LISLE LITANY. 



river). In the centre there is a bronze statue of 

 king Joseph I. The llorio, where the aulos da fe 

 were formerly exhibited, is a regular oblong, 1800 

 feet in length and 1400 in width, with the new 

 palace of the inquisition on one side. In this square 

 ten streets n>eet. Among the churches, the new 

 church is the finest, and is the most magnificent 

 building erected since the earthquake. The patriar- 

 chal church, on an elevated situation, which affords 

 a beautiful view, is magnificent in its interior, and 

 contains rich treasures and many curiosities. The 

 patriarch, the head of the Portuguese church, has a 

 large annual income. The aqueduct, about seven 

 miles in length, is a remarkable construction. The 

 centre is so high, that a ship of the line might pass 

 under it. The water is carried over the valley of 

 Alcantara, on thirty-five marble arches. It with- 

 stood the force of the earthquake, although the 

 keystones sank a few inches. The St Joseph's 

 hospital, where 16,000 sick, and the foundling hos- 

 pital, when 1600 children, are annually received, 

 deserve to be particularly mentioned. Among the 

 literary institutions are the royal academy of sciences, 

 the college of nobles, the marine academy, with other 

 seminaries, a botanical garden, three observatories, 

 the royal cabinet of natural curiosities, and several 

 public libraries, among which is the royal library, 

 containing 80,000 volumes. Lisbon is the seat of 

 the supreme authorities, and of the patriarch of 

 Portugal, with a numerous clergy. The inhabitants 

 have but few manufactories : there are not even 

 mechanics enough to supply the demands of the city. 

 But Lisbon is the centre of Portuguese commerce, 

 which extends to most of the countries of Europe, to 

 America, and to the Portuguese possessions in other 

 parts of the world. There are about 240 Portuguese 

 and 130 foreign (principally British) mercantile 

 houses. From 1700 to 1800 vessels arrive annually 

 at the port (Junqueira). The beautiful environs of 

 the town are embellished by a great number of 

 country seats (guintas). In the vicinity are Belem 

 and the castles Ramalhao and Quelus. 



LISLE, or LILLE (Flemish, Rysset); a large and 

 strong city of France, formerly the capital of French 

 Flanders, and now of the department of the North, 

 situated on the Deule, in a dead flat. The Deule is 

 navigable, and is divided into several branches, part 

 of which supply the moats or great ditches of the 

 citadel and town. The form of Lisle is an irregular 

 oval ; its length, from north-west to south-east, is 

 nearly two miles; its breadth, about three quarters; 

 its circumference, between four and five, exclusive of 

 the earthen ramparts that surround the town, and 

 which are, in their turn, surrounded by a moat. 

 Lisle presents an imposing appearance, from its 

 exten t, its fortifications, its canals, its squares, and 

 its p ublic buildings. Few cities of France can vie 

 with it in the straightness and width of its streets, 

 the regularity of its buildings, and its general air of 

 nej: tness. Several convents have survived the revo- 

 luti on ; the hospitals are five, one very large. Lisle 

 N a fortress of the first rank. Its citadel, the master- 

 piece of Vauban, is the first in Europe after that of 

 Turin. It is a mile in circuit, and is surrounded by 

 a double moat. The trade of Lisle is extensive. 

 Its manufactures are of camlets, serges, and other 

 woollen stuffs, cotton, calico, linen, silk, velvet, lace, 

 carpets, soap, starch, tobacco, leather, glass, and 

 earthenware. The origin of this town is ascribed 

 by tradition to Julius Caesar. Louis XIV. took it 

 from the Spaniards in 1667. It surrendered in 1708, 

 to the duke of Marlborongh and prince Eugene. At 

 the peace of Utretcht, it was restored to France. In 

 1792, it was bombarded by the Austrians, who were 

 obliged to retire, with the loss of 20,000 men. Po- 



pulation, 69,860; 18 miles east of Tournay; Ion. 3 

 4' E.; lat. 50 37' 50" N. 



LIST; the enclosed ground wherein knights held 

 their justs and tournaments ; so called because en- 

 circled with barriers as with a list. Some were 

 double, one for each cavalier, so that they could not 

 approach nearer than a spear's length. Hence to 

 enter the lists is to engage in contest. 



LISTEL ; a small square moulding, serving to 

 crown or accompany a larger, and to separate the 

 flutings in columns. 



L'lSTESSO TEMPO (Italian); a phrase implying 

 that the movement before which it is placed is to be 

 played in the same time as the previous movement. 



LITANY (from the Greek ^imnia., supplication, 

 prayer); a form of prayer or song, used on occasions 

 of public calamity, first introduced, according to 

 Zonaras and Nicephorus, by Proclus, about the year 

 44-6, at Constantinople, in the reign of Theodosius, 

 according to Paulus Diaconus, under Justinian, at An- 

 tioch, in consequence of the following circumstance : 

 An earthquake, says the legend, having driven the 

 people into the fields, a boy was suddenly taken up 

 into the air in their presence; but was again let down 

 unhurt, on the people crying out Kyrie eleeson I (O 

 Lord have mercy). The boy related he had heard the 

 songs of the angels, " Holy God! Holy and Mighty, 

 Holy and Immortal! have mercy upon us!" and this 

 gave rise to the litany. This kind of common prayer 

 was, perhaps, not unusual among the Jews, and the 

 136th Psalm seems to have been adapted to this pur- 

 pose. Litanies afterwards became very common, and 

 every saint of the Roman calendar has his litany. It 

 must be owned, that some of these are very unmean- 

 ing, enumerating all the names and miracles attributed 

 to the saint, and, in this respect, not unlike those 

 prayers of the Romans, which consisted merely of a 

 catalogue of the names of the deity addressed, against 

 which St Paul gives a particular warning. Litanies 

 are found in the old hymn-books of the Lutherans, 

 but are no longer used by German Protestants. The 

 Catholic litanies are distinguished into the greater and 

 less. The latter is said to have been composed by 

 bishop Mamertus, of Vienne (in France), in 446, 

 when that place was visited by repeated calamities ; 

 the former by Gregory the Great, during an inunda- 

 tion of the Tiber, and a raging plague. This consisted 

 of a song of seven choirs (hence septiformis), of 

 clergy, monks, nuns, boys, girls, Roman citizens, and 

 widows and married women. The litany probably 

 consisted, at first, of the words kyrie eleeson, but was 

 gradually enlarged. The litany was annually sung 

 on the dies rogationum (days of entreaties). At a later 

 period, the litany was not only addressed to the Holy 

 Trinity, but also, as we have said, to the saints, and 

 sung in processions. This latter kind of litany of 

 course was omitted by the Protestants. The usual 

 answer of the people is, Ora pro nobis (pray for us), 

 if the litany is directed to the Virgin or a saint; or 

 Libera nos (deliver us), if it is addressed to the Deity. 

 Indecent parodies have often been made on litanies, 

 and sung in connexion with other profane songs. In 

 early times, instances occur of this being done, even 

 by monks. (See the note to the article Fools, Feast 

 of.) The following parody is taken from the Cava- 

 lier's Letanie (1647): 



From too much keaping an evil decorum, 

 From the many fold treasons parliamentorum, 

 From Oliver Cromwell, dux omnium mtilorum, 

 Libera nos. 



See the Sacra; Litanies varies (Antwerp, 1606), and 

 Bingham's Origines Ecclesiasticce , for a great variety 

 of litanies. That this simple form of prayer and re- 

 sponse has, at times, been of great advantage to the 

 people cannot be denied; and, because many lilanies 



