that king, the story runs, he was persecuted as a protestant, and died in distress at Paris. For fuller information reference may be made to Beckmann's History of Inventions; and to Timbs Stories of Inventors and Discoverers, London, 1860.—F. E.
LEECH, John, the popular caricaturist, was born in London about 1816. Of one whose designs are so widely known and universally appreciated, it would be superfluous to enter into any critical details. Almost from the commencement of Punch the name of Leech was associated with it. The ready and genial pencils of Mr. Doyle and Mr. Leech were undoubtedly largely instrumental in securing for Punch its popularity and high standing. After Doyle's secession, the mam burden of furnishing its weekly supply of pictorial wit and satire rested upon Mr. Leech. The number of his designs was prodigious; their popularity was shown by their success when reissued in goodly folio volumes, each of some five hundred woodcuts, under the title of "Pictures of Life and Character, from the Collection of Mr. Punch," first series, 1854—second, 1857—third, 1860. Twelve of the series of "Mr. Briggs Fishing" were also issued (1860), enlarged by the process of the electro-block company, and coloured. The designs for Punch's Almanac were chiefly by Mr. Leech. His first separate publication in his own name was "The Rising Generation," a series of twelve drawings on stone, folio, 1840. He illustrated several of the works of Albert Smith, G. A'Becket, &c., and Blaine's Encyclopædia of Rural Sports. In 1851 was commenced a periodical, the Month, by A. Smith and J. Leech, but it did not succeed. Leech died on the 29th October. 1864.
LEECHMAN, William, a Scottish divine of some eminence, was born in 1706 in the parish of Dolphington in Lanarkshire, where his father was a respectable farmer, and was educated for the ministry, chiefly in the university of Edinburgh. In 1727 he became tutor to young Mure of Caldwell, who afterwards distinguished himself as a member of parliament, and one of the lords of session. Residing with the Caldwells in Glasgow during the winter months, he completed his studies there, and attached himself particularly to the teaching of Professors Hutcheson and Dunlop. In 1731 he was licensed by the presbytery of Paisley, and in 1736 he was ordained minister of Beith, where he continued for seven years. The publication of two masterly discourses added to his reputation as a divine of ability and culture, and led to his being proposed as a candidate for the divinity chair of Glasgow, which soon after fell vacant. He had a powerful rival in Mr. John Maclaurin, one of the ministers of the city; but he carried the election in the senatus by the casting vote of the rector. Some trouble followed, as the disappointed party endeavoured, but without effect, to frustrate the election by bringing a charge of heresy against him in the presbytery of Glasgow, founded on his published sermon on prayer. He discharged the duties of the chair for seventeen years with much reputation and success, making it a special object of his lectures to vindicate the truths of natural and revealed religion, against the objections of Bolingbroke, Hume, Voltaire, and other sceptical writers of that age. "The divinity hall of Glasgow was crowded in his time with a greater number of scholars than any other in Scotland," and "even the young men designed for the ministry among the Seceders attended his lectures in considerable numbers, besides many ingenious young men from England and Ireland." So says his biographer, Dr. Wodrow of Stevenston; but when he adds that "his labours did eminent service to the church by diffusing rational and liberal sentiments of religion in that quarter of the country," we take leave to doubt whether the teaching which his biographer applauds was as scriptural as it was liberal, and whether his rational way of thinking was not somewhat rationalizing. Dr. Leechman was chosen moderator of the general assembly in 1757, and was made principal of the university in 1761. He survived till 1785, and two volumes of his sermons were given to the world in 1789, preceded by an account of his life. He had published in 1755 "a large account of the life, writings, and character" of the celebrated Dr. Francis Hutcheson, prefixed to the System of Moral Philosophy, a posthumous work of the latter published in that year. He had been on a footing of intimacy with Hutcheson, and his account is valuable as an authentic portrait of that philosopher.—P. L.
LEFEBVRE, François Joseph, Duc de Dantzic, Marshal of the first French empire, the son of a miller who had served in the army, was born at Ruffach in Alsace on the 25th of October, 1755. He enlisted at eighteen in the gardes Françaises, and was appointed "premier sergent," somewhat equivalent to our sergeant-major, in the year preceding the French revolution Lefebvre's tendencies at that time seem to have been decidedly royalist. When his regiment was disbanded, he became the military instructor of the battalion Filles St. Thomas, and yet is said to have owed his rapid rise to the patronage of terrorists like St. Just. Towards the close of 1793 he was a general of brigade. Serving in the armies of the Moselle and the Rhine under Hoche, whose superior he had been in the gardes Françaises, he was appointed through Hoche's influence general of division, distinguishing himself at Lamberg and Giesberg. His chief distinction was won at the battle of Stockach, 25th of March, 1799, when he held at bay for many hours a vastly superior Austrian force. Wounded at Stockach, he returned to France, and was intrusted by the directory with the command of the troops in Paris. A friend of Bernadotte and Jourdan, Lefebvre appears to have been gained over only at the eleventh hour to give valuable assistance to Napoleon on the 18th Brumaire; such as it was Napoleon never forgot it. With the empire Lefebvre was created a Marshal. In the Prussian campaign of 1806 he fought intrepidly at Jena, and the following year was appointed to the command of the army investing Dantzic. After a skilful siege, the Prussian general to whom he was opposed capitulated, and in commemoration of this important success Lefebvre was created Duc de Dantzic. In 1808 he commanded a corps of the French army in Spain. In 1809 he commanded the Bavarian auxiliaries of France, and at their head fought at Thurn, Abensberg, Eckmuhl, and in the Tyrol. After the peace of Vienna, he received a high command in the imperial guard, and did not quit Paris until the invasion of Russia in 1812. In that expedition the imperial guard had few opportunities of distinguishing itself. In the disastrous retreat from Moscow the old marshal, however, was seen on foot in the middle of his soldiers, sharing with them the fatigues and perils of the march. In Napoleon's closing struggle before the first restoration, Lefebvre seconded him ably, and was most useful in the spring campaign of 1814 on the soil of France. But after the relegation of Napoleon to Elba he offered his sword to Louis XVIII.; however, when the king went to Ghent, he joined Napoleon, who did not ask him to participate in the campaign of Waterloo. At the second restoration he was for a time deprived of his honours, which were afterwards restored to him. He died at Paris of water in the chest, 4th September, 1820.—F. E.
LEFEBVRE, Tanneguy, sometimes called Lefevre or Tannaquil Faber, one of the most eminent scholars of his time, was born at Caen in 1615. He was educated with a view to the church, and in early life distinguished himself by his extraordinary aptitude for learning. The jesuits of La Fleche, under whom he was placed, tried hard, but in vain, to retain him. He spent some years in Normandy, after which he was appointed by Richelieu to superintend the printing establishment of the Louvre. On the accession of Mazarin he removed to Langres for a time, and soon after abjured catholicism and avowed himself a protestant. Some years later he was invited to a professorship at Saumur, which he accepted in preference to the Greek chair at Nimeguen which was offered him at the same time. His success at Saumur was very great, and the reputation of the college increased exceedingly; but his enthusiastic admiration of some of the Greek classics led him to use expressions which gave offence, and involved him in controversy. He, nevertheless, continued at his post for many years, and refused invitations to Utrecht and Leyden. At the very end of his life he accepted the offer of a post at Heidelberg; but just when he was about to go thither he was attacked by fever which proved fatal, and he died on the 12th September, 1672. Laborious and learned, he was also eccentric and improvident. Voltaire affirms that he was more of a philosopher than a Huguenot, and that he despised his sect though he lived in it. There were, no doubt, many defects in his personal character, which was very-little adorned with the graces of religion; but his numerous works on classical subjects will always vindicate for him a foremost rank among the great men of his day.—B. H. C.
LEFEBVRE DESNOUETTES, Charles, Count, a French general, born at Paris in 1773. At an early age he fled from college to join the army, and by his courage and ability rose rapidly in the service. He was made colonel in 1804 and distinguished himself at the battle of Austerlitz; general of brigade in 1806; and general of division in 1808. He served in the
