Fous vapours which fet fire to the hay and corn tacks, but were driven away by prefenting to them a pointed iron inftrument, or by making a noife. Both thefe are known to have a great effect upon the electric matter; and by means of either, lightning may occafionally be made to fall upon or to avoid particular places, according to the circumftances by which the general mafs hap pens to be effected. On the whole, therefore, it feems most probable, that the ignis fatuus is a collection of vapours of the putrefcent kind, very much affected by electricity; according to the degree of which, it will either give a weak or ftrong light, or even fet fire to certain fubftances. This opinion feems to be confirmed from fome luminous appearances obferved in privies, where the putrid vapours have been collected into balls, and exploded violently on the approach of a candle. This laft effect, however, we cannot fo well afcribe to the electricity, as to the accenfion of the inflammable air which abounds in fuch places. In the appendix to Dr Priestley's 3d volume of Experiments and Obfervations on Air, Mr Warltire gives an account of fome very remarkable ignes fatui, which he obferved on the road to Bromfgrove, about 5 miles from Birmingham. The time of obfervation was the 12th of December 1776, before day-light. Many of thefe lights were playing in an adjacent field, in different die rections; from fome of which there fuddenly fprung up bright branches of light, fomething refembling the explosion of a rocket that contained many brilliant ftars, if the discharge was upwards, inftead of the ufual direction, and the hedge and trees on each fide of the hedge were illuminated. This appearance continued but a few feconds, and then the jack-a-lanterns played as before.. Mr Warltire was not near enough to obferve if the apparent explosions were attended with any report. Cronstedt gives it as his opinion, that ignes fatui, as well as falling ftars, are owing to collections of inflammable air raifed to a great height in the atmosphere. But, with regard to the latter, the vaft height at which they move, evidently shows that they cannot be the effect of any gravitating vapour whatever; for the lighteft inflammable air is one 12th of that of the common atmosphere: and we have no reason to believe, that at the distance of 40 or 50 miles from the earth, the latter has near one 12th of its weight at the furface. From the account given by Mr Warltire, we fhould be apt to conclude, that there is a ftrong affinity betwixt the ignes fatui and fire-balls, infomuch that the one might be very eafily converted into the other. Electricity can affume both these appearances, as is evident in the cafe of points; or even when the atmofphere is violently electrified, as around the ftring of an electrified kite, which always will appear to be furrounded with a blue flame in the night, if the electricity be very ftrong. On the whole, it appears, that electricity, acting upon a fmall quantity of atmospherical air with a certain degree of vigour, will produce an appearance refembling an ignis fatuus; with a fuperior force it will produce a fire-ball; and a fudden increase of electrical power might produce thofe fparks and apparent explosions obferved by Mr Warltire. With regard to the ufes of the ignes fatui in the fyftem of nature, we can only fay, that they seem to be accidental appearances refulting from the motion of the electric fluid, and are, no doubt, like other meteors, fubfervient to the preservation of its equilibrium, and thus are useful in preventing thofe dreadful commotions which enfue when a proper medium for fo doing is deficient. A light, in fome respects fimilar to those above mentioned, has been found to proceed from that celebrated chemical production called phosphorus, which always tends to decompose itself, fo as to take fire by the accefs of air only. See PHOSPHORUS. The eafieft method of accounting for all these kinds of lights, is from electricity. If light confifts in a certain vibration of the electric fluid, then it follows, that in whatever fubftances fuch a vibration takes place, there light muft appear, whether in putrefcent animal fubftances, fea-water, phosphorus, or any thing elfe. We know that the electric matter pervades all terreftrial fubftances, and is very liable to be fet in motion from caufes of which we are ignorant. The action of the air by which putrefaction is produced, may be one of thefe caufes; and it can by no means appear surprising, that the electric matter should act in the bodies of living animals in fuch a mar ner as to produce a permanent light, when we know it acts in fome of them fo powerfully as to produce a fhock fimilar to that of a charged vial. When this vibration becomes fo powerful as to penetrate the folid fubftance of the body itself, the luminous body then becomes tranfparent, as in M. Beccarius's experiment with the pholades in milk (fee PHOLAS); but when it is only fuperficial, the body, though it emits light, is itself opaque. (15.) LIGHT SHINING IN THE DARK FROM DIAMONDS, &c. Among luminous bodies the diamond is to be reckoned; as fome diamonds are known to fhine in the dark. But on account of the feebleness of their splendour, it is neceffary for the perfon who is to obferve them, previously to ftay in the dark about a quarter of an hour; that the pupil of the eye may be dilated and enlarged, and fo rendered capable of receiving a larger quantity of the rays of light. M. du Fay has alfo obferved, that the eyes ought to be shut for this time, or at leaft one of them; and that, in that cafe, the light of the diamond is afterwards only feen by that eye which has been fhut. Before the diamond is brought into the dark room, it must be expofed to the fun-fhine, or at least to the open day-light, to imbibe a fufficient quantity of rays; and this is done in one minute, or even lefs; 8 or to feconds having been found to furnish as much light as a ftone is capable of receiving; and when brought into the dark, its light continues about 12 or 13 minutes, weakening all the while by infenfible degrees. It is very remarkable, that in bodies fo extremely fimilar to each other as diamonds are, fome fhould have this property of imbibing the fun's rays, and fhining in the dark, and that others fhould not; yet fo it is found by experiment; and the most nearly resembling ftones thall be found, one to have this property, and another to be deftitute of it; while many of the moft diffimilar have the property in common. There feems to be no rule, nor even the leaft traces of Ee 2 any monly at intervals of feveral minutes: and when feveral flowers in the fame place emitted their light together, it could be obferved at a confiderable distance. This phenomenon was remarked in July and Auguft at fun-fet, and for half an hour, when the atmosphere was clear; but after a rainy day, or when the air was loaded with vapours, nothing of it was feen. The following flowers emitted flashes, more or lefs vivid, in this order: 1. The marigold, galendula officinalis. 2. Monk's hood, tropaolum majus. 3. The orange lily, lilium bulbiferum! 4. The Indian pink, tagetes patula et erecta. To difcover whether some little infects or phosphoric worms might not be the cause of it, the flowers were carefully examined, even with a mifcroscope, without any fuch being found. From the rapidity of the flash, and other circumstances, there feems to be fomething of electricity in this phenomenon. It is well known, that when the piftil of a flower is impregnated, the pollen burfts away by its elafticity, with which electricity may be combined. M. Haggern, after having obferved the flash from the orange lily, the antheræ of which are a confiderable space diftant from the petals, found that the light proceeded from the petals only; whence he concludes, that this electric light is caused by the pollen, which, in flying off, is fcattered on the petals. Whatever be the cause, the effect is highly curious. any imperfect rule of judging, which diamonds have, and which have not this property; their na tural brightness, their purity, their fize, or their fhape, contribute nothing to it; and all that has been yet discovered of the leaft regularity among them is, that all the yellow diamonds have this property. This may probably arife from their having more fulphur in their compofition, and there fore illuminating more readily, or emitting a more vifible flame. M. du Fay tried whether it wss poffible to make the diamond retain, for any longer time, the light it naturally parts with fo foon; and found, that if the diamond, after being expofed to the light, be covered with black wax, it will fhine in the dark, as well fix hours afterwards as at the time it was firft impregnated with the light. The imbibing light, in this manner, being a property not found in all diamonds, it was not to be fuppofed that it would be found in any other ftones. On trial, the ruby, the fapphire, and the topaz, were found wholly deftitute of it; but among a large number of rough emeralds, one was found to poffefs it. Such is the ftrange uncertainty of these accidents. All the other lefs precious ftones were tried, and found not to poffefs this property of imbibing light from the daylight or fun-fhine, but they all became luminous by the different means of heating or friction; with this difference, that fome acquired it by one of these methods, and others by the other; each being unaffected by that which gave the property to the other. The diamond becomes luminous by all thefe methods. Beccarius alfo difcovered, that diamonds bave the property of the Bolognian phofphorus, about the fame time that it occurred to M. du Fay. Com. Bonan. vol. ii. p. 276. M. du Fay obferved, that the common topaz, when calcined, had all the properties of this phosphorus; and pursuing the difcovery, he found the fame property, in a great degree, in the belemnites, gypfum, lime-ftone, and marble: though he was obliged to diffolve fome very hard fubftances of this kind in acids, before calcination could produce this change in them; and with fome fubftances he could not fucceed even thus, especially with flintstones, river fand, jafpers, agates, and rock-cryftal. (16.) LIGHT, SOURCES OF. Dr Thomfon, in his Syft. of Chem. (Vol. I. p. 253.) enumerates 4" different fources from which light is emitted in a vifible form:" viz. "1. The SUN and STARS." (See ASTRONOMY, Index.) "2.COMBUSTION: 3.HEAT; and, 4. PERCUSSION." See thefe articles; and E. LECTRICITY, Ind. FLINT, STEEL, &C. (17.) LIGHT TRANSMITTED FROM PLANTS. In Sweden a very curious phenomenon has been observed on certain flowers by M. Haggern, lecturer in natural hiftory. One evening he perceived a faint flash of light repeatedly dart from a marigold. Surprised at fuch an uncommon appearance, he refolved to examine it with attention; and, to be affured it was no deception, he placed a man near him, with orders to make a fignal at the moment when he obferved the ight. They both faw it Conftantly at the fame moment. The night was moft brilliant on marigolds of an orange or flame colour, but fcarcely visible on pale ones. The fiat. was frequently feen on the fame flower two or three times in quick fucceffion; but more.com (18.) LIGHT, VELOCITY OF. See $5 and ro. (IV.) LIGHTS, in painting, are those parts of a piece which are illuminated, or that lie open to the luminary, by which the piece is supposed to be enlightened; and which, for this reason, are painted in bright vivid colours. In this fense, light is oppofed to fhadow. Different lights have very differents effects on a picture, and occafion a difference in the management of every part. A great deal therefore depends on a painter's choofing a proper light for his piece to be illuminated by; and a great deal more, in the conducting of the lights and fhadows, when the luminary is pitched upon. The ftrength and relievo of a figure, as well as its gracefulness, depend entirely on the management of the lights, and the joining of thofe to the fhadows. The light a figure receives is either direct or reflected; to each of which special regard muft be had. The doctrine of lights and fhadows makes that part of painting called chiaro obfcura. * (1.) To LIGHT. v. a. [from light, #. f. 1. To kindle; to inflame; to fet on fire; to make flame-Swinging coals about in the wire, thoroughly lighted them. Boyle.-This truth fhines fo clear, that to go about to prove it, were to light a candle to feek the fun. Glanv.- 2. The maids, who waited her commands, Fresh from the pure glance of thine eye, Crafbaw. Το To light the dead, and warm th' unfruitful urn. Pope. 3. To illuminate; fill with light. The fun was fet, and vefper to fupply His abfent beams, had lighted up the sky. Dryd. 4. Up is emphatically joined to light. No fun was lighted up the world to view. Dryden. s. [From the adjective.] To lighten; to ease of a burthen. Land fome of our paffengers, And light this weary veffel of her load. Fairy Q. (2.) * To LIGHT. v. n. [lickt, chance, Dutch; preter. lighted or light, or lit.] 1. To happen to find; to fall upon by chance: it has on before the thing found. No more fettled in valour than difpofed to justice, if either they had lighted on a better friend, or could have learned to make friend. ship a child, and not the father of virtue. Sidney. The prince, by chance, did on a lady light, That was right fair, and fresh as morning rofe. Spenfer. Haply, your eye fhall light upon some toy You have defire to purchase. Shak. -This people did light upon two ringleaders. Bacon.-Theroyal oak did light upon Count Rhodophil. Howel.-The way of producing fuch a change on colours may be eafily enough lighted on, by those converfant in the folutions of mercury. Boyle. He fought by arguments to foothe her pain; Nor those avail'd; at length he lights on one. Dryden. -Truth, light upon this way, is of no more avail to us than error; for what is fo taken up by us, may be falfe as well as true. Locke.-Whofoever firft lit on a parcel of that substance we call gold, could not rationally take the bulk and figure to depend on its real effence. Locke. As wily reynard walk'd the streets at night, On a tragedian's mask he chanc'd to light, Turning it o'er, he mutter'd with disdain, How vaft a head is here without a brain! Addif. -A weaker man may fometimes light on notions which have escaped a wifer. Watts on the Mind. 2. To fall in any particular direction: with onThe wounded fteed curvets; and rais'd upright, Lights on his feet. 3. To fall; to strike on: with on. Dryden. The stroke upon his shield so heavy lights, That to the ground it doubleth him full low. Spenfer. -At an uncertain lot none can find themselves grieved on whomsoever it lighteth. Hooker.-They shall hunger no more; neither fhall the fun light on them, nor any heat. Rev. vii. 16. On me, me only, as the fource and spring Of all corruption, all the blame lights due. Milt. -A curse lights upon him prefently after his great army is utterly ruined, be himself flain in it, and his head and right hand cut off, and hung up before Jerufalem. South. 4. [Alightan, Saxon.] To defcend from a horse or carriage.-When Naaman faw him running after him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet him. 2 Kings v. 21. I faw 'em falute on horfeback, Beheld them when they lighted, how they clung In their embracement. Shak. -Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when the faw She lights on that, and this, and tafteth all, But pleas'd with none, doth rise, and foar away. Davies. -Plant trees and fhrubs near home, for bees to pitch on at their fwarming, that they may not be in danger of being loft for want of a lighting place. Mortimer. (1.)* To LIGHTEN. v. a. [from light.] 1. To illuminate; to enlighten. Upon his bloody finger he doth wear Which fett'ft the eye without, and mind within! Shines out afresh; and through the lighten'd air Thomfon's Summer. 2. To exonerate; to unload. [from light, adj.] -The mariners were afraid, and caft forth the wares that were in the fhip into the fea, to lighten it. Jon. i. 7. 3. To make lefs heavy.Now I feel by proof, 4. That fellowship in pain divides not smart, Nor lightens ought each man's peculiar load. When I am dull with care and melancholy, Lightens my humour with his merry jeft. Shak. Few tragedies fhall fucceed in this age, if they are not lightened with a course of mirth. Dryden. (2.) To LIGHTEN. v. n. [bit light, Saxon.] 1. To flash with thunder. * I have no joy of this contract to-night; It is too rafh, too unadvis'd, too fudden, Too like the light'ning, which doth cease to be Ere one can fay it lightens. Shak. -The lightning that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, howeth unto the other part. Luke. 2. To fhine like lightning Yet looks he like a king: behold his eye, As bright as is the eagle's, lightens forth Controlling Majesty. Shak. 3. To fall to light.-O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us, as we do put our truft in thee. Common Prayer. (1.) * LIGHTER.n.f. [from light, to make light.] A A heavy boat into which fhips are lightened or unloaded. They have cock boats for paffengers, and lighters for burthen. Carea. He climb'd a ftranded lighter's height, Shot to the black abyfs, and plung'd downright. Pope. (2.) LIGHTER, a large, open, flat-bottomed veffel, generally managed with oars, and employed to carry goods to or from a fhip when the is to be laden or delivered.-There are alfo fome lighters furnished with a deck throughout their whole length, to carry goods which would be damaged by rainy weather. They are usually called clofe lighters. * LIGHTERMAN. n.f. [lighter and man.] One who manages a lighter.Where much shipping is employed, whatever becomes of the merchant, multitudes of people will be gainers; as shipwrights, butchers, carmen, and lightermen. Child. *LIGHTFINGERED. adj. [light and finger.] Nimble at conveyance; thievifh. (1.) LIGHTFOOT, John, D. D. a very learned English divine, was the fon of a divine, and born in March 1602, at Stoke upon Trent in Staffordfhire. Having finished his ftudies at Morton-green near Congleton, Chefhire, he went in 1617 to Cambridge, where he was thought the best orator of the under-graduates in the univerfity. He alfo made an extraordinary proficiency in the Latin and Greek; but neglected the Hebrew. His tafte for the oriental languages was not yet excited; and as for logic, the ftudy of it, as then conducted among the academics, was too quarrelfome for his meek difpofition. As foon as he had taken the degree of B. A. he left the univerfity, and became affiftant to a school at Repton in Derbyshire. About 2 years after he entered into or ders, and became curate of Norton under Hales in Shropshire, near Bellaport, the feat of Sir Rowland Cotton; who, being his conftant hearer, made him his chaplain, and took him into his house. This gentleman being a perfect master of the Hebrew language, engaged Lightfoot in that ftudy; who foon became fenfible that without that knowledge it was impoffible to attain an accurate understanding of the fcriptures. He therefore applied himself to it with extraordinary vigour, and quickly made great progrefs in it: and his patron removing with his family to London, at the request of Sir Allan Cotton his uncle, then lord-mayor, he followed him thither. But, wifhing to improve himself by travelling, he went down into Staffordshire to take leave of his parents. Paffing through Stone in that county, he found the place deftitute of a minifter: and the preffing folicitations of the parishioners prevailed upon him to undertake that cure. Laying afide his defign therefore of travelling, he refolved to fettle at home. During his refidence at Bellaport, he had fallen acquainted with a daughter of William Crompton of Stonepark, Efq.; and now being in poffeffion of that living, he married her in 1628. But his unquenchable thirst after rabbinical learning would not suffer him to continue there, Sion college library at London, he knew, was well ftocked with books of that kind. He therefore quitted his charge at Stone, and removed with his family to Hornfey, near London, where he gave the public a notable fpecimen of his advancement in thofe ftudies, by his Eurubhim, or Miscel lanies Chriftian and Judaical, in 1629. He was then only 27 years of age; and appears to have been well acquainted with the Latin and the Greek fathers, as well as with the claffics. Thefe first fruits of his ftudies were dedicated to Sir Rowland Cotton; who, in 1631, presented him to the rectory of Afhley in Staffordshire. As he feemed now to be fixed for life, he built a ftudy in the garden, to be out of the noise of the house; and applied himself with indefatigable diligence in fearching the fcriptures. Thus employed, his days paffed very agreeably, till the great change which happened in the public affairs brought him into a fhare of the adminiftration relating to the church; for he was nominated a member of the memorable affembly of divines at Weftminfter for fettling a new form of ecclefiaftical polity. This appointment was merely the effect of his diftiuguished merit; and he accepted it folely with a view to ferve his country, as far as lay in his pow er. This induced him to refign his rectory, and having obtained the prefentation for a younger brother, he fet out for London in 1642. He had now fatisfied himself in clearing up many of the abftrufeft paffages in the Bible, and therein had provided the chief materials, as well as formed the plan, of his Harmony; which he embraced the opportunity of putting to the press, at London, where he had not been long before he was chofen minifter of St Bartholomew's. The affembly of divines meeting in 1643, he attended regularly, and made a diftinguished figure in their debates; where he ufed great freedom, and gave fignal proofs of his courage as well as learning, in oppofing many of those tenets which some of the divines endeavoured to establish. His learning recommended him to the parliament, whose visitors, having ejected Dr William Spurftow from the maftership of Catharine-hall in Cambridge, put Lightfoot in his place, in 1653; and he was also prefented to the living of Much-Munden in Hertfordshire, upon the death of Dr Samuel Ward. Meanwhile he had his turn in preaching before the house of commons, most of which fermons were printed; and in them we fee him warmly preffing the fpeedy fettlement of the church in the Prefbyterian form, which he cordially believed to be moft agreeable to fcripture. He was all the while employed in publishing the feveral branches of his Harmony, which afforded so many decifive proofs of the usefulness of learning to true religion: but he met with great difcouragements in that work, chiefly from that anti-eruditional spirit which prevailed, and even threatened the de ftruction of the universities. In 1655, he entered upon the office of vice-chancellor of Cambridge, to which he was chofen that year, having taken the degree of D. D. in 1652 with great applause. He executed the office of vice-chancellor with exemplary diligence, and, at the commencement, fupplied the place of profeffor of divinity, then undifpofed of. At the fame time he was engaged with others in perfecting the Polyglot Bible, then in the prefs. At the Restoration he offered to refign the mafterfhi of Catharine-hall; but, as he had had acted from no spirit of opposition to the king and government, a confirmation was granted him from the crown, both of the place and of his living. Soon after this he was appointed one of the affiftants at the conference upon the liturgy, held in 1661, but attended only once or twice; probably disgufted at the heat with which that conference was managed. However, he fuck clofe to his defign of perfecting his Harmony: and being of a healthy conftitution, and exact temperance, he profecuted his ftudies with vigour to the laft, and continued to publifh, notwithstanding the many difficulties he met with from the expence. He died Dec. 6, 1675. He was twice married; his first wife brought him 4 fons and 2 daughters. His fecond wife was relict of Mr Auftin Brograve, uncle of Sir Thomas Brograve, Bart. of Hertfordshire, a gentleman well versed in rabbinical learning, and a particular acquaintance of our author. She alfo died before him, without iffue, and was buried in Munden church; where the doctor was himself likewife interred. Dr Lightfoot's works were collected and published first in 1684, in two volumes folio. The 2d edition was printed at Amfterdam, 1686, in two volumes folio, containing all his Latin writings, with a Latin tranflation of those which he wrote in English. At the end of both thefe editions there is a lift of fuch pieces as he left unfinished. It is the chief of thefe, in Latin, which make up the 3d volume, added to the two former, in a 3d edition of his works, by John Leufden, at Utrecht, in 1699, fol. They were communicated by Mr Strype, who, in 1700, publifhed another collection of these papers, under the title of "Some genuine remains of the late pious and learned Dr John Lightfoot." (2.) LIGHTFOOT. adj. [light and foot.] Nimble in running or dancing; active. Him fo far had borne his lightfoot feed, Pricked with wrath and fiery fierce difdain, That him to follow was but fruitless pain. Fairy Queen. And all the troops of lightfoot Naiades Flock all about to fee her lovely face, Spenfer. (3.) LIGHTFOOT. n. f. Venifon. A cant word. LIGHTHEADED. adj. [light and head.] 1. Unfteady; loofe; thoughtlefs; weak.-The English Liturgy, how pioully and wifely foever framed, had found great oppofition; the ceremonies had wrought only upon lightheaded, weak men, yet learned men excepted against fome particulars. Clarend. 2. Delirious; difordered in the mind by disease. * LIGHTHEADEDNESS. n.. Delirious; diforder of the mind. * LIGHTHEARTED. adj. [light and heart.] Gay; merry; airy; cheerful. LIGHT-HORSE. See HORSE, N° IV. § 3. (1.) LIGHTHOUSE. n. f. [light and boufe.] An high building, at the top of which lights are hung to guide fhips at fea.-He charged himself with the rifque of fuch veffels as carried corn in winter; and built a pharos or lighthouse. Arbuth. -Build two poles to the meridian, with immenfe lighthouses on the top of them. Arbuthnot. (2.) A LIGHT-HOUSE is generally erected up on a cape or promontory on the fea-coast, or up on fome rock in the fea, and has on its top in the night-time a great fire, or light formed by candles, which is conftantly attended by fome careful perfon, fo as to be seen at a great distance from the land. It is ufed to direct the shipping on the coaft, that might otherwise run afhore, or fteer an improper courfe when the darknefs of the night and the uncertainty of currents, &c. might render their fituation with regard to the shore extremely doubtful. Lamp lights are, on many accounts, preferable to coal fires or candles; and the effect of thefe may be increased by placing them either behind glass hemifpheres, or before properly dif pofed glass or metal reflectors; which laft method is now very generally adopted. See BEACON, § 3. *LIGHTLEGGED. adj. [light and leg.] Nimble; fwift.-Lightlegged Pas has got the middle fpace. Sidney. * LIGHTLESS. adj. [from light.] Wanting light; dark. *LIGHTLY. adv. [from light.] 1. Without weight. This grave partakes the fleshly birth, Which covers lightly gentle earth. Ben Johnson's 2. Without deep impreffion. Prior. The foft ideas of the cheerful note, Lightly receiv'd, were eafily forgot. 3. Eafily; readily; without difficulty; of courfe. If they write or speak publicly but five words, one of them is lightly about the dangerous eftate of the church of England in refpect of abused ceremonies. Hooker. Believe't not lightly that your fon Will not exceed the common. Shak. |