LISZT. 324 LITCHFIELD. divergent regarding the value of his work and his place in the list of great composers. By many niucli of his work is considered to be not altogether free from charlatanism ; but, contra- dictory as the differing estimates may be, he is unhesitatingly conceded to have been a man of genius. As a pianist he has never been excelled. Besides this Liszt gave to the world a method of technique and interpretation b}' which the piano beeanie almost as eloquent as the orchestra. Thematic catalogues and lists of his many com- positions are plentiful. He wrote chiefly for the piano, althougli toward the end of his life or- chestral and religious compositions were in the majority. Few great men have been more loyal to their friends and convictions than was Liszt, and still fewer have been as greatly beloved by their contemporaries, or as highly honored by the world. His writings include: Lohcnf/rin et Tann- hiiuser de Richard Wa(/ner (1851); Fridiric Chopin (1852) ; Vcher Fields yotttinios (1859) ; Robert Franz (1872) ; and, most important, Des Bohemiens et de leur musiquc en Iloiigrie (1859). He (lied in the midst of a Wagner festival at Bayreuth, -July 31, 1880. Consult: Ramann, Franz Liszt als Kiinstler und Mensch (Leip- zig, 1894). the best biography: Von Lenz, Great Piano Virtuosos (Xew York. 1899) ; Amy Fay, Music Study in Germany (New York, 1880), an excellent personal sketch; and. for a critical ap- preciation. Huneker, Mezzotints in Modern Music (New York, 1899). LI TAI PEH, le tl pe (c.700-763). A Chinese poet, sometimes called Li Po. Born in a far western province, he became a member of a bac- chanalian group of six young poets, wandered here and there, and, if we are to credit legend, spent several years in the mountains writing, singing, and drinking with his comrades. About 742 he went to the capital and became a client of the great minister Ho Slii Chang, and later a Court favorite of the Emperor iling Hwang. But he was forced to (lee from the palace because of intrigue, or possibly merely because of the dislike of the Emperor's favorite wife. According to Chinese story, he was drowned one night as he reached to kiss the moon's reflection at the side of his boat — plainly a materialization of one of his dainty conceits. ^lore probably he died under the protection of Li Yang Pang after receiving Imperial forgiveness for his many attempts against the dynasty. One of the most popular of Chinese poets, Li Tai Peh is called the prince of poetry, the great doctor, and the immortal who lored wine. His poetical skill was versatile and his subjects were varied. Much of his poetry has a touch of Anacreon, but in all there is a keen appreciation of the beauties of nature and most of all of the beautiful moon. Some selections are translated in Giles. Chinese Literature, p. 152 seq. (London, 1901), and in d'Hervey de Saint-Denys, Poesies de I'^poque des Thang, pp. 1-72 (Paris, 1862). LITANY (Lat. litania, from Gk. y^iraveia, lit- aneia, entreaty, from Xirawew, litainein, to en- treat, from XiTtcBat^ litesthai, to pray, from ?.(r^ lite, prayer). In general, a solemn act of suppli- cation addressed to God with the object of avert- ing His anger, and especially on occasions of pub- lic calamity. Through all the varieties of form which litanies have assumed, one characteristic has always been maintained — viz. that the prayer alternates between the priest or other minister, who announces the object of each petition, and the congregation, who reply in a conmion suppli- catory form, the most usual of which was the well-known "Kyrie eleison ! " ( Lord have mercy! ) . In one procession which Alabillon describes, this prayer, alternating with "Christe eleison," was repeated 300 times; and in the capitularies of Charlemagne it is ordered that tlie 'Kyrie eleison' shall be sung by the men. the women answering "Christe eleison." From the fourth century down- ward, the use of litanies was general. The Antiphonary of Saint Gregory contains several. In the Koman Catholic Church three litanies are especially in use — the "Litany of the Saints" (which is the most ancient), the "Litany of the Name of .Jesus," and the "Litany of Loreto." Of these, the first alone has a place in the public ser^'ice books of the Church, on the rogation days, in the ordination service, the service for the consecration of churclies, the consecration of cemeteries, and many other ofTices. Although called litany of the saints, the opening and closing petitions, and indeed the greater part of the litany, consist of prayers addressed directly to God; and the prayers to the saints are not for their lielp. but for their intercession on behalf of the worshipers. The Litany of .Jesus consists of a number of addresses to Him under His various relations to men. in connection with the several details of His passion, and of adjurations of Him through the memory of what He has done and suffered for the salvation of mankind. The date of tills form of prayer is uncertain, but it is re- ferred, with much probability, to the time of Saint Bernardino of Siena, in the fifteenth cen- tury. The Litany of Loreto, so called because it has for ages been solemnly sung every Satur- day in the chapel of the Holy House at Loreto, resembles both the above-named litanies in its opening addresses to the Holy Trinity, and in its closing petitions to the "Lamb of God, who taketli away the sins of the world ;" but the main body of the petitions are addressed to the Virgin Mary under various titles, some taken from the Scriptures, some from the language of the Fathers, some from the mystic writers of the mcdia-val Church. The litany in the prayer-book of the English Church, although it partakes of ancient forms, contains no invocation of the Virgin or the saints. It is divided into four parts — invoca- tions, deprecations, intercessions, and supplica- tions — in which are preserved the old form of alternate prayer and response. LITCHTIELD. A borough and one of the county-seats of Litchfield County. Conn.. 30 miles west of Hartford ; near Bantam Lake, the largest lake in the State, and on the Shepaug, Litch- field and Northern Railroad (Map: Connecticut, C 2). It has beautiful parks, and many places of historic and scenic interest. The borough is the centre of large dairying interests, and there are some manufactories, supplied with water- power from the outlet of Bantam Lake, and nickel-smelting works, the vicinity having val- uable deposits of nickel ore. Population, in 1890, 10.58: in 1900, 1 120. Litchfield was settled as 'Bantam' in 1719, and several years later its present name was adopted. During the Revolution it was used for a time as a depot of supplies, and in 1776 the .statue of George III., which on July 9 was torn down on Bowling Green. New York, was sent
