448' 
LEG 
LEGA'TUS, f. A military officer amongfl the Romans, 
commanded as deputy of the commander-in-chief. The 
legati, at their firlt inftitution, were not fo much to com¬ 
mand as.to advife. As to the number we have no certain 
information, though we may upon good grounds affign 
one to every legion. In the abfence of the conlul or pro- 
conful, they had the honour to ufe the fafces. Under the 
emperors there were two forts of legati, confilares and prce- 
torii. The firft commanded whole armies, as the empe¬ 
rors lieutenant-generals; and the other had the command 
of particular legions. The legati under the proconluls 
in the provinces, ferved for judging inferior caufes, and 
the management of fmaller concerns, remitting things of 
great moment to the governor or prefident himfelf. This 
was the original office of the legati, as was hinted above ; 
though, as we have feen, they were afterwards admitted 
to command in the army. 
Alfo, when any confiderable perfon among the Roman 
citizens had occafion to pafs through any of the pro¬ 
vinces, the fenate gave him the title of legalus ; that is, of 
envoy from the fenate, to the end that he might be re¬ 
ceived with the greater refpebl, and that the cities and 
towns, through which he travelled, might defray his ex¬ 
pellees. This they called a free legation, libera legatio ; 
becaufe the perfon was not encumbered with any trull, 
and might lay alide the title as loon as he pleafed. 
LEGAU', a town of Bavaria, belonging to the abbey 
of Kempten : twelve miles north-north-welt of Kempten. 
LEG'SERTH WAITE (Vale of). See Leathes Wa¬ 
ter, p. 427- 
LEGE', a town of France, in the department of the 
Low'er Loire : twelve miles louth-eaft of Machecoul, and 
tivepty-one Couth of Nantes. 
LEG'END, f. [legcnda , Lnt.] A chronicle or regilter 
cf the lives of faints.— Legends being grown in a manner 
to be nothing elfe but heaps of frivolous and fcandalous 
vanities, they have been even with difdain thrown out, 
the very nelts which bred them abhorring them. Hooker. — 
Any memorial or relation : 
And in this legend all that glorious deed 
Read, whillt you arm you ; arm you whillt you read. 
Fairfax. 
An incredible unauthentic narrative.—It is the way of 
attaining to Heaven, that makes profane lcorners fo wil¬ 
lingly let go the expectation of it. It is not the articles 
of the creed, but the duty to God and their neighbour, 
that is lueh an inconfillent incredible legend. Bentley. 
Who can (how the legends, that record 
More idle tales, or fables fo abfurd ? Blackmore. 
The Legend was originally a book ufed in the old Ro- 
milh churches, containing the leffions to be read at divine 
fervice; hence the lives of the faints and martyrs came to 
be called legends, becaufe chapters were read out of them 
at matins, and at the refectories of religious houfes. 
Among thefe the Golden Legend, which is a collection 
of the lives of the faints, was received in the church with 
great applaufe, which it maintained for two hundred years ; 
though it is fo full of ridiculous and romantic ftories, that 
the Romanilis themfelves are now afhamed of it. 
Legend is alio applied to the infeription of medals and 
coins, which ferves to explain the figures or devices re- 
prefented on them. See the article Medal. 
LEG'ENDARY, adj. Pertaining to a legend; fabulous. 
LEG'ER, Leiger, or Ledger, f. [from legger, Dut. 
to lie or remain in a place.] Any thing that lies in a 
place; as, a /eger-book, a book that lies in the compting- 
houfe; a leger ambaffador; a reiident; one that continues 
at the court to which he is lent: 
Lord Angelo, having affairs to Heav’n, 
Intends you for his (wift ambaffador, 
Where you (hall be an everlafiing leiger. Shakefpeare. 
Thou art Heav’n’s leiger here, 
Waking againft the ltates of death and hell. Herbert. 
LEG 
LEG'ER, adj. Reiident.—If leiger ambafladors or 
agents were fent to remain near the courts of princes, to 
oblerve their motions, fuch were made choice of as were 
vigilant. Bacon .—Lying in the fame place.—I call that a 
ledger bait, which is fixed, or made to reft, in one cer¬ 
tain place, when you (hall be abfent; and I call that a 
walking bait which you have ever in motion. Walton. 
LEG'ER (Anthony),si learned Piedmontefe proteftant 
divine, was born at Ville-Seiche, in the valley of St. 
Martin, in Piedmont, in the year 1594. After purfuing 
his ftudies at Geneva, and other places, he dilcharged 
the minifterial functions for fome years in his native coun¬ 
try. In 1637 he was chofen palter of the church of St. 
John, which fituation he retained about fix years; during 
which interval his talents and erudition were advantage- 
oully difplayed in defending the proteftant faith, both in 
public difputes and in writing againft the emiffaries of 
the Propaganda, and other Catholics. In 1643, finding 
that he was proferibed by the duke of Savoy, he.faved 
himfelf by flight, and took refuge at Geneva; where, af¬ 
ter exercifing the miniftry for lome time in the French 
and Italian churches, he was appointed profeffor of the 
oriental languages and of divinity. He died in 1661, 
about the age of fixty-feven. Under his fuperintendence 
was publifned at Geneva, an edition of the New Tefta- 
ment both in the original and vulgar Greek, in 2 vols. 4to. 
LEG'ER (Anthony), fon of the above, was educated 
to the miniftry, and officiated as paftor to the church at 
Chancy, and afterwards at Geneva. He filled fucceffively 
the polls of profeffor of philolophy and of divinity in that 
univerfity with high reputation ; and was greatly admired 
as a preacher. Five volumes of his Sermons were pub- 
lifhed after his death, which took place in 1719, when he 
was about fixty-feven years of age. 
LEG'ER (John), nephew of Anthony Leger the elder, 
was born at Ville-Seiche, in the year 1615. Having pur- 
fued his academical ftudies at Geneva, and completed a 
ccurfe of divinity under M. Spanheim, he was admitted 
to the miniftry in his native country in 1639, and chofen 
pallor of the churches of Prals and Rodoret. After his 
unde had been obliged to fly for his life, lie was cliofeh 
his fucceffor in the church of St. John, and continued his 
labours with that flock till the year 1655, when the perfe- 
cution of the Waldenfes broke out with peculiar rage and 
enormity, and the moll horrid feenes of violence and 
bloodflied were exhibited in every part of their country. 
Having happily made his efcape into France, he tranfi- 
mitted an affebling account of the cruelties perpetrated 
on the proteflants to Oliver Cromwell, who lent an ex¬ 
traordinary ambaffador to the duke of Savoy, to reraon- 
ftrate with him on thefe proceedings. Leger alfo wrote 
to the king of France, and to the proteftant princes and 
Hates, foliciting their interference on behalf of his coun¬ 
trymen. The effeil of their reprefentations was the 
Treaty of Pignerol, concluded in the fame year, which 
promifed future fecurity and toleration to the Waldenfes. 
At the figning of this treaty, Leger aflilled in the cha- 
rabler of deputy-general of the proteftant communities. 
It was not long, however, before the terms of this treaty 
were broken ; and opprellion and perfecution were again 
let loofe on the inhabitants of the valleys. Thus circum- 
ltanced, in the year 1661, the afflibled fufterers conftituted 
Leger their deputy to ieveral of the proteftant powers, 
that he might lay before them the particular infraftions 
of the treaty of Pignerol, and folicit anew their mediation 
with the duke of Savoy. This appointment gave fuch 
offence at the court of Turin, that orders were given for 
razing to theground the lioufe of Leger; and he was pro¬ 
claimed a traitor. Leger met with luccefs in his million, 
and returned to Geneva, where, in 1663, he accepted an 
invitation to become pallor of the Walloon church at 
Leyden. In the following year he ventured fecretly to 
vilit the valleys, carrying with him confiderable funis of 
money, collected from the Dutch and other Proteftants 
for the relief of his perfecuted countrymen; and after¬ 
wards returned to Leyden. We have no information con- 
