LEY 



427 



LIB 



pJace with respect to anotbtr ; usually 

 performed by means of an instrumen" 

 called a level, with levelling-staffs, &c 

 The line parallel with the horizon is called 

 datum line, and is generally on a level with 

 the high-water spring tides, low-water 

 spring tides, or some other fixed mark. 



LEVEL'tiNo-STAFP, a graduated rod or 

 staff, advanced alternately with the spirit- 

 level, denoting the gradations bisected by 

 the latter, the rise or fall between any 

 two points. 



LEVER. In mechanics, a bar of meta 

 wood, or other inflexible substance, turn- 

 ing on a fulcrum, or prop, and usually re- 

 garded as one of the simple mechanical 

 powers. The lever is of three kinds: (1.) 

 When the fulcrum is between the weight 

 and the power, as the crowbar. (2.) When 

 the weight is between the power and the 

 fulcrum, as nuc-crackers. (3.) When the 

 power is between the weight and the ful 

 crum. The forearm is a lever of this kind, 

 as, indeed, are all the limbs of animals. 



LEVIGA'TIO*, from leevigo, to make 

 smooth. The reduction of a hard sub- 

 stance, by trituration, to an impalpable 

 powder. 



LE'VITES. In scripture, the tribe of Levi, 

 the hereditary priests of the Jews. 



LEVIT'ICUS, the third book of the Pen- 

 tateuch ; so called from its containing the 

 laws and regulations relating to the 

 priests, Levites, and sacrifices. These 

 duties and ceremonies constitute what is 

 termed the Levitical law. 



LEW'IS, a sort of shears used in cropping 

 woollen cloth. 



LEX, the Latin word for law. Hence 

 lex mercatoria, commercial law ; lex non 

 scripta, the common or unwritten law ; 

 lex scripta, the written law ; lex tationis, 

 the law of like for like ; lex terrte,tl\e law 

 of the land, or common law, as distin- 

 guished from civil law. 



LEXICOL'OGT, from 

 ?.|<*6v. a lexicon, and 

 Aeyos, discourse. The 

 science of words, their 

 meaning and just ap- 

 plication. 



LEX'ICOK. AI&XOV. 

 A. Dictionary. A very 

 useful tool when well 

 made. 



LEY, Lat. lixitium, 

 the liquor in which 

 saline and soluble par- 

 ticles of the residues of 

 di>tillation and com- 

 bustion are dissolved. 

 The solution made by 

 levigating ashes which 

 tontain alkali. IETDEN JAR. 



LEY'UEN JAR, ) A glass jnr or phial, 



LIT'DEN PHIAL. ) employed in electri- 



cal experiments. It is coated inside and 

 outside, usually with tin-foil, to within 

 one third of the top, so that it may be 

 readily charged and discharged by 

 means of a metallic rod, which is in con- 

 nection with the interior coating. It 

 is the invention of M. Vankleigh. of 

 Leyden. 



Li, an itinerary measure of China, equal 

 to 1897 English feet. 



LI'AS, a provincial name, adopted by 

 geologists, to designate a bluish coloured 

 clayey limestone, which, with its associ- 

 ate beds, forms a group of the secondary 

 series. When the lias beds, (says Bake- 

 well,) are fully developed with their as- 

 sociate beds of clay, they form a mass of 

 stratified limestone and clay, several hun- 

 dred feet in thickness, which rests upon 

 the red marl. 



LIBA'VIUS, (liquor of ;) the bichloride of 

 tin, prepared by dissolving that metal in 

 aqua regia, with the aid of heat. This 

 preparation is used in calico-printing; 

 but the proper fuming liquor of labaviua 

 is prepared by mixing four parts of cor- 

 rosive sublimate with one part of tin, 

 previously amalgamated with just so 

 much mercury as renders it pulverisable, 

 and distilling with a gentle heat when a 

 colourless liquid comes over. 



LI'BEL (Lat. libellus, a little book.) A 

 defamatory writing, libelhts famosus, and, 

 the epithet being omitted, libel expresses 

 he same thing. Any book, pamphlet, 

 writing, or picture, containing represen- 

 tations, maliciously made or published, 

 tending to bring a person into contempt, 

 or expose him to public hatred and deri- 

 sion. It is immaterial, with respect to 

 the essence of a libel, whether the matter 

 of it be true or false, since the provocation 

 ind not the falsity is the thing to be pub- 

 ished criminally. But in a civil action, a 

 ibel must appear to be false as well as 



scandalous. 2. In civil law, a charge in 



writing, exhibited in court, particularly 

 n a court of admiralty, against a ship or 

 goods for violation of laws of trade or of 

 evenue. 



LIBEL'LCIA, the Dragon-fly. A genus of 

 leuropterous insects, characterised by 

 heir light and graceful figure, beautiful 

 ind variegated colours, large wings rescin- 

 ding lustrous gauze, and the velocity 

 vith which they pursue the flies, &c., 

 which constitute their food. Cuvier pla- 

 es them among the subulicornes. 



LIB'ERAL ARTS. Such as are fit for gen- 

 lemen and scholars. The liberal arts are 



tinguished from the mechanical arts; 

 he first being more especially depending 

 >n exertion of the mind ; the latter de- 

 >ending on manual dexterity. Grammar, 

 hetoric, painting, sculpture, architec- 

 ure, music, &c., are liberal arts. 



LI'BF.R, a Latin word. 1. The inuei 



