LEAMINGTON

leamington, a municipal borough and health resort of warwickshire, england, on the river leam near its junction with the avon, 98 m. n.w. from london, served by the great western and london & north western railways. pop. (1901) 26,888. the parliamentary boroughs of leamington and warwick were joined into one constituency in 1885, returning one member. the centres of the towns are 2 m. apart, warwick lying to the west, but they are united by the intermediate parish of new milverton. there are three saline springs, and the principal pump-rooms, baths and pleasant gardens lie on the right bank of the river. the chief public buildings are the town hall (1884), containing a free library and school of art; and the theatre royal and assembly room. the parish church of all saints is modernized, and the other churches are entirely modern. the s. warwickshire hospital and midland counties home for incurables are here. leamington high school is an important school for girls. there is a municipal technical school. industries include iron foundries and brickworks. the town lies in a well-wooded and picturesque country, within a few miles of such interesting towns as warwick, kenilworth, coventry and stratford-on-avon. it is a favourite hunting centre, and, as a health resort, attracts not only visitors but residents. the town is governed by a mayor, 8 aldermen, and 24 councillors. area, 2817 acres. leamington was a village of no importance until about 1786, when baths were first erected, though the springs were noticed by camden, writing about 1586. the population in 1811 was only 543, the town was incorporated in 1875. the name in former use was leamington priors, in distinction from leamington hastings, a village on the upper leam. by royal licence granted in 1838 it was called royal leamington spa. leandre, charles lucien (1862- ), french caricaturist and painter, was born at champsecret (orne), and studied painting under bin and cabanel. from 1887 he figured among the exhibitors of the salon, where he showed numerous portraits and genre pictures, but his popular fame is due to his comic drawings and caricatures. the series of the "gotha des souverains," published in _le rire_, placed him in the front rank of modern caricaturists. besides his contributions to _le rire_, _le figaro_ and other comic journals, he published a series of albums: _nocturnes_, _le musee des souverains_, and _paris et la province_. leandre produced admirable work in lithography, and designed many memorable posters, such as the "yvette guilbert." "les nouveaux maries," "joseph prudhomme," "les lutteurs," and "la femme au chien." he was created a knight of the legion of honour. leap-year (more properly known as _bissextile_), the name given to the year containing 366 days. the astronomers of julius caesar, 46 b.c., settled the solar year at 365 days 6 hours. these hours were set aside and at the end of four years made a day which was added to the fourth year. the english name for the bissextile year is an allusion to the result of the interposition of the extra day; for after the 29th of february a date "leaps over" the day of the week on which it would fall in ordinary years. thus a birthday on the 10th of june, a monday, will in the next year, if a leap-year, be on the 10th of june, a wednesday. of the origin of the custom for women to woo, not be wooed, during leap-year no satisfactory explanation has ever been offered. in 1288 a law was enacted in scotland that "it is statut and ordaint that during the rein of hir maist blissit megeste, for ilk yeare knowne as lepe yeare, ilk mayden ladye of bothe highe and lowe estait shall hae liberte to bespeke ye man she likes, albeit he refuses to taik hir to be his lawful wyfe, he shall be mulcted in ye sum ane pundis or less, as his estait may be; except and awis gif he can make it appeare that he is betrothit ane ither woman he then shall be free." a few years later a like law was passed in france, and in the 15th century the custom was legalized in genoa and florence.