LOU 
The palmer, grey with age, with count’nance touting low, 
His head ev’n to the earth before the king did bow. Drayt. 
To LOUT, or Lowt, v.a. [This word feeins in 
Sh'akefpeare to fignify ] To overpower : 
I’m touted by a traitor villain, 
J\ nd cannot help the noble chevalier, Skakejpeare. 
LOUT, f. [ loete, old Dut.] A mean aukward fellow; 
si bumpkin ; a clown.—Pamela, whole noble heart doth 
difdnin that the truft of her virtue is repoled in fuel) a 
tout's hands, had yet, to fiiovv an obedience, taken on 
fhepherdiih apparel. Sidney. 
I’ve need of fuch a youth, 
That can with foine diferetion do my bufinefs; 
For ’tis no milling to yon foolilh tout. Shakefpeare. 
LOUTETSI'NA, a town of Croatia: twelve miles 
fouth of Creutz. 
LOUTH, a large market-town in Lincolnfbire, lituated 
in a fertile vallej' at the eaftern foot of the Wolds, twenty- 
fix miles diftant from Lincoln, and 153 from London. 
It was anciently called Luda, from its proximity to the 
Ludd, a fmall rivulet formed by the confluence of two 
ftreams. Among the few hiltorical events relative to Louth, 
we find that in the rebellion of the year 1536, occafioned 
by the fuppreflion of the religious houfes, the inhabitants 
took an aftive part, under Dr. Mackerel, who was known 
by the name ot Captain Cobler, when the prior of Barling’s 
abbey, with the vicar and thirteen other ring-leaders, fuf- 
fered death. In this town were anciently eftabliihed three 
religious fraternities, called the Guild of our Blefled Lady, 
the Guild of the Holy Trinity, and the Chantry of John 
of Louth. King Edward VI. alienated the funds of thefe 
guilds, and granted them for the purpofe of erefting and 
endowing a free grammar-fchool. The lands then pro¬ 
duced 40I. per annum, but are now let at 400I. One-half 
of the produce was granted for a head-mafter’s falary, one- 
fourth for the ufher’s, and the remainder for the perpetual 
maintenance of twelve poor women. The trultees of this 
foundation were incorporated by the name of “ The 
Wardens and Six Afliftants of the Town of Louth, and 
Free School of King Edward VI. in Louth.” Another 
i’ree-fchool on a very refpeftable lcale, was founded in 
purfuance of the will of Dr. Mapletoft, dean of Ely, bear¬ 
ing date Augult 17, 1677. 
The parifh-church of St. James is a fpacious edifice, 
confifting of a have, two aides, with an elegant tower and 
fpire at the weft end. The ealt end, which prefents a fine 
elevation, exhibifs a large central window, having fix up¬ 
right muilions and varied tracery, with two lateral win¬ 
dows opening into the aides. Internally the nave is fe» 
parated from the aides by oftagonal columns, the alter¬ 
nate (ides of which are relieved by fingle dutes. The 
chancel, which has an altar-piece containing a picture of 
the Defcent from the Crofs, by Williams, is of more mo¬ 
dern date than the body of the church, and is probably 
coeval with the juftly-admired fteeple. The latter was 
begun in the year 1501, and completed in fifteen years. 
The height was originally 360 feet; but the flat done on 
the fumniit was blown off in 1587, and carried with it 
part of the building into the body of the church. The 
whole fpire being blown down October nth, 1634, the 
prefent one was erefted. The tower-part of the lteeple 
confifts of three dories : each ftage terminates with ele¬ 
gant pediments, fupported by ornamental corbels ; in this 
manner diminifhing to the top, where are four octagonal 
embattled turrets. At eighty feet from the bale, round 
the exterior of the tower, runs a gallery, guarded by a 
parapet wall; and at the height of 170 feet the battle¬ 
ments commence. The top done projects with a cornice ; 
the height of the fpire to the crofs is 141 feet ; the total 
height of the whole 28S feet. A few years ago, a faiior 
undertook to climb to the top of it on the outfide, lup- 
porting himfelf by means of fmall dunes regularly pro- 
jefting out of the angles; one of the Itones giving way, 
he was near falling, but fortunately recovered hrmlelf. 
Vol XIII. No. 937. 
LOU 701 
After dancing round the weathercock for fome time, he 
defended by the fame means, in fafety, contrary to the 
expectations of the townfmen, who had gazed at him 
with (enfations of anxiety and horror. The living of St. 
James is a vicarage, in the gift of a prebendary of Lin¬ 
coln cathedral, to which it was annexed by the Conque¬ 
ror. The vicarage-holife, which ftands contiguous tp the 
church-yard, is an old thatched building ; and the pre¬ 
fent vicar has, in unifon with its appearance, laid out his 
garden in a curious Ityle of ingenious rufticity : it is de¬ 
nominated the Hermitage, and defervedly claims the at¬ 
tention of the curious. It is condrufled of local mate¬ 
rials, chiefly collected out of the neighbouring fields and 
hedges; and appears as if it were formed by nature rather 
than art. 
In Louth was formerly another church, named St. 
Mary’s; it is now totally demolifhed ; but the church¬ 
yard is the place of fepulture for the town, as that of St. 
James has not been tiled for that purpofe for forty years 
pad. The diffenters from the eltablidiment have three 
places of worlhip ; one for catholics, one for bnptifts, and 
one for methodids. The ether principal buildings are a 
town-hall, an adembly room, and a theatre. 
The civil government of the town is vefted in the war¬ 
den and fix afliftants, incorporated, as already mentioned, 
by Edward VI. who in t[ie fame charter granted two mar¬ 
kets, to be held on Wednefdays and Saturdays ; and three 
fairs, to continence on the third Sunday after Ealter, St, 
James’s day, and the feaft of St. Martin ; with a particular 
injunftion, that they fliould continue two whole days af¬ 
ter, that the fird day of each fair might be appropriated 
“ to hearing the word of God.” Queen Elizabeth gave 
to the corporation the manor of Louth, of which the 
annual value was then 78k 14s. 4^d. for the better fup- 
port of the corporate dignity 5 and fome additional pri¬ 
vileges were granted by James I. In the year 1811, the 
inhabitants of Louth, as appears by the return under tluf 
population-aft, were—2247 males, and 2481 females; to¬ 
tal 4728 ; and it is remarkable, that for the lad ten years 
the births and deaths were exaftly equal. A carpet and 
blanket manufactory has been recently eftabliihed here, 
and is now in a very profperous date ; here is alfo a large 
manufaftory of foap, and a mill for making coarfe paper. 
In the year 1761 an aft was obtained for cutting a canal 
between Louth and the North Sea. It commences about 
half a mile from the town, and keeps parallel with the 
Ludd, which fupplies it with water; leaving the river 
about four miles from the town, it (weeps to the north, 
and joins the lea at a place called Tetney lock. The un¬ 
dertaking cod 12,oool. which brings in very good in- 
tereft. By this channel, veffels of confiderable burthen 
regularly trade to London, Hull, and feveral parts of 
Yorkfliire, carrying out corn and wool, and bringing 
home timber, coals, grocery, &c. In Louth and its vici¬ 
nity are various fprings of a very peculiar nature, worthy 
of inveftigation by the philolopher and chemift. 
About a mile from the town is the fcite of Louth-park 
abbey, which was built by Alexander bifliop of Lincoln 
in the year 1139, and appropriated to Ciftercian monks. 
In the time of Henry III. this houfe contained 66 monks, 
and 150 converts, or labourer's.—The following are the 
principal villages in the neighbourhood of Louth : Tath- 
well, three miles diftant; Haugham, four; Ruckland 
(north-eaft of Horncaftle,) fix; Farforth, fix; Tedford, 
ten; South Ormelby, nine; Burwell, near Althorp, fix 5 
Mufton, fix ; Sw'aby, nine ; South Thorefby, ten ; Bellen, 
nine; Authorpe, eight; North and South Belton, five, 
fouth-ead; Caftle Carleton fix; Great Carlton, eight; 
Manby, ieven, north-eaft ; Grunoldby (fouth-vveft of Sal- 
fteet), Ieven ; Stewton, two ; North and South Cockering, 
ton, fix, north-ead; Alvingham, five ; Keddington, two - 
Yarborough, five; Cawthorpe and Covenham, (even ■ 
-Fullton (near Granthorp), eight; Tetney, twelve; North 
Thorefby, Ieven; Grainiby, eight; Wayth, nine; Haw- 
ardby, ten; Wyham, eight; Utterly, five; Fotherby, 
8 -L three j 
