capital of a county of the same name in England, upon the river Leire, now called Soare. From its situation on the Fosse-way, and the many coins and antiquities discovered here, it seems probable that it was a place of some note in the time of the Romans. In the time of the Saxons it was a bishop's see, and afterwards so repaired and fortified by Edelflida, that it became, according to Matthew Paris, a most wealthy place, having 32 parish-churches; but in Henry the Second's reign it was in a manner quite ruined, for joining in rebellion against him with Robert earl of Leicester. In the reign of Edward III., however, it began to recover by the favour of his son Henry Plantagenet, duke and earl of Lancaster, who founded and endowed a collegiate church and hospital here. It is a borough and corporation, governed by a mayor, recorder, steward, bailiff, 24 aldermen, 48 common-council men, a solicitor, a town-clerk, and two chamberlains. It had its first charter from king John. The freemen are exempt from paying toll in all the fairs and markets of England. It has three hospitals, that mentioned above, built by Henry Plantagenet duke of Lancaster, and capable of supporting 100 aged people decently; another erected and endowed in the reign of Henry VIII. for 12 poor lazzars; and another for six poor widows. The castle was a prodigious large building, where the duke of Lancaster kept his court. The hall and kitchen still remain entire, of which the former is very spacious and lofty; and in the tower over one of the gate-ways is kept the magazine for the county militia. There was a famous monastery here, anciently called, from its situation in the meadows, St Mary de Pratis or Prez. In these meadows is now the course for the horse-race. It is said that Richard III., who was killed at the battle of Bosworth, lies interred in St Margaret's church. The chief business of Leicester is the flocking-trade, which hath produced in general to the amount of 60,000l. a-year. In a parliament held here in the reign of Henry V., the first law for the burning of heretics was made, levelled against the followers of Wickliffe, who was rector of Lutterworth in this county, and where his pulpit is said still to remain. The town suffered greatly in the civil wars, by two sieges upon the back of one another. It has given the title of earl to several noble families. The present earl was created in 1784, and is the marquis of Townshend's son. Its market on Saturday is one of the greatest in England for provisions, especially for corn and cattle; and it has four fairs in the year.