septima Gemina); a city of Spain, capital of a province to which it gives name, at the conflux of two rivers, whose united stream runs into the Esla, 10 miles south of the town; 150 miles north-west Madrid; lon. 5° 37′ W.; lat. 42° 45′ N.; population, 5900. It is a bishop's see. This city is very ancient, and was formerly much more rich and populous than it now is. It was the capital of a kingdom of the same name, and the kings resided in a palace here till the year 1037. It now contains 13 parish churches, 9 convents and 4 hospitals. The cathedral is handsome, and abounds

in relics. In it are seen the tombs of 37 kings and 1 emperor.

LEONARDO DA VINCI. (See Vinci.) LEONIDAS, king of Sparta, son of king Anaxandrides, ascended the throne 491 years B. C. When Xerxes, king of Persia, invaded Greece with an immense army, Athens and Sparta were the only great cities which resolved to resist him. The Spartans gave the chief command of the military force to Leonidas, who marched to Thermopyla, in the year 480 B. C., with 300 men. Small as his army was, amounting to but 7000 men, including the allies, he stationed it so skilfully, that the Persians, on coming to the narrow pass, became aware of the difficulty of carrying it by force. Xerxes therefore attempted to bribe Leonidas, offering him the dominion of all Greece. This proposal being rejected with scorn, the despot sent a herald to order the Greeks to surrender their arms: "Let him come and take them," was the reply of the Spartan king. Thrice did the Persians advance against the pass, in great force; thrice were they repelled, with great loss. Meanwhile, a traitorous Greek, named Ephialtes, led a select troop of 10,000 Persians, by a secret path, over the mountain, who, after compelling the few opposing Phocians to take to flight, appeared in the rear of Leonidas. He now saw that all was lost, but resolved to show, by a memorable example, what the Greeks could perform in the cause of their country. He is said, also, to have been influenced by an oracle, which declared that Sparta could be saved only by the death of one of its kings. To avoid useless bloodshed, Leonidas dismissed the greater part of his troops, and retained but 300 Spartans, 700 Thespians, and 400 Thebans; the last, in some measure, as pledges of the fidelity of their countrymen, and the Thespians, because they could not be induced to leave their Spartan allies. As soon as Xerxes had learned the successful passage of the troops led by Ephialtes, he threw himself, with his whole force, into the entrance of the pass. But Leonidas, before day-break, penetrated into the Persian camp. After a long contest, the hero fell, surrounded by fallen enemies. His men defended his body, till they sunk beneath countless assailants. This defence of Thermopyla is one of the most remarkable exploits of antiquity. The Greeks erected a splendid monument to the fallen, and celebrated, annually, warlike games over their sepulchres.

LEONINE VERSE; a kind of Latin verse, in vogue in the middle ages, consisting of