L I G 
iicent-invcntions were not drawn with the purity of Raf- 
faele, or the correftnefs and grandeur of Buonaroti. If 
Rubens aftoniflies by his unbounded difplay of light, the 
parfimonious ufe made of it by Rembrandt is not lefs 
captivating or furprifing. Rembrandt confidered the 
lights in his pictures as fo many gems, acquiring ihcreafed 
luftre from their rarity; and indeed the ftriking effect he 
has produced by the extraordinary means he adopted, 
happily (hows, how vain the attempt to limit or reftrain 
by rules the workings of genius in the human mind. 
The knowledge of light and (hade is nearly connedted 
with the fciences of optics and perfpedtive ; and, in parti¬ 
cular, when buildings or other regularly-formed objcdls 
are to be reprefented. See thofe articles. 
With refpeft to the knowledge of chiaro-fcuro pofi'efl'ed 
by the ancients, we are but imperfeftly informed ; how¬ 
ever, if we can form any judgment from the paintings 
difcovered at Herculaneum, and in the baths of Titus at 
Rome, this part of painting, as well as perfpedtive, was 
but little underftood by them. Mr. Webbe, however, in 
his Treatife on Painting, ftrenuoully fupports the ancients 
on this queltion, but perhaps not upon l'ufficient grounds. 
See the article Painting. 
Amongft the beft-eftabli(hed maxims, relating to chiaro- 
fcuro, are the following : That there (liould be one prin¬ 
cipal light in every picture; that other lights may and 
ought to be admitteci, but that they (liould at all times be 
either lefs in quantity or lower in tone than the great 
principal light; that this principal light (liould either be 
placed on the molt important objedt in the pifture, or be 
fo managed, as to condufl the eye of the fpeftator to that 
objedl; *that, independent of the forms of the objects and 
groups themfelves, each mafs of light and (hade (liould in 
ftfelf be of an agreeable (hape; and that thefe mafles 
(hould be fo linked as it were together, that no body, ei¬ 
ther of light or (hade, may appear like a (pot unconnected 
with the reft. 
LIGHT TROO'PS, in military language, generally de¬ 
note all horfe and foot which are accoutred for detached 
fervice. 
LIGHT WA'TER-LINE, in naval architecture, the 
line of floatation of the (hip, before (he takes in her cargo. 
To LI'GHTEN, v. n. [piT ligt. Sax.] To fla(h with 
thunder.—The lightning that lighteneth out of the one part 
under heaven, (howeth unto the other part. Lukexx ii. 24.. 
I have no joy of this contract to-night; 
It is too rafli, too unadvis’d, too fudden, 
Too like the light’ning, which doth ceafe to be 
Ere one can fay it lightens. Shakefp. Romeo and Juliet. 
To fnine like lightning : 
Yet looks he like a king : behold his eye, 
As bright as is the eagle’s, lightens forth 
Controlling majefty. Shahefpeare. 
To fall; to light.—O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us, 
as vve do put our truft in thee. Common Prayer. 
To LI'GHTEN, v. a. [from light,/.] To illuminate; to 
enlighten : 
O Light, which mak’ft the light which makes the day. 
Which fett’ft the eye without, and mind within: 
Lighten my fpirit with one heav’nly ray. 
Which now to view itfelf doth firfl: begin. Davies. 
[From light, adj.\ To exonerate; to unload.—The mariners 
were afraid, and call forth the wares that were in the (hip 
into the fea, to lighten it of them. Jonah i. 7.—To make 
lefs heavy: 
Then let us drive 
In offices of love how we may lighten 
Each other’s burden. Milton » 
To exhilarate ; to cheer.—The audience are grown weary 
of continued melancholy feenes; and few tragedies (hall 
fucceed in this age, if they are not lightened with a courfe 
©f mirth. Dry dm. 
L I G C 91 
A trufty villain, very oft. 
When I am dull with care and melancholy, 
Lightens my humour with his merry jeft. Shahefpeare. 
LIGHTENING, f. The aCt of giving light; the aft 
of making lefs heavy. 
LI'GHTER,yi [from light, to make light.] A heavy 
boat into which (hips are lightened or unloaded.—They 
have cock-boats for paffengers, and lighters for burthen. 
Car no. 
He climb’d a ftranded lighter's height, 
Shot to the black abyls, and plung’d downright. Pope. 
A lighter is generally an open flat-bottomed veflel, ma¬ 
naged with oars ; but Come lighters are furnifned with a 
deck throughout their whole length, in order to contain 
tho'fe merchandifes which would be damaged by rainy 
weather; thefe are ufually called clofe lighters. 
LI'GHTER-MAN, f. One who manages a lighter.—■ 
Where much (hipping is employed, whatever becomes of 
the merchant, multitudes of people will be gainers; as 
(hipwrights, butchers, carmen, and lighter-men. Child. 
LI'GHTFOOT (John), a very learned Englifli divine, 
was the Ion of a clergyman, and born in the rectory-houfe 
of Stoke upon Trent, in Staffordflrire, in the year 1602. 
He was inftrufled in grammar-learning at Moreton-green, 
near Congleton, in Chelhire; and at fifteen years of age 
was entered of ChrifCs college, Cambridge, where he was 
placed under the tuition of Mr. William Chapel, after¬ 
wards bithop of Cork and Rofs. In this feminary he ap¬ 
plied himfelf with the clofeft diligence to his ftudies, par¬ 
ticularly to claffical learning and eloquence, in which he 
made fo great a proficiency, that, in the judgment of his 
tutor, he was the beft orator among all the under-gra¬ 
duates of the univerfity. No fooner had he taken the de¬ 
gree of B. A. when he was only nineteen years of age, 
than he quitted Cambridge, and engaged in the capacity 
of afliftant to his former mafter, who had removed from 
Chethire to the fchool at Repton in Derbylhire. After 
having continued in this iituation about two years, he 
was admitted into orders, and obtained the curacy of 
Norton-under-Hales in Shropfliire. Here he was intro¬ 
duced to the acquaintance of fir Rowland Cotton, of Bel- 
laport, who made him his chaplain, and took him into his 
family'’. This gentleman, being a perfeft mafter of the He¬ 
brew language, engaged Mr. Lightfoot in the ftudy of 
that and the other oriental tongues. He followed his 
patron to London, and would have proceeded with him 
to the continent, but the living of Stone, in Staffordshire,, 
being offered him, he preferred fettling there, as it like- 
wife gave him an opportunity of entering upon the mar¬ 
riage ltate, which he immediately embraced. Here he 
found the means of ltudy exceedingly fcanty, and in the 
courfe of a few months refigned the living of Stone, and 
removed to Hornley, near London, a fituation which he 
chofe on account of its vicinity to the metropolis, where 
the fources of learning were very abundant. He was now 
a frequent attendant at the library of Sion-coliege, which 
afforded him the molt ample means of fupplying all his 
literary wants. In 1629, Mr. Lightfoot publiflied his fir it 
piece, entitled Erubhim ; or Mifcellanies Chriftian and Ju- 
daical. In 1630, he was prefented by fir Rowland Cot¬ 
ton to the reftory of Aflily in Staffordlhire, and imme¬ 
diately removed to his parilh, in which he lived twelve 
years, applying himfelf with indefatigable diligence in 
learching the lcriptures ; but yet without neglecting any 
of the duties of his minilterial function, which he dif~ 
charged in the moft punctual and confcientious manner. 
In thefe employments he fpent his days very agreeably, 
and continued retired and unmolefted, til! the great change 
which took place in public affairs by the means of the 
long parliament, when he was nominated a member of 
the affembly of divines at Weftminfter. This appoint¬ 
ment was occafloned by his extraordinary merit; and he 
accepted it folely with the view of ferving his country, as 
far as his abilities would permit. He now appears to have 
thought 
