L 1 T 



L I T 



■the 'Riifrian fiipremacy, enlarged their borflers at the ex- 

 pence of their former nr.vHers, and at length grew to be 

 •formidable to all their neighbours:. In the year 1386, the 

 great duke Ladidaus Jaghellon, or Ya<;hello, having ef- 

 poiifed the Po'ifli queen Hndfvigc, and embraced the Chrif- 

 ■tian religion, was raifed to the Polifh throne, and reigr.ed 

 over both Poland and Lithuania. In confequence of the 

 union of the two countri.'s, the conquered RulTwn provinces 

 devolved to this united kingdom. Ladifians nianifefted the 

 reality of his converfion, by endeavouring to propagate the 

 Chriliiandoftrinesamonjjhis idolatrous fubjefts in Lithuania; 

 accordingly he cut down the hallowed groves, dellroyed the 

 oracular flirine. cxtin«-n;fhed the facred fire, and flew the 

 ferpents that were wordiipped as gods by his fuperftitious 

 fubjefts. A belief univerfally prevailed among the people, 

 that whoever profanely attempted to dellroy thefe objefts 

 of their worlhip, would be ftruck with inliantaneous death ; 

 but the falfity of this tradition was evinced bv the impunity 

 of thofe who were concerned in the fuppoied facrilege. The 

 Lithuanians flocked in fuch crowds to be converted, that 

 the priefts could only confer feparate baptifm oh pcrfons of 

 diftinftion ; but diftributcd the multitude in ranks, and 

 ■fprinkling them with water, gave one Chriftian name to 

 each rank without dillinftion of fex. I^adiflaus, having 

 thus introduced the Chriftian religion into Lithuania, nomi- 

 nated his brother Cafimir Skirgello governor of the duchy, 

 and returned to Poland ; but a civil war being- excited by 

 the ambition of Alexander, furnamed Vitoldus, and by the 

 difcontents of the people, ftill attached to their Pagan rites, 

 Lithuania was for fome time a fccne of tumult and hoftili;y. 

 At length, by a compromile in i J92, Vitoldus was appointed 

 great duke, and Ladifians contented hirrfelf with a nominal 

 fovcreignty. In 1401 the nobles of Litliuania a(!';mbled at 

 Viln,i, and entered into an offenfive and defenfive alliance 

 with the king and republic of Poland. In 141,^, it was 

 ftipidiiled in a diet of Poles and Lithuanians, held in the 

 town of Hrodlo, that, upon the demife of Vitoldus, the Li- 

 thuanians (hould acknowledge no other great duke but the 

 perfon who fliould be appointed by the king, and with the 

 agreement of the two nations ; that if Ladiflaus died with- 

 -out ilTue, the Poles fhould elett no king without the confent 

 of Vitoldus and the Lithuanians, and that a diet, compofed 

 of reprefentatives from both nations, (hould meet at Lublin 

 or Panzow. From the demife of Vitoldus, who expired in 

 J439, in the 80th \ear of his age, the great dukes were 

 fometimes, in conformity to this compaft, nominated by the 

 kings of Poland, at other times in violation of it by the 

 Lithuanians. At length Sigifmund I. fortunately united 

 in his perfon the two fovereignties, and was fuccceded in 

 both by his fon Sigifmund Augullus. T'he conne&ion be- 

 tween the two nations whs, however, more an alliance than 

 an union ; but Sigifmund Augufhis having no children, and 

 being the only furviving male heir of the Jaghellon family, 

 planned the union of Poland and Lithuania, lell: upon his 

 deceafe the two nations (hould again be governed by dif- 

 ferent princes. For this purpofe a general diet was held at 

 Lublin in 1569; and upon the ratiiication of the union, 

 Sigifmund Augulfus renounced all hereditary right to Li- 

 thuania. From this time the fame perfon was uniformly 

 eletted king of Poland and great duke of Lithuania, and 

 the two nations were incorporated into one republic. Since 

 •this period, Lithuania has ihared the fortunes of Poland ; and 

 with the gradual extinction of it, has likewile fallen a prey 

 to her ftronger and more powerful neighbours. At the 

 partition of the year 1773, Lithuania furnifhed the whole 

 share which Ruflia at that time obtained, and out of which 

 the prefeut vice-royalties of Mohilcf and Polotik are formed. 



Tn the fubfeqnent partition of the year T79J, this grani 

 duchy again loll 1731 fquare miles, and 890,000 foiiU-, 

 which now belong to the vice-royalty of Miiiik ; and in the 

 final oartition of the year 1795, '■''^ ^^^ remains of Lithua- 

 nia alfo fell to the Ruffian empire, of which at prefect the 

 vice-rovahies of Viliia and Sloninilk are formed. TheiJe 

 provinces of the Ruffian empire are therefore thofe in which 

 I.,ithuanians refide ; but the number of people of which 

 this nation confilts, can hardly be given with any d<-gree of 

 accuracy,, as they are every where mingled with RuiTuuis 

 and Poles. ' 



Lithuania was formerly a very woody country, but the 

 greateft part of it was uncultivated. However, under the 

 tranquil reigns of Sigifmund I. and his fuccelTors, the 

 woods were cleared in a great degree, and agriculture was 

 encouraged. Pot-a(hes and wood-afhes are made here in 

 great abundance, and the country produces much corn. It 

 alfo yields a great quantity of honey, from which are made 

 the liquors called Lippitz, Maliinieck, and Mead. Its mea- 

 dows and paftures are fertile, and fupply food for numerous 

 flocks and herds. The wool is very fine. The lakes abound 

 with iifli ; and the forefts are the haunts of bears, wolves, 

 wild boars, buffaloes, deer, and large flights of woodcocks- 

 All forts of provifions are cheap, but cafli is fo fcarce, that 

 10 percent, is the common intereit for money. The com- 

 mon people are generally vafTals, and the nobility are nu- 

 merous, but poor ; fome of the principal of them excepted, 

 who poffels princely revenues, occupy the chief polls in the 

 country, and live in great pomp and fplendour. 



Lithuania, Litlle, or Prujj'uvi, a province of PrulTia, 

 about 100 miles in length and half as much in breadth. 

 This country was anciently over-run with thickets and 

 woods ; and in the year 17 10, it was almoll depopulated by 

 a pellilence. In 172c, Frederick William, at a great ex- 

 pence, induced many Switzers, French Proteflants, Pala- 

 tines and Franconians to fettle here, and in 1732, 350,000 

 dollars were diftributed among a frefli colony of 12,500 

 Saltzburgers. Thefe emigrants changed the face of the 

 almoft defolated country, and its fertility appeared in the 

 multitude and variety of its productions ; fuch as corn, 

 horned cattle, numerous flocks of Iheep, excellent horle.':, 

 butter, cheefe, &c. It afforded hkewife plenty of lifh and 

 game. Several manufadures are alio efiablifhed here, for 

 coarle and fine cloth, leather, &c. 'I'he ancient inhabitants 

 of this country have a language peculiar to themfelvcs, into 

 which the bible and fome religious books have been lately 

 tranflatcd. The colonills of this country are engaged in 

 various employments, to which their difpolition and habits 

 incline them ; and with refpeft to religion, the Switzers, 

 French, and Franconians, are Ca'virrifls; (o that there are 

 10 German and French reformed pariflics, as they are deno- 

 minaled, in Little Lithuania. The red are Lutherans, in- 

 termixed with a few PapiRs. The princijial towns are 

 Memel, Tilfit, Ragnit, and Ifterburg. 



LITIZ, or Lkdi'I'^, a to.vn, or rather village, of Ame- 

 rica, in Lancaiier county, pennfylvania ; lituated in . tite 

 townfliip of Warwick, containing about 50 lioufts, and an 

 elegant church with a fteeple and bell, fettled m 1757, ai;d 

 inhabited by the United Brethren, amounting, in 17S7, to 

 up-.vards of 302 ; eight miles N. of Laneailer. 



LITMUS, or Lacmus, in the Arts, is a blue pigment, 

 or violet red palle, formed from archil, which fee. It is 

 brought from Holland at a cheap rate ; but nuy be pre- 

 pared by adding quick-lime, and purified urine, or fpirit of 

 urine diltilled from lime, to the archil previouily bruifed by 

 grinding. The mixture, having cooled, and the fluid Aif- 

 fered to evaporate, becomes a mais of the coniiltence of 



a pall. . 



