enotes a parcel of dry old straw put on the floor of a horse's stall for him to lie down and rest upon. When a horse comes tied into a stable, fresh litter has the virtue of making him stale immediately. This is known to be a very great advantage to a horse in a tired state; and when the litter is old and dirty, it never has any such effect upon him. If the owners knew how refreshing it is for a horse to discharge his urine on his return from labour, they would be more careful of giving them all means and occasions of it than they are. This staling after fatigue prevents those obstructions in the neck of the bladder or urinary passages which horses are too subject to. The bladder being often inflamed by the long retention of the heated urine in it, the creature is thus in danger of perishing.

**Little** (William), an ancient English historian, known also by the name of Gulielmus Neubrigensis, was born at Bridlington in the county of York, in the year 1136; and educated in the abbey of Newborough in the same county, where he became a monk. In his advanced years, he composed a history of England, in five books, from the Norman conquest to A.D. 1197; which, for veracity, regularity of disposition, and purity of language, is one of the most valuable productions of this period.

**Littleton** (Sir Thomas), judge of the common-pleas, was the eldest son of Thomas Westcote, esq; of the county of Devon, by Elizabeth, sole heiress of Thomas Littleton of Frankley in Worcestershire, at whose request he took the name and arms of that family. He was educated at one of our universities, probably at Cambridge. Thence he removed to the Inner Temple, where he became one of the readers; and was afterwards, by Henry VI, made steward or judge of the court of the palace, or marshall of the king's household. In 1455, the thirty-third of that reign, he was appointed king's serjeant, and rode the northern circuit as judge of assize. In 1462, the second of Edward IV, he obtained a pardon from the crown; and, in 1466, was appointed one of the judges of the common-pleas, and rode the Northamptonshire circuit. In the year 1474 he was, with many of the first nobility, created knight of the Bath. He died in 1481; and was buried in the cathedral church of Worcester, where a marble tomb, with his statue upon it, was erected to his memory. As to his character as a lawyer, it is sufficient to inform the reader, that he was the author of the Treatise upon Tenures, on which Sir Edward Coke wrote a comment, well known by the title of Coke upon Littleton.

**Littleton** (Adam), descended from an ancient family in Shropshire, was born in 1627, educated at Westminster-school, and went to Oxford a student of Christ-church, whence he was ejected by the parliament victors in 1648. Soon after, he became usher of Westminster-school, and in 1658 was made second master of Westminster-school. After the restoration he taught a school at Chelsea in Middlesex, of which church he was admitted rector in the year 1664. In 1670 he accumulated the degrees in divinity, being then chaplain in ordinary to his majesty. In 1674, he became prebendary of Westminster, of which church he was afterwards sub-dean. Beside the well-known Latin and English Dictionary, he published several other works. He died in 1694, and was interred at Chelsea. He was an universal scholar; and extremely charitable, humane, and easy of access.

**Liturgy**, denotes all the ceremonies in general belonging to divine service.

The word comes from the Greek λειτουργία "service, public ministry;" formed of λεῖος "public," and γέρων "work."

In a more restrained signification, liturgy is used among the Romantics to signify the mass; and among us the common-prayer.

All who have written on liturgies agree, that in the primitive days divine service was exceedingly simple, only clogged with a very few ceremonies, and consisting of but a small number of prayers; but, by degrees, they increased the number of external ceremonies, and added new prayers, to make the office look more awful and venerable to the people. At length things were carried to such a pitch, that a regulation became necessary; and it was found proper to put the service, and the manner of performing it, into writing; and this was what they called a liturgy.

Liturgies have been different at different times, and in different countries. We have the liturgy of St Chrysostom, that of St Peter, of St James, the liturgy of St Basil, the Armenian liturgy, the liturgy of the Maronites, of the Copts, the Roman liturgy, the Gallican liturgy, the English liturgy, the Ambrosian liturgy, the Spanish and African liturgies, &c.

In the more early ages of the church, every bishop had a power to form a liturgy for his own diocese; and if he kept to the analogy of faith and doctrine, all circumstances were left to his own discretion. Afterwards the practice was for the whole province to follow the metropolitan church, which also became the general rule of the church: and this Lindwood acknowledges.