а

Dryder

Let no statesman dare,

legs very gracefully, a dancing-master will cure A kingdom to a ship compare ;

that defect.

Lede. Lest he should call our commonweal

He made his leg, and went away. Swifi. A vessel with a double keel;

3. To stand on his own LEGS. To support Which just like ours, new rigg'd and man'd,

himself. And got about a league from land,

Persons of their fortune and quality could well By change of wind to lecuard side,

Swift. The pilot knew not how to guide.

have stood upon their owun legs, and needed not to lay in for countenance and support.

Collier. LEFT. The participle preter. of leave.

4. That by which any thing is supported Alas, poor lady! desolate and left; I weep myself to think upon thy words

. She is so LE’GACY. n. s. (legatum, Latin.)

on the ground: as, the leg of a table. Had such a river as this been left to itself, to have found its way out from among the Alps, Legacy is a particular thing given by last will whatever windings it had made, it must have

and testament.

Cowel. formed several liceie seas.

Addison.

If there be no such thing apparent upon reWere I left to myself, I would rather aim at cord, they do as if one should demand a legacy instructing than diverting; but if we will be by force and virtue of some written testament, useful to the world, we niust take it as we find wherein there being no such thing specified, he it.

Spectator.

pleadeth that there it must needs be, and bring- LEFT. adj. [luste, Dutch; lauks, Latin.]

eth arguments from the love or good-will which Sinistrous; not right.

always the testator bore him; imagining, that That there is also in men a natural prepoten.

these, or the like proofs, will convict a testa

ment to have that in it, which other men can cy in the right, ke cannot with constancy af,

no where by reading find.

Hooker, firm, if we make observation in children, who,

Fetch the will hither, and we shall determine permitted the freedom of both hands, do oft

How to cut off some charge in legacies. Sbaksp. rimes contine it unto the left, and are not with

Good counsel is the best legacy a father can out great difficulty restr.ined from it.

leave a child.

L'Estrange
Brown's Vulg. Errours.

When he thought you gone
The right to Pluto's golden palace guides,

T'augment the number of the bless'd above, The left to that unhappy region tends,

He deem'd'em legacies of royal love ; , Which to the depth or lartarus descends. Dryd.

Nor arm'd his bother's portions to invade, The gods of greater nations dwell around,

But to defend the present you had made. Dryd. And, on the right and left, the palace bound;

When the heir of this vast treasure knew, The commons where they can.

How large a legacy was left to you,
A raven from a wither'd oak,

He wisely tied it to the crown again. Drder. Left of their lodging was oblig'd to croak:

Leave to thy children tumuli, strife, and war, That omen likid him not. Dryden.

Prier. The left foot naked when they march to night, LE’GAL. adj. (legul, Fr. legis, Lat.)

Portions of toil, and legacies of care. But in a bull's raw hide they sheathe the right.

Dryden.

1. Done or conceived according to law. The man who struggles in the fight,

Whatsoever was before Richard I. was before Fatigues left arm as well as right. Prior. time of memory; and what is since, is in a legal

Hale. LEFT-HA'NDED. adj. [left and hund.]

sense, within the time of memory. Using the left hand rather than right.

2. Lawful; not contrary to law. The limbs are used most on the right-side, 3. According to the law of the oid dis. whereby custom helpeth; for we see, that some pensation. are left-handed, which are such as have used the

His merits left hand most.

Bacon, To save them, not their own, though legal, works. For the scat of the heart and liver on one side,

diiltor whereby men become left-harded, it happeneth LEGAʼLITY. n.s. (legalité, Fr.] Lawtultoo rarely to countenance an effect so common: for the seat of the liver on the left side is very

To LE'Galize. v. a. [legaliser, Fr. from monstrous.

Brown's Vulg. Errours. LEFT-HA'NDEDNESS. 1. s. (trom left

legal.] To authorize; to make law ful.

If any thing can legalize revenge, it should be Larded.] Habitual use of the left hand.

injury irom an extremely obliged person : but Alihough a squint left-handedness

revenge is so absolutely the peculiar of Heaven, B' ungracious; yet we cannot want that hand.

that no consideration can impower, even the best Donne.

men, to assume the execution of it. Souib. LEG. n. s. [leg, Danish; leggur, Islandick.] LEGALLY. adv. (trom legal.] Lawfully; 1. The limb by which we walk; particu- according to law.

larly that part between the knee and the A prince may not, much less may inferior foot.

judges, deny justice, when it is legally and come

Taylor. They haste; and what their tardy feet deny'd,

petently demanded. De tresty staff, their better leg, supply'd. Diyd. LEGATARY. n. s. [legataire, Fr. trom Purging comfits, and ants' e885,

legatum, Lat.] One who has a legacy Had aln.ost brought him off huisiegs. Hudibras. lett.

Such intrigues people cannot meet with, who An executor shall exbib't a true inventory of huve nothing but legs to carry them. Audisoll. goods, taken in the presence of hit persons, as 2. An act of obeisance; a bow with the

creditors and legaiaries are, unto the ordinary. leg drawn back.

Ayliffe. A: coust, be that cannot make a leg, put off LE GATE. n. s. [legaus, Lat. legat, Fr. his cap, kiss his hand, and say nothing, has nei

legato, Italian.] ther, hands, lip, nor cap.

Skaksp. 1. A deputy ; an ambassadour.
Their horses never give a blow,

The legales from th' Ætolian prince returni Esben they make a ler, and bow. Huchras. Sad news they bring, that after all the cost,

li the boy should not put off his hat, nor base Arsi care einfloy'd, their embassy is lost. Droda

a

ness.

ܪ

none so

3. A kind of spiritual ambassadour from book, a book that lies in the counting

the pope; a commissioner deputed by house. the pope for ecclesiastical affairs.

Lord Angelo, having affairs to Heav'n, Look where the holy kgate comes apace,

Intends you for his swift ambassador, To give us warrant from the hand of Heav'n. Where you shall be an everlasting leiger. Shak..

Sbakspeare.

I've giv’n him that, l'pon the kgate's summons, he submitted Which, if he take, shall quite unpeople her hin.self to an examination, and appeared before Of leidgers for her sweet. Shaksp. Cymbeline him.

Atterbury. If legice ambassadors or agents were sent to LEGATE’E. 1. s. (from legatum, Latin.] remain near the courts of princes, to observe One who has a legacy left him.

their motions, such were made choice of 25 If he chance to 'scape this dismal bout,

were vigilant.

Bacon.

Who can endear
The former lezatees are blotted out. Dryd. Juv.
Mly will is, that if any of the above-named leo

Thy praise too much? thou art Heav'n's leiges

here, gstu should die before me, that then the respective legacies shall revert to myself

. Swift.

Working against the states of death and hell. LE'GATINE. adj. (from legate.]

Herbert.

He withdrew not his confidence from any of 3. Made by a iegate.

those who attended his person, who, in truth, When any one is absolved from excommuni

lay leiger for the covenant, and kept up the spication, it is rovided by a legatine constitution, rits of their countrymen by their intelligence. that some vbe Surall publish such absolution.

Clarendon Ayliffe.

I call chat a ledger bait, which is fixed, or made Belonging to a legate of the Roman to rese, in one certain place, when you shall be see.

absent; and I call that a walking bait which you All those you have done of late,

have ever in motion.

Walton. By your poter lea:ine within this kingdom, LEGERDEMA’IN. n. s. (contracted perhaps Fail in the compass of a præmunire. Sbaksp. from legereté de main, Fr.] Slight of LEGA'TION, nis. [legatio, Lat.) Deputa- hand ; juggle; power of deceiving the tion; commission; embassy.

eye by nimble motion ; trick; decepAfter a location, ad res repetendas, and a refus! and a derunciation or indiction of a war, the

tion; knack.

He so light was at legerdemain, war is no more contined to the place of the qua- That what he touch'd came not to light again. rel, but is kit a: large. Bucon,

Hubberde In attirirg, the duke had a fine and unaffected

Of all the tricks and legerdemain by wbich mea pclitores, and up-a occasion costly, as in his legetio-us.

impose upon their own souls, there

Wotton. Llu-TOR. 2. s. [from lego, Lat.) One

coirmon as the plea of a good intention. South.

LEGEʻRITY, n. s. [legerete, Fr.] Lightwho makes a wiil, and leaves legacies.

ness; nimbleness ; quickness. Not in Suppose debate Betwixt apetenders to a fair estate,

use. Bequeath'd by some legator's last intent. Dry!

When the mind is quicken'd, LEGEND. n. s. [ligen, Lat.)

The organs though defunct and dead before,

Break up their drowsy grave, and newly move 3. À chronicle or register of the lives of

With casted slough and fresh legerity. Shalip - $2:31ts.

LEGGED. adj. (froin leg:) Having legsi Locomis being grown in a manner to be no

furnished with legs. thz else but neaps of frivolous and scandalous vanuies, they have been even with disdain LE'GIBLE, n. s. [legibilis, Latin.] thrown out, the very nests which bred them ab- 1. Such as may be read. herring item.

Hooker, You observe some clergymen with their heads There are in Rome two sets of antiquities, the

held down within an inch of the cushion, to read dristiar, and the heathen; the former, though of what is hardly legible.

Swift a fresher date, are so embroiled with fable and 2. Apparent; discoverable. kegend, that one receives but little satisfaction. People's opinions of themselves are legible in

Addison, their countenances. Thus a kind imagination 3. Any memorial or relation.

makes a bold mın have vigour and enterprize in And in this !e-end all :hat glorious deed his air and motion; it stamps value and signifiRead, wžils: you arm you; arm you whilst you

cancy upon his face.

Collier, read.

Fairfax. LE'GIBLY. adv. (from legible.] In such a 3. A incredible unauthentick narrative.

manner as may be read. Wit can so the legends, that record More die tales, or fables so absurd? Blackmore.

LE'GION. n. s. (legio, Latin.] It is te way of attaining to Heaven, that makes

1. A body of Roman soldiers, consisting profane scorners so willingly let go the expecta

of about five thousand. tico of it. Ius not the articles of the creed, but The most remarkable piece in Antoninus's the duty to God and their ncighbour, that is pillar is, the figure of Jupiter Pluvius sending

such an inconsistent incredible legend. Bentley. rain on the fainting army of Marcus Aurelius, 4. Any inscription, particularly on mé

and thunderbolts on his enemies, which is the

greatest confirmacion possible of the story of the Com are the beauty and comprehensiveness

Christian legion.

Aduison. of leginds on ancient scins. Addison on Medals. 2. A military force. LE'tir. n. s. [from legger, Dutch. To

She to foreign realms lie or remaia in a p'ace.]

Sends forth her dreadtul legions.

Plilijas. Any thing that lies in a place; as, a leger ambas

3. Any great number.

Not in the legions sador, a resident, one that continues at Of horrid hell, san come a devil more damn'd the court to which he is sent; a leger.

Sbakspuri.

a

dals or con...

ror.

acid spirit.

Pope.

The partition between good and evil is broken 2. Genuinely. down; and where one sin has entered, legions will By degrees he rose to Jove's imperial seat ;

force their way through the same breach. Rogers. Thus ditficulties prove a soul legitimately great. LEGIONARY, adj. (froin legion.]

Dryden. 1. Relating to a legion.

LEGITIMA’TION. n. s. [legitimation, tr. 2. Containing a legion.

from legitimate.] 3. Containing a great indefinite number. 1. Lawiul birth. Too many applying themselves betwixt jest

I have disclaimed my land; and earnest, make up the legionary body of er- Legitimation, name, and all is gone:

Prown. Then, gocd iny mother, let me know my father. LEGISLA'TION. n. s. [from legislator,

Sbakspeare. Lat.] The act of giving laws.

From whence will arise many questions of lee Pythagoras joined legislation to his philosophy,

gitimation, and what in nature is the difference betwixt a vitc and a concubine.

Locke, and, like others, pretended to miracles and reveJations from God, to give a more venerable

2. The act of investing with the privileges sanction to the laws he prescribed. Littleton. of lawful birth. LEGISLA’TIVE. adj. [from legislator.] LEGUME. 1n. s. [legume, Fr. legumen, Giving laws; lawgiving.

LEGU'MLN. S Lat.] Seeds not reaped, Their legislative frenzy they repent,

but gathered by the hand; as, beans : Enacting it should make no precedent. Denham. in general, all larger seeds ; pulse. The poet is a kind of lawgiver, and those qua

Some legumens, as peas or beans, if newly litics are proper to the legislative style. Dryden.

gathered and distilled in a retort, will afford an LEGISLA’TOR. n. s. (legislaior, I atin;

Bcylc. legislateur, French.] A lawgiver ; one In the spring fell great rains, upon which enwho makes laws for any community.

sued a most destructive mildew upon the corn It spoke like a legislator: the thing spoke was

and legumnes.

Arbutbnct. a law.

South. LEGU'MINOUS. adj. [legumineux, Fr. Heroes in animated marble frown,

from legumcn.) Belonging to pulse ; And legislators seem to think in stone.

consisting of pulse. LEGISLA'TURE. n. s. (trom legislator, The properest food of the vegetable kingdom Latin.] The power that makes laws. is taken from the farinaceous seeds: as oats,

Without the concurrent consent of all three barley, and wheat: or of some of the siliquose parts of the legislature, no law is, or can be made. or leguminous; as, peas or beans. Arbutbnos.

Hale. LE'ISURABLY.adv. (from irisurable.) At In the notion of a legislature is implied a power leisure ; without tumult or hurry. to change, repeal, and suspend laws in being, as

Let us beg of God, that when the hour of our well as to make new laws.

Addison.

rest is come, the patterns of our dissolution may By the supreme magistrate is properly under

be Jacob, Moses, Joshua, and David, who leistood the legislative power; but the word magi

surably ending their lives in peace, prayed for strate sceming to denote a single person, and to

the mercies of God upon their posterity. Hooker. express the exccutive power, it came to pass that the obedience due to the legislature was, for

LE'ISURABLE. Cuj (trom leisure.] Done want of considering this easy distinction, misap

at leisure; not hurried; enjoying lei. plied to the adniinistration.

Saevt. LEGITIMACY, 11. s. [from legitimate.]

A relation inexcusable in his works of leisur. 1. Lawfulness of birth.

able hours, the examination being as ready as the relation.

Brown. In respect to his legitimacy, it will be good.

riyliffe. LE’ISURE. n. s. [loisir, French.) 2. Genuineness; not spuriousness. 1. Freedom from business or hurry; va.

'The ligitimacy or reality of these marine bo- cancy of mind; power to spend time dies vindicated, I now inquire by what means according to choice.

they were hurried out of the ocean. Wo.dw. LEGITIMATE. adj. (from legitinius,

A gentleman feil very sick, and a friend said

to him, Send for a physician; but the sick man Lat. legitime, French.] Born in mar- answercd, It is no matter; for if I die, I will die riage ; lawfully begotten.

at leisure.

Bacon's Apophthegms. Legitimate Edgar, I must have your land;

Where ambition and avarice have made po Our father's love is to the bastard Edmund. entrance, the desire of leisure is much more na

Sbakspeare.

tural than of business and care. Temple, An adultereus person is tied to make prori- You may enjoy your quiet in a garden, where sion for the children begotten in unlawful en- you have nut only the leisure of thinking, but braces, that they may do no injury to the legiti

the pleasure to think of nothing which can disa muute, by receiving a portion. Taylor. compose your mind.

Dryden. To LEGITIMATE. v. a. (legitimer, Fr. 2. Convenience of time. from the adjective. ]

We'll make our lisures to attend on yours. i. To procure to any the rights of le.

Sbaksjeures gitimate birth.

They summond up their meiny, straic took Legitimate him that was a bastard. Aylife.

horse; 2. To make lawful.

Commanded me to follow, and attend

The leisure of their answer. It would be impossible for any enterprize to he lawful, if that which should legitimate it is

O happy youth! subsequent to it, ar.d can have no influence to

For whom thy fates reserve so fair a bride :

He sigh'd, and had no leisure more to say, make it good or bj.

Decay of Piety. His honour call'd his eyes another way. Dryd. LEGITIMAT!LX.r.lv. [from legitimate.] I shall leave with him that rebuke, to be con1. Lawfully.

sidered as his leisure,

sure.

Sbakspeare.

a

Locke

your bliss,

Having thus got the idea of duration, the next TO LE'NGTHEN. V. n. To grow longer; thing is to get some measure of this common due

to increase in length. ration, whereby to judge of its diferent lengths.

Locke.

One may as well make a yard, whose parts

lengtben and shrink, as a measure of trade in ma5. Long duration or protraction.

terials, that have not always a settled value. May heav'ı, great monarch, still augment

Locke.

Still 'tis farther from its end; With length of days, and every day like this. Dry. Still finds its error lengthen with its way. Prior.

Such toil requír'd the Roman name, LENGTHWISE. adv. [length and wise.] Such length of labour for so vast a frame. Dryd. In length of time it will cover the whole plain,

According to the length ; in a longituand make one mountain with that on which it

dinal direction. now stands.

Addison. Le'nient, adj. [leniens, Latin.] 6. Reach or expansion of any thing. 1. Assuasive ; softening; mitigating.

I do not recommend to all a pursuit of sciences, In this one passion man can strength enjoy; to those extensive lengtbs to which the moderns Time, that on all things lays his lenient hand, have advanced.

Watts. Yet tames not this; it sticks to our last sard. *7. Full extent; uncontracted state.

Pope. If Lætitia, who sent me this account, will ac- 2. With of. quaint me with the worthy gentleman's name,

Consolatories writ I will insert it at length in one of my papers. With study'd argument, and much persuasioa

Spectator.

sought 8. Distance.

Lenient of grief and anxious thought. Milton. He had marched to the length of Exeter, which 3. Laxative ; emollient. he had some thought of besieging. Clarendon, Oils relax the fibres, are lenient, balsamick,

Arlutbrot. 9. End ; latter part of any assignable time.

and abate acrimony in the blood. Churches purged of things burdensome, all

LE'NIENT. n. s. An emollient, or assuawas brought at the length unto that wherein we

sive application. now stand.

Hooker. I dressed it with lenients. Wiseman's Surgery. A crooked stick is not straitened, unless it be To Le'NIFY. V. n. [lenifier, old Fr. lenio, bent as far on the clear contrary side, that so it Lat.) To assuage; to mitigate. may settle itself at the length in a middle state

Used for squinancies and iniammations in the of evenness between them both. Hooker.

throat, it seemeth to have a mollifying and leni10. At LENGTH. (An adverbial mode

fying virtue.

Baron. of speech. It was formerly written at All soft'ning simples, known of sov'reign use, the length.] At last ; in conclusion. He presses out, and pours their noble juice; At length, at length, I have thee in my arms,

These first infus'd, to lenify the pain, Though our malevolent stars have struggled

He tugs with pincers, but he tugs in vain. Dryd. hard,

LE'Nitive. adj. [lenitif, Fr. lenio, Lat.) And held us long asunder.

Dryden. Assuasive; emollient. TO LE'NGTHEN. v. a. [from length.]

Some plants have a milk in them; the cause 1. To draw out; to make longer; to may be an inception of putrefaction : for those elongate.

milks have all an acrimony, though one would Relaxing the fibres, is making them flexible, or

think they should be lenitive.

Bacon.

There is aliment lenitive expelling the faces casy to be lengthened without rupture. Arbuthnot. Falling dews with spangles deck'd the glade,

without stimulating the bowels; such are animal oils.

Arbatinot. And the low sun had lengthen'd every shade.

LE'NITIVE. n. S.

Pope. 2. To protract; to continue.

1. Any thing medicinally applied to ease Frame your mind to mirth and merriment, pain. Which bars a thousand harms, and lengibens life. 2. A palliative.

Sbukspeare. There are lenitives that friendship will apply, Break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine before it would be brought to decretory rigours. iniquities by showing mercy to the poor: if it

South. may be a lengtbening of thy tranquillity. Daniel. It is in our power to secure to ourselves an

LE'NITY. n. s. [lenitas, Lat.) Mildness; ; interest in the divine mercies that are yet to

mercy; tenderness ; softness of temper. come, and to lengtben the course of our present

He iry gives consent, prosperity.

Atterbury.

Of meer compassion, and of lenity,

To ease your country. *3. To protract pronunciation.

Lenity must gain
The learned languages were less constrained

The mighty men, and please the discontent. in the quantity of every syllable, beside helps of

Daniel. grammatical figures for the lengtbening or abbre- Albeit so ample a pardon was proclaimed viation of them.

Dryden. touching treason, yet could not the boldness be 4. TO LENGTHEN out. [The particle out

beaten down either with severity, or with lerity

be abated. is only emphatical.] To protract ; to

hayriwidi

These jealousies extend.

Have but one rout, the old imprison'd king, What if I please to lengthen out his date Whose lenity first pleased the gaping crowd: A day, and take a pride to cozen fate? Dryden. But when long ery'd, and found supinely good, I'd hoard up every moment of my life,

Like Æsop's log, they leapi upon his back. To lengiben out the payment of my tears. Dryd. It lengthens out every act of worship, and proc Lens. n. s. (from rest mblance to the seed

Dryder duces more lasting and permanent impressions in the mind, than those which accompany any

of a lentil.) transient form of words.

Adiison. A glass spherically convex on both sides, i

Shakspeert.

a