LEA 4 



is to relax parts into which they are in- 

 serted. 



LAY, an epithet in ecclesiastical law for 

 whatever relates to the laity or people. 

 In agriculture, see LEA. 



LAV-BROTHERS. Persons received into 

 convents of monks under the three vows, 

 but not in holy orders. 



LAY-CLERK, a vocal officiate in a ca- 

 thedral. 



LAV ELDERS. In Presbyterian churches, 

 persons who assist the pastor of each con- 

 gregation, but not ordained as clergymen. 



LAY'ER. 1. A stratum. 2. In horti- 

 culture, a twig or shoot of a plant bent 

 down and covered with mould for growth 

 or propagation. 



LAT'ING. In architecture, the first coat 

 on lath of plasterers' two-coat work. 



LAY'MAN, }&iz,o;. 1. The appellation 

 by which the people are distinguished 



from the clergy. 2. In painting, a 



small statue (called also lay figure), with 

 flexible joints, to be put into any attitude 

 for the purpose of adjusting the drapery. 



LAZARET'TO, Ital. from Lazarus. A pest- 

 house or establishment to facilitate the 

 performance of quarantine, and particu- 

 larly the purification of goods. 



LAZ'ARISTS. In ecclesiastical history, a 

 body of missionaries founded by St. Yin- 

 cent de Paul, in 1632, named after their 

 head-quarters in the priory of St. Lazarus, 

 at Paris. 



LAZ'ARUS, ORDER OF SAINT. A military 

 order of religious persons for the purpose 

 of maintaining lepers, &c. in hospitals. 



LAZ'UIITE, a mineral of a light blue 

 colour, supposed to be a sub-species of 

 lapis lazuli. The name is used by some 

 mineralogists for the lapis lazuli itself. 



LAZZARO'JJ i, the poorer classes at Naples, 

 named after the hospital of St. Lazarus, 

 where Lazars went for refuge. 



LEA, arable land which has remained 

 for two or more years out of crop or in 

 pasture. The word is Saxon, and signi- 

 fies a field. 



LEAD, Sax. laed. A well-known metal 

 of a bluish grey colour, with considerable 

 lustre, but soon tarnished by exposure to 

 the atmosphere. Sp.gr. 1T35; fuses at 

 612 F. It is found in considerable quan- 

 tities in many parts of the earth, in dif- 

 ferent, states, but rarely in the metallic 

 state. It is found in that of oxide, red 

 lead ore, mixed with iron and some earths ; 

 in the state of carbonate forming sparry 

 lead ore, and lastly mineralised with sul- 

 phur forming galena, which is by far the 

 most abundant ore. Its protoxide preci- 

 pitated by potash, when simply dried, is 

 massicot, but when somewhat vitrified it 

 constitutes litharge, and combined with 

 carbonic acid, ceruse, or white lead. Mas- 

 sicot exposed for about 48 hours to the 

 flame of a reverberatory -irnace becomes 



2 LEA 



red lead or minium. The oxides and salts 



of lead are poisonous. 2. In hyrirngra- 



ph'j, the lead is an instrument for discover- 

 ing the depth of water. It consists of a 

 large piece of lead attached to a long line 

 called the lead-line, which is marked off 

 into fathoms. The deep-sea lead differs in 

 nothing except its size and the greater 

 length of its line from the common lead. 



LEADING NOTE. In tmtsic, the sharp 

 seventh of the scale. 



LEA'DING WIND, a free or fair wind, in 

 distinction to a scant wind. 



LEADS, or SPACE LINES. In composing, 

 pieces of type metal employed to fill up 

 the blank spaces in a page of type. 



LEAF-BRIDGE. Hoist Bridfje. A descrip- 

 tion of draw-bridge consisting of two 

 opening leaves, now little used. 



LEAGUE, a measure of length contain- 

 ing more or fewer geometrical paces ac- 

 cording to the usages of diSferent coun- 

 tries. A league at sea is 2000 geometrical 

 paces = 3 English miles. The French 

 league varies from 3000 to 3500 paces ; the 

 mean or common league consists of 2400 

 paces, and the little league of 2000 paces ; 

 17 Spanish leagues make a degree. The 

 Dutch and German leagues are the same, 

 and measure four geographical miles. The 

 term is of Celtic origin, and primarily 

 meant a stone erected on the public roads 

 in the manner of the modern mile-stones. 



2. In politics, from ligo, to bind ; a 



confederacy between states for their mu- 

 tual aid and defence : a national contract 

 or compact. A league may be offensive, 

 as when the parties unite in attacking a 

 common enemy, or defensive, as when the 

 parties agree to defend each other against 

 a common enemy ; or it may be both. 



LEAK'AGE, the quantity which runs out 



of a cask through a leak. 2. An allow- 



.nce in the customs granted to importers 

 of wines, &c., for the waste and damage 

 supposed to be incurred by keeping. 



LEAN-TO. In architecture, a small build- 



g whose side-walls and roof project 

 from the wall of a larger building. 



LEAP-YEAR. Bissextile. Every fourth 

 year is so called, from its leaping a day 

 more than in common years. In leap-year 

 February has 29 days instead of 28. Set 

 BISSEXTILE. 



LEASE, from Fr. laisser. A demise or 

 letting of lands, tenements, or heredita- 

 ments, to another for life, for a term of 

 years or at will, for a rent or compensa- 

 tion reserved ; also the contract for such 

 letting. The party letting the lands, &c. 

 is called the lessor, and the party to whom 

 they are let, the lessee. 



LEAS'ING-MAKIXG. In Scottish law, ver- 

 bal sedition : the uttering of voids tend- 

 ing to excite discord between the sove- 

 reign and the people. 



LEAT, Sax. laet. An artificial 



