LADES, the second part of the ordinary office of the breviary, said after matins; though, heretofore, it ended the office of the night.

The laudes consist principally of psalms, hymns, &c. whence they took their name, from laus, laudis, "praise."

LAVENHAM, or LANHAM, 6½ miles from London, is a pleasant and pretty large town of Suffolk, on a branch of the river Bret, from whence it rises gradually to the top of a hill, where are its church, which is a very handsome Gothic structure, and in which are several ancient monuments; and a spacious marketplace, encompassed with nine streets or divisions, in a very healthy free air. It had formerly a very considerable trade in blue cloth; and had three guilds or companies, with each their hall. It has still a considerable manufactory of serge, shalloons, says, stuffs, and spinning fine yarn for London; and many hundreds of loads of wool are delivered in a year from its wool-hall. It is governed by 6 capital burgesses, who are for life, and choose the inferior officers. The church and its steeple, which is 137 feet high, are reckoned the finest in the county. Its tenor bell, though not much more than a ton, has as deep a note as a bell of twice that weight. Here is a free-school and a bridewell, part of which is a workhouse where the poor children, &c. of the parish are employed in spinning hemp, flax, and yarn; besides which, here are other considerable charities. The tenants of the manor and the other inhabitants were always exempted from serving at any court held for its hamlet. They have that tenure of land here which is called Borough English. Its markets are on Tuesday, and on Thursday for wool. Its fairs are on Shrove-Tuesday, and October 10.