LIBERTINES. A sect distinguished by its monstrous doctrines. Its heads were persons named Quintin and Corin. They maintained that whatever was done by men was done by the Spirit of God, and that there was no sin but to those who thought so; that to live without any doubt or scruple was to return to the state of innocency; that the soul died with the body; that heaven was a dream, and hell a phantom; religion a mere state trick; with many other monstrous opinions. This sect arose in A.D. 1525; and the term libertine has been held in a bad sense ever since. LIBRARY. The first public library of which we have any certain account in history was founded at Athens, by Pisistratus, 544 B.C. The second of any note was founded by Ptolemy Philadelphus, 284 B. C. It was nearly destroyed when Julius Cæsar set fire to Alexandria, 47 B.C. 400,000 valuable books in MS. are said to have been lost by this catastrophe.-Blair. The first private library was the property of Aristotle, 334 B.C.-Strabo. The first library at Rome was instituted 167 B.C.; it was brought from Macedonia. The library of Apellicon was sent to Rome, by Sylla, from Athens, 86 B.C. This library was enriched by the original manuscripts of Aristotle's works. A library was founded at Constantinople by Constantine the Great, about A.D. 335; it was destroyed in 477. A second library was formed from the remains of the first, at Alexandria, by Ptolemy's successors, consisting of 700,000 volumes, which was totally destroyed by the Saracens, who heated the water of their baths for six months, by burning books instead of wood, by command of Omar, caliph of the Saracens, in 642.-Nouv. Dict. Hist. Pope Gregory I. ordered that the library of the Palatine Apollo should be committed to the flames, under the notion of confining the clergy to the attention of the Scriptures. From that time, all ancient learning which was not sanctioned by the authority of the church, has been emphatically distinguished as profane in opposition to sacred. The early Chinese literature suffered a similar misfortune to that of the west in the destruction of the Alexandrian library; their emperor, Chee-whang-tee, ordered all writings to be destroyed, that everything might begin anew as from his reign; and books and records were afterwards recovered by succeeding emperors with great difficulty. LIBRARIES OF EUROPE. The first public library in Italy was founded by Nicholas Niccoli, one of the great restorers of learning. At his death, he left his library for the use of the public, A.D. 1436. Cosmo de' Medici enriched it, after the death of Niccoli, with the invaluable Greek, Hebrew, Arabic, Chaldaic, and Indian MSS. Among the great libraries of Europe are the following:-That of the Vatican, at Rome, founded by pope Nicholas V., in 1446; improved by Sixtus V., 1588; it contains 150,000 volumes, and 40,000 manuscripts. The Imperial Library of Vienna, founded by Maximilian I., about 1500; and one of the most choice existing. The Royal Library of Paris, by Francis I., about 1520; it contains 500,000 volumes, and 77,000 manuscripts. The Escurial, at Madrid, commenced with the foundation of that sumptuous palace, by Philip II., in 1562; the Spaniards regard it as matchless. The Library of Florence, by Cosmo de' Medici, 1560, of great value in illustrated and illuminated works. The Library of the University of Munich contains 400,000 volumes, and 10,000 manuscripts; and that of Gottingen, 300,000 volumes, and 6000 manuscripts.

LIBRARIES IN GREAT BRITAIN. Richard de Bury, chancellor and high treasurer of England, so early as 1341, raised the first private library in Europe. He purchased thirty or forty volumes of the abbot of St. Alban's, for fifty pounds' weight of silver. Our national libraries are of great number and extent; the following are among the principal:-The Bodleian, at Oxford, founded 40 Elizabeth, 1598; opened in 1602 this library contains nearly 400,000 volumes, and upwards of 30,000 manuscripts. The Cottonian Library, founded by sir Robert Cotton, about 1600; appropriated to the public, 13 William III., 1701; partly destroyed by fire, 1731; removed to the British Museum, 1753. The Radcliffeian, at Oxford, founded by the will of Dr. Radcliffe, who left 40,000l. to the University, 1714; opened, 1749. The Library at Cambridge, 1720, when George I. gave 50001. to purchase Dr. Moore's collection. The fine library of George III., presented to the nation by expressed in a parliamentary Report of a book published by Stockdale. Lord Denman, in giving judgment, said, he was not aware that the authority of the House of Commons could justify the publication of a libel,-an opinion which led to some proceedings on the part of the House, and to other actions by Stockdale; and in the session of 1840 (April 14), a law was passed giving summary protection to persons employed by parliament in the publication of its reports and papers.

George IV., in 1827. The library of the Royal Institution. That of the London Institution, of Sion College, &c., and the great library of the British Museum, containing about 500,000 volumes, and 100,000 manuscripts, including the Cottonian, the Harleian, and other collections, which see. The Library of the University of Dublin, and the Advocates' Library in Edinburgh, are among the most extensive and valuable in these countries.

LICENCES. This mode of levying money on the subject was introduced in the reign of our first Richard, about the year 1190; but it was then confined to such of the nobility as desired to enter the lists at tilts and tournaments, who were many at this time.-Sinclair's Hist. of the Brit. Revenue. Licences for public-houses were first granted in 1551. Games and gaming-houses were licensed in London in 1620. The licence system for various exciseable articles was enforced in various reigns, from the 12th Charles II., 1660, and has been productive of much good. A remarkable restraining effect of licences is this: that the act which obliged lottery officekeepers to take out licences, and pay 507. for each, at once reduced the number of these offices from 400 to 51, Aug. 1778.-Phillips.

LICHFIELD AND COVENTRY, BISHOPRIC of. See Coventry. Lichfield cathedral was first built, so early as 656 A.D. In Lichfield castle, king Richard II. kept his sumptuous Christmas festival, 1397, when were consumed 200 tuns of wine, and 2000 oxen. A charter was granted to Lichfield, constituting it a city, by Edward VI., 1549.

LICINIA LEX forbade any person to possess more than 500 acres of land, or more than 100 head of large cattle, or 500 of small, in the Roman states; and another law of this name imposed a severe penalty on party clubs, or societies assembled for election purposes. A third law, limiting the expenses of the table, and the quantity of animal food, but not forbidding fruits, was enacted 110 B.C. LIE. The very odious affront of giving the lie, arose from the phrase, "Thou liest," in the oath taken by the defendant in judicial combats before engaging, when charged with any crime by the plaintiff; and Francis I. of France, to make current his giving the lie to the emperor, first stamped it with infamy, by saying, in a solemn assembly, that "he was no honest man who would bear the lie," A.D. 1527. LIEGE. Formerly called, on account of the number of its churches and convents, "the paradise of priests, the purgatory of men, and the hell of women." Taken by the English under the duke of Marlborough, in 1702; and by the French and other powers, at various times, up to 1796, when it was annexed to France. Liege was incorporated with the Netherlands, in 1814.

LIFE-BOAT. The invention of Mr. Henry Greathead, of South Shields, in 1789. It was first put to sea January 30, 1790; and Mr. Greathead received a reward of 12001. from parliament, for this great means of saving life in cases of shipwreck. Its principle, and that of other inventions and improvements which have followed, is such an elevation of the two extremities, as that, if overset, these elevated ends would be as light as the body of the boat; and, to add to the effect, several pounds of cork are attached to the ends. The shape of the boat is curvilinear, approaching that of a crescent.

LIFE-PRESERVER. The apparatus of captain Manby, to mitigate the horrors of shipwreck, is of a construction equally simple and admirable. It effects a communication with the distressed vessel by a rope, by which it is afterwards easy to send on board, or from the ship, anything else. The rope is thrown by a shot from a mortar, with a line attached to it. For the night, a night-ball is provided with a hollow case of thick pasteboard, and a fuze and quick match, and charged with fifty balls, and a sufficiency of powder to inflame them. The fuze is so graduated that the shell shall explode at the height of 300 yards. The balls spread a brilliant light for nearly a minute, and give a clear view of every surrounding object. This apparatus was brought into use in February, 1808; and in the first twenty years it had been the means of saving fifty-eight vessels, many of them with valuable cargoes, and 410 of their crews and passengers from a watery grave.

LIGHT. The law of refraction discovered by Sneilius, about A.D. 1624. The motion ard velocity of light discovered by Reaumur, and after him by Cassini. Its velocity ascertained to be 190,000,000 of miles in sixteen minutes, or nearly 200,000 miles in a second, which is a million of times swifter than the velocity of a cannon-ball,

about 1667. The light of the sun is eight minutes and eight seconds in its transmission through the space from that orb to the earth. Light is the effect of various excitements, besides combustion; friction produces it, and phosphorus produces it; and the diamond and snow appear to absorb and radiate it; some combinations evolve it, and some plants give flashes. On rubbing the eyes in the dark, their inflammation produces flashes of light. Slacking lime produces light and great heat.-See Optics. LIGHT-HOUSES. They were erected by all the ancient commercial people, and called Tors, or pillars, as those of Hercules, near Gibraltar; that of Pharos, at Alexandria, 550 feet high, and visible forty-two miles; the Pharos of Messina; the Colossus of Rhodes, &c. There are forty-two round the coasts of England, fifteen on the east coast, thirteen in the English channel, and fourteen in the Irish channel. There are seventeen on the Scottish coasts, and twenty-six on the Irish coasts.-See Bell-rock, Eddystone, &c. LIGHTS.

At the religious assemblies of Christians, lights were first used, it is said, in order thereby to avoid the scandal of their meeting in the dark at night, during times of persecution. They were introduced into churches about the middle of the first century, and were continued afterwards in the Romish churches at noon-day. Lamps were in use previously to candles.-See Candlemas.

LIGNY, BATTLE OF, fought just previously to the memorable battle of Waterloo, between the Prussian army under Blucher, and the French army commanded by Napoleon, in which the former was defeated, June 16, 1815. The result of this battle did not, however, prevent Blucher arriving on the field of Waterloo, in the evening of that great engagement, at the most critical and decisive moment of it. LIGURIAN REPUBLIC. Founded in June, 1802, upon the ruin of that of Genoa. The doge of this new republic was solemnly invested at Genoa, August 10, 1802. The Ligurian republic was incorporated with France, it having demanded a union with the latter country, May 25, 1805. It merged into the kingdom of Italy. LILAC TREE. Syringa. The Persian lilac tree, a native of Persia, was cultivated in Britain, about A.D. 1638. The common lilac tree was cultivated in England by Mr. John Gerard, about 1597.-See Flowers, and Gardening. LILY. The mistress of the field.-Shakspeare. The most exalted of flowers.Klopstock. An emblem of France. See Fleur-de-lis. "Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; and yet I say unto you that even Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these."-Matthew, vi. 28, 29. The lily of the Scriptures is of Persian origin; the lily also is a native of Syria and Italy, and some varieties of it were brought to England before 1460. The Guernsey lily came from Japan; the Red-coloured from South America; the Gigantic lily, Doryanthes excelsa, was brought from N. S. Wales, in 1800.

LIMA.

See America and Columbia. In 1534, Pizarro, marching through Peru, was struck with the beauty of the valley of Rimac, and there he founded a city, and gave it the name of Ciudad de los Reyes, or City of the Kings. This Spanish name it retains in all legal deeds, but it is better known as Lima. Awful earthquakes occurred here, since solemnly commemorated by annual festivals, A.D. 1586, 1630, 1687, and October 28, 1746. In the last it was almost totally destroyed, as well as Callao, which see.

LIMERICK. Anciently Lunneach; about the year 550, St Munchin is said to have founded a bishopric and built a church here, which latter was destroyed by the Danes, in 853. Limerick obtained its charter in 1195, when John Stafford was made first provost; and its first mayor was Adam Servant, in 1198. In August, 1691, Limerick was invested by the English and Dutch, and surrendered on most honourable terms, October 3, same year. See next article. An awful explosion of 218 barrels of gunpowder greatly shattered the town, killing 100 persons, February 1, 1694. Another explosion of gunpowder here killed many persons, January 2, 1837. Awful and destructive tempest, January 6-7, 1839. LIMERICK, TREATY OF. The celebrated civil and military articles of Limerick (including the other forts and places then in possession of the Irish) were agreed upon by the following persons: sir Charles Porter, and Thomas Coningsby, esq., lords justices of Ireland, and baron Ginckle, commander of the English army, on the one part; and Patrick, earl of Lucan, Piercy, viscount Galmoy, colonels Purcell and

Cusack, sir Toby Butler, colonel Garret Dillon, colonel Browne, and lieutenantgenerals D'Usson and De Tesse, commanders-in-chief of the Irish army, on the other part, October 3, 1691. It was agreed that all arms, property, and estates should be restored; all attainders annulled, and all outlawries reversed; and that no oath but that of allegiance should be required of high or low: the freedom of the Catholic religion was secured; relief from pecuniary claims incurred by hostilities was guaranteed; permission to leave the kingdom was extended to all who desired it; and a general pardon proclaimed to all then in arms; ratified under the great seal by their majesties king William and queen Mary. —Burns.

LIMERICK, SEE OF. Said to have been originally founded by saint Munchin, about A.D. 550. See Limerick. Donald O'Brien, king of Limerick, founded the cathedral about the time of the arrival of the English. The see of Inis Scattery was united to Limerick, about the beginning of the thirteenth century, or close of the twelfth ; but according to Usher, its possessions were divided among the sees of Limerick, Killaloe, and Ardfert. By an extent returned, 5 Charles I., this prelacy was valued at 407. sterling and Ardfert (united to it), 26 Elizabeth, at 12l. 13s. 4d. per annum. LINCELLES, BATTLE OF, between the allied English and Dutch armies and the French, in which the latter were defeated, August 18, 1793. In this engagement general Lake commanded the three battalions of Foot Guards, who so much distinguished themselves; colonel Bosville, of the Coldstream, was killed the French lost eleven pieces of cannon.

:

LINCOLN. Once a Roman colony, and at the period of the Conquest one of the richest and most populous cities in England. Louis, dauphin of France, having been invited over by the discontented barons in the last year of king John's reign, was acknowledged by them as king of England, here; but the nobility in general were summoned by the earl of Pembroke to Gloucester, to crown Henry III., and they afterwards marched against the dauphin's and barons' army. See next article. Newport-gate is the richest remnant of Roman architecture left in Britain; the castle is a venerable ruin; and the ruins of religious houses are so numerous, that the very barns, stables, &c., are built with arched doors and windows. LINCOLN, Battles of. Without Newport-gate was fought upon Lincoln plain the memorable battle between the partisans of the empress Maud, commanded by the earl of Gloucester, and the army of Stephen, commanded by himself, in which the king was overthrown and taken prisoner, February 2, 1141. Battle between the adherents of the dauphin of France (see previous article), and the army of Henry III. of England, a most sanguinary fight, which ended in the defeat of Louis, who withdrew his absurd pretensions to the English crown, and Henry was firmly established on the throne, May 19, 1217. This latter battle obtained the name of the fair of Lincoln. LINCOLN, BISHOPRIC AND CATHEDRAL OF. Anciently Sidnacester and Dorchester were two distinct sees; they were united, and about A.D. 1075, were removed to Lincoln, by bishop Remigius de Fescamp, who built a cathedral, afterwards destroyed by fire, but rebuilt by Alexander, the twenty-third bishop, and made the beautiful pile it now appears by Hugh of Burgundy, the twenty-fifth bishop. It is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and All Saints. This diocese is the largest in the whole kingdom, notwithstanding that the dioceses of Ely, Oxford, and Peterborough, were formerly parts of it, although they are now distinct sees. Lincoln was valued at the dissolution of monasteries at 20657. per annum; and after many of its manors had been seized upon, it was rated in the king's books at 8947. 10s.ld. It has given three saints to the Church of Rome, and to the civil state of England six lord chancellors. St. Birinus was the first bishop, in 625. The great bell of the cathedral, called Great Tom of Lincoln, weighs 9894 lbs.

LINCOLN'S-INN. Derives its name from Henry de Lacy, earl of Lincoln, who erected a mansion on this spot in the reign of Edward I. Converted from the bishop of Chichester's palace to an inn of court, 1310. The gardens of Lincoln's-Inn Fields were laid out by Inigo Jones, about 1620, and occupy the same space as the largest pyramid of Egypt. The virtuous lord Russel was beheaded in Lincoln's-Inn Fields, July 21, 1683. The square was inclosed with iron railings, in 1737. The theatre in Lincoln's-Inn Fields was built in 1695; and from it sprung the Theatre-Royal, Covent Garden. The new buildings erected, and square planted, 1845. LINEN. A fabric of very remote antiquity. Pharaoh arrayed Joseph in vestures of fine linen.-Gen. xli. 42. This article was first manufactured in England by Flemish

Y

weavers, under the protection of Henry III., 1253. Before this period woollen shirts were generally worn. A company of linen weavers established itself in London, in 1368; and the art of staining linen became known in 1579. A colony of Scots in the reign of James I., and other Presbyterians who fled from persecution in that country in the succeeding inglorious reigns, planted themselves in the north-east part of Ireland, and there established the linen manufacture. It was liberally encouraged by the lord deputy Wentworth, in 1634. Hemp, flax, linen, thread, and yarn, from Ireland, were permitted to be exported duty free, 1696. This law gave rise to the subsequently improved state of the manufacture there. The Irish Linen Board was established in 1711; the Linen-hall, Dublin, was opened, 1728; the Board was abolished in 1828. Dunfermline in Fifeshire, Dundee in Angusshire, and Barnsley in Yorkshire, are, in Great Britain, chief seats of our linen manufacture. LINNEAN SYSTEM. The system of botany of the eminent Linné, a Swede, or, as his name is Latinised, Linnæus, was commenced about 1725-30; and his first great work was a dictionary of 7300 plants arranged in classes, orders, and genera; he classed the plants according to the number and situation of the sexual parts, and made the flower and fruit the test of his various genera. The Linnæan Society in London was instituted in 1788, and was incorporated March 26, 1802. LIPPSTADT, Battle of. One of the most bloody to be found in history, fought between the Swedish and Austrian armies, in which the king of Sweden and the Austrian general were both killed, the former foully, and in the moment of victory, November 6, 1632. The king, Gustavus Adolphus II., had previously distinguished himself as a warrior in several previous battles against the Germans.

LISBON. The Moors are said to have given the name of Lisboa to this city when they conqured it, A.D. 716. It was made the capital of Portugal by Emanuel, 1506. Lisbon was almost destroyed by an earthquake, November 1, 1755. See Earthquakes. It became a point of the late war, and the court fled to the Brazils, November, 1807, in which month (the 30th) the French army under Junot entered Lisbon, and held possession of it until the battle of Vimeira, in which they were defeated by the British, under sir Arthur Wellesley, August 21, 1808. Insurrection at Lisbon, August 21, 1831. Massacre at Lisbon, June 9, 1834.-See Portugal. LISLE, SIEGE OF. Lisle was besieged by the duke of Marlborough and the allies; and though its immense fortifications were deemed impregnable, it was taken after a three months' siege, in 1708. It was restored by the treaty of Utrecht, in 1713, in consideration of the demolition of the fortifications of Dunkirk: this siege is reckoned one of the most famous in modern history. In the revolutionary war, Lisle sustained a severe bombardment from the Austrians, who were obliged to raise the siege, October 7, 1792.

LISMORE. Of the ancient fame of this once great town, an olden writer of the life of St. Carthage says: "Lismore is a famous and holy city, of which nearly one-half is an asylum where no woman dare enter; it is full of cells and holy monasteries, and religious men in great number abide here : hither holy men flock from every part of Ireland, and from England, and Britain, being desirous to live in Christ." The celebrated castle of Lismore was burnt in the Irish war, 1645; but was rebuilt with great magnificence by the duke of Devonshire.

LISMORE, SEE of. St. Carthage, promoted in A.D. 636, was its first prelate, as well as founder, and the first cathedral was then built. It was repaired by Cormac, son of Muretus, king of Munster, about 1130; and the bishopric was united to that of Waterford, about 1363. No valuation is made of Lismore in the king's books. LISSA, BATTLE OF, in Silesia, closing a memorable campaign, and in which the king of Prussia vanquished prince Charles of Lorraine; 6000 Austrians were slain in this battle, December 5, 1757. Lissa, in Poland, was laid in ruins by the Russian army in the campaign of 1707.

LITANIES. They were first used in processions and other devotions, about A.D. 400. Litanies to the Virgin Mary were first introduced by pope Gregory I., in or about 595.-Newton on the Prophecies. The first English litany was commanded to be used in the Reformed Churches by Henry VIII., in 1543.-Collier's Ece. History. LITERARY PROPERTY. See Copyright. The statute of queen Anne, 1709-10, securing literary property, was confirmed by a memorable decision at the bar of the House of Lords, and the claim of perpetual copyright was overruled February 22