L Y D 
bearing the flamp of Darius. This fame Pythias was 
reckoned the richeft man in the then known world. 
LYD'IA, a woman of Thyatira, a feller of purple, who 
dwelt in the city of Philippi in Macedonia. Acls xvi. 14., 40. 
She was converted by St. Paul’s preaching, and was bap¬ 
tized, (lie and all her family. She offered her lioufe to 
St. Paul fo earneftly, that he was prevailed upon by her 
entreaties. This woman was not by birth a Jewefs, but 
a profelyte. The Roman martyrology commemorates her 
on Aug. 3d. Lydia is perhaps the name of her country; 
and (lie might thence have been called Lydia, or the Ly¬ 
dian. 
LYD'IAN, f. An inhabitant or a native of Lydia. 
LYD'IAN, adj. Brought from, made at, or appertain¬ 
ing to, Lydia ; as, 
Lydian Games, a name given to the exercifes and 
amuiements invented by the Lydians ; they are laid to 
have invented the quoit, and games of chance played with 
dice. Thefe Aliatics, after they had loft their city, emi¬ 
grated into Etruria, whither they carried their ceremonies 
and games. Some Romans, having a paffion for foreign 
play, adopted the Lydian method of gaming, which in 
the time of the emperors was purfued with fuch excels, 
that Juvenal is very fevere on the great number of thole 
who were haftening to ruin by that means. The Lydian 
games were at firll called Lydi by the Romans, but after¬ 
wards, by corruption, Ludi. 
Lydian Mode, in the Greek mufic, occupied the mid¬ 
dle place between the iEolian and Hypodorian. It was 
alfo fometimes called the Barbarian mode, from its being 
invented by a people of Afia. It correfponded with our 
key of E. Euclid diftinguifhes two Lydian modes ; that 
of which we have been fpeaking, and another called a low 
Lydian, and which is the fame as the iEolian mode, at leatt 
as to its fundamental. The character of the Lydian mode 
was animated and interefting, yet melancholy, pathetic, 
and proper for voluptuous occalions; on which account 
Plato banifhed it his republic. It was faid that by this 
made Orpheus tamed wild beafts, and Amphion built 
the walls of Thebes. Some fay that it was invented by 
Amphion, the fon of Jupiter and Antiope; others by 
■Olympus the mufician, and difciple of Marfyas; while 
there are ftill others who aflign it to Melampides. Pindar 
Pays, that it was firft ufed at the nuptials of Niobe. See 
the article Music. 
Lydian Stone. See Lydius. 
LYD'IAT (Thomas), a learned Englifli divine, and 
eminent mathematician and chronologer, was the fon of 
xi citizen of London, who was lord of the manor of Alk- 
i-ington, or Okerton, near Banbury, in Oxfordfhire, where 
the fubjeCt of this article was born in the year 157a. 
As he gave early indications of good natural abilities, his 
father determined to give him a learned education, and 
fent him to Winchefter fchool, where he was admitted a 
fcholar upon the foundation when he was thirteen years 
of age. After having made a fufficient progrefs in gram¬ 
mar-learning, he was elected thence to New' College, Ox¬ 
ford, where he was placed under doctor, afterwards the 
famous fir Henry, Martin ; and was chofen fellow in 1593 : 
he took the degree of B. A. in 1595, and that of M. A. in 
159?. He applied himfelf with great afliduity to theftudy 
of the languages, philofophy, aftronomy, the mathematics, 
and divinity, and felt a ftrong inclination to become in¬ 
timately converfant in the latter fcience ; but he was dif- 
couraged from purfuing it by the circumftances of his 
having a defective memory and imperfect utterance. In 
the year 1603, therefore, he refigned his fellowfhip, which 
by the ftatutes of the college he could not retain without 
proceeding in divinity ; and contented himfelf with living 
on the income arifing from a fmall patiimonial eftate. 
The (even following years he fpent in finilhing and pub- 
lifliing fuch books as be had begun in the college, parti¬ 
cularly his “ Emendatio Temporum ab Initio Mundi hue 
ufque Compendio faCta, contra Scaligerum et alios,” 1609, 
,£vo. By his animadveifions in this, and foine other piece-s, 
L Y D ^23 
Scaliger was highly exafperated againft him, and replied 
in his ufual haughty manner, affefting to treat his cha¬ 
racter and chronological learning with the utmoft con¬ 
tempt. His Emendatio w'as dedicated to Henry prin.ee of 
Wales, who entertained a great regard for him, and ap¬ 
pointed him his chronographer and cofmographer ; and, 
if he had lived, would moll probably have proved his ge¬ 
nerous patron ; but the premature death of this promifing 
prince put an end to any expectations which he might 
have formed of a provifion from royal munificence. 
About the year 1609, he became acquainted with Dr. 
James Ulher, afterwards arehbifliop of Armagh, who car¬ 
ried Lydiat with him to Ireland, and placed him in the 
college at Dublin, where he continued about two years, 
according to Anthony Wood’s account. Soon after his 
return to his native country in 1612, a vacancy having 
taken place in the rectory of Okerton, an offer was made 
him of that benefice. This preferment he had formerly 
refufed, when fellow of New College, and his father was 
patron ; but he was now perfuaded to accept of it, though. 
Wool) fays, after feveral demurs, and with much reluc¬ 
tance. No.fooner, however, had he undertaken the du¬ 
ties of a parifh-prieft, than he entered on the difeharge of 
them with the utmoft diligence and fidelity; and in the 
courfe of lefs than twelve years compofed and preached 
more than fix hundred fermons on the harmony of the 
gofpels. During that time, he alfo wrote feveral learned 
works, and laid the foundation of feveral others ; all of 
which he would have completed and publifhed, had he 
not unfortunately been prevented by the involved ftate of 
his circumftances. For his little patrimony was exhauft- 
ed by the expenfe of what he had already printed ; and, 
having unwarily become refponfible for the debts of a near 
relation, which he was unable to pay, in the year 1629 or 
1630 he was arrefted and thrown into prifon at Oxford, 
and afterwards into the King’s Bench. Here he remained 
in confinement till fir William Bofwell, a generous patron 
of learned men. Dr. Pink, warden of New College, and 
Dr. Uflier, releafed him by difeharging the debt; and 
Dr. Laud alfo, at the requell of fir Henry Martin, contri¬ 
buted to his affiftance on this occafion. When the civil 
wars commenced in 1624, he adhered fteadily to the caufe 
of the king, and was a confiderable fufferer from the ex¬ 
actions and depredations of the parliament-party. Front 
a letter written by him in 1644, to fir William Compton, 
governor of Banbury Caftle, it appears, that his reclory- 
houfe at Okerton was four times pillaged by the parlia- 
ment-garrifon at Compton-houfe in Warwickfliire, to the 
amount of at leaft feventy pounds; and that they had fo 
completely {tripped him of decent neceffaries, that for a 
quarter of a-year together he was obliged to borrow a 
fhirtr, to be able to change his linen. He was alfo twice 
forced away from his own houfe; once to Warwick, and 
another time to Banbury ; and he was perfonally ill-ufed 
by the foldiers, for refufing them money, defending his 
book's and papers, and fpeaking boldly in favour of the 
king and of the bifhops, while he was a prifoner in War¬ 
wick Caftle. At length, after he had lived feveral years 
at Okerton, in great indigence and obfeurity, lie died 
there in 1646, when about feventy-four years of age. In 
1669, a ftone, with an infeription, was placed over lvis 
grave, at the expenfe of the warden and fellows of New 
College, Oxford ; and an honorary monument was alfo 
ereCted to his memory by the fame fociety, in the cloifter 
of their college. Wood fays, that he was “a perfon of 
liaall ftature, but of great parts, and of a public foul; 
and, though a poor and contemptible prieft to look upon, 
(for he was fo held by the vulgar,) yet lie not only puz¬ 
zled Chriftopher Clavius, and the whole college of ma¬ 
thematicians, but alfo that great goliath of literature 
Joleph Scaliger.” He was, indeed, a man of confiderable 
and various erudition ; and held in high eftimation by 
learned men, both at home and abroad. By fome learned 
foreigners he has been ranked with lord Bacon and Mr. 
Jofevh Mede j and, whea fpeaking of the trifling prefer- 
mea* 
