t I M 
L 1 M 
the equation that will arise will have all its roots 
positive ; because m is supposed to surpass all 
the values of x, and consequently m — x (=s y) 
piust always be affirmative. And. by this means, 
any equation may be changed into one that shall 
have all its roots affirmative. 
Or, if — n represent the limit of the negative 
roots, then by assuming y — x -\- n, the pro- 
posed equation shall he transformed into one 
that shall have all its roots affirmative ; for, + « 
being greater than any negative value of x, it 
follows that y — x — n must be always positive. 
What is here said of the above cubic equa- 
tion, may be easily applied to others ; and of all 
tuch equations, two limits are easily discovered, 
yiz. o, which is less than the least ; and e, found 
j.s above, which surpasses the greatest root of 
the equation. But besides these, other limits 
still nearer the roots may be found ; for the 
method of doing which, the reader may consult 
Maclaurin’s Algebra. 
L1M RATION, a certain time prescribed 
by statute, within which an action must be 
brought. The time of limitation is twofold ; 
first m writs, by divers acts of parliament; 
secondly to make a title to any inheritance, 
and that is by the common law. 
Limitation on penal statutes. — All actions, 
suits, bills, indictments, or informations, 
which shall be brought for any forfeiture upon 
any statute penal, made or to be made, 
whereby the forfeiture is or shall be limited 
to the queen, her heirs or successors only, 
shall be brought within two years after the 
offence committed, and not after two years ; 
and all actions, suits, bills, or informa- 
tions, which shall be brought for any for- 
feiture upon any penal statute, made or to be 
made, except the statutes of tillage, the be- 
nefit and suit whereof is or shall be by the 
said statute limited to the queen, her heirs 
or successors, and to any other that shall 
prosecute in that behalf, shall be brought by 
any person that may lawfully sue for the 
same, within one year next after the offence 
committed; and in default of such pursuit, 
then the same shall be brought for the 
queen’s majesty, her heirs or successors, any 
tune within the two years, after that year is 
ended: and it is provided, that where a 
shorter time is limited by any penal statute, 
the prosecution must be within that time. 
31 Eliz. c. 5. 
Limitation in regard to personal actions of 
assault and battery, and actions arising upon 
contract and trespass. 
All actions of trespass, of assault, battery, 
wounding, imprisonment, or any of them, 
shall be commenced and sued within four 
years next after the cause of such actions or 
suits, and not after. 21 Jac. I. c. 16 . 
Actions of account, &c. — All actions of 
trespass quare clausum fregit, all actions of 
trespass, detinue, trover, and replevin, all 
actions of account, and upon the case (other 
than such accounts as concern the trade of 
merchandize, between merchant and mer- 
chant), all actions of debt grounded upon any 
lending, or contract without specialty, (that 
is, not being by deed or under seal) all actions 
of debt for arrearages of rent, and all actions 
of assault, menace, battery, wounding, and 
imprisonment, shall be commenced within 
the time and limitation as foiloweth, and not 
after; that is to say, the said actions upon the 
case (other than lor slander), and the said ac- 
tions for trespass, debt, detinue, and reple- 
vin, and the said actions for trespass, debt, 
VOL. II. 
detinue, and replevin, and the said acts 
for trespass quare clausum fregit, within six 
years, after the cause of such action. -2 1 Jac. 
c. IG. 
Exception in relation to infants. — It has 
been hotden, that if an infant during his in- 
fancy, by his guardian bring an action, the 
defendant cannot plead the statute ot limita- 
tion, although the cause of action accrued 
six years before; and the words of the statute 
are, that after his coming of age, &c. 
Exception in relation to merchants’ ac- 
counts. — As to this exception, it lias been 
matter of much controversy, whether it ex- 
tends to all actions and accounts relating to 
merchants and merchandize, or to actions of 
account open and current only. But it is 
now settled, that accqunts open and current 
only are within the statute ; aad that there- 
fore, if an account be stated and settled be- 
tween merchant and merchant, and a sum 
certain agreed to be due to one of them, if in 
such case, he to whom the money is due, do 
not bring his action within the limited time, 
he is barred by the statute. 2 Mod. 3 12. 
. Exception in relation to persons beyond 
sea. — It seems to have been agreed that the 
exception as to persons being beyond sea, 
extends only 7 where the creditors or plain- 
tiff’s are so absent, and not to debtors or de- 
fendants, because the first only are mentioned 
in the statute; and this construction has the 
rather prevailed, because it was reputed the 
creditor’s folly, that he did not file an origi- 
nal, and outlaw the debtor, which would have 
prevented the bar of the statutes. 
Executor or administrator. — If A receives 
money belonging to a person who afterwards 
died intestate, and to whom B takes out ad- 
ministration, and brings an action against A, 
to which Ire pleads the statute of limitations, 
and the plaintiff replies, and shews that ad- 
ministration was committed to him such a 
year, whicli was within six years ; though six 
years are expired since the receipt of thy 
money, yet not being so since the adminis- 
tration committed, the action is not barred by 
the statute. 1 Salk. 421. 
Where a debt barred by the statute shall 
be revived. — Any acknowledgment of the 
existence of the debt, however slight, will 
take it out of the statute, and the limitation 
will then run from that time : and where an 
expression is ambiguous, it shall be left to the 
consideration of the jury, whether it amounts 
or not to such acknowledgment. 2 Durnf. 
& East, 7G0. 
It is clearly agreed, that if after the six 
years, the debtor acknowledges the debt, and 
promise payment, that this revives it, and 
brings it out of the statute: as if a debtor by 
promissory note, or simple contract, promises 
within six years of the action brought, that 
he will pay the debt; though this was barred 
by the statute, yet it is revived by the pro- 
mise; for as the note itself was at first but an 
evidence of the debt, so that being barred the 
acknowledgment fad promise is anew evi- 
dence of the debt, and being proved, will 
maintain an assumpsit for recovery of it. 1 
Salk. 28. 
Limits of a planet, its greatest excursion 
from the ecliptic, or which is the same thing, 
the points ot its greatest latitude. 
LIMITED problem, a problem that ad- 
mits but of one solution, as to make a circle 
K 
lin ;s 
pass through three given points, not lying in 
the same right line. 
LIMOSELLA, a genus of the didynamia 
angiospermia class of plants : the flower con- 
sists of one erect petal, divided into five seg- 
ments ; fruit is an unilocular capsule, with a 
great many seeds, Two species, annuals 
of the Cape. 
E1MODOBUM, a genus of the gynan- 
dria diandria class of plants,- the flower of 
which consists of five oblong petals, and the 
nectarium hollow, and formed of a single 
leaf : the fruit is a columnar unilocular cap- 
sule, containing a great number of very 
small seeds. There are thirteen species, 
bulbs of America, Ac. 
LIMONI A, a genus of the decandria mo- 
nogynia class and order. The cal. is live- 
parted; pet. five-berry, three-celled. Seeds 
solitary. There are seven species, trees of 
the East Indies, &c. 
LINC0NIA, a genus of the class and 
order pentandria digynia. The pet, are 
five ; caps, two-celled. There' is one species, 
a shrub of the Chpe. 
LIN'D E HA, a genus of the class and 
order hexandria monogynia. The cor. is 
six-petalled ; caps. There is one species, a 
shrub of Japan. 
LIN DEBNIA, a genus of the class and 
order didynamia angiospermia. Thecal, is 
five-parted; caps, one-celled. There are 
three species, annuals of America. 
LINE, in geometry, a quantity extend- 
ed in length only, without any breadth or 
thickness. It is formed by the flux or mo- 
tion of a point: see Fi.uxion, and Geo- 
metry. Right lines are all of the same 
species, but curves are of an infinite number 
of different species. We may conceive as 
many as there may be different ratios be- 
tween their ordinates and abscisses. 
Curve lines are usually divided into geo- 
metrical and mechanical ; the former are 
those which may be found exactly in all 
their points ; the latter are t hose, some or 
all of whose points are not to be found pre- 
cisely, but only tentatively, ©r nearly. 
Curve lines are also divided into the first 
order, second order, third order, Ac. See 
Curve. 
Lines considered as to their positions, are 
ejther parallel, perpendicular, or oblique, 
the construction and properties whereof see 
under Parallel, &c. 
Euclid’s second book treats mostly of 
lines, and of the effects of their being divid- 
ed and again multiplied into one another. 
Lines, in perspective, are, 1. Geometri- 
cal line, which is a right line drawn in any 
manner on the geometrical plane. 2. Ter- 
restrial line, or fundamental line, is a right 
line wherein the geometrical plane, and that 
of the picture or draught, intersect one ano- 
ther. See Perspective. 
Lines. See Dialling. 
Line of direction on the earth’s axis, in 
the Pythagorean system of astronomy, the 
line connecting the two poles of the ecliptic 
and of the equator, when they are projected 
on the plane of the former. 
Line of direction. See Mechanics. 
Line of gravitation of any heavy body, R 
line drawn through its centre ot gravity, 
and according to which it tends downwards. 
Line of the swiftest descent oi a heavy 
body, is the cycloid. See Cycloid. 
