LEVITE 467 LEWES zine," of which he became editor in 1842. The first chapter of "Harry Lorrequer" appeared in that magazine in 1837. Meanwhile he was attached as physician to the British legation at Brussels, where he practiced for three years. During his three years' editorship of the "Dublin University Magazine" he resided near Dublin, and afterwards lived on the Con- tinent devoting himself to fiction writing —"Charles O'Malley," "Tom Burke," "Jack Hinton" are representative novels, and in a class by themselves. He ob- tained a diplomatic post at Florence about 1845, was appointed vice-consul at Spezzia in 1857, and in 1867 at Trieste, where he died, June 1, 1872. LEVITE, the descendants of Levi, one of the 12 sons of Jacob (Gen. xxix: 34). Moses and Aaron were of Levite extrac- tion (Exod. ii: 1-10, iv: 14), and when th descendants of Aaron were formally set apart to perpetuate the priesthood, the other Levites were designated as a sacred caste to assist in the work of the sanctuaiy (Num. iii: 5-1^, xvii: 2-8). The chief branches of the Levites were the Kohathites, the Gershonites, and the Merarites (Num. iii: iv.). To these, separate functions were assigned, the more important being intrusted to the Kohathites, among whom were Moses and Aaron (I Chron. vi: 1-3). The Levites took office at 25 years old (Num. viii: 24, 25), or at 30, and had to re- sign at 50 (Num. iv: 3, 23, 30-39, 43-47). They were consecrated to their office (Num. viii: 5-26). They were to have no tribal territory; Jehovah was to be their inheritance (Num. xviii: 20; xxvi: 62; Deut. x: 9; xviii: 2; Josh: xviii: 7). But special cities were to be assigned to them, so scattered over the country as to enable them to render ec- clesiastical and spiritual service to all the tribes (Josh. xxi.}. The six cities of refuge were all Levitical cities (Num. XXXV : 1-8). They were to be supported by tithes, but themselves were to pay tithes to the priesthood (Num. xviii: 21-24, 26-32; Neh. x: 37). The Levites obtained much respect under Moses and Joshua. At the times of the judges their social position greatly declined (Judges xviii.). They revived under Samuel, but declined under Saul; David reorganized them, assigning 24,000 to assist the priests, 4,000 to be musicians, 4,000 to be gate-keepers, and 6,000 for other duties (I Chron. xxiii-xxvi.). The religious schism which followed on the revolt of the 10 tribes superseded the Levites over the whole kingdom of Israel, on which multitudes of them re- moved to Judah (II Chron. xi: 13, 14; xiii. 9), exerting a great influence, spirit- ual, social, and political, through every subsequent change, till the destruction of Jerusalem under Titus. The office of the Levites made them the intellectual as well as the spiritual caste. The only mention of Levites in the New Testa- ment is in the Parable of the Good Sa- maritan (Luke x: 32). LEVITICUS, the third book of the Pentateuch, and of the Old Testament, iji the Hebrew Bible named (Vaiyiqra) — "And called," from its first two words. The integrity of the work is admitted by most critics, though rationalists con- tend that the Levitical legislation did not originate till 1,000 years after Moses, and was not carried out till after the building of the second temple. The best commentary on the book of Leviticus is the Epistle to the Hebrews, and the other New Testament books. LEWALD, FANNY, a German novel- ist; born of Jewish parents in Konigs- berg, March 24, 1811, but professed Christianity in her 17th year. She be- gan to write when about 30, and from 1845 lived in Berlin; in 1855 she married Adolf Stahr (1805-1876), the literary critic. She was perhaps the most im- portant woman novelist in Germany dur- ing the middle of the 19th century. She was an especially enthusiastic champion of the emancipation of her sex. Her best book is perhaps "From Sex to Sex" (1863-1865). An English transla- tion of "Stella" (1884) appeared that year. Her books on Italy (1847) and Great Britain (1852) may still be read with interest. She died in Dresden, Aug. 5, 1889. LEWES, the county-town of Sussex, England, 50 miles S. of London. Race meetings are held three times a year near Mount Harry on the Downs, where, on May 12, 1264, a great battle was fought between Henry III. and the insurgent barons under Simon de Montfort. LEWES. GEORGE HENRY, an Eng- ish critic and man of letters; born in London, April 18, 1817. In 1838 he went to Germany and studied the language and literature of the country. Return- ing to London he contributed to reviews, magazines, and was editor of the "Leader" (1850-1854) and the "Fort- nightly," which he founded (1865- 1866). His works, besides a tragedy and a couple of novels (1841-1848), "nclude the "Biographical History of Philosophy" (1845; recast as "The History of Philosophy from Thales to Comte") ; "The Spanish Drama, Lope de Vega and Calderon" (1846) ;
