1876), p. 255. There is also a small manuscript collection of poems by Lenton in the Duke of Buccleuch's Library at Dalkeith. First comes a dedicatory address to Edward, lord Montagu, baron of Boughton. Then follow poems on ‘Christmas Day,’ ‘St. Stephen's Day,’ the ‘Infant's Murther,’ and finally ‘Upon your Honour's Blessings.’ The collection, which is bound up with a ‘Treatise on Gunnery’ and ‘A Boke of the Office of the Ordynance for a Feilde or Campe,’ has little poetical merit (note communicated by A. H. Bullen, esq.) Lenton's last production was ‘The Muses Obligation, expressed in Anagrammes, Acrosticks, and an Encomiastick Gratulation reflecting on the Name, Honor, and Dignity newly confered by King Charles his fauor. On the Honourable, Nobly Mynded, Affable, and Ingenuous Sr James Stonehouse, Knight and Baronett,’ 1641, 4to. The original manuscript of this work, which was never printed, was sold at Sotheby's 4 June 1884, No. 155 (Hazlitt, Collections and Notes, 3rd ser. p. 140). Rimbault supposed that the poet was identical with a ‘Francis Lenton of Lincoln's Inn, Gent.,’ who died on 12 May 1642 (obituary manuscript at Stanton Hall, Leicestershire), but it is difficult, if not impossible, to reconcile this date with the fact that some verses signed Fra. Lenton and addressed to Richard Lovelace, ‘on his exquisite Poems,’ are prefixed to the first edition of ‘Lucasta’ (1649).
Oldys speaks of Lenton and his works with familiar contempt, and his estimate is rather confirmed by the imbecility of many of the ‘anagrams.’ Brydges, however, takes a more lenient view of his ‘ingenious particularities.’
[Brydges's Restituta, ii. 36, iii. 508; British Bibliographer, ii. 538; Peers of James I, p. 54; Beloe's Anecdotes, vi. 203; Warton's English Poetry, ed. Hazlitt, iii. 318; Notes and Queries, 1st ser. ii. 117; Lowndes's Bibl. Man. ed. Bohn; Addit. MSS. 24487 and 5508, f. 102 (Hunter's Chorus Vatum); Brit. Mus. Cat.]
LENTON, JOHN (fl. 1682–1718), musician, was sworn gentleman of the Chapel Royal extraordinary on 10 Nov. 1685 (Rimbault). He played the violin and flute, and was a member of the royal band from 1692 to 1718 (Angliæ Notitia).
Lenton wrote: 1. The music to ‘Venice Preserved,’ 1682, some manuscript parts of which are in the library of the Royal College of Music. 2. Songs in D'Urfey's third collection, 1685. 3. Catches in ‘Apollo's Banquet,’ pt. i., 1693. 4. ‘The Gentleman's Diversion, or the Violin Explained,’ 1694. 5. (In conjunction with Thomas Tollet) ‘A Consort of Music in Three Parts,’ 1694. This is probably the work described by Walther as instrumental trios by Lenton or Lenthon, published in Holland. 6. Airs in the tragedy ‘The Ambitious Stepmother,’ published by Walsh in 1701. 7. ‘The Useful Instructor for the Violin,’ being a second edition of ‘The Gentleman's Diversion,’ with an appendix and the airs omitted, 1702. Overture and act tunes to the following plays: 8. ‘Tamerlane,’ 1702; 9. ‘Fair Penitent,’ 1703; 10. ‘Liberty Asserted,’ 1704; 11. ‘Abra Muley,’ 1704 (library of the Royal College). 12. Additions and corrections to Playford's ‘Wit and Mirth,’ 1709. 13. Catches in ‘Pleasant Musical Companion,’ 1720. 14. Trio, ‘Awake, fair Venus’ (Egerton MS. 2013).
[Hawkins's Hist. of Music, ii. 770; Rimbault's Old Cheque-book of the Chapel Royal, passim; Chamberlayne's Angliæ Notitia, 1692–1718; Wood's manuscript Lives; Gerber's Neues Tonkünstler-Lexikon, pt. iii.; Husk's Catalogue; Walsh's Harmonia Anglicana; Post Boy, 1701; Genest's Hist. of the Stage, 1682–1710; cf. Sloane MS. 4051, f. 157.]
LEOFRIC (Lat. Leuricus), Earl of Mercia (d. 1057), was son of Leofwine, ealdorman of the Hwiccas (Worcestershire), and brother of Northman, slain by Cnut's orders in 1017. His father, probably after the death of Eadric or Edric Streona [q. v.] in 1017, became earl of Mercia. Leofric witnesses charters as ‘minister’ or thegn, perhaps from 1005 (Kemble, Codex, No. 714), or earlier, to 1026, in which year he is also described as ‘dux’ (ib. Nos. 742, 743), though the charter is probably spurious (Norman Conquest, i. 461 n.) Florence (an. 1017) says that on Northman's death Cnut made Leofric earl in his stead, and that he always regarded him with affection. In the face of the later descriptions of Leofric as thegn, the first statement is hard to accept, and it has been suggested that the passage contains a confusion between Leofric and his father Leofwine (ib. u.s.) Leofric may have received some government, perhaps that of Chester, before held by Northman, and he certainly had a grant from Cnut of Hampton, Worcestershire, formerly granted by Ethelred to Northman (comp. Kemble, Nos. 662 and 938). By 1032 Leofric was an earl, and as Leofwine does not appear as a witness to charters after 1024, it may fairly be assumed that at some date between 1024 and 1032 Leofric succeeded his father in the earldom of Mercia, which was at that time of less extent than the ancient kingdom, for portions had been cut off to form inferior earldoms, and though Leofric's superiority was no doubt recognised by other earls, his immediate rule probably did not for many years after he had received his father's earl-
