Lewis. yield plenty of falmon. Along the coaft are found a great number of caves, which ferve as fhelter for the feals and otters, which are alfo eaten as dainties by the inhabitants; and vast numbers of sea-fowl build upon the rocks and promontories.

The land-animals reared in this ifland, are cows, horfes, fheep, goats, hogs, and deer; all these are of a diminutive fize. The beef, mutton, and pork, are juicy and delicious; the horses are active and hardy: the deer, which are of the red kind, confine themselves to the chace of Ofervaul, about 15 miles in compals, which affords tolerable pafturage; but in the winter, when the ground is covered with froft and fnow, thefe animals are forced to feed on fea-ware, and endure all the rigour of the feafon, without any fhelter from wood or copfe, for there is not a tree to be feen; nevertheless, the roots of very large trees, which have been cut by the ax, are found in different places. There is likewife a small grove of birch and hazle on the fouth-weft fide of Loch-Stornaway.

The inhabitants of Lewis are well-proportioned, tall, fair, fanguine, ftrong, and healthy. They are in general fober, circumfpect, and hofpitable; dexterous in fhooting, fwimming, and leaping; bold and skilful marimers; and fo temperate, that they will tug at the oar all day, without any other provifion than bread and water, with a fnufh of tobacco.

Along this coaft we see several natural mounts or forts, called Dun; fuch as Dun-rowly, Dun-coradel, and Dun-eiften. There are also the remains of fome old caftles, and other monuments of antiquity. At Stornaway village we fee the ruins of a fortrefs deftroyed by the English garrison fent thither by Oliver Cromwell. To the northward of Brago there is a round tower built of large ftones, three ftories high, tapering towards the top, with a double wall, and a circular ftaircafe between, by which one may go quite round the building. On the heaths and fummits of hills there are several cairns or heaps of ftones, which ferved either for graves or beacons. In the parifh of Barvas we see a single stone called the thrusbel, ftanding upright, above 20 feet high, and almost as much in breadth. Three ftones, about 12 feet high each, are seen standing on the north fide of Loch-carlvay; and many others ftanding fingle at great distances, and in remote parts of the island. But the moft remarkable monument of this kind appears by the village of Claffernifs. Here we find 39 pyramidal ftones ftanding upright, about fix or seven feet high from the furface, each about two feet in breadth. They are placed in form of an avenue, eight feet wide; the diftance between every ftone amounting to fix feet, and a fingle piece ftands at the entrance. This avenue leads to a circle of 12 ftones of the fame dimenfions, with one in the centre 13 feet in length, and fhaped like a rudder: on the eaft, fouth, and weft fides of this circle, are four ftones, fuch as those that compose this round and avenue, forming three lines, or as it were rays from the body of the circle. This is fupposed to have been a Druid temple; and tradition reports, that the chief Druid ftood by the large ftone in the centre, and harangued the audience. At the diftance of a quarter of a mile there is another circle of the fame nature; but without the range and avenue

In all probability, thefe, as well as the monuments we have defcribed in our account of the Orkneys, and Stone-henge on Salisbury-plain, were places of worfhip erected by the Druids in time of Pagan superstition. The chief town in Lewis is called STOR

NAWAY.

There is a confiderable number of inferior adjacent ifles and rocks, fome of which hardly deferve to be mentioned; fuch as the fmall ifland Garve at the mouth of Loch Carlvay, Berinfay, Fladda, Bernera Minor, and Bernera Major, Kialify, Cavay, Carvay, Grenim, Pabay, Shirem, Vexay, Wuya the Larger and Leffer, and the Flannan islands, which the feamen denominate the northern bunters. Thefe are vifited every fummer by the inhabitants of the Lewis, who go thither in queft of fowls, eggs, down, quills, and feathers, as well as to fhear or kill the fheep that are kept here for pafture. As thefe islands are very steep and rocky, the vifitors, after having landed and climbed up the rock by a ladder, uncover their heads, and, making a turn fun-ways, thank God for having efcaped the danger they have undergone. In the lar geft ifland are the ruins of a chapel dedicated to St Flannan, from whom the ifles derive their name. Thither the fowlers repairing, ftrip themfelves of their upper garments, which being laid upon a stone, they advance towards the altar, and repeat three prayers; an exercife which is performed every morning and evening. They obferve many other fuperftitious customs during their refidence on thefe rocks; and when they have landed their boat with their purchase, return to the larger iflands. Among the islands belonging to the Lewis, we may likewife take notice of the fmall ifle of Pigmies, fo called, becaufe bones refembling thofe of human creatures, but of very fmall dimenfions, have been dug out of the ground.

The ifland of Lewis is divided into the two parishes of Barvas and Eye, and in each of thefe one minister is fettled; but there is a great number of churches and chapels dedicated to different faints, in the different ifles which compofe this cluster. All these were fanctuaries before the reformation, but now they are divefted of that privilege. The people of thefe iflands are Prefbyterians, with a few Proteftants of the English communion, and a still smaller number of Roman Catholics. The Proteftants obferve the festivals of Christmas, Good Friday, Eafter, and Michaelmas ; on the laft of which the individuals of both fexes perform an anniversary cavalcade.

LEWIS, or Louis, the name of feveral kings of France. See ERANCE.

LEWIS VII. anno 1137, was the first who had the courage to oppose the encroachments of the popes on the regal authority: Pope Innocent II. excommunicated him for appointing an archbishop of Bourges; but Lewis defended his prerogatives, and put the priests to death who had been the authors of the quarrel. In 1147, he put himself at the head of an army of 80,000 men, and marched against the Saracens, in the second crufade, but was defeated; and returning into France by fea, was taken by the Greeks, but refcued by Roger king of Sicily. His queen Eleonora accompanied him in this expedition; and being fufpected of infidelity with Saladin, a young Turk,

Lewis

5

of three kinds: ft, Such as were made by their kings. 2d, The laws of the twelve tables brought by the Decemviri from Athens, &c. And, 3d, Such as were proposed by the fuperior magiftrates in the times of the republic. The laws of this laft clafs were enacted in the following manner.

No law could be propofed but by fome of the following magiftrates, viz. the Prætor, the Confuls, the Dictator, the Interrex, the Decemviri, the Military Tribunes, Triumviri, and Tribunes of the people. If any of these propofed a law, it was firft committed to writing, and privately examined as to its utility and probable confequences, by fome perfons well qualified for the task; fometimes it was referred to the whole fenate for their fentiments. It was then hung up publicly for three market-days, that all the people might have time to examine it, and confider its tendency: This was called legis promulgatio, quafi provulgatio. If the perfon who framed the bill did not fee caufe in the mean time to drop it, the people were convened in comitia, and he addreffed them in an oration, being alfo feconded by his friends, fetting forth the expediency and probable utility of fuch a law: This was called rogatio legis, because the addrefs was always prefaced with this petitionary form of words, Velitis jubeatifne, Quirites? "Will you, O Romans, confent and order this law to pafs?" This being done, thofe that disliked the motion delivered their sentiments in oppofition to it. An urn was then brought to certain priefts who attended upon the occafion, into which were caft the names of the tribes, centuries, or curia, as the comitia happened to be tributa, centuriata, or curiata. The names were shaken together; and the firft drawn tribe or century was called prærogativa, because their fuffrages were first taken. The curia that was firft drawn was called principium for the fame reafon. The other tribes, centuries, &c. were called tribus jure vocata, centuria jure vocata, &c.

Matters being in this fituation, the veto or negative voice of the tribunes of the people might put an entire end to the proceedings, and diffolve the affembly. The tribune's interference was called interceffio. The conful also had it in his power to ftop further proceedings, by commanding any of the holidays called feria imperativa to be obferved. The comitia would of courfe be diffolved alfo by any of the perfons present being feized with the falling-fickness, or upon the appearance of any unlucky omen. But fuppofing the bufinefs to meet with no interruption of this fort, the people were each of them prefented with two tablets, on one of which was written in large characters A. on the other U. R. Their difapprobation of the bill was expreffed by throwing into an urn the tablet inscribed A. fignifying "I forbid it ;" antiquo, "I prefer the. old." Their affent was fignified by throwing in the tablet marked U. R. i. e. uti rogas, "be it as you defire." According to the majority of thefe tablets the law paffed or not. If it paffed, it was written upon record, and carried into the treafury; this was called legem ferre. Afterwards it was engraved upon plates of brass, and hung up in the most public and confpicuous places: this was termed legem figere, and a future repeal of this law was legem refigere.

If a law paffed in the comitia curiata, it was called VOL. X. Part I.

0.

lex curiata; if in the comitia centuriata, it had the name Lexiarchi of lex centuriata; but if it paffed in the comitia tributa, Leyden. it was termed plebifcitum. The laws, too, generally bore, the names of the propofers, as lex Elia, lex Fufia, &c. Romulus used to make laws by his own fingle authority, but fucceeding kings fought the Epprobation of the people.

LEXIARCHI, at Athens, fix officers affifted by 30 inferior ones, whofe business it was to lay fines upon fuch as came not to the public affemblies, and alfo to make fcrutiny among fuch as were present.

The lexiarchi kept a register of the age, manners, and abilities of all the citizens, who were always inrolled at the age of 20.

LEXICON, the fame with dictionary. The word is chiefly ufed in fpeaking of Greek dictionaries: it is derived from the Greek is, word, diction; of xil I Speak.

LEYDEN, in Latin Lugdunum Batavorum, one of the largest and fineft cities in Holland, abounds with canals, along which are rows of lofty trees that afford very pleasant walks. An arm or fmall branch of the Rhine runs through it. Over the canals are 145 bridges, moft of them of ftone or brick. The univer fity here is the oldest in the United Provinces: it has large privileges; a library well furnished, and particu larly rich in manuscripts; a phyfic-garden well stocked with all forts of plants, many of which have been brought from the Cape of Good Hope and the Eaft Indies; an anatomy-hall, well provided with skeletons; and an obfervatory. The profeffors, who are generally very eminent, read public lectures four times a week, for which they take no money, but about three gui neas are paid for a course of private lectures, which lafts a whole year. The ftudents have no diftinct ha bit, but all wear fwords, though they generally go to the public and private lectures in their night-gowns and flippers. The falaries of the profeffors are from 100l. to 200l. a-year: they wear gowns only when they prefide at public difputations, read public lectures, or meet in the fenate; and their lectures are always in Latin. The ftudents do not lodge in the univerfity, but where they please in the town. The cloth manufacture here is much decayed, which formerly flourished to fuch a degree, that 100,000 pieces, it is faid, have fometimes been made in a year. The city is famous for the long and fevere fiege it maintained in 1573 againft the Spaniards. We cannot. help mentioning the reply of that illuftrious magiftrate, Adrian de Verf, when the citizens represented to him the havoc made by the famine during the fiege, and infifted upon his furrendering: "Friends (faid he), here is my body, divide it among you to fatisfy your hunger, but banifh all thoughts of furrendering to the cruel and perfidious Spaniard." They took his advice, in regard to their not furrendering, and never would liften to any overtures; but told the Spaniards, they would hold out as long as they had one arm to eat and another to fight. There are fome fine churches here, and many long, broad, handfome, ftreets; but the Papifts, as at Haerlem, are more numerous than the Proteftants.

LEYDEN Phial, a phial coated on the infide and outfide with tinfoil, or other proper conducting substance, C

and

Leyfera and furnished with a brafs wire and knob, for giving the electrical fhock. See ELECTRICITY-Index. Lhuyd. Lucas van Lerden. See LUCAS. LEYSERA, in botany: A genus of the polygamia fuperflua order, belonging to the fyngenefia clafs of plants; and the natural method ranking under the 49th order, Compofita. The receptacle is naked; the pappus paleaceous; that of the difc plumy; the calyx fcarious.

LEYTE, one of the Philippine islands in the Eaft Indies, fituated in E. Long. 118. o. N. Lat. 11.0. Its greateft length is about 40 leagues, and its circumference about 90 or 100. Its foil on the east fide is very fruitful; but there are very high mountains which cut it almoft through the middle, and occafion fo great an alteration in the air, that when it is winter on the north fide, it is fummer on the fouthern part of the inland. Thus when the inhabitants of one half of the ifland reap, the others fow; and they have two plentiful harvests in a year, to which the rivers running down from the abovementioned mountains contribute not a little. The island contains about 9000 inhabitants, who pay tribute to the Spaniards in rice, wax, and quilts.

LHUYD, or LHOYD (Humphrey), a learned antiquarian of the 16th century, born at Denbigh, who applied himself to the ftudy of phyfic; and living moftly within the walls of Denbigh caftle, practifed there as a phyfician; and died in 1570, with the character of a wellbred gentleman. He wrote and tranflated several pieces relative to hiftory and antiquities; in particular, The hiftory of Cambria, now called Wales, from Caradoc of Langcarvan, &c. but died before it was finished: however, Sir Henry Sidney, lord prefident of Wales, employed Dr David Powel to finish it, who published it in 1584. A new and improved edition of this work was published in 1774.

LHUYD (Edward), keeper of the Museum at Oxford, was a native of South Wales, the fon of Charles Lhuyd, Efq; of Lhanvorde. He was educated at Jefus College, Oxford, where he was created M. A. July 21. 1701. He was bred under Dr Plot, whom he fucceeded as keeper of the Afhmolean mufeum, and had the use of all Vaughan's collections. With inceffant labour and great exactnefs he employed a confiderable part of his life in fearching into the Welsh antiquities; had perufed or collected a great deal of ancient and valuable matter from their MSS.; transcribed all the old charters of their monafteries that he could meet with; travelled several times over Wales, Cornwall, Scotland, Ireland, Armoric Bretagne, countries inhabited by the fame people, compared their antiquities, and made obfervations on the whole; but died in July 1709, before he had digefted them into the form of a difcourfe, as he intended, on the ancient inhabitants of this island. The untimely death of this excellent antiquary prevented the completing of many admirable defigns. For want of proper encouragement, he did very little towards understanding the British bards, having feen but one of thofe of the fixth century, and not being able to procure access to two of the principal libraries in the country. He communicated many obfervations to Bifhop Gibson, whofe edition of the Britannia he revised; and published “ Archaologia Britannica, giving fome ac

Libanus!

count additional to what has been hitherto publifhed Lhuyd of the languages, hiftories, and euftoms of the original inhabitants of Great Britain, from collections and obfervations in travels through Wales, Cornwall, Bas Bretagne, Ireland, and Scotland, Vol. I. Gloffography, Oxford 1707," fol. He left in MS. a Scottish or Irish-English Dictionary, propofed to be published in. 1732 by fubfcription, by Mr David Malcolme, a minifter of the church of Scotland, with additions; as also the Elements of the faid language; with necessary and use-. ful informations for propagating more effectually the English language, and for promoting the knowlege of the ancient Scottish or Irish, and very many branches of ufeful and curious learning. Lhuyd, at the end of his preface to the Archæologia, promises an hiftorical dictionary of British perfons and places mentioned in ancient records. It feems to have been ready for prefs, though he could not fet the time of publication. His collections for a fecond volume, which was to give an account of the antiquities, monuments, &c. in the principality of Wales, were numerous and well chofen ; but, on account of a quarrel between him and Dr Wynne, then fellow, afterwards principal of the college, and bishop of St Afaph, he refufed to buy them, and they were purchased by Sir Thomas Seabright, of Beachwood in Hertfordshire, in whofe library the greatest part still remain, but fo indigefted, and written with fo many abbreviations, that nobody can undertake to publish them. They confift of about 40 volumes in folio, 10 in quarto, and above 100 fmaller, and all relate to Irish or Welsh antiquities, and chiefly in thofe languages. Carte made extracts from them about or before 1736; but these were chiefly hiftorical. Sir John Seabright has given Mr Pennant 23 of Lhuyd's MSS. Latin and English. Many of his letters to Lifter, and other learned contemporaries, were given by Dr Fothergill to the university of Oxford, and are now in the Ashmolean museum. Lhuyd undertook more for illuftrating this part of the kingdom than any one man befides ever did, or than any one man can be equal

to.

LIBANIUS, a famous Greek rhetorician and fo phift in the 4th century, was born at Antioch, and had a great fhare in the friendship of Julian the Apoftate. That prince offered him the dignity of Pra.. fectus Pratorio; but Libanius refused it, thinking the name of fophift, or profeffor of eloquence, much more honourable. There are ftill extant feveral of his let ters and Greek orations, by which he acquired great. reputation; but his ftyle is fomewhat affected and ob fcure. He was a pagan. Bafil and Chryfoftom were his difciples about the year 360. His letters were published at Amsterdam in 1738; his orations at Venice, 1755.

LIBANOMANTIA, in antiquity, a fpecies of divination performed with frankincenfe; which, if it presently caught fire, and fent forth a grateful odour, was efteemed a happy omen, and vice verfa.

LIBANUS, the name of a chain of mountains of Turkey in Afia, which lie between Proper Syria and Palestine, extending, from weft to east, from the Mediterranean fea as far as Arabia. The fummits of thefe mountains are fo high, that they are always covered with fnow; but below are very pleafant, and

fruitful

Libation fruitful valleys. They were formerly famous for the ᅦ great number of cedar-trees growing thereon; but Libel. now there are very few remaining. Geographers diftinguish this chain into Libanus and Antilibanus; the latter of which lies on the south fide of the valley, rifing near the ruins of Sidon, and terminates at others in Arabia, in N. Lat. 34. They are feparated from each other at an equal distance throughout; and form a bason, or country, called by the ancients Calo Syria.

LIBATION, amongst the Greeks and Romans, was an effential part of folemn facrifices. It was alfo performed alone, as a drink offering, by way of procuring the protection and favour of the gods, in the ordinary affairs of life. Libations, according to the different natures of the gods in honour of whom they were made, confifted of different liquids, but wine was the moft ufual. The wine offered to the gods was always unmixed with water. We meet with libations of water, libations of honey, libations of milk, and libations of oil; thefe are called para Ipa. The libation was made with a serious deportment and folemn prayer. At facrifices, the libation, after it had been tafted by the priest, and handed to the bystanders, was poured upon the victim. At entertainments, a little wine was generally poured out of the cup, be fore the liquor began to circulate, to fhow their gratitude to the gods for the bleffings they enjoyed.

Libations were alfo in ufe among the Hebrews, who poured an hin of wine on the victim after it was killed, and the several pieces of the facrifice were laid on the altar, ready to be confumed in the flames.

LIBAW, a fea-port town of Courland, lying on the Baltic fea, confifting entirely of wooden houses. It belongs to the duke of Courland, and is fituated in E. Long. 21. 27. N. Lat. 56. 27.

:

LIBEL, (libellus famofus), taken in its largest and most extensive sense, fignifies any writing, picture, or the like, of an immoral or illegal tendency; but, in a peculiar fense, is ufed to denote a malicious defamation of any perfon, and efpecially a magistrate, made public by either printing, writing, figns or pictures, in order to provoke him to wrath, or expofe him to public hatred, contempt, and ridicule. The direct tendency of these libels is the breach of the public peace, by stirring up the objects of them to revenge, and perhaps to bloodshed. The communication of a libel to any one perfon is a publication in the eye of the law and therefore the fending an abufive private letter to a man is as much a libel as if it were openly printed, for it equally tends to a breach of the peace. With regard to libels in general, there are, as in many other cafes, two remedies; one by indictment, and another by action. The former for the public offence; for every libel has a tendency to break the peace, or provoke others to break it which offence is the fame whether the matter contained be true or false; and therefore the defendant, on an indictment for publishing a libel, is not allowed to allege the truth of it by way of juftification. But in the remedy by action on the cafe, which is to repair the party in da mages for the injury done him, the defendant may, as for words fpoken, juftify the truth of the facts, and fhow that the plaintiff has received no injury at all. What was faid with regard to words spoken, will alfo

hold in every particular with regard to libels by wri- Libella, ting or printing, and the civil actions confequent thereupon: but as to figns or pictures, it seems neceffary always to fhow, by proper innuendos and aver ments of the defendant's meaning, the import and application of the fcandal, and that some special damage has followed; otherwise it cannot appear, that fuck li bel by picture was understood to be levelled at the plaintiff, or that it was attended with any actionable confequences.

In a civil action, then, a libel must appear to be falfe, as well as fcandalous; for, if the charge be true, the plaintiff has received no private injury, and has no ground to demand a compenfation for himfelf, whatever offence it may be against the public peace and therefore, upon a civil action, the truth of the accufation may be pleaded in bar of the fuit. But, in a criminal profecution, the tendency which all libels have to create animofities, and to disturb the public peace, is the fole confideration of the law. And therefore, in fuch profecutions, the only points to be confidered are, firft, the making or publishing of the book or writing; and, fecondly, whether the matter be criminal: and, if both thefe points are a gainft the defendant, the offence against the public is complete. The punishment of fuch libellers, for either making, repeating, printing, or publishing the libel, is a fine, and fuch corporal punishment as the court in its difcretion fhall inflict; regarding the quantity of the offence, and the quality of the offender. By the law of the twelve tables at Rome, libels, which affec ted the reputation of another, were made a capital of fence: but, before the reign of Auguftus, the punishment became corporal only. Under the emperor Va→ lentinian it was again made capital, not only to write but to publish, or even to omit deftroying them. Our law, in this and many other refpects, correfponds rather with the middle age of Roman jurifprudence, when liberty, learning, and humanity, were in their full vigour, than with the cruel edicts that were esta blished in the dark and tyrannical ages of the ancient decemviri, or the latter emperors.

In this, and other inftances, where blafphemous, immoral, treasonable, fchifmatical, feditious, or scandalous libels are punished by the English law, fome with a greater, others with a lefs degree of severity; the liberty of the prefs, properly understood, is by no means infringed or violated. See LIBERTY of the Prefs.

LIBELLA, a piece of money amongst the RoELLA, mans, being the tenth part of the denarius, and equal in value to the as. It was called libella, as being a little pound, becaufe equal to a pound of brass.-Its value in our money is 1 ob. I qu. or a half-penny farthing. See MONEY.

Plate

LIBELLA, or Libellula, in zoology, a genus of four-winged flies, called in English dragon flies, or adder flies; the characters of which are thefe: The mouth is furnished with jaws: the feelers are fhorter than the breaft; and the tail of the male terminates in a kind of hooked forceps. There are 21 CCLXXIV fpecies, chiefly diftinguished by their colour. They have all two very large and reticulated eyes, covering the whole furface of the head. They fly very swiftly; and prey upon the wing, clearing the air of innumerCa

able