Leang-Oo-Tee, emperor of China, and founder of the Leang dynasty, usurped the throne about A.D. 502. Through devotion to the doctrines of Fo and mysticism of the bonzes (priests of Fo or Buddha), he neglected the care of the empire. He was dethroned by one of his officers, Heoo-King, and died soon after (549). — Thomas, Biog. Diet. p. 1386.
Lean'noth (Heb. le-annoth', rii3"5,ybr ansrvering, i. c. singing; Sept, tov cnroKpL^i]vai,\u\Q. ad respon- demlujn), a musical direction occurring in the title of Psa. Ixxxviii, and denoting that it was to be chanted in the manner indicated by the associated terms. See Psalms, Book of.
Learning, skill in any science, or that improvement of the mind which we gain by study, instruction, ob- servation, etc. An attentive examination of ecclesias- tical history will lead us to see how greatly learning is indebted to Christianity, and that Christianity, in its turn, has been much served by learning, " All the use- ful learning which is now to be found in the world is in a great measure owing to the Gospel, The Christians, who had a great veneration for tlie Old Testament, have contributed more than the Jev.'s themselves to secure and explain those books. The Christians, in ancient times, collected and preserved the Greek versions of the Scriptures, particularly the Septuagint, and translated the originals into Latin, To Christians were due the old Hexapla; and in later times Christians have pub- lished tlie Polyglots and the Samaritan Pentateuch, It was the study of the Holy Scriptures which excited Christians from early times to study chronology, sacred and secular; and here much knowledge of history, and some skill in astronomy, were needful. The New Tes- tament, being written in Greek, caused Christians to ap- ply themselves also to tlie study of that language. As the Christians were opposed by the pagans and the Jews, they were excited to the study of pagan and Jew- ish literature, in order to expose the absurdities of the Jewish traditions, the weakness of paganism, and the imperfections and insufficiency of philosophy. The first fathers, till the 3d centiu^', were generally Greek writ- ers. In the 3d century the Latin language was much upon the decline, but the Christians preserved it from sinking into absolute barbarism. IMonken,', indeed, pro- duced many sad effects ; but Providence here also brought good out of evil, for the monks were employed in the transcribing of books, and many valuable authors would have perished if it had not been for the monas- teries. In the 9th century the Saracens were very stu- dious, and contributed much to the restoration of letters. But, whatever was good in the Mohammedan religion, it is in no small measure indebted to Christianity for it, since INIohammedanism is made up for the most part of Judaism and Christianity. If Christianity had been
suppressed at its first appearance, it is extremely proba- ble that the Latin and Greek tongues would have been lost in the revolutions of empires, and the irruptions of barbarians in the East and in the West, for the old in- habitants would have had no conscientious and religious motives to keep up their language ; and then, together with the Latin and Greek tongues, the knowledge of antiquities and the ancient writers would have been de- stroyed. ... As religion has been the chief preserver of erudition, so erudition has not been ungrateful to her patroness, but has contributed largely to the support of religion. The useful expositions of the Scriptures, the sober and sensible defences of revelation, the faithful representations of pure and undefiled Christianity— these have been the works of learned, judicious, and industri- ous men. Nothing, however, is more common than to hear the ignorant decry all human learning as entirely useless in religion ; and, what is still more remarkable, even some, who call themselves preachers, entertain the same sentiments. But to such we can only say what a judicious preacher observed upon a public occasion, that if all men had been as unlearned as themselves, they never would liave had a text on which to have display- ed their ignorance" (Jortin's Sermons, vol. vii. Charge I), See More, Hints to a Young Princess, i, 64 ; Cook, Miss. Ser. on Matt, vi, 3 ; Stennett, Ser. on A cts xxvi, 24, 25. — Henderson's Buck, See Knowledge,
Leasing (^T3, Jcazab', Psa, iv, 2 ; v, 6), an old Eng- lish word equivalent to Iging or lies, as the term is else- where rendered.
Leather (li^J, 6i; 2 Kings i, 6, properly skin, as elsewhere rendered, i, e, on a person or animal, also as taken off, hide, sometimes as prepared or tanned. Lev, xi, 32 ; xiii, 48 sq. ; Numb, xxxi, 20 ; in the N. T. only in the adj. Ctpnunvog, "leathern," Matt, iii, 4; lit. of skin, as in the parallel passage, Mark i, 6). A girdle of leather is referred to in the above passage (2 Kings i, 6) as characteristic of Elijah, which, with the mantle of hair, formed the humble attire that the prophets usu- ally wore. In like manner John the Baptist had his raiment of camels' hair and a leathern girdle about his loins (Matt, iii, 4). Strong and broad girdles of leather arc still much used by the nomade tribes of Western Asia (see Hackett's Illustr. of Script, p, 96). See Skin; Dress,