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Dictionary of Phrase and Fable

E. Cobham Brewer From The Edition Of 1894

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This letter represents an ox—goad, and is called in Hebrew lamed (an oxgoad).

the twelfth letter of the English alphabet, and a vocal consonant. It is usually called a semivowel or liquid. Its form and value are from the Greek, through the Latin, the form of the Greek letter being from the Phoenician, and the ultimate origin probably Egyptian.

L

for fifty is half C (centum, a hundred).

L

for a pound sterling, is the Latin libra, a pound. With a line drawn above the letter, it stands for 50,000.

L. E. L

Letitia Elizabeth Landon (afterwards Mrs. Maclean), a poetess of the “Lara” and “Corsair” school (1802—1839).

LL.D

Doctor of Laws— i.e. both civil and canon. The double L is the plural; thus MSS, is the plural of MS. (manuscript); pp., pages.

L.L. Whisky Lord—Lieutenant whisky. Mr. Kinahan being requested to preserve a certain cask of whisky highly approved of by his Excellency the Duke of Richmond, marked it with the initials L.L., and ever after called this particular quality L.L. whisky. The Duke of Richmond was Lord—Lieutenant from 1807 to 1813.

L.S

Locus sigilli, that is, the place for the seal.

L. S. D

Latin, libra (a pound); solidus (a shilling); and denurius (a penny); through the Italian lire (2 syl.), soldi, denari. If farthings are expressed the letter q (quadrans) is employed. Introduced by the Lombard merchants, from whom also we have Cr. (creditor), Dr. (debtor), bankrupt, do or ditto, etc.

La—de—da

A yea—nay sort of a fellow, with no backbone. “Da,” in French, means both oui and nenni, as Oui—da (ay marry), Nenni—da (no forsooth).

“I wish that French brother of his, the Parisian la—de—da, was more like him, more of an American.”— A. G. Gunter: Baron Montez, book iii. 8.

La Garde Meurt ne se Rend pas

The words falsely ascribed to General Cambronne, at the battle of Waterloo; inscribed on his monument at Nantes.

La Joyeuse

The sword of Charlemagne. The traditional coronation sword of France, once attributed to the great Emperor Charlemagne. It is kept in the Louvre in Paris, France. To this day, it is unclear whether the sword is Charlemagne's sword "Joyeuse" or if it is of a later date.

La Muette de Portici

Auber's best opera. Also known as Masaniello.

La Roche

(1 syl.). A Protestant clergyman, whose story is told in The Mirror, by Henry Mackenzie.

Labadists

A religious sect of the seventeenth century, so called from Jean Labadie, of Bourg in Guyenne. They were Protestant ascetics, who sought reform of morals more than reform of doctrine. They rejected the observance of all holy days, and held certain mystic notions. The sect fell to pieces early in the eighteenth century.

Labarum

The standard borne before the Roman emperors. It consisted of a gilded spear, with an eagle on the top, while from a cross staff hung a splendid purple streamer, with a gold fringe, adorned with precious stones. Constantine substituted a crown for the eagle, and inscribed in the midst the mysterious monogram.

(See Constantines Cross .) Rich (Antiquities, p. 361) says “probably from the Gaulish lab, to raise; for Constantine was educated in Gaul.” The Greek laba is a staff. (See Gibbon: Decline and Fall, etc. chap. xx.)

Labe

(Queen). The Circe of the Arabians, who, by her enchantments, transformed men into horses and other brute beasts. She is introduced into the Arabian Nights' Entertainments, where Beder, Prince of Persia, marries her, defeats her plots against him, and turns her into a mare. Being restored to her proper shape by her mother, she turns Beder into an owl; but the prince ultimately regains his own proper form.

Labour of Love

(A). Work undertaken for the love of the thing, without regard to pay.

Labourer is Worthy of his Hire

In Latin: “Digna canis pabulo.” “The dog must be bad indeed that is not worth a bone.” Hence the Mosaic law, “Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn.”

Labourers

(The Statute of). An attempt made in 1349 to fix the rate of wages at which labourers should be compelled to work.

Labyrinth

A mass of buildings or garden — walks, so complicated as to puzzle strangers to extricate themselves. Said to be so called from Labyris, an Egyptian monarch of the 12th dynasty. The chief labyrinths are:—

(1) The Egyptian, by Petesuchis or Tithoes, near the Lake Moeris. It had 3,000 apartments, half of which were underground. (B.C. 1800.) Pliny, xxxvi. 13; and Pomponius Mela, i. 9.

(2) The Cretan, by Dæ'dalos, for imprisoning the Minotaur. The only means of finding a way out of it was by help of a skein of thread. (See Virgil: Æneid, v.)

(3) The Cretan conduit, which had 1,000 branches or turnings.

(4) The Lemnian, by the architects Zmilus, Rholus, and Theodorus. It had 150 columns, so nicely adjusted that a child could turn them. Vestiges of this labyrinth were still in existence in the time of Pliny.

(5) The labyrinth of Clusium, made by Lars Porsena, King of Etruria, for his tomb.

(6) The Samian, by Theodorus (B.C. 540). Referred to by Pliny; by Herodotos, ii. 145; by Strabo, x.; and by Diodorus Siculus, i.

(7) The labyrinth at Woodstock, by Henry II., for the Fair Rosamond.

(8) Of mazes formed by hedges. The best known is that of Hampton Court.

Lac of Rupees

The nominal value of the Indian rupee is 2s., and a lac means 100,000. At this estimate, a lac of rupees = 200,000s. or 10,000. Its present value varies according to the market value of silver. In 1894 between 13 and 14 pence.

Lace

I'll lace your jacket for you, beat you. (French, laisse, a lash; German, laschen, to strike; our lash.)

Laced

Tea or coffee laced with spirits, a cup of tea or coffee qualified with brandy or whisky.

“Deacon Bearcliff ... had his pipe, and his teacup ... laced with a little spirits.”— Sir W. Scott: Guy Mannering, chap. xi.

“Dandie ... partook of a cup of tea with Mrs. Allan, just laced with two teaspoonfuls of cogniac.”— Ditto, chap. iii.

Lacedaemonian Letter

(The). The Greek (iota), the smallest of all letters. Laconic brevity. (See Laconic .)

Lacedaemonians

(The). The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry. So called because in 1777 their colonel made a long harangue, under heavy fire, on the Spartan discipline and military system. (See Redfeathers .)

Lachesis [Lak'—e—sis ]. The Fate who spins life's thread, working into the woof the sundry events destined to occur. Clotho held the distaff, and Atropos cut off the thread when life was to be ended. (Greek, klótho, to draw thread from a distaff; Lachesis from lagchano, to assign by lot; and Atropos = inflexible.)

Lackadaisical

Affected, pensive, sentimental, artificially tender.

Laconic

Very concise and pithy. A Spartan was called a Lacon from Laconia, the land inwhich he dwelt. The Spartans were noted for their brusque and sententious speech. When Philip of Macedon wrote to the Spartan magistrates, “If I enter Laconia, I will level Lacedæmon to the ground,” the ephors wrote word back the single word, “If.” (See above Lacedæmonian Letter .)

In 1490 O'Neil wrote to O'Donnel: “Send me the tribute, or else—.” To which O'Donnel replied: “I owe none, or else—.”

Lacustrine Deposits

Deposits formed at the bottom of freshwater pools and lakes. (Latin, lacus, a lake.)

Lacustrine Habitations

The remains of human dwellings of great antiquity, constructed on certain lakes in Ireland, Switzerland; etc. They seem to have been villages built on piles in the middle of a lake

Lad o' Wax

A little boy, a doll of a man. In Romeo and Juliet the Nurse calls Paris “a man of wax,” meaning a very “proper man.” Horace speaks of the “waxen arms of Telephus,” meaning well modelled.

Ladas

Alexander's messenger, noted for his swiftness of foot, mentioned by Catullus, Martial, and others. Lord Rosebery's horse Ladas won the Derby in 1894.

Ladies

(See after Lady .)

Ladon

One of the dogs of Actæon.

Ladon. The dragon which guarded the apples of the Hesperides.

Ladrones

The island of thieves, so called, in 1519, by Magellan.

Lady

A woman of wealth, of station, or of rank. Verstegan says, “It was anciently written Hleafdian [? hlæfdige], contracted first into Lafdy, and then into Lady. Laf or Hláf (loaf) means food in general or bread in particular, and dig—ian or dug—an, to help, serve, or care for; whence lady means the `bread—server.' The lord (or loaf—ward supplied the food, and the lady saw that it was properly served, for the ladies used to carve and distribute the food to the guests.”

Another etymology is Hláf—weardie and loaf—wardie, where ie stands for a female suffix like—ina ine; as Carolus, female Carol—ina, or Carol—ine; Joseph, Joseph—ina or Joseph—ine; Czar, Czar—ina, etc. etc.

Ladies retire to the drawing—room after dinner, and leave the gentlemen behind. This custom was brought in by the Norsemen. The Vikings always dismissed all women from their drinking parties. (S. Bunbury.

Ladybird, Ladyfly, Ladycow

or May—bug. The Bishop Barnaby, called in German, Unser herrin huhn (our Lady—fowl), Marien—huhn (Mary—fowl), and Marien Käfer (Mary's beetle). “Cushcow Lady,” as it is called in Yorkshire, is also the German Marienkalb (Lady—calf), in French, bête à Dieu. Thus the cockchafer is called the May—bug, where the German käfer is rendered bug; and several of the scarabæi are called bugs, as the rose—bug, etc. (See Bishop .)

Lady Bountiful

The benevolent lady of a village. The character of Lady Bountiful is from the Beaux' Stratagem, by Farquhar.

Lady Chapel The small chapel east of the altar, or behind the screen of the high altar; dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

Lady Day

The 25th of March, to commemorate the Annunciation of Our Lady, the Virgin Mary There is a tradition that Adam was created on this day. Of course, this rests on Jesus being “the Second Adam,” or “federal head.”

Lady Isabella

the beloved daughter of a noble lord, accompanied her father and mother on a chase one day, when her step—mother requested her to return and tell the master—cook to prepare “the milk—white doe for dinner.” Lady Isabella did as she was told, and the master—cook replied, “Thou art the doe that I must dress.” The scullion—boy exclaimed, “O save the lady's life, and make thy pies of me;” but the master—cook heeded him not. When the lord returned he called for his daughter, the fair Isabelle, and the scullion—boy said, “If now you will your daughter see, my lord, cut up that pie.” When the fond father comprehended the awful tragedy, he adjudged the cruel step—dame to be burnt alive, and the master—cook “in boiling lead to stand;” but the scullion—boy he made his heir. (Percy: Reliques, etc., series iii., bk. 2.)

Lady Magistrate

Lady Berkley was made by Queen Mary a justice of the peace for Gloucestershire and appointed to the quorum of Suffolk. Lady Berkley sat on the bench at assizes and sessions, girt with a sword. Tony Lumpkin says of Mr. Hardcastle—

“He'll persuade you that his mother was an alderman and his aunt a justice of the peace.”— Goldsmith: She Stoops to Conquer.

Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity, founded in 1502 by the mother of Henry VII. The year following she founded a preachership. Both in the University of Cambridge.

Lady in the Sacque

The apparition of this hag forms the story of the Tapestried Chamber, by Sir Walter Scott.

An old woman, whose dress was an old—fashioned gown, which ladies call a sacque; that is, a sort of robe completely loose in the body, but gathered into broad plaits upon the neck and shoulders.

Lady of England

Maud, daughter of Henry I. The title of “Domina Anglorum” was conferred upon her by the Council of Winchester, held April 7th, 1141. (Rymer: Fædera, i.)

Lady of Mercy

(Our). An order of knighthood in Spain, instituted in 1218 by James I. of Aragon, for the deliverance of Christian captives amongst the Moors. Within the first six years, as many as 400 captives were rescued by these knights.

Lady of Shallott'

A maiden who fell in love with Sir Lancelot of the Lake, and died because her love was not returned. Tennyson has a poem on the subject; and the story of Elaine, “the lily maid of Astolat,” in the Idylls of the King, is substantially the same. (See Elaine .)

Lady of the Bleeding Heart

Ellen Douglas; so called from the cognisance of the family. (Sir Walter Scott: Lady of the Lake, ii. 10.)

Lady of the Broom

(The). A housemaid.

“Highly disgusted at a farthing candle,

Left by the Lady of the Broom,

Named Susan ...

Peter Pindar: The Diamond Pin.

Lady of the Haystack

made her appearance in 1776 at Bourton, near Bristol. She was young and beautiful, graceful, and evidently accustomed to good society. She lived for four years in a haystack; but was ultimately kept by Mrs. Hannah More in an asylum, and died suddenly in December, 1801. Mrs. More called her Louisa; but she was probably a Mademoiselle La Frülen, natural daughter of Francis Joseph I., Emperor of Austria.

(See World of Wonders, p. 134.)

Lady of the Lake

Vivien, mistress of Merlin, the enchanter, who lived in the midst of an imaginary lake, surrounded by knights and damsels. Tennyson, in the Idylls of the King, tells the story of Vivien and Merlin. (See Lancelot .)

Lady of the Lake. Ellen Douglas, who lived with her father near Loch Katrine. (Sir Walter Scott: The Lady of the Lake.

Lady of the Rock

(Our). A miraculous image of the Virgin found by the wayside between Salamanca and Ciudad Rodrigo in 1409.

Ladies' Mile

(The). That part of Hyde Park which is most frequented by ladies on horseback or in carriages.

Ladies' Plate

(The), in races, is not a race for a prize subscribed for by ladies, but a race run for by women.

“On the Monday succeeding St. Wilfred's Sunday, there were for many years at Roper's Common [a race] called the Lady's Plate, of 15 value, for horses, etc., ridden by women.”— Sporting Magazine, vol. xx., New Series, p. 287.

Ladies' Smocks

Garden cress, botanically called Cardamine, a diminutive of the Greek kardamon, called in Latin nasturtium, sometimes called Nose—smart (Kara—damon, head—afflicting); so nasturtium is

Nasi—tortium (nose—twisting), called so in consequence of its pungency.

“When ladies' smocks of silver white

Do paint the meadows with delight.”

Called Ladies' smocks because the flowers resemble linen exposed to whiten on the grass— “when maidens bleach their summer smocks.” There is, however, a purple tint which mars its perfect whiteness. Another name of the plant is “Cuckoo—flower,” because it comes into flower when the cuckoo sings.

Ladies and Gentlemen

Till 1808 public speakers began their addresses with “gentlemen and ladies;” but since then the order has been reversed.

Læding

The strongest chain that had hitherto been made. It was forged by Asa Thor to bind the wolf Fenrir with; but the wolf snapped it as if it had been made of tow. Fenrir was then bound with the chain Dromi,

much stronger than Læding, but the beast snapped it instantly with equal ease. (Scandinavian mythology.)

Lælaps

A very powerful dog given by Diana to Procris; Procris gave it to Cephalos. While pursuing a wild boar it was metamorphosed into a stone. (See Dogs , Actæcon's fifty dogs.)

Laertes

(3 syl.). Son of Polonius and brother of Ophelia. He kills Hamlet with a poisoned rapier, and dies himself from a wound by the same foil. (Shakespeare: Hamlet.)

Lætare Sunday

The fourth Sunday in Lent is so called from the first word of the Introit, which is from Isa.

lxvi. 10: “Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her all ye that love her.” It is on this day that the pope blesses the Golden Rose.

Lagado

Capital of Balnibarbi, celebrated for its grand academy of projectors, where the scholars spend their time in such useful projects as making pincushions from softened rocks, extracting sunbeams from cucumbers, and converting ice into gunpowder. (Swift: Gulliver's Travels, Voyage to Laputa.)

Lager Beer

A strong German beer. Lager means a “storehouse,” and lager beer means strong beer made (in March) for keeping.

Laird

(Scotch). A landed proprietor.

Lagoon

A shallow lake near river or sea, due to infiltration or overflow of water from the larger body.

Laïs

A courtesan or Greek Hetaira. There were two of the name; the elder was the most beautiful woman of Corinth, and lived at the time of the Peloponnesian War. The beauty of the latter excited the jealousy of the Thessalonian women, who pricked her to death with their bodkins. She was contemporary with Phryne (2 syl.), her rival, and sat to Apelles as a model.

Laissez Faire, Laissez Passer

Lord John Russell said: “Colbert, with the intention of fostering the manufactures of France, established regulations limiting the webs woven in looms to a particular size. He also prohibited the introduction of foreign manufactures Then the French vine—growers, finding they could no longer get rid of their wine, began to grumble. When Colbert asked a merchant what relief he could give, he received for answer, `Laissez faire, laissez passer;' that is to say, Don't interfere with our mode of manufactures, and don't stop the introduction of foreign imports.”

The laissez—faire system. The let—alone system.

Lake School

(The). The school of poetry introduced by the Lake poets Wordsworth, Coleridge, and Southey, who resided in the Lake district of Cumberland and Westmoreland, and sought inspiration in the simplicity of nature. The name was first applied in derision by the Edinburgh Review to the class of poets who followed the above—named trio.

N.B. Charles Lamb, Lloyd, and Professor William (Christopher North) are sometimes placed among the “Lakers.”

Lakedion

or Laquedem (Isaac). The name given in France, in the fourteenth century, to the Wandering Jew.

Lakin

By'r Lakin. An oath, meaning “By our Lady—kin,” or Little Lady, where little does not refer to size, but is equivalent to dear.

“By'r Lakin, a parlous [perilous] fear.”— Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night's Dream, iii. 1.

Laksmi or Lakshmi. One of the consorts of Vishnu; she is goddess of beauty, wealth, and pleasure. (Hindu mythology.)

Lalla Rookh

[tulip cheek ] is the supposed daughter of Au—rung—ze'—be, Emperor of Delhi, betrothed to Aliris, Sultan of Lesser Bucharia. On her journey from Delhi to the valley of Cashmere, she is entertained by a young Persian poet named Feramorz, who is supposed to relate the four poetical tales of the romance, and with whom she falls in love. (Thomas Moore: Lalla Rookh.) (See Feramorz .)

Lama

among the Mongols, means the priestly order. Hence the religion of the Mongols and Calmucs is termed Lamaism. The Grand Lamas wear yellow caps, the subordinate Lamas red caps. (See Grandlama .)

Lamaism

[Tibetan, Blaina, spiritual teacher]. The religion of Tibet and Mongolia, which is Buddhism corrupted by Sivaism and spirit—worship.

Lamb

In Christian art, an emblem of the Redeemer, called the “Lamb of God. It is also the attribute of St. Agnes, St. Geneviève, St. Catherine, and St. Regina. John the Baptist either carries a lamb or is accompanied by one. It is also introduced symbolically to represent any of the “types” of Christ; as Abraham, Moses, and so on.

Lamb

( The Vegetable) or Tartarian lamb; technically called Polypodium Barometz. It is a Chinese fern with a decumbent root, covered with a soft, dense yellow wool. Sir Hans Sloane, who calls it the Tartarian lamb, has given a print of it; and Dr. Hunter has given a print which makes its resemblance to a lamb still more striking. The down is used in India for staunching hæmorrhage.

“Rooted in earth each cloven hoof descends,

And round and round her flexile neck she bends; Crops the grey coral moss, and hoary thyme,

Or laps with rosy tongue the melting rime;

Eyes with mute tenderness her distant dam,

And seems to bleat, a Vegetable Lamb.”

Darwin: Loves of the Plants, 283, etc.

Lamb

Cold lamb. A schoolboy's joke. Setting a boy on a cold marble or stone hearth. Horace (Sat. i. 5, 22) has “Dotare lumbos,” which may have suggested the pun.

Lamb—pie

A flogging. Lamb is a pun on the Latin verb lambo (to lick), and the word “lick” has been perverted to mean flog (see Lick); or it may be the old Norse lam (the hand), meaning hand—or slap—pie. (See Lamming .)

Lamb's Conduit Street

(London). Stow says, “One William Lamb, citizen and clothworker, born at Sutton Valence, Kent, did found near unto Oldbourne a faire conduit and standard; from this conduit, water clear as crystal was conveyed in pipes to a conduit on Snow Hill” (26th March, 1577). The conduit was taken down in 1746.

Lamb's Wool

A beverage consisting of the juice of apples roasted over spiced ale. A great day for this drink was the feast of the apple—gathering, called in Irish la mas ubhal, pronounced “lammas ool,” and corrupted into “lamb's wool.”

“The pulpe of the rosted apples, in number foure or five ... mixed in a wine quart of faire water, laboured together until it come to be as apples and ale, which we call lambes wool.”— Johnson's Gerard, p. 1460.

Lambert's Day (St.), September 17th. St. Landebert or Lambert, a native of Maestricht, lived in the seventh century.

“Be ready, as your lives shall answer it,

At Coventry, upon St. Lambert's day.”

Shakespeare: Richard II., i. 1.

Lambro

was the father of Haidée. Major Lambro, the prototype, was head of the Russian piratical squadron in 1791. He contrived to escape when the rest were seized by the Algerines on the island of Zia. (Byron: Don Juan, iii. 26.)

Lame Duck

(A.), in Stock Exchange parlance, means a member of the Stock Exchange who waddles off on settlement day without settling his account. All such defaulters are black—boarded and struck off the list. Sometimes it is used for one who cannot pay his debts, one who trades without money.

“Pitt ... gambled and lost:

But who must answer for the cost?

Not he, indeed! A duck confounded lame

Not unattended wadding ...”

Peter Pindar: Proh Impudentiam.

Lame King A Grecian oracle had told Sparta to “Beware of a lame king.” Agesilaos was lame, and during his reign Sparta lost her supremacy.

Lame Vicegerent

(in Hudibras). Richard Cromwell.

Lamerock

(Sir), of Wales. A knight of the Round Table, son of Sir Pellinore, and brother of Sir Percival. He had an amour with his own aunt, the wife of King Lote. Strange that of all the famous knights of the Round Table, Sir Caradoc and Sir Galahad were the only ones who were continent.

Lamia

A female phantom, whose name was used by the Greeks and Romans as a bugbear to children. She was a Libyan queen beloved by Jupiter, but robbed of her offspring by the jealous Juno; and in consequence she vowed vengeance against all children, whom she delighted to entice and murder. (See Fairy .)

“Keats has a poem so called. His Lamia is a serpent who assumed the form of a beautiful woman, was beloved by a young man and got a soul. The tale was drawn from Philostratus.”— De Vita Apollonii book iv., introduced by Burton in his Anatomy of Melancholy.

Lammas At latter Lammas. At the coming of the Coqueligrues (Rabelais: Pantagruel). At the Latter Lammas. i.e. never.

Lammas Day

(August 1st) means the loaf—mass day. The day of first—fruit offerings, when a loaf was given to the priests in lieu of the first—fruits. (Saxon, hlam—mæsse, for hlaf—mæsse dag.)

August I Old Style, August 12 New Style.

Lammas—tide

Lammas time, or the season when lammas occurs.

Lammor Beads Amber beads, once used as charms. (French, Vambre; Teutonic, lamertyn—stein.)

Lammermoor

(See Edgar, Lucia .)

Lamming

(A). A beating. (See Lamb—pie .)

Lamminin, Lamkin, Linkin

or Bold Rakin. A scottish ogre, represented in the ballad as a bloodthirsty mason; the terror of the Scotoh nursery.

Lamourette's Kiss

On July 7th, 1792, the Abbé Lamourette induced the different factions of the Legislative Assembly of France to lay aside their differences; so the deputies of the Royalists, Constitutionalists, Girondists, Jacobins, and Orleanists rushed into each other's arms, and the king was sent for to see “how these Christians loved one another;" but the reconciliation was hollow and unsound. The term is now used for a reconciliation of policy without abatement of rancour.

Lamp

To smell of the lamp. To bear the marks of great study, but not enough laboured to conceal the marks of labour. The phrase was first applied to the orations of Demosthenes, written by lamp—light with enormous care.

Lamp of Heaven

(The). The moon. Milton calls the stars “lamps.”

“Why shouldst thou ...

In thy dark lantern thus close up the stars,

That Nature hung in heaven, and filled their lamps With everlasting oil, to give due light

To the misled and lonely traveller?”

Comus, 200—204.

Lamp of Phoebus

(The). The sun. Phoebus is the mythological personification of the sun.

Lamp of the Law

(The). Irnerius the German was so called, who first lectured on the Pandects of Justinian after their discovery at Amalphi in 1137

Lamps

The seven lamps of sleep. In the mansion of the Knight of the Black Castle were seven lamps, which could be quenched only with water from an enchanted fountain. So long as these lamps kept burning, everyone within the room fell into a deep sleep, from which nothing could rouse them till the lamps were extinguished. (See Rosana .) (The Seven Champions of Christendom, ii. 8.)

Sepulchral lamps. The Romans are said to have preserved lamps in some of their sepulchres for centuries In the papacy of Paul III. one of these lamps was found in the tomb of Tullia (Cicero's daughter), which had been shut up for 1,550 years. At the dissolution of the monasteries a lamp was found which is said to have been burning 1,200 years. Two are preserved in Leyden museum.

Lampadion

The received name of a lively, petulant courtesan, in the later Greek comedy.

Lampoon

Sir Walter Scott says, “These personal and scandalous libels, carried to excess in the reign of Charles II., acquired the name of lampoons from the burden sung to them: Lampone, lampone, camerada lampone'— Guzzler, guzzler, my fellow guzzler.” (French, lamper, to guzzle.) Sir Walter obtained his information from Trevoux.

Lampos and Phaeton

The two steeds of Aurora. One of Actæon's dogs was called Lampos.

Lancashire Lads or “The Lancashire.” The 47th Foot. Now called the First Battalion of the North Lancashire Regiment.

Lancaster

The camp—town on the river Lune.

Lancaster Gun

A species of rifled cannon with elliptical bore; so called from Mr. Lancaster, its inventor.

Lancasterian

(A). One who pursues the system of Joseph Lancaster (1778—1838) in schools. By this system the higher classes taught the lower.

Lancastrian

(A). An adherent of the Lancastrian line of kings, as opposed to the Yorkists. One of the Lancastrian kings (Henry IV., V., VI.).

Lance

(1 syl.), in Christian art, is an attribute of St. Matthew and St. Thomas, the apostles; also of St. Longinus, St. George, St. Adalbert, St. Oswin, St. Barbara, St. Michael, St. Dometrius, and several others.

Astolpho had a lance of gold that with enchanted force dismounted everyone it touched. (Orlando Furioso, bk. ix.)

A free—lance. One who acts on his own judgment, and not from party motives. The reference is to the Free Companies of the Middle Ages, called in Italy condottieri, and in France Compagnies Grandes, which were free to act as they liked, and were not servants of the Crown or of any other potentate. It must be confessed, however, that they were willing to sell themselves to any master and any cause, good or bad.

Lance—Corporal

and Lance—Sergeant. One from the ranks temporarily acting as corporal or sergeant. In the Middle Ages a lance meant a soldier.

Lance—Knight

A foot—soldier, a corruption of lasquenet or lancequenet, a German foot—soldier.

Lance of the Ladies

At the termination of every joust a course was run “pour les dames,” and called the “Lance of the Ladies.”

Lancelot

(Sir). “The chief of knights” and “darling of the court.” Elaine, the lily of Astolat, fell in love with him, but he returned not her love, and she died. (See Elaine .) (Tennyson: Idylls of the King; Elaine.)

Lancelot

or Launcelot Gobbo. Shylock's servant, famous for his soliloquy whether or not he should run away from his master. (Shakespeare: Merchant of Venice.)

Lancelot du Lac

One of the earliest romances of the “Round Table” (1494). Sir Lancelot was the son of King Ban of Benwicke, but was stolen in infancy by Vivienne, called “La Dame du Lac,” who dwelt “en la marche de la petite Bretaigne;” she plunged with the babe into the lake, and when her protégé was grown into man's estate, presented him to King Arthur. The lake referred to was a sort of enchanted delusion to conceal her demesnes. Hence the cognomen of du Lac given to the knight. Sir Lancelot goes in search of the Grail or holy cup brought to Britain by Joseph of Arimathe'a, and twice caught sight of it. (See Graal .) Though always represented in the Arthurian romances as the model of chivalry, Sir Lancelot was the adulterous lover of Guinevere, wife of King Arthur, his friend. At the close of his life the adulterous knight became a hermit, and died in the odour of sanctity.

Sir Lancelot is meant for a model of fidelity, bravery, frailty in love, and repentance Sir Galahad of chastity; Sir Gawain of courtesy Sir Kay of a rude, boastful knight; and sir Modred of treachery.

Sir Lancelot du Lac and Tarquin. Sir Lancelot, seeking some adventure, met a lady who requested him to deliver certain Knights of the Round Table from the power of Tarquin. Coming to a river, he saw a copper basin suspended to a tree, and struck at it so hard that the basin broke. This brought out Tarquin, when a furious encounter took place, in which Tarquin was slain, and Sir Lancelot liberated from durance “threescore

knights and four, all of the Table Round.” (Percy Reliques, etc., bk. ii. series 1.)

Lancelot of the Laik. A Scottish metrical romance, taken from the French roman called Lancelot du Lac. Galiot, a neighbouring king, invades Arthur's territory, and captures the castle of Lady Melyhalt among others. Sir Lancelot goes to chastise Galiot, sees Queen Guinevere and falls in love with her. Sir Gawayne is wounded in the war, and Sir Lancelot taken prisoner. In the French romance, Sir Lancelot makes Galiot submit to Arthur, but the Scotch romance terminates with the capture of the knight.

Lancers

(The). The dance so called was introduced into Paris in 1836. It is in imitation of a military dance in which men used lances.

Land

See how the land lies. See what we have to do; see in what state matters are. See in what state the land is that we have to travel or pass over, or in what direction we must go. Joshua sent spies (ii. 1) “to view the land” before he attempted to pass the Jordan.

“Put your blankets down there, boys, and turn in. You'll see how the land lies in the morning.”— Boldrewood: Robbery under Arms, ch. xi.

Land—damn

A corruption of landan (to rate or reprove severely). According to Dean Milles the word is still used in Gloucestershire.

“You are abused ... would I knew the villain, I would land—damn him.”— Shakespeare: Winter's Tale ii. 1.

Land—loupers

Persons who fly the country for crime or debt. Louper, loper, loafer, and luffer are varieties of the German läufer, a vagrant, a runner.

Land—lubber

An awkward or inexpert sailor on board ship. (Lubber, the Welsh llob, a dunce.)

Land of Beulah

(Isa. lxii. 4). In Pilgrim's Progress it is that land of heavenly joy where the pilgrims tarry till they are summoned to enter the cerestial City; the Paradise before the resurrection.

Land of Bondage

Egypt was so called by the Jews, who were bondsmen there to the Pharaohs “who knew not Joseph.”

Land of Cakes

Scotland, famous for its oatmeal cakes.

Land of Myrrh

Azab or Saba.

Land of Nod

(The). To go to the land of Nod is to go to bed. There are many similar puns and more in French than in English. Of course, the reference is to Gen. iv. 16, “Cain went ... and dwelt in the land of Nod;” but where the land of Nod is or was nobody knows. In fact, “Nod” means a vagrant or vagabond, and when Cain was driven out he lived “a vagrant life,” with no fixed abode, till he built his “city.” (See Needham .)

Land of Promise

Canaan, the land which God promised to give to Abraham for his obedience.

Land of Shadows

(Gone to the). Fallen asleep. Shadows = dreams, or shadows of realities.

Land of Stars and Stripes (The). The United States of America. The reference is to their national flag.

Land o'the Leal

(The). The Scotch Dixey Land (q.v.). An hypothetical land of happiness, loyalty, and virtue. Caroline Oliphant, Baroness Nairne, meant heaven in her exquisite song so called, and this is now its accepted meaning. (Leal = faithful, and “Land of the Leal” means the Land of the faithful.)

Landau'

A four—wheeled carriage, the top of which may be thrown back; invented at Landau, in Germany.

Landeyda

(See Raven .)

Landiere

(French, 3 syl.). A booth in a fair; so called from Le Landit, a famous fair at one time held at St. Denis. Landit means a small present such as one receives from a fair.

“Il gambadoit, il faisoit le badin;

Oncqon ne vit ung plus parfait landin.”

Bourdigné: Légende, c. iii.

“Mercure avec d'avides mains ...

Met impost et taxes nouvelles ...

Sur les landis, sur les estrennes.”

L. Chamhoudry: Le Voyage de Mercure, bk. iii., p. 51 (1653).

Landscape

(A) is a land picture. (Anglo—Saxon landscipe verb scap—an; to shape, to give a form or picture of.)

Father of landscape gardening. A. Lenotre (1613—1700).

Lane

No evil thing that walks by night, blue meagre hag, or stubborn unlaid ghost, no goblin, or smart fairy of the mine, has power to cross a lane; once in a lane, the spirit of evil is in a fix. The reason is obvious: a lane is a spur from a main road, and therefore forms with it a sort of T, quite near enough to the shape of a cross to arrest such simple folk of the unseen world as care to trouble the peaceful inmates of the world we live in.

Lane

`Tis a long lane that has no turning. Every calamity has an ending. The darkest day, stop till to—morrow, will have passed away:

“Hope peeps from a cloud on our squad,

Whose beams have been long in deep mourning: `Tis a lane, let me tell you, my lad,

Very long that has never a turning.”

Peter Pindar Great Cry and Little Wool, epist. 1.

Lane

(The) and The Garden. A short way of saying “Drury Lane” and “Covent Garden,” which are two theatres in London.

Lane

of King's Bromley Manor, Staffordshire, bears in a canton “the Arms of England.” This honour was granted to Colonel John Lane, for conducting Charles II. to his father's seat after the battle of Worcester. (See next paragraph.)

Jane Lane, daughter of Thomas and sister of Colonel John. To save the King after the battle of Worcester, she rode behind him from Bentley, in Staffordshire, the ancient seat of the Lanes, to the house of her cousin, Mrs. Norton, near Bristol. For this act of loyalty the king granted the family to have the following crest: A strawberry—roan horse saliant (couped at the flank), bridled, bitted, and garnished, supporting between its feet

a royal crown proper; motto, Garde le Roy.

Lanfusa's Son (See Ferrau .)

Lang Syne

(Scotch, long since). In the olden time, in days gone by.

“There was muckle fighting about the place lang—syne.”— Scott: Guy Mannering, chap. xl.

The song called Auld Lang Syne, usually attributed to Robert Burns, was not composed by him, for he says expressly in a letter to Thomson, “It is the old song of the olden times, which has never been in print ... I took it down from an old man's singing.” In another letter he says, “Light be the turf on the heaven—inspired poet who composed this glorious fragment.” Nothing whatever is known of the author of the words; the composer is wholly unknown.

Langbourn Ward

(London). So called from the long bourn or rivulet of sweet water which formerly broke out of a spring near Magpye Alley. This bourn gives its name to Sharebourne or Southbourne Lane.

Langstaff

(Launcelot). The name under which Salamagundi was published, the real authors being Washington Irving, William Irving, and J. K. Paulding.

Language

The primeval language. Psammetichos, an Egyptian king, entrusted two new—born infants to a shepherd, with strict charge that they were never to hear any one utter a word. These children were afterwards brought before the king and uttered the word bekos (baked bread). The same experiment was tried by Frederick II. of Sweden, James IV. of Scotland, and one of the Mogul emperors of India.

James IV., in the 15th century, shut up two infant children in the Isle of Inchkeith, with a dumb attendant to wait on them.

The three primitive languages. The Persians say that Arabic, Persian, and Turkish are three primitive languages. The serpent that seduced Eve spoke Arabic, the most suasive language in the world; Adam and Eve spoke Persian, the most poetic of all languages; and the angel Gabriel spoke Turkish, the most menacing of all languages. (Chardin.)

“Language given to men to conceal their thoughts,” is by Montrond, but is generally fathered on Talleyrand.

Characteristics of European languages: L'Italien se parle aux dames. Le Francais se parle aux hommes. L'Anglais se parle aux oiseaux L'Allemand se parle aux chevaux. L'Espagnol se parle à Dieux.

English, according to the French notion, is both singsong and sibilant. Charles Quint used to say, “I speak German to my horses, Spanish to my God, French to my friends, and Italian to my mistresses.”

Langue d'Oc

The Provencal branch of the Gallo—Romaic idiom; so called from their oc (yes).

Langue d'Oil

Walloon or Germanised Gallo—Romaic; so called from their pronouncing our yes as oil (o.e) These Gauls lived north of the Loire; the Provencals dwelt south of that river.

Languish

(Lydia). A young lady of romantic notions in The Rivals, a play by Sheridan.

Lantern

In Christian art, the attribute of St. Gudule and St. Hugh.

The feast of lanterns. Tradition says that the daughter of a famous mandarin, walking alone by a lake one evening, fell in. The father called together his neighbours, and all went with lanterns to look for her, and happily she was rescued. In commemoration thereof an annual festival was held on the spot, and grew in time to the celebrated “feast of lanterns.” (Present State of China.)

À la lanterne. Hang him with the lantern or lamp ropes. A cry and custom introduced in the French

revolution.

Lantern Jaws

Cheeks so thin that one may see daylight through them, as light shows through the horn of a lantern. In French, “un visage si maigre que si on mettait une bougie allumée dans la bouche, la lumière paraitait au travers des joues.”

Lantern—jawed. Having lantern—jaws.

Lantern—Land

The land of literary charlatans, whose inhabitants are graduates in arts, doctors, professors, prelates, and so on. (Rabelais: Pantagruel, v. 33.) (See City Of Lanterns )

Lanterns

Authors, literary men, and other inmates of Lantern—land ((q.v.). Rabelais so calls the prelates and divines of the Council of Trent, who wasted the time in great displays of learning, to little profit; hence

“lanternise” (q.v.).

Lanternise

Spending one's time in learned trifles; darkening counsel by words; mystifying the more by attempting to unravel mysteries, putting truths into a lantern through which, at best, we see but darkly. When monks bring their hoods over their faces “to meditate,” they are said by the French to lanternise, because they look like the tops of lanterns; but the result of their meditations is that of a “brown study,” or “fog of sleepy thought.” (See above.)

Laocoon

[La—ok'—o—on ]. A son of Priam, famous for the tragic fate of himself and his two sons, who were crushed to death by serpents. The group representing these three in their death agony, now in the Vatican, was discovered in 1506, on the Esquiline Hill (Rome). It is a single block of marble, and was the work of Agesander of Rhodes and two other sculptors. Thomson has described the group in his Liberty, pt. iv. (Virgil Æneid, ii. 40 etc., 212 etc.)

“The miserable sire,

Wrapped with his sons in Fate's severest grasp”

Laodami'a

The wife of Protesilaos, who was slain before Troy. She begged to be allowed to converse with her dead husband for only three hours, and her request was granted; when the respite was over, she accompanied the dead hero to the shades of death. Wordsworth has a poem on the subject.

Laodicean

One indifferent to religion, caring little or nothing about the matter, like the Christians of that church, mentioned in the Book of Revelation (chapter iii. 14—18).

Lapet

(Mons.). The beau—ideal of poltroonery. He would think the world out of joint if no one gave him a tweak of the nose or lug of the ear. (Beaumont and Fletcher: Nice Valor, or the Passionate Madman.)

Mons Lapet was the author of a book on the punctilios of duelling

Lapithæ

A people of Thessaly, noted for their defeat of the Centaurs. The subject of this contest was represented on the Parthenon, the Theseum at Athens, the Temple of Apollo at Basso, and on numberless vases. Raphael painted a picture of the same subject. (Classic mythology.)

Lapping Water

When Gideon's army was too numerous, the men were taken to a stream to drink, and 300 of them lapped water with their tongue; all the rest supped it up (Judges. vii. 4—7). All carnivorous animals lap

water like dogs, all herbivorous animals suck it up like horses. The presumption is that the lappers of water partook of the carnivorous character, and were more fit for military exploits. No doubt those who fell on their knees to drink exposed themselves to danger far more than those who stood on their feet and lapped water from their hands.

Laprel

The rabbit, in the tale of Reynard the Fox. (French, lapin, rabbit.)

Lapsus Linguæ

(Latin). A slip of the tongue, a mistake in uttering a word, an imprudent word inadvertently spoken.

We have also adopted the Latin phrases lapsus calami (a slip of the pen), and lapsus memoriæ (a slip of the memory).

Laputa

The flying island inhabited by scientific quacks, and visited by Gulliver in his “travels.” These dreamy philosophers were so absorbed in their speculations that they employed attendants called “flappers,” to flap them on the mouth and ears with a blown bladder when their attention was to be called off from “high things” to vulgar mundane matters. (Swift.)

“Realising in a manner the dreams of Lapnta and endeavouring to extract sunbeams from cucumbers.”— De Quincy.

Lapwing (The). Shakespeare refers to two peculiarities of this bird; (1) to allure persons from its nest, it flies away and cries loudest when farthest from its nest; and (2) the young birds run from their shells with part thereof still sticking to their head.

“Far from her nest the lapwing cries away.”

Comedy of Errors, iv. 2.

“This lapwing runs away with the shell on his head.”— Hamlet, v. 2.

Lar Familiaris

(plu. Lares familiares). The familiar lar was the spirit of the founder of the house, which never left it, but accompanied his descendants in all their changes. (See Lares .)

Lara

The name assumed by Lord Conrad, the Corsair, after the death of Medora. He returned to his native land, and was one day recognised by Sir Ezzelin at the table of Lord Otho. Ezzelin charged him home, and a duel was arranged for the day following; but Ezzelin was never heard of more. In time Lara headed a rebellion, and was shot by Lord Otho, the leader of the other party. (Byron: Lara.) (See Conrad .)

The seven infants of Lara. Gonzales Gustios de Salas de Lara, a Castilian hero of the eleventh century, had seven sons. His brother, Rodrigo Velasquez, married a Moorish lady, and these seven nephews were invited to the feast. A fray took place in which one of the seven slew a Moor, and the bride demanded vengeance. Rodrigo, to please his bride, waylaid his brother Gonzales, and kept him in durance in a dungeon of Cordova, and the seven boys were betrayed into a ravine, where they were cruelly murdered. While in the dungeon, Zaida, daughter of the Moorish king, fell in love with Gonzales, and became the mother of Mudarra, who avenged the death of Lara's seven sons by slaying Rodrigo.

Larboard

now called port (q.v.). (Starboard is from Anglo—Saxon steorabord, the steer—board, or right side of a ship.) Larboard is the French bâbord, the left—hand side of a ship looking towards the prow;

Anglo—Saxon boec—bord

“She gave a heel, and then a lurch to port,

And going down head foremost— sunk in short.” Byron: Don Juan (The Shipwreck).

“To give a heel” is to sway over on one side. Here it means a heel to the starboard side.

Larceny

Petty theft, means really the peculations and thefts of a mercenary. (Greek latron, hire [latris, a hireling]; Latin latro, a mercenary, whence latrocinium; French, larcin.)

Larder

A place for keeping lard or bacon. This shows that swine were the chief animals salted and preserved in olden times. (Latin, lardum, lard.)

The Douglas Larder. The English garrison and all its provisions in Douglas castle massed together by good Lord James Douglas, in 1307.

“He caused all the barrels containing flour, meat, wheat, and malt to be knocked in pieces and their contents mixed on the floor; then he staved the great hogsheads of wine and ale, and mixed the liquor with the stores; and last of all, he killed the prisoners, and flung the dead bodies among this disgusting heap, which his men called, in decision of the English `The Douglas Larder.”— Sir Walter Scott Tales of a Grandfather, ix.

Wallace's Larder is very similar. It consisted of the dead bodies of the garrison of Ardrossan, in Ayrshire, cast into the dungeon keep. The castle was surprised by Wallace in the reign of Edward I.

Lares

The Etruscan lar (lord or hero). Among the Romans lares were either domestic or public. Domestic lares were the souls of virtuous ancestors exalted to the rank of protectors. Public lares were the protectors of roads and streets. Domestic lares were images, like dogs, set behind the “hall” door, or in the lararium or shrine. Wicked souls became lemures or ghosts that made night hideous. Penates were the natural powers personified, and their office was to bring wealth and plenty, rather than to protect and avert danger. (See Fairy

.)

Large

To sail large is to sail on a large wind— i.e. with the wind not straight astern, but what sailors call “abaft the beam.”

Set at large, i.e. at liberty. It is a French phrase; prendre le large is to stand out at sea, or occupy the main ocean, so as to be free to move. Similarly, to be set at large is to be placed free in the wide world.

Larigot

Boire à tire larigot. To tope, to bouse. Larigot is a corruption of “l'arigot ” (a limb), and boire a tire l'arigot means simply “to drink with all your might,” as jouer de l'arigot means “to play your best”— i.e. “with all your power.” It is absurd to derive the word larigot from “la Rigaud,” according to Noel Taillepied, who says (Rouen xlv.): “Au xiii. siècle, l'archevèque Eudes Rigaud fit présent à la ville de Rouen d'une cloche à laquelle resta son nom. Cette cloche était d'une grandeur et d'une grosseur, telles que ceux qui la mettaient en mouvement ne manquaient pas de boire abondamment pour reprendre des forces. De là l'habitude de comparer ceux qui buvaient beaucoup aux sonneurs chargés de tirer la Rigaud,” i.e. the bell so called.

Lark

A spree; a corruption of the Anglo—Saxon lác (play, fun). (See Skylark .)

Larks

When the sky falls we shall catch larks. A way of stating to a person that his scheme or proposal is absurd or ridiculous.

French: “Si le ciel tombait, il y aurait bien des alouettes.” Latin: “Quid, si redio ad illes, qui alunt, quid si nunc coelum ruat?”

Larry Dugan's Eye—water

Blacking; so called from Larry Dugan, a noted shoeblack of Dublin, whose face was always smudged with his blacking.

Lars

The overking of the ancient Etruscans, like the Welsh “pendragon.” A satrap, or under—king, was a lucumo. Thus the king of Prussia is the German lars, and the king of Bavaria is a lucumo.

There be thirty chosen prophets,

The wisest of the land,

Who always by Lars Porsena

, Both morn and evening stand.”

Macauldy: Lays of Ancient Rome, (Horatius, ix.)

Larvae

Mischievous spectres. The larva or ghost of Caligula was often seen (according to Suetonius) in his palace.

Lascar

A native East Indian sailor in the British service. The natives of the East Indies call camp—followers lascars. (Hindu, lash—kar, a soldier.)

Last

(Anglo—Saxon lást, a footstep, a shoemaker's last.) The cobbler should stick to his last (“Ne sutor ultra cre&pacute;idam"). Apelles having executed a famous painting, exposed it to public view, when a cobbler found fault because the painter had made too few latchets to the goloshes. Apelles amended the fault, and set out his picture again. Next day the cobbler complained of the legs, when Apelles retorted, “Keep to the shop, friend, but do not attempt to criticise what you do not understand.” (See Wigs .)

Last Man

(The) Charles I. was so called by the Parliamentarians, meaning that he would be the last king of Great Britain. His son, Charles II., was called The Son of the Last Man.

Last Man

A weirdly grotesque poem by Thomas Hood.

“So there he hung, and there I stood,

The last man left alive.”

Last Words

(See Ding Syings .)

Last of the Fathers

St. Bernard, Abbot of Clarivaux. (1091—1153.)

Last of the Goths

Roderick, who reigned in Spain from 414 to 711. Southey has an historic tale in blank verse on this subject.

Last of the Greeks Philopæoemen of Arcadia. (B.C. 253—183.)

Last of the Knights

(See Knights .)

Last of the Mohicans

The Indian chief, Uncas, is so called by Cooper, in his novel of that title.

Last of the Romans

Marcus Junius Brutus, one of the murderers of Caesar. (B.C. 85—42.) Caius Cassius Longinus, so called by Brutus. (Died. B.C. 42.)

Stilicho, the Roman general under Theodosius. (The Nineteenth Century, September, 1892.) Aetius, a general who defended the Gauls against the Franks and other barbarians, and defeated Attila in the Champs Catalaumques, near Chálons, in 451. So called by Procopius.

Francois Joseph Terasse Desbillons; so called from the elegance and purity of his Latin. (1751—1789.) Pope calls Congreve Ultimus Romanorum. (1670—1729.) (See Ultimus.)

Last of the Tribunes

(The). Cola di Rienzi (1314—1354). Lord Lytton has a novel so called.

Last of the Troubadours

Jacques Jasmin, of Gascony (1798—1864).

Lat

(El). A female idol made of stone, and said to be inspired with life; the chief object of adoration by the Arabs before their conversion.

Lat, at Somanat in India, was a single stone fifty fathoms high, placed in the midst of a temple supported by

fifty—six pillars of massive gold. This idol was broken in pieces by Mahmood Ibn—Sabuktigeen, who conquered that part of India. The granite Lat, facing a Jain temple at Mudubidery, near Mangalore, in India, is fifty—two feet high.

“The granite lat of Mudubidery, in India, is fifty—two feet high.”

Lateran

The ancient palace of the Laterani, given by the Emperor Constantine to the popes. Lateran, from lateo, to hide, and rana, a frog. It is said that Nero ... on one occasion vomited a frog covered with blood, which he believed to be his own progeny, and had it hidden in a vault. The palace which was built on the site of this vault was called the “Lateran,” or the palace of the hidden frog. (Buckle: History of Civilisation.)

The locality in Rome so called contains the Lateran palace, the Piazza, and the Basilica of St. John Lateran. The Basilica is the Pope's cathedral church. The palace (once a residence of the popes) is now a museum.

Lath

or Lathe. A division of a county. Sometimes it was an intermediate division between a hundred and a shire, as the lathes of Kent and rapes of Sussex, each of which contained three or four “hundreds” apiece. In Ireland the arrangement was different. The officer over a lath was called a lathreeve. (Anglo—Saxon læth, a canton.)

“If all that tything failed, then all that lath was charged for that tything; and if the lath failed, then all that hundred was demanded for them [i.e. turbulent fellows], and if the hundred, then the shire.— Spenser: Ireland.

Lather A good lather is half a shave. This is the French proverb, “Barbe bien savonné est á moitié faite. “

Latin

The language spoken by the people of Latium, in Italy. The Latins are called aborigines of Italy. Alba Longa was head of the Latin League, and, as Rome was a colony of Alba Longa, it is plain to see how the Roman tongue was Latin. x

“The earliest extant specimen of the Latin language is a fragment of the hymn of the Fratres Arvales (3 syl.). a'priestly brotherhood, which offered, every 10th of May, a public sacrifice for the fertility of the fields.” Sellar: Roman Poets of the Republic, chap. ii. p. 34.

Classical Latin. The Latin of the best authors about the time of Augustus, as Livy, Tacitus, and Cicero (prose), Horace, Virgil, and Ovid (poets).

Late Latin. The period which followed the Augustan age. This period contains the Church Fathers. Low Latin. Mediæval Latin, mainly bastard German, French, Italian, Spanish, and so on.

Middle Latin. Latin from the sixth to the sixteenth century A.D., both inclusive. In this Latin, prepositions frequently supply the cases of nouns.

New Latin. That which followed the revival of letters in the sixteenth century.

“Latium. The tale is that this word is from lateo, to lie hid, and was so called because Saturn lay hid there, when he was driven out of heaven by the gods.”

The Latin Church. The Western Church, in contradistinction to the Greek or Eastern Church. The Latin cross. Formed thus:

The Greek cross has four equal arms, thus: +

Latin Learning

properly so called, terminated with Boethius, but continued to be used in literary compositions and in the services of the church.

Latinus

King of the Laurentians, a people of Latium. According to Virgil, Latinus opposed Æneas on his first landing, but subsequently formed an alliance with him, and gave him Lavinia in marriage. Turnus, King of the Rutuli, declared that Lavinia had been betrothed to him, and prepared to support his claim by arms. It was agreed to decide the rival claims by single combat, and Æneas being victor, obtained Lavinia for his wife.

Latinus (in Jerusalem Delivered), an Italian, went with his five sons to the Holy War. His eldest son was slain by Solyman; Aramantes, going to his brother's aid, was also slain; then Sabinus; and lastly, Picus and Laurente, twins. The father now rushed on the soldan, and was slain also. In one hour the father and his five sons were all slain.

Latitudinarians

A sect of divines in the time of Charles II., opposed both to the High Church party and to the Puritans. The term is now applied to those persons who hold very loose views of Divine inspiration and what are called orthodox doctrines.

Latona

Mother of Apollo and Diana. When she knelt by a fountain in Delos (infants in arms) to quench her thirst at a small lake, some Lycian clowns insulted her and were turned into frogs.

“As when those binds that were transformed to frogs

Railed at Latona's twin—born progeny,

Which after held the sun and moon in fee.”

Milton: Sonnets.

Latri'a and Duli'a. Greek words adopted by the Roman Catholics; the former to express that supreme reverence and adoration which is offered to God alone; and the latter, that secondary reverence and adoration which is offered to saints. (Latria is the reverence of a latris, or hired servant, who receives wages; dulia is the reverence of a doulos or slave.)

Lattice

or Chequers. A public—house sign, the arms of Fitzwarren, the head of which house, in the days of the Henrys, was invested with the power of licensing the establishments of vintners and publicans. Houses licensed notified the same by displaying the Fitzwarren arms. (The Times, April 29, 1869.)

The Fitzwarren arms were chequy or and gules, hence public—houses and their signs are still frequently called the “Red Lattices.”

“A' calls me e'en now, my lord, through a red lattice.”— Shakespeare: 2 Henry IV., ii. 2.

Laugh in One's Sleeve

(To). The French is: “Rire sous cape, ” or “Rire sous son bonnet. ” The German is: “Ins faüstchen lachen. ” The Latin is: “In stomacho ridere. ” These expressions indicate secret derision: laughing at one, not with one. But such phrases as “In sinu gaudere ” mean to feel secret joy, to rejoice in one's heart of hearts.

Laugh on the Other Side of Your Mouth

To make a person laugh on the other side of his mouth is to make him cry, or to cause him annoyance. To “laugh on the wrong side of one's face” is to be humiliated, or to lament from annoyance.

“Thou laughest there by—and—by thou wilt laugh on the wrong side of thy face.”— Carlyle: The Diamond Necklace, chap. iii.

Laughing Philosopher

Democritos of Abdera, who viewed with supreme contempt the feeble powers of man. (B.C. 460—357.) (See Weeping Philosopher .)

Laughing—stock

A butt for jokes.

Laughter

We are told that Jupiter, after his birth, laughed incessantly for seven days. Calchas, the Homeric soothsayer, died of laughter. The tale is that a fellow in rags told him he would never drink of the grapes growing in his vineyard, and added, if his words did not come true he would be the soothsayer's slave. When the wine was made, Calchas, at a great feast, sent for the fellow, and laughed so incessantly at the non—fulfilment of the prophecy that he died. (E. Bulwer Lytton: Tales of Miletus, iv.)

(See Ancaeus and Death From Strange Causes.)

Launce

The clownish serving—man of Proteus, famous for his soliloquies to his dog Crab. (Shakespeare: Two Gentlemen of Verona. )

Launcelet

(See Lancelot .)

Launched into Eternity

Hanged.

“He ate several oranges on his passage, inquired if his lordship was ready, and then, as old Rowe used to say, `was launched into eternity.'— Gilly Williams to Lord Harrington. (This man was his lordship's servant, hanged for robbery.)

Launfal

(Sir). Steward of King Arthur. He so greatly disliked Queen Gwennere, daughter of Ryon, King of Ireland, that he feigned illness and retired to Carlyoun, where he lived in great poverty. Having obtained the loan of a horse, he rode into a forest, and while he rested himself on the grass two damsels came to him, who invited him to rest in their lady's bower hard by. Sir Launfal accepted the invitation, and fell in love with the lady, whose name was Tryamour. Tryamour gave the knight an unfailing purse, and when he left told him if he ever wished to see her all he had to do was to retire into a private room, and she would instantly be with him. Sir Launfal now returned to court, and excited much attention by his great wealth; but having told Gwennere, who solicited his love, that she was not worthy to kiss the feet of his lady—love, the queen accused him to Arthur of insulting her person. Thereupon Arthur told him, unless he made good his word by

producing this paragon of women, he should be burned alive. On the day appointed, Tryamour arrived; Launfal was set at liberty and accompanied his mistress to the isle of Oleron, and no man ever saw him more. (Thomas Chester: Sir Launfal, a metrical romance of Henry VI.'s time.)

Laura

the name immortalised by Petrarch, was either the wife of Hugues de Sade, of Avignon, or a fictitious name used by him on which to hang incidents of his life and love. If the former, her maiden name was Laura de Noves.

Laura. Beppo's wife. (See Beppo.)

Lauras

(Greek, laura.) An aggregation of separate cells under the control of a superior. In monasteries the monks live under one roof; in lauras they live each in his own cell apart; but on certain occasions they assemble and meet together, sometimes for a meal, and sometimes for a religious service.

Laureate

Poets so called from an ancient custom in our universities of presenting a laurel wreath to graduates in rhetoric and poetry. Young aspirants were wreathed with laurels in berry (orné de baies de laurier). Authors are still so “crowned” in France. The poets laureate of the two last centuries have been—

Ben Jonson, 1615, appointed by King James.

Sir William Davenant. 1637.

John Dryden, 1670.

Thomas Shadwell, 1688.

Nahum Tate, 1692.

Nicholas Rowe, 1715.

Laurence Eusden, 1718.

Colley Cibber, 1730.

William Whitehead, 1757

Thomas Warton, 1783.

Henry James Pye, 1790.

Robert Southey, 1813.

William Wordsworth, 1844.

Alfred Tennyson, 1850.

Alfred Austin, 1896.

Six or seven of these are almost unknown, and their productions are seldom read.

Laurel

The Greeks gave a wreath of laurels to the victor in the Pythian games, but the victor in the Olympic games had a wreath of wild olives, the victor in the Nemean games a wreath of green parsley, and the victor in the Isthmian games a wreath of dry parsley or green pine—leaves. (See Crown .)

Laurel. The ancients believed that laurel communicated the spirit of prophecy and poetry. Hence the custom of crowning the pythoness and poets, and of putting laurel leaves under one's pillow to acquire inspiration. Another superstition was that the bay laurel was antagonistic to the stroke of lightning; but Sir Thomas Browne, in his Vulgar Errors, tells us that Vicomereatus proves from personal knowledge that this is by no means true.

Laurel, in modern times, is a symbol of victory and peace. St. Gudule, in Christian art, carries a laurel crown.

Laurence

(Friar). The Franciscan friar who undertakes to marry Romeo and Juliet. To save Juliet from a second marriage he gives her a sleeping draught, and she is carried to the family vault as dead. Romeo finds her there, and believing her sleep to be the sleep of death, kills himself. On waking, Juliet discovers Romeo dead at her side, and kills herself also. (Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet.) (See Lawrence .)

Lavaine'

Sir (2 syl.). Brother of Elaine', and son of the lord of Astolat. He accompanied Sir Lancelot when he went, incognito, to tilt for the ninth diamond. Lavaine is described as young, brave, and a true knight.

(Tennyson Idylls of the King, Elaine.)

Lavalette

(Marquis de), à French statesman who was condemned to death for sending secret despatches to Napoleon, was set at liberty by his wife, who took his place in the prison.

Lord Nithsdale escaped in a similar way from the Tower of London. His wife disguised him as her maid, and with her he passed the sentries and made good his escape.

Lavender

From the Spanish lavandera (a laundress), the plant used by laundresses for scenting linen. The botanical name is Lavandula, from the Latin lavo, to wash. It is a token of affection.

“He from his lass him lavender hath sent.

Showing his love, and doth requital crave.

Him rosemary his sweetheart, whose intent

Is that he should her in remembrance have.”

Drayton. Eclogue, IX.

Laid up in lavender— i.e. taken great care of, laid away, as women put things away in lavender to keep off moths. Persons who are in hiding are said to be in lavender. The French have the phrase “Elever dans du coton, “ referring to the custom of wrapping up things precious in cotton wool.

“Je veux que tu sois chez moi, commc dans du coton.”— La Muscotte, i. 2.

In lavender. In pawn. In Latin, pignori opponere

“The poor gentleman paies so deare for the lavender it is laid up in, that if it lies long at the broker's house he seems to buy his apparel twice.”— Greenc: Imp. Har. Misc., v. 405.

Lavinia

Daughter of Latinus, betrothed to Turnus, King of the Rutuli. When Æneas landed in Italy, Latinus made an alliance with the Trojan hero, and promised to give him Lavinia to wife. This brought on a war between Turnus and Æneas, which was decided by single combat, in which Æneas was victor. (Virgil Æneid.)

Lavinia. The daughter of Titus Andronicus, bride of Bassianus, brother of the Emperor of Rome. Being grossly abused by Chiron and Demetrius, sons of Tamora, Queen of the Goths, the savage wantons cut off her hands and pluck out her tongue, that she may not reveal their names Lavinia, guiding a stick with her stumps, makes her tale known to her father and brothers; whereupon Titus murders the two Moorish princes and serves their heads in a pasty to their mother, whom he afterwards slays, together with the Emperor Saturninus her husband. (Titus Andronicus, a play published with those of Shakespeare.)

In the play the word is accented Andronicus not Andronicus.

Lavinia. Italy; so called from Lavinia, daughter of Latinus and wife of Ænes. Ænes built a town which he called Lavinium, capital of Latium.

“From the rich Lavinian shore

I your market coine to store.”

A well—known Gloe

Lavinia and Palemon A free poetical version of Ruth and Boaz, by Thomson in his Autumn.

Lavolt

or Lavolta. (French, la volte.) A lively dance, in which was a good deal of jumping or capering, whence its name. Troilus says, “I cannot sing, nor heel the high lavolt” (iv. 4). It is thus described:—

“A lofty jumping or a leaping round,

Where arm in arm two dancers are entwined.

And whirl themselves with strict embracements bound.

And still their feet an anapest do sound”

Sir John Davies

Law To give one law. A sporting term, meaning the chance of saving oneself. Thus a hare or a stag is allowed “law”— i.e. a certain start before any bound is permitted to attack it; and a tradesman allowed law is one to whom time is given to “find his legs.”

Quips of the law, called “devices of Cépola,” from Bartholemew Cépola, whose law—quirks, teaching how to elude the most express law, and to perpetuate lawsuits ad infinitum, have been frequently reprinted — once in octavo, in black letter, by John Petit, in 1503.

The Man of Lawes Tale, by Chaucer. This story is found in Gower, who probably took it from the French chronicle of Nicholas Trivet. A similar story forms the plot of Emare, a romance printed in Ritson's collection. The treason of the knight who murders Hermengilde resembles an incident in the French Roman de la Violette, the English metrical romance of Le bone Florence of Rome (in Ritson), and a tale in the Gesta Romanorum, c. 69 (Madden's edition). (See Constance.)

Law Latin

(See Dog Latin .)

Law's Bubble

The famous Mississippi scheme, devised by John Law, for paying off the national debt of France (1716—1720). By this “French South—Sea Bubble” the nation was almost ruined. It was called Mississippi because the company was granted the “exclusive trade of Louisiana on the banks of the Mississippi.”

Laws of the Medes and Persians

Unalterable laws.

“Now, O king, ... sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians which altereth not.”— Daniel vi. 8.

The Laws of Howel Dha, who reigned in South Wales in the tenth century, printed with a Latin translation by Wotton, in his Leges Wallicie (1841).

Lawing

(Scots.) A tavern reckoning.

Lawsuits

Miles d'Illiers, Bishop of Chartres (1459—1493), was so litigious, that when Louis XI. gave him a pension to clear off old scores, and told him in future to live in peace and goodwill with his neighbours, the bishop earnestly entreated the king to leave him some three or four to keep his mind in good exercise. Similarly Panurge entreated Pantagruel not to pay off all his debts, but to leave some centimes at least, that he might not feel altogether a stranger to his own self. (Rabelais: Pantagruel, iii. 5.) (See Lilburn .)

Lawn

Fine, thin cambric bleached on a lawn, instead of the ordinary bleaching grounds. It is used for the sleeves of bishops, and sometimes for ladies' handkerchiefs.

Lawn—market

(The). To go up the Lawn—market, in Scotch parlance, means to go to be hanged.

“Up the Lawn—market, down the West Bow,

Up the lang ladder, down the short low.”

Schoolboy Rhyme (Scotland).

“They [the stolen clothes] may serve him to gang up the Lawn—market in, the scoundrel.”— Sir W. Scott: Guy Mannering, chap. xxxii.

Lawrence

(St.). Patron saint of curriers, because his skin was broiled on a gridiron. In the pontificate of Sextus I. he was charged with the care of the poor, the orphans, and the widows. In the persecution of Valerian, being summoned to deliver up the treasures of the church, he produced the poor, etc., under his charge, and said to the praetor, “These are the church's treasures.” In Christian art he is generally represented

as holding a gridiron in his hand. He is the subject of one of the principal hymns of Prudentius. (See Laurence

.)

St. Lawrence's tears or The fiery tears of St. Lawrence. Meteoric or shooting stars, which generally make a great display on the anniversary of this saint (August 10th).

The great periods of shooting stars are between the 9th and 14th of August, from the 12th to the 14th of November, and from 6th to 12th December.

Tom Lawrence, alias “Tyburn Tom” or “Tuck.” A highwayman. (Sir Walter Scott: Heart of Mid—Lothian.

Lawyer's Bags

Some red, some blue. In the Common Law, red bags are reserved for Q.C.'s and Sergeants; but a stuff—gownsman may carry one “if presented with it by a silk.” Only red bags may be taken into Common Law Courts, blue must be carried no farther than the robing—room. In Chancery Courts the etiquette is not so strict.

Lay Brothers

Men not in orders received into the convents and bound by vows. (Greek, laos, people.)

Lay Figures

Wooden figures with free joints, used by artists chiefly for the study of drapery. This is a metaphorical use of lay. As divines divide the world into two parties, the ecclesiastics and the laity, so artists divide their models into two classes, the living and the lay.

Lay Out

(To). (a) To disburse: Il dépensa de grandes sommes d'argent. (b To display goods Mettre des marchandises en montre. To place in convenient order what is required for wear: Préparer ses beaux habits. (c To prepare a corpse for the coffin, by placing the limbs in order, and dressing the body in its

grave—clothes.

Lay about One

(To). To strike on all sides.

“Hell they about him to—day.”— Shakespeare: Trolius and Cressida, i. 2.

Lay by the Heels

(To). To render powerless. The allusion is to the stocks, in which vagrants and other petty offenders were confined by the ankles, locked in what was called the stocks, common, at one time, to well—nigh every village in the land.

Lay of the Last Minstrel

(For plot see Margaret .)

Lay to One's Charge

(To). To attribute an offence to a person.

“And he [Stephen] kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord lay not this sin to their charge.”— Acts vii. 60. The phrase occurs again in the Bible, e.g. Deut. xxi. 8; Rom. viii. 33, etc.

Layamon

who wrote a translation in Saxon of the Brut of Wace, in the twelfth century, is called The English Ennius. (See Ennius .)

Layers—over for Meddlers

Nothing that concerns you. A reproof to inquisitive children who want to know what a person is doing or making, when the person so engaged does not think proper to inform them. A

“layer—over” is a whip or slap. And a “layer—over for meddlers” is a whip or chastise—for those who meddle with what does not concern them.

Lazar House

or Lazaretto. A house for poor persons affected with contagious diseases. So called from the beggar Lazarus (q.v.).

Lazarists A body of missionaries founded by St. Vincent de Paul in 1624, and so termed from the priory of St. Lazare, at Paris, which was their head—quarters from 1632 to 1792.

Lazarillo de Tormes

(1553). A comic romance, something in the Gil Blas style, the object being to satirise all classes of society. Lazarillo, a light, jovial, audacious man—servant, sees his masters in their undress, and exposes their foibles. This work was written by Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, general and statesman of Spain, author of War against the Moors.

Lazarone

(3 syl.); Italian Lazzaro, plu. Lazzaroni. The mob. Originally applied to all those people of Naples who lived in the streets, not having any habitation of their own. So called from the hospital of St. Lazarns, which served as a refuge for the destitute of that city. Every year they elected a chief, called the Capo Lazzaro. Masaniello, in 1647, with these vagabonds accomplished the revolution of Naples. In 1798 Michele Sforza, at the head of the Lazzaroni, successfully resisted Etienne Championnet, the French general.

Lazarus

Any poor beggar; so called from the Lazarus of the parable, who was laid daily at the rich man's gate (St. Luke xvi.).

Lazy

Lazy as David Lawrence's dog. Here Lawrence is a corruption of Larrence, an imaginary being supposed by Scottish peasantry to preside over the lazy and indolent. Laziness is called “Larrence.” (See and compare Davy Jones.)

Lazy as Joe, the marine, who laid down has musket to sneeze. (Sailor's proverb.) Lazy as Ludlam's dog, which leaned has head against the wall to bark. This Ludlam was the famous sorceress of Surrey, who lived in a cave near Farnham, called “Ludlam's Cave.” She kept a dog, noted for its laziness, so that when the rustics came to consult the witch, it would hardly condescend to give notice of their approach, even with the ghost of a bark. (Ray: Proverbs.

Lazy Lawrence of Lubberland

The hero of a popular tale. He served the schoolmaster, the squire's cook, the farmer, and his own wife, which was accounted high treason in Lubberland. One of Miss Edgeworth's tales, in the Parents' Assistant, is called Lazy Lawrence.

Lazy Lobkin

(A). A lob (says Halliwell) is “the last person in a race.” (Somersetshire). (Welsh llob, a dolt, our “lubber.”)

“A lazy lobkin, like an idle loute.”

Breton: Olde Madcappes, etc. (1602).

Lazy Man's Load

One too heavy to be carried; so called because lazy people, to save themselves the trouble of coming a second time, are apt to over—load themselves.

Lazyland

(Gone to). Given up to indolence and idleness.

Lazzaroni

(See Lazarone .)

L'Etat c'est Moi

(I am the State). The saying and belief of Louis XIV. On this principle he acted with tolerable consistency.

Le Roi le Veut

(French, The king wills it.) The form of royal assent made by the clerk of parliament to bills submitted to the Crown. The dissent is expressed by Le roi s'avisera (the king will give it his consideration).

Le'a One of the “daughters of men,” beloved by one of the “sons of God.” The angel who loved her ranked with the least of the spirits of light, whose post around the throne was in the uttermost circle. Sent to earth on a message, he saw Lea bathing and fell in love with her; but Lea was so heavenly—minded that her only wish was to “dwell in purity, and serve God in singleness of heart.” Her angel lover, in the madness of his passion, told Lea the spellword that gave him admittance into heaven. The moment Lea uttered that word her body became spiritual, rose through the air, and vanished from his sight. On the other hand, the angel lost his ethereal nature, and became altogether earthy, like a child of clay” (Moore Loves of the Angels, story 1.)

Leaba na Feine

[Beds of the Feïne ]. The name of several large piles of stones in Ireland. The ancient Irish warriors were called Fe'—i—ne, which some mistake for Phoeni (Garthaginians), but which means hunters.

Leach, Leachcraft

A leach is one skilled in medicine, and “leach—craft” is the profession of a medical man. (Anglo—Saxon, laece, one who relieves pain, leachcraft.)

“And straight way sent, with carefull diligence.

To fetch a leach the which had great insight

In that disease.”

Spenser: Faërie Queene, book i canto x line 23

Lead

(pronounced lêd), the metal, was, by the ancient alchemists, called Saturn. (Anglo—Saxon, lead.)

To strike lead. To make a good hit.

“That, after the failure of the king, he should `strike lead' in his own house seemed ... an inevitable law”— Bret Harte Foot of Five Forks

Lead (pronounce leed). (Anglo—Saxon laed—an.)

To lead apes in hell. (See Apes.) To lead by the nose. (See under Nose.) To lead one a pretty dance. (See under Dance.)

Leaden Hail

(Showers of). That of artillery in the battlefield.

Leaden Hall

(pronounce leden), so named from the ancient manor of Sir Hugh Neville, whose mansion or hall was roofed with lead, a notable thing in his days. “Leadenhall Street” and “Leadenhall Market,” London, are on the site of Sir Hugh's manor.

Leader

(A) or a leading article. A newspaper article in large type, by the editor or one of the editorial staff. So called because it takes the lead or chief place in the summary of current topics, or because it is meant to lead public opinion.

The first fiddle of an orchestra and the first cornet—a—piston of a military band is called the leader.

Leading Case (A). A lawsuit settle others of a similar kind.

Leading Note

in music. The sharp seventh of the diatonic scale, which leads to the octave, only half a tone higher.

Leading Question

A question so worded as to suggest an answer. “Was he dressed in a black coat?” leads to the answer “Yes.” In cross—examining a witness, leading questions are permitted, because the chief object of a cross—examination is to obtain contradictions.

Leading Strings

To be in leading—strings is to be under the control of another. Leading—strings are those strings used for holding up infants just learning to walk.

Leaf

Before the invention of paper one of the substances employed for writing was the leaves of certain plants. In the British Museum are some writings on leaves from the Malabar coast, and several copies of the Bible written on palm—leaves. The reverse and obverse pages of a book are still called leaves: and the double page of a ledger is termed a “folio,” from folium (a leaf).

Leaf

(Anglo—Saxon ieaf.)

To take a leaf out of [my] book. To imitate me; to do as I do. The allusion is to literary plagiarisms. To turn over a new leaf. To amend one's ways. The French equivalent is “Je lia ferai chanter une autre chanson. “ But in English, “To make a person sing another tune,” means to make him eat his words, or change his note for one he will not like so well.

League

The Grey League [lia grischa ]. 15th century. So called from the grey homespun dress adopted by the leaguers.

The Holy League. Several leagues are so denominated. The three following are the most important, 1511, by Pope Julius II.: Ferdinand the Catholic, Henry VIII, the Venetians, and the Swise against Louis XII.: and that of 1576, founded at Péronne for the maintenance of the Catholic faith and the exclusion of Protestant princes from the throne of France. This league was organised by the Guises to keep Henri IV. from the throne.

Leak Out

(To). To come clandestinely to public knowledge. As a liquid leaks out of an unsound vessel, so the secret oozes out unawares.

Leal

Loyal, trusty, law—abiding. Norman—French, leyale, modern French, loyale; Latin, legalis.)

Land of the leal. (See Land ...)

Leander

(3 syl.) A young man of Abydos, who swam nightly across the Hellespont to visit his lady—love, Hero, a priestess of Sestos. One night he was drowned in his attempt, and Hero leaped into the Hellespont also. This story is told in one of the poems of Musaeus, entitled Hero and Leander. (See Marlowe's poem.) (See Hero .)

Lord Byron and Lieutenant Ekenhead repeated the experiment of Leander and accomplished it in 1 hour 10 minutes. The distance, allowing for drifting, would be about four miles. A young man of St. Croix, in 1817, swam over the Sound from Croneuburgh, in 2 hours 40 minutes, the distance being six miles.

Leaning Tower

The one at Pisa, in Italy, is 178 feet in height, and leans about 14 feet. At Caerphilly, in Glamorganshire, there is a tower which leans eleven feet in eighty.

“The Leaning Tower of Pisa continues to stand because the vertical line drawn through its centre of gravity passes within its base.”— Ganot: Physics.

Leap Year Every year divisible by four. Such years occur every fourth year. In ordinary years the day of the month which falls on Monday this year, will fall on Tuesday next year, and Wednesday the year after; but the fourth year will leap over Thursday to Friday. This is because a day is added to February, which, of course, affects every subsequent day of the year. (See Bissextile .)

The ladies propose, and, if not accepted, claim a silk gown. St. Patrick, having “driven the frogs out of the bogs,” was walking along the shores of Lough Neagh, when he was accosted by St. Bridget in tears, and was told that a mutiny had broken out in the nunnery over which she presided, the ladies claiming the right of

“popping the question.” St. Patrick said he would concede them the right every seventh year, when St. Bridget threw her arms round his neck, and exclaimed, “Arrah, Pathrick, jewel, I daurn't go back to the girls wid such a proposal. Make it one year in four.” St. Patrick replied, “Bridget, acushla, squeeze me that way again, an' I'll give ye leap—year, the longest of the lot.” St. Bridget, upon this, popped the question to St. Patrick himself, who, of course, could not marry: so he patched up the difficulty as best he could with a kiss and a silk gown.

The story told above is of no historic value, for an Act of the Scottish Parliament, passed in the year 1228, has been unearthed which runs thus:—

“Ordonit that during ye reign of her maist blessed maiestie, Margaret, ilka maiden, ladee of baith high and lowe estait, shall hae libertie to speak ye man she likes. Gif he refuses to tak hir to bee his wyf, he shale be mulct in the sum of ane hundridty pundes, or less, as his estait may bee, except and alwais gif he can make it appeare that he is betrothit to anither woman, then he: schal be free.”

N.B. The year 1228 was, of course, a leap—year.

Leap in the Dark

(A). Thomas Hobbes is reported to have said on his death—bed, “Now am I about to take my last voyage— a great leap in the dark.” Rabelais, in his last moments, said, “I am going to the Great Perhaps.” Lord Derby, in 1868, applied the words, “We are about to take a leap in the dark,” to the Reform Bill.

Lear

(King). A legendary king of Britain, who in his old age divided his kingdom between Goneril and Regan, two of his daughters, who professed great love for him. These two daughters drove the old man mad by their unnatural conduct. (Shakespeare. King Lear.)

Percy, in his Reliques of Ancient English Poetry, has a ballad about King Leir and his Three Daughters (series i. book 2).

Camden tells a similar story of Ina, King of the West Saxons (see Remains, p. 306, edition 1674). The story of King Lear is given by Geoffrey of Monmouth in his Chronicles, whence Holinshed transcribed it. Spenser has introduced the same story into his Faërie Queene, book ii. canto 10.

Learn

(1 syl.). Live and learn.

Cato, the censor, was an old man when he taught himself Greek. Michael Angelo, at seventy years of age, said, “I am still learning.” John Kemble wrote out Hamlet thirty times, and said, on quitting the stage, “I am now beginning to understand my art.”

Mrs. Siddons, after she left the stage, was found studying Lady Macbeth, and said, “I am amazed to discover some new points in the character which I never found out while acting it.”

Milton, in his blindness, when past fifty, sat down to complete his Paradise Lost Scott, at fifty—five, took up his pen to redeem an enormous liability.

Richardson was above fifty when he published his first novel, Pamela. Benjamin West was sixty—four when be commenced his series of paintings, one of which is Christ Healing

the Sick.

Learn by Heart

(To). The heart is the seat of understanding; thus the Scripture speaks of men “wise in heart;” and “slow of heart” means dull of understanding. To learn by heart is to learn and understand, to learn by rote is to learn so as to be able to repeat; to learn by memory is to commit to memory without reference to understanding what is so learnt. However, we employ the phrase commonly as a synonym for committing to memory.

Learned

(2 syl.). Coloman, king of Hungary, was called The Learned (1095—1114). (See Beauclerc .)

The Learned Blacksmith. Elihu Burritt, the linguist, who was at one time a blacksmith (1811—1879). The Eearned Painter. Charles Lebrun, so called from the great accuracy of his costumes (1619—1690). The Learned Tailor. Henry Wild, of Norwich, who mastered, while he worked at his trade, the Greek, Latin, Hebrew, Chaldaic, Syriac, Persian, and Arabic languages (1684—1734).

Least Said the soonest Mended

(The) or The Less Said ... Explanations and apologies are quite useless, and only make bad worse.

Leather

Nothing like leather My interest is the best nostrum. A town, in danger of a siege, called together a council of the chief inhabitants to know what defence they recommended. A mason suggested a strong wall, a shipbuilder advised “wooden walls,” and when others had spoken, a currier arose and said, “There's nothing like leather.”

In Botallack, Cornwall, a standing toast is Tin and Pilchards, the staples of the town. Another version is. “Nothing like leather to administer a thrashing”

Leather or Prunella

It is all leather or prunella. Nothing of any moment, all rubbish. Prunella is a woollen stuff, used for the uppers of ladies' boots and shoes. (See Salt .)

“Worth makes the man, and want of it the fellow,

The rest is all but leather or prunella.”

Pope: Essay on Man.

Leathering To give one a leathering is to beat him with a leather belt, such as policemen wear, and boys used to wear. (The Welsh lathen is a rod.)

Leatherstocking

(Natty). The nickname of Natty Bumpo (q.v.), in Cooper's novel, called The Pioneers. A half—savage and half—Christian hero of American wild life.

Leave in the Lurch

(To). (See Left In The Lurch .)

Leave out in the Cold

(To). To slight, to take little or no interest in a person; to pass by unnoticed. The allusion is to a person calling at a house with a friend and the friend not being asked to come in.

Leave some for Manners In Ecclesiasticus it is written:

“Leave off first for manners' sake: and be not unsatiable, lest thou offend.”— Chap. xxxi. 17.

Leaves without Figs

Show of promise without fulfilment. Words without deeds. Keeping the promise to the ear and breaking it to the sense. Of course, the allusion is to the barren figtree referred to in Luke xiii.

Led Captain

(A). An obsequious person, who dances attendance on the master and mistress of a house, for which service he has a knife and fork at the dinner table. He is led like a dog, and always graced with the title of captain.

Leda and the Swan

This has been a favourite subject with artists. In the Orléans gallery is the chef—d'—oeuvre of Paul Veronese. Correggio and Michael Angelo have both left paintings of the same subject.

Ledger

(A). A book “laid up” in the counting—house, and containing the debits and credits of the merchant or tradesman, arranged under “heads.” (Dutch legen, to lay, whence legger. )

Ledger—lines

in music, are lines which lie above or below the staff. (Dutch, legger, to lie.)

Lee

Under the lee of the land. Under the shelter of the cliffs which break the force of the winds. (Anglo—Saxon, hleo, a shelter.)

Under the lee of a ship. On the side

opposite to the wind, so that the ship shelters or wards it off.

To lay a ship by the lee, or, in modern nautical phraseology, to heave—to, is to arrange the sails of a ship so that they may lie flat against the masts and shrouds, that the wind may strike the vessel broadside so that she will make little or no headway.

Lee Hatch

Take care of the lee hatch. Take care, helmsman, that the ship goes not to the leeward of her course— i.e. the part towards which the wind blows.

Lee Shore

is the shore under the lee of a ship, or that towards which the wind blows. (See Lee .)

Lee—side

and Weather—side. (See Leeward .)

Lee Tide

or Leeward Tide, is a tide running in the same direction as the wind blows. A tide in the opposite direction is called a tide under the lee.

Leeds

(a Stock Exchange term). Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Ordinary Stock. It is the Leeds line.

The Austrian Leeds. Brunn, in Moravia, noted for its woollen cloth. So it was called in the palmy days of Austria.

Leek

Wearing the leek on St. David's day. Mr. Brady says St. David caused the Britons under King Cadwallader to distinguish themselves by a leek in their caps. They conquered the Saxons, and recall their victory by adopting the leek on every anniversary (March 1st). (Clavis Calendaria.) Wearing the leek is obsolete. (Anglo—Saxon leac.)

Shakespeare makes out that the Welsh wore leeks at the battle of Poitiers, for Fluelleu says:—

“If your majesties is remembered of it, the Welshmen did good service in a garden where leeks did grow, wearing leeks in their Monmouth caps, which, your majesty know, to this

hour is an honourable badge of the service, and I do believe your majesty takes no scorn to wear the leek upon St. Tavy's Day”— Henry V. iv 7.

To eat the leek. To be compelled to eat your own words, or retract what you have said. Fluellen (in Shakespeare's Henry V.) is taunted by Pistol for wearing a leek in his hat. “Hence,” says Pistol, “I am qualmish at the smell of leek.” Fluellen replies, “I peseech you, at my desire to eat this leek.” The ancient answers, “Not for Cadwallader and all his goats.” Then the peppery Welshman beats him, nor desists till Pistol has swallowed the entire abhorrence.

Lees

There are lees to every wine. The best things have some defect. A French proverb.

“Doubt is the lees of thought.”

Boker: Doubt, etc., i. 11.

Settling on the lees. Making the best of a bad job; settling down on what is left, after having squandered the main part of one's fortune.

Leet

(A). A manor—court for petty offences; the day on which such a court was held. (Anglo—Saxon, lethe, a law—court superior to the wapentake.)

“Who has a breast so pure,

But some uncleanly apprehensions

Keep leets and law—days and in session sit

With meditations lawful?”

Shakespeare: Othello, iii. 3.

Leeward

and Windward. Leeward is toward the lee, or that part towards which the wind blows, windward is in the opposite direction, viz. in the teeth of the wind. “Leeward,” pronounced lew—ard. (See Lee .)

Lefevre

The poor lieutenant whose story is so touchingly told in Sterne's Tristram Shandy book vi. chap. 6).

Left

unlucky, Right lucky. The augur among the Romans having taken his stand on the Capitoline Hill, and marked out with his wand the space of the heavens to be the field of observation, divided the space into two from top to bottom. If the birds appeared on the left side of the division, the augury was unlucky, but if the birds appeared on the right side the augury was pronounced to be favourable.

“Hail, gentle bird, turn thy wings and fly on my right hand” but the bird flew on the left side. Then the cat grew very heavy, for he knew the omen to be unlucky.”— Reynard the Fox, iii.

The Left, in the Legislative Assembly of France, meant the Girondists; it was famous for its orators. In the House of Commons the Opposition occupies the left—hand side of the Speaker. In the Austrian Assembly the democratic party is called The Left.

Over the left. A way of expressing disbelief, incredulity, or a negative. The allusion is to morganatic marriages (q.v.). When a woman so married claimed to be a wedded wife, she was told that such was the case “over the left.” (See below.

Sinister (the left hand), meaning not straightforward, dishonest, is far older than morganatic marriages. The ancient Greek augurs considered all signs seen by them over the left shoulder to be unlucky, and foreboding evil to come Plutarch, following Plato and Aristotle, gives as the reason; that the west (or left side of the augur) was towards the setting or departing sun.

Left—handed Compliment (A). A compliment which insinuates a reproach. (See below.)

Left—handed Marriage

A morganatic marriage (q.v.). In these marriages the husband gives his left hand to the bride, instead of the right, when he says, “I take thee for my wedded wife.” George William, Duke of Zell, married Eleanora d'Esmiers in this way, and the lady took the name and title of Lady of Harburg; her daughter was Sophia Dorothe'a, the wife of George I.

Left—handed Oath

(A). An oath not intended to be binding. (See above.)

Left in the Lurch

Left to face a great perplexity. In cribbage a lurch is when a player has scored only thirty holes, while his opponent has made sixty—one, and thus won a double.

Leg

(A), that is, a blackleg (q.v.). To make a leg, is to make a bow.

“The pursuivant smiled at their simplicitye,

And making many leggs, tooke their reward.” The King and Miller of Mansfield.

Leg—bail A runaway. To give leg—bail, to cut and run.

Leg—bye

(A), in cricket, is a run scored from a ball which has glanced off any part of a batsman's person except his hand.

Leg of Mutton School

(The). So Eckhart called those authors who lauded their patrons in prose or verse, under the hope of gaining a commission, a living, or, at the very least, a dinner for their pains.

Legs

On his legs. Mr. So—and—So is on his legs, has risen to make a speech.

On its last legs. Moribund; obsolete; ready to fall out of cognisance. To set on his legs. So to provide for one that he is able to earn his living without further help. To stand on one's own legs. To be independent: to be earning one's own living. Of course, the allusion is to being nursed, and standing “alone.” (See Bottom.)

Legal Tender

(A). The circulating medium of a nation, according to a standard fixed by the government of that nation. It may be in metal, in paper, or anything else that the government may choose to sanction. In England, at present (1895), the standard is a gold sovereign, guaranteed of a fixed purity. In some countries it is silver, and in some countries the two precious metals are made to bear a relative value, say twenty silver shillings (or their equivalents) shall equal in commercial value a gold sovereign. In Germany, before 1872, a very base silver was a legal tender, and in Ireland James II. made a farthing the legal tender represented by an English shilling, so that 5d. was really a legal tender for a sovereign. Of course, export and import trade would

not be possible under such conditions.

Legem Pone

Money paid down on the nail; ready money. The first of the psalms appointed to be read on the twenty—fifth morning of the month is entitled Legem pone, and March 25th is the great pay—day; in this way the phrase “Legem pone” became associated with cash down.

“In this there is nothing to be abated; all their speech is legem pone.”— Minshall: Essayes Prison, p. 26.

“They were all in our service for the legem pone. “

Ozell: Rabelais.

Legend means simply “something to be read” as part of the divine service. The narratives of the lives of saints and martyrs were so termed from their being read, especially at matins, and after dinner in the refectories. Exaggeration and a love for the wonderful so predominated in these readings, that the word came to signify the untrue, or rather, an event based on tradition.

“A myth is a pure and absolute imagination; a legend has a basis of fact, but amplifies, a bridges, or modifies that basis at pleasure.”— Rawlinson: Historic Evidences, lecture i. p. 231, note 2.

Legend of a Coin

is that which is written round the face of a coin. Thus, on a shilling, the legend is round the head of the reigning sovereign; as, “VICTORIA DEI GRATIA BRITT: REGINA F: D:” (or “BRITANNIAR: REG: F: D:). The words “ONE SHILLING” on the other side of the coin, written across it, we denominate the “inscription.”

Legenda Aurea

by Jacques de Voragine. A collection of monkish legends in Latin. (1230—1298.)

The Golden Legend. of Longfellow, is a semi—dramatic poem taken from an old German tale by Hartmann von der Aur, called Poor Henry. (Twelfth century.)

Leger

St. Leger Stakes (Doncaster): so called from Colonel Anthony St. Leger, who founded them in 1776. The colonel was governor of St. Lucia, and cousin of the Hon. Elizabeth St. Leger (the lady Freemason).

The St. Leger Stakes are for both colts and mares. Those which have run in the Derby or Oaks are eligible.

Leger—de—Main

Sleight of hand; conjuring which depends chiefly on lightness of hand, or dexterity.

Legion

“My name is Legion: for we are many” (St. Mark v. 9). A proverbial expression somewhat similar to hydraheaded. Thus, speaking of the houseless poor we should say, “Their name is Legion;” so also we should say of the diseases arising from want of cleanliness, the evils of ignorance, and so on.

The Thundering Legion. The Roman legion that discomfited the Marcomanni in 179 is so called, because (as the legend informs us) a thunderstorm was sent in answer to the prayers of certain Christians; this storm relieved the thirst of the legion. In like manner a hail—storm was sent to the aid of Joshua, at the time when he commanded the sun to stay its course, and assisted the Israelites to their victory. (Dion Cassius, lxxi. 8. (See Joshua x. 10—12.)

Legion of Honour

An order of merit instituted by the First Consul in 1802, for either military or civil merit. In 1843 there were 49,417 members, but in 1851 one new member was elected for every two extinct ones, so that the honour was no longer a mere farce.

Napoleon III. added a lower order of this Legion, called the Médarille Militaire, the ribbon of which was yellow, not red. The old Legion consisted of Grand Cross, Grand Officers, Commanders, Officers, and Chevaliers, and the ribbon of the order was red.

“The Legion of Honour gives pensions to its military members, and free education to some four hundred of the daughters, sisters, and nieces of its members.”

Legislator

or Solon of Parnassus. Boileau was so called by Voltaire, because of his Art of Poetry, a production unequalled in the whole range of didactic poetry. (1636—1711.)

Leglin—girth

To cast a leglin—girth. To have “a screw loose;” to have made a faux pas; to have one's reputation blown upon. A legin—girth is the lowest hoop of a leglin or milk—pail. (See Sir Walter Scott: Fortunes of Nigel, chap. xxii.)

Legree

A slave—dealer in Uncle Tom's Cabin, by Mrs, Beecher Stowe.

Leibnitz—ism

or Leibnitzian—ism. The doctrines taught by G. W. von Leibnitz, the German philosopher (1646—1716). The opposite of Spinosa—ism. Spinosa taught that whatever is, is God manifested by phenomena. The light and warmth of the sun, the refreshing breeze, space, and every visible object, is only diety in detail. That God, in fact, is one and all.

Leibnitz, on the other hand, taught that phenomena are separate from deity, as body is from soul; but although separate, that there is between them a pre—established harmony. The electricity which runs along a telegraph wire is not the message, but it gives birth to the message by pre—established harmony. So all things obey God's will, not because they are identical, but on account of this pre—established harmony.

Leicester

(pron. Lester) is the camptown on the river Leire, which is now called the Soar

Leicester Square

(London). So called from a family mansion of the Sydneys, Earls of Leicester, which stood on the north—east side.

“The Earl of Leicester, father of Algernon Sidney the patriot ... built for himself a stately house at the north—east corner of a square plot of `Lammas Land.' belonging to the parish of St. Martin's which plot henceforth became known to Londoners as Leicester Fields. A square gradually grew up on the spot, and was completed in 1671.”— Cassell's Magazine, London Legends, x

Leigh

(Aurora) (pron. Lee). The heroine of Mrs. Browning's poem so called, designed to show the noble aim of true art.

Leilah

[Li—lah]. A beautiful young slave, the concubine of Hassan, Caliph of the Ottoman Empire. She falls in love with the Giaour, flees from the seraglio, is overtaken by an emir, and cast into the sea. (Byron: The Giaour.)

Lely

(Sir Peter), the painter, was the son of Vander Vaas or Faes, of Westphalia, whose house had a lily for its sign. Both father and son went by the nickname of Le—lys (the Lily), a sobriquet which Peter afterwards adopted as his cognomen.

Leman

(Lake). Geneva, called in Latin Lemannus.

“Lake Leman woos me with its crystal face.”

Lord Byron: Childe Harold, iii. 68.

Lemnian Deed

(A). One of unusual barbarity and cruelty. The phrase arose from two horrible massacres perpetrated by the Lemnians: the first was the murder of all the men and male children on the island by the women; and the other was the murder by the men of all the children born in the island of Athenian parents.

Lemnian Earth A species of earth of a yellowish—grey colour, found in the island of Lemnos, said to cure the bites of serpents and other wounds. It was called terra sigillata, because it was sealed by the priest before being vended. Philoctetes was left at Lemnos when wounded in the foot by Hercules.

Lemnian Women

(The). A somewhat similar story is told of these women to that of the Danaides (q.v.). When they found that their husbands liked the Thracian women better than themselves, they agreed together to murder every man in the island. Hypsiphyle saved her father, and was sold to some pirates as a slave.

Lemnos

The island where Vulcan fell when Jupiter flung him out of heaven. Probably it was at one time volcanic, though not so now.

Lemon Soles

which abound on the south coast of England and about Marseilles. Lemon is a corruption of the French limande, a dab or flat—fish. The “flounder—sole.” There are several varieties. (Latin lima, mud.)

Lemster Ore

Fine wool, of which Leominster carpets are made.

“A bank of moss,

Spongy and swelling, and far more

Soft, than the finest Lemster ore.”

Herrick: Oberon's Palace.

Lemures (3 syl.). The spirits of the dead. Good lemures were called Lares, but bad ones Larvae, spectres who wandered about at night—time to terrify the living. (Ovid. Fasti, v.)

“The lars and lemures moan with midnight plaint.” Milton: Ode on the Nativity.

Lend a Hand (See Hand .)

Length

(A). Forty—two lines. This is a theatrical term; an actor says he has one, two, or more lengths in his part, and, if written out for him, the scribe is paid by the length.

Length—month

(See Lent .)

Lens

(Latin, a lentil or bean). Glasses used in mathematical instruments are so called because the double convex one, which may be termed the perfect lens, is of a bean shape.

Lenson

As much akin as Lenson hill to Pilsen pin; i.e. not at all. Lenson hill and Pilsen pin are two high hills in Dorsetshire, called by sailors the Cow and Calf. Out at sea they look like one elevation, though in reality several hills separate them.

Lent (Anglo—Saxon, lencten). Lenctentid (spring—tide) was the Saxon name for March, because in this month there is a manifest lengthening of the days. As the chief part of the great fast falls in March, this period of fast received the name of the Lencten—fæsten, or Lent. It is from Ash Wednesday to Easter.

The Fast of thirty—six days was introduced in the fourth century. Felix III. added four more days in 487, to make it correspond with our Lord's fast in the wilderness.

Galeazzo's Lent. A form of torture devised by Galeazzo Visconti, calculated to prolong the unfortunate victim's life for forty days.

Lent Lily

(The). The daffodil, which blooms in Lent.

Lenten

Frugal, stinted, as food in Lent. Shakespeare has “lenten entertainment” (Hamlet, ii. 2); “a lenten answer” (Twelfth Night, i. 5); “a lenten pye” (Romeo and Juliet, ii. 4).

“And with a lenten salad cooled her blood.”

Dryden: Hind and Panther, iii. 27.

Leodogrance

of Camiliard, the father of Guinevere, wife of King Arthur.

Leon

(in Orlando Furioso), son of Constantine, the Greek emperor, is promised Bradamant in marriage by her parents. Amon and Beatrice; but Bradamant loves Rogero. By—and—by a friendship springs up between Leon and Rogero, and when the prince learns that Bradamant and Rogero are betrothed to each other, he nobly withdraws his suit, and Rogero marries Bradamant.

Leonard

A real scholar, forced for daily bread to keep a common school. (Crabbe: Borough, letter xxiv.)

St. Leonard is usually represented in a deacon's dress, and holding chains or broken fetters in his hand, in allusion to his untiring zeal in releasing prisoners. Contemporary with Clovis.

Leonidas of Modern Greece

Marco Bozzars, who with 1,200 men put to rout 4,000 Turco—Albanians, at Kerpenisi, but was killed in the attack (1823). He was buried at Missolonghi.

Leonine Contract

A one—sided agreement; so called in allusion to the fable of The Lion and his Fellow Hunters, (See Glaucus .)

Leonine Verses

properly speaking, are either hexameter verses, or alternate hexameter and pentameter verses, rhyming at the middle and end of each respective line. These fancies were common in the 12th century, and were so called from Leoninus, a canon of the Church of St. Victor, in Paris, the inventor. In English verse, any metre which rhymes middle and end is called a Leonine verse. One of the most noted specimens celebrates the tale of a Jew, who fell into a pit on Saturday and refused to be helped out because it was his Sabbath. His comrade, being a Christian, refused to aid him the day following, because it was Sunday:—

“Tende manus, Salomon, ego te de stercore tollam.

Sabbata nostra colo, de stercore surgere nolo, Sabbata nostra quidem Salomon celebrabis ibideri. '

Hexameters and pentameters.

“Help for you out of this mire; here, give me your hand, Hezekiah.”

“Ho! tis the Sabbath, a time labour's accounted a crime.

If on the morrow you've leisure, your aid I'll accept with much pleasure.”

“That will be my Sabbath, so, here I will leave you and go.”

E. C. B.

Leonnoys, Leonnesse or Lyonesse. A mythical country, contiguous to Cornwall.

Leonora

wife of Fernando Florestan, a state prisoner in Seville. (Beethoven: Fidelio, an opera.) (See Fernando .)

Leonora. A princess who fell in love with Manrico, the supposed son of Azucen'a the gipsy. The Conte di Luna was in love with her, and, happening to get Manrico and his reputed mother into his power, condemned them to death. Leonora interceded for Manrico, and promised the count if he would spare his life to “give herself to him.” The count consented, and went to the prison to fulfil his promise, when Leonora fell dead from the effect of poison which she had sucked from a ring. Manrico, perceiving this, died also. (Verdi: H Trovatorc, an opera.)

Leonora de Guzman. The mistress or “favourite” of Alfonso XI. of Castile. Ferdinando, not knowing who she was, fell in love with her; and Alfonso, to save himself from excommunication and reward Ferdinando for services, gave them in marriage to each other. No sooner was this done than the bridegroom, hearing who his bride was, indignantly rejected her, and became a monk. Leonora entered the same monastery as a novice, made herself known to Ferdinando, obtained his forgiveness, and died. (Donizetti: La Favorita, an opera.)

Leontes

(3 syl.), King of Sicilia, invited his friend Polixenes, King of Bohemia, to pay him a visit, and being seized with jealousy, ordered Camillo to poison him. Camillo told Polixenes of the king's jealousy, and fled with him to Bohemia. The flight of Polixenes increased the anger of Leontes against Hermione, his virtuous queen, whom he sent to prison, where she was confined of a daughter (Perdita), and it was reported that she had died in giving birth to the child. Perdita, by order of the jealous king, was put away that she might be no more heard of as his; but, being abandoned in Bohemia, she was discovered by a shepherd, who brought her up as his own child. In time, Florizel, the son and heir of Polixenes, under the assumed name of Doricles, fell in love with Perdita; but Polixenes, hearing of this attachment, sternly forbade the match. The two lovers, under the charge of Camillo, fled to Sicily, where the mystery was cleared up, Leontes and Hermione reunited, and all “went merry as a marriage bell.” (Shakespeare: Winter's Tale.)

Leopard

in Christian art, is employed to represent that beast spoken of in the Apocalypse with seven heads and ten horns; six of the horns bear a nimbus, but the seventh, being “wounded to death” lost its power, and consequently has no nimbus.

Leopard, in heraldry, represents those brave and generous warriors who have performed some bold enterprise with force, courage, promptitude, and activity.

Leopards

So the French designate the English, because their heralds describe our device as a lion leopardé. Bertrand du Guesclin, the famous Breton, declared that men “devoyent bien honorer la noble Fleur—de—lis, plus qu'ils ne faisaient le félon Liépard.”

Lepracaun

The fairy shoemaker. (Irish leith—bhrogan, from leith—brog, one—shoe maker, so called because he is always seen working at a single shoe.)

“Do you not catch the tiny clamour,

Busy click of an elfin hammer.

Voice of the Lepracaun singing shrill,

As he merrily plies his trade?”

W. B. Yeats: Fairy and Folk Tales, p. 82.

Lerna

A Lerna of ills (malorum Lerna). A very great evil. Lake Lerna is where Hercules destroyed the hydra which did incalculable evil to Argos.

“Spain was a Lerna of ills to all Europe while it aspired to universal monarchy”— P. Motteaux: Preface to Rabelais.

Les Anguilles de Melun

Crying out before you are hurt. When the Mystery of St. Bartholomew was performed at Melun, one Languille took the character of the saint, but when the executioner came to “flay him alive,” got nervous and began to shriek in earnest. The audience were in hysterics at the fun, and shouted out, Languille crie avant qu'on l'écorche, ” and “Les anguilles de Melun” passed into a French proverb.

Lesbian Poets

(The). Terpander, Alcæus, Arion, and the poetess Sappho, all of Lesbos.

Lesbian Rule

(The). A post facto law. Making an act the precedent for a rule of conduct, instead of squaring conduct according to law

Lese Majesty

(See Leze Majesty .)

Lessian Diet

Great abstinence; so called from Lessius, a physician who prescribed very stringent rules for diet. (See Banting .)

Lestrigons

A race of giants who lived in Sicily. Ulysses sent two of his men to request that he and his crew might land, but the king of the place ate one for dinner and the other fled. The Lestrigons assembled on the coast and threw stones against Ulysses and his crew. Ulysses fled with all speed, but lost many of his men. There is considerable resemblance between this tale and that of Polypheme, who ate one of Ulysses' companions, and on the flight of the rest assembled with other giants on the shore, and threw stones at the retreating crew, whereby several were killed.

Let

to permit, is the Anglo—Saxon læt—an, to suffer or permit; but let (to hinder) is the verb lett—an. It is a pity we have dropped the second t in the latter word.

“Oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, but was [have been] let hitherto.”— Romans i. 18.

Let Drive

(To). To attack; to fall foul of. A Gallicism. “Se laisser aller à ...”— i.e. to go without restraint.

“Thou knowest my old ward; here I [Falstaff] lay, and thus I bore my point. Four rogues in buckram let drive at me. These four came all a—front, and mainly thrust at me.”— Shakespeare: 1 Henry IV., ii 4.

Let us Eat and Drink: for tomorrow we shall Die

(Isaiah xxii. 13). The Egyptians in their banquets exhibited a skeleton to the guests, to remind them of the brevity of human life saying as they did so, “Let us eat and drink, for to—morrow we die.”

Leth'e

(2 syl.), in Greek mythology, is one of the rivers of Hades, which the souls of all the dead are obliged to taste, that they may forget everything said and done in the earth on which they lived. (Greek letho, latheo,

lanthano, to cause persons not to know.)

Lethean Dew

Dreamy forgetfulness; a brown study. Lethe, in mythology, is the river of forgetfulness. Sometimes incorrectly called Lethean.

“The soul with tender luxury you [Muses] fill,

And o'er the senses Lethean dews distill.”

Falconer: The Shipwreck, iii. 4.

Letter—Gae

The precentor is called by Allen Ramsay “The Letter—gae of haly rhyme.” “Holy rhyme” means hymns or chants.

“There were no sae mony hairs on the warlock's face as there's on Letter—gae's ain at this moment.”— Sir W Scott: Guy Mannering, chap. xi.

Letter—lock

A lock that cannot be opened unless certain chosen letters are arranged in a certain order.

“A strange lock that opens with A M E” Beaumont and Fletcher: Noble Gentleman.

Letter of Credit A letter written by a merchant or banker to another, requesting him to credit the bearer with certain sums of money. Circular Notes are letters of credit carried by gentlemen when they travel.

Letter of Licence

(A). An instrument in writing made by a creditor, allowing a debtor longer time for the payment of his debt.

Letter of Marque

A commission authorising a privateer to make reprisals on a hostile nation till satisfaction for injury has been duly made. Here “marque” means march, or marca, a border—land (whence our “marquis,” the lords appointed to prevent border—incursions). A letter of marque or mart was permission given for reprisals after a border—incursion. Called jus marchium.

Letter of Orders

(A). A certificate that the person named in the letter has been admitted into holy orders.

Letter of Pythagoras

(The). The Greek upsilon,

“They placed themselves in the order and figure of , the letter of Pythagoras, as cranes do in their flight.”— Rabelais; Pantagruel, iv. 33.

Letter of Safe Conduct

A writ under the Great Seal, guaranteeing safety to and fro to the person named in the passport.

Letter of Uriah

(2 Sam. xi. 14). A treacherous letter of friendship, but in reality a death—warrant. (See Bellerophon .)

“However, sir, here is a guarantee. Look at its contents: I do not again carry the letters of Uriah.”— Sir W. Scott: Redgauntlet, chap. xvi.

Letters

Their proportionate use is as follows:—

E . 1,000 H .. 540 F .. 236 K .. 88

T .. 770

R .. 528 W .. 190 J .. 55

A .. 728 D .. 392 Y .. 184 Q .. 50

I .. 704

L .. 360 P .. 168

X .. 46

S .. 680

U .. 296 G .. 168 Z .. 22

O .. 672 C .. 280 B .. 158

N .. 670 M .. 272 V .. 120

Consonants, 5,977. Vowels, 3,400.

As initial letters the order is very different, the proportion being:—

S .. 1,194 M .. 439 W .. 272 Q .. 58

C .. 937 F .. 388 G .. 266 K .. 47

P .. 804 I .. 377 U .. 228 Y .. 23 A .. 574 E .. 340 O .. 206 Z . 18

T .. 571 H .. 308 V .. 172 X .. 4

D .. 505 L .. 298 N .. 153

B .. 463 R .. 291 J .. 69

E is the most common letter (except in initials), and r, s, t, d, are the most common final letters. I and a are the only single letters which make words. Perhaps o, as a sign of the vocative case, should be added. Of two letters, an, at, and on are the most common, and of three letters the and and. (See Longwords.)

Letters. Philo affirms that letters were invented by Abraham.

Many attribute the invention to Badamanth, the Assyrian.

Blair says they were invented by Memnon, the Egyptian, B.C. 1822. The same authority says that Menes invented hieroglyphics, and wrote in them a history of Egypt, B.C. 2122.

Josephus asserts that he had seen inscriptions by Seth, son of Adam. Lucan says:—

“Phoenices primi, famæ si creditur, ausi

Mansuram rudibus vocem signare figuris.”

Pharsalia, iii. 220.

Sir Richard Philips says— “Thoth, the Egyptian who invented current writing, lived between B.C. 2806 and 3000.”

Many maintain that Jehovah taught men written characters when He inscribed on stone the ten commandments. Of course, all these assertions have a similar value to mythology and fable.

Cadmos, the Phoenician, introduced sixteen of the Greek letters.

Simonides introduced , ; and Epicarmos introduced , . At least, so says Aristotle. (See Lacedemonian Letter, and Letter Of Pythagoras.)

Father of Letters (Pére des Lettres). Francois I. of France (1494, 1515—1547). Lorenzo de' Medici, the Magnificient (1448—1492).

A man of letters. A man of learning, of erudition.

Letters expletive, and marks on letters.

In French there are two letters expletive— l and t. The former, called `l ephelcystic,' is placed before on if the preceding word ends with a vowel, as si—l—on. The latter is called “t euphonistic,” and is used in interrogative sentences between the third person singular of verbs ending with a vowel, and a pronoun beginning with a vowel, as gelle—t—il? a—t—elle?

The chief accents are the grave (), acute () and circumflex .

Two dots over the latter of two vowels (called diocresis, signify that each vowel is to be sounded, as Aët'ius (4 syl.).

A hyphen between two or more nouns or syllables denotes that they form a compound word, as mother—in—law. The hyphen in French is called a “trait d'union,” as irai—je.

In French, the mark (,) under the letter c is called a cedilla, and signifies that the c (which would otherwise be = k) is to be pronounced like s, as ca (sah), and garcon (garson).

A small comma (`) over an, a, o, or u, in Scandinavian languages, is called an umlau, and a vowel so marked is called an umlaute (3 syl.).

(“or ) over the vowel o in German is called a zweipunct (2 syl.), and gives the vowel the sound of a French eu, as in peu, etc.; but over the vowel u it gives it the sound of the French u in dût.

Letters Missive An order from the Lord Chancellor to a peer to put in an appearance to a bill filed in chancery.

Letters Overt

The same as letters patent (q.v.).

Letters Patent

So denominated because they are written upon open sheets of parchment, with the seal of the sovereign or party by whom they were issued pendent at the bottom. Close letters are folded up and sealed on the outside. (Sir Thomas Duffus Hardy.)

Letters at the Foot of a Page

Printers affix a letter to the first page of each sheet; these letters are called signatures. They begin with B, and sometimes, but not always, omit J, V, W. A is reserved for the title and preface. After Z, the alphabet is used double— thus, A A or 2 A— and then trebled, quadrupled, etc., as necessity demands. Sometimes figures, 1, 2, 3, etc., are used instead of letters. (See Sheet .)

Letters of Administration

The legal instrument granted by the Probate Court to a person appointed administrator to one who has died intestate.

Letters of Bellerophon

(See Bellerophon .)

Letters of Horning

(See under Horn, Horns .)

Letters of Junius

(See Junius .)

Letters of the Sepulchre

The laws made by Godfrey and the Patriarchs of the court of Jerusalem. There were two codes, one respecting the privileges of the nobles, and the other respecting the rights and duties of the burghers. They were kept in a coffer laid up in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Lettre de Cachet

(French). An arbitrary warrant of imprisonment; a letter folded and sealed with the king's cachet or little seal. These were secret instructions to the person addressed to proceed against someone named in the letter. The lieutenant—general of police kept an unlimited number of these instruments, and anyone, for a consideration, could obtain one, either to conceal a criminal or to incarcerate someone obnoxious. This power was abolished in the Revolution.

Lettre de Jerusalem

A letter written to extort money. (See Vidocq: Les Voleurs, i. 240—253.)

Leucadia

or Leucas. The promontory from which desponding lovers threw themselves into the sea. Sappho threw herself from this rock when she found her love for Phaon was in vain.

“Thence injured lovers, leaping from above,

Their flames extinguish, and forget to love.”

Pope: Sappho to Phaon.

Leucippus (Greek, Leukippos). Founder of the Atomistic School of Greek philosophy (about B.C. 428).

Leucothea

[White Goddess]. So Ino was called after she became a seanymph. Her son Palæmon, called by the Romans Portunus, or Portumnus, was the protecting genius of harbours.

“By Leucothea's lovely hands.

And her son who rules the strands!”

Milton: Comus, 896—7.

Leuh

The register of the Recording Angel, in which he ènters all the acts of the member of the human race. (According to the Koran.)

Levant and Couchant

Applied to cattle which have strayed into another's field, and have been there long enough to lie down and sleep. The owner of the field can demand compensation for such intrusion. (Latin, “levantes et cubantes,” rising up and going to bed.)

Levant and Ponent Winds

The east wind is the Levant, and the west wind the Ponent. The former is from levo, to rise (sunrise), and the latter from pono, to set (sunset).

“Forth rush the Levant and the Ponent winds.”

Milton: Paradise Lost, x. 704.

Levant, the region, strictly speaking, means the eastern shore of the Mediterranean; but is often applied to the whole East.

Levant' He has levanted — i.e. made off, decamped. A levanter is one who makes a bet, and runs away without paying his bet if he loses. (Spanish “levantar el campo, la casa,” to break up the camp or house; our leave.

In the Slang Dictionary, p. 214, we are told that “it was formerly the custom, when a person was in pecuniary difficulties, to give out that he was gone to the Levant.” Hence, when one lost a bet and could not or would not pay, he was said to have levanted— i.e. gone to the Levant. Of no historic value.

Levee

Levée en masse (French). A patriotic rising of a whole nation to defend their country from invasion.

The Queen's Levée. It was customary for the queens of France to receive at the hour of their levé — i.e. while making their toilet— the visits of certain noblemen. This custom was afterwards demanded as a right by the court physicians, messengers from the king, the queen's secretary, and some few other gentlemen, so that ten or more persons were often in the dressing—room while the queen was making her toilet and sipping her coffee. The word is now used to express that concourse of gentlemen who wait on the queen on mornings appointed. No ladies except those attached to the court are present on these occasions.

Kings and some nobles have their levées sometimes of an evening.

“When I was very young (said Lord Eldon to Mrs. Forster) Lord Mansfield used to hold levées on Sunday evenings.”— Twiss: Lord Eldon, vol. i. chap. v. p. 68.

Level Best

To do one's level best. To exert oneself to the utmost. Au gré de nos pouvoirs. In 1877 Mr. Hale published a book entitled His Level Best.

Level Down

To bring society, taxes, wages, etc., to an equality by reducing all to the lowest standard.

Level Up

(To). To raise the lower strata of society, or standard of wages, etc., to the level of the higher.

Levellers

(April, 1649.) A body of men that first appeared in Surrey, and went about pulling down park palings and levelling hedges, especially those on crown lands. Colonel Lilburne was lodged in prison for favouring the Levellers. (See Lilburne .)

Levellers

Radicals in the time of Charles I. and the Commonwealth, who wanted all men to be placed on a level with respect to their eligibility to office.

Levellers

(in Irish History), 1740. Agrarian agitators, afterwards called Whiteboys (q.v.). Their first offences were levelling the hedges of enclosed commons; but their programme developed into a demand for the general redress of all agrarian grievances.

Lever de Rideau

A light and short dramatic sketch placed on the stage while the manager is preparing to introduce his drama for the night, or “draw up the curtain” on the real business.

“An attempt to pack a romantic tragedy into the space filled by an ordinary lever de rideau.” — Nineteenth Century, Dec., 1892, p. 964.

Leveret

A young hare. The Duke d'Epernon always swooned at the sight of a leveret, though he was not affected if he saw a hare. (See Fox .)

Leviathan

The crocodile, or some extinct sea monster, described in the Book of Job (chap. xii.). It sometimes in Scripture designates Pharaoh, King of Egypt, as in Psa. lxxiv. 14, Isa. xxvii. l, and Ezek. xxix. 3, etc., where the word is translated “dragon.”

The Leviathan of Literature. Dr. Johnson (1709—1784).

Levites (2 syl.). In Dryden's Absalom and Achitophel, means the Dissenting clergy who were expelled by the Act of Conformity.

Levitical

Belonging to the Levites or priestly tribe of Levi; pertaining to the Jewish priesthood, as the Levitical law, Levitical rites.

Lewd

(Anglo—Saxon, leóde) simply means folk in general, verb leod—an. The present meaning refers to the celibacy of the clergy.

“All that a lewd man bath need to knawe for hele of sowl.”— Caxton Society's Publications.

Lewis (Monk). (See Monk .)

Lewis Baboon

Louis XIV. of France is so called in Arbuthnot's History of John Bull. Of course, there is a play upon the word Bourbon.

Lewkner's Lane

Now called “Charles Street,” Drury Lane, London, always noted for ladies of the pavement.

“The flymphs of chaste Diana's train,

The same with those of Lewkner's Lane.”

Butler: Hudibras, part iii. canto 1.

Lex non Scripta

The common law, as distinguished from the statute or written law. Common law does not derive its force from being recorded, and though its several provisions have been complied and printed, the compilations are not statutes, but simply remembrancers.

Lex Talionis

(Latin). Tit for tat; the law of retaliation.

Leyden Jar

or Phial. A glass vessel partly coated, inside and out, with lead—foil, and used in electrical experiments to receive accumulated electricity; invented by Vanleigh, of Leyden.

Leze Majesty

High treason; i.e. “Crimen læsæ Majestatis.”

Li—Flambe

The banner of Clovis miraculously displayed to him in the skies. (See Toads .)

Lia—fail

(of Ireland). The Fatalé Marmor or Stone of Destiny. On, this stone the ancient Irish kings sat at their coronation, and according to tradition, wherever that stone might be the people there would be dominant. It was removed to Scone; and Edward removed it from Scone Abbey to London. It is kept in Westminster Abbey under who royal throne, on which the English sovereigns sit at their coronation. (See Coronation Chair, Scone .)

Liakura

(3 syl.). Parnassus.

“But where is he that hath beheld

The peak of Liakura unveiled.”

Byron: The Giaour.

Liar (The). Al Aswad, who set himself up as a prophet against Mahomet. He was called the Weathercock because he changed his creed so often, the Impostor, and the Liar.

Moseilma, another contemporary, who affirmed that the “belly is the seat of the soul.” He wrote to Mahomet, and began his letter: “From Moseilma, prophet of Allah, to Mahomet, prophet of Allah,” and

received for answer a letter beginning thus: “From Mahomet the prophet of God, to Moseilma the Liar.” (Anglo—Saxon, leog—an, to tell a falsehood; but to be recumbent is lieg—an or lig—an.

Prince of Liars. Ferdinand Mendez Pinto, a Portuguese traveller, whose narrative is so much after Munchausen's style, that Cervantes dubbed him “Prince of Liars.” The Tatler called him a man “of infinite adventure and unbounded imagination.”

Libel

means a little book (Latin, libellus). A lampoon, a satire, or any defamatory writings. Originally it meant a plaintiff's statement of his case, which usually “defames” the defendant.

The greater the truth, the greater the libel. The dictum of William Murray, Earl of Mansfield (1704—1793).

“Dost not know that old Mansfield, who writes like the Bible.

Says: `The more 'tis a truth, sir, the more 'tis a libel'?”

Burus.

Liber Albus

contains the laws and customs of the city of London, compiled in 1419, by John Carpenter, town clerk.

Liber Niger

or The Black Book of the Exchequer, compiled by Gervase of Tilbury, in the reign of Henry II. It is a roll of the military tenants.

Liberal Arts

Book—learning (Latin, liber); viz., Grammar, Rhetoric, Philosophy, Arithmetic, Geometry, Astronomy, and Music.

Liberal Unionists

or Tory Democrats. Those Conservatives or Tories who have a strong bias towards democratic measures.

Liberal Unionists

Those Whigs and Radicals who united, in 1886, with Lord Salisbury and the Conservative party to oppose Home Rule for Ireland. Mr. Gladstone had brought in a Bill to give the Irish Home Rule. Lord Hartington was chief of the Whigs, and Mr. Chamberlain chief of the Radicals, who seceded from Mr. Gladstone's party.

Liberals

A political term first employed in 1815, when Lord Byron and his friends set on foot the periodical called The Liberal, to represent their views in politics, religion, and literature. The word, however, did not come into general use till about 1831, when the Reform Bill, in Lord Grey's Ministry, gave it prominence.

“Influenced in a great degree by the philosophy and the politics of the Continent, they [the Whigs] endeavoured to substitute cosmopolitan for national principles, and they baptised the new scheme of politics with the plausible name of “Liberalism.”— Disraeli, June 24, 1872.

Liberator

(The). The Peruvians so call Simon Bolivar, who established the independence of Peru. (1785—1831.) Daniel O'Connell was so called, because he tried to sever Ireland from England. (1775—1847.)

Liberator of the world. So Dr. Franklin has been called. (1706—1790.)

Liberia

An independent republic of western Africa settled by free negroes.

Libertines

A sect of heretics in Holland, led by Quinton a factor, and Copin. They maintained that nothing is sinful but to those who think it sinful, and that perfect innocence is to live without doubt.

By a “libertine” is now generally meant a profligate, or one who puts no restraint on his personal indulgence.

“A libertine, in earlier use, was a speculative free—thinker in matters of religion and in the theory of morals ... but [it has come] to signify a profligate.”— Trench: On the Study of Words, lecture iii. p. 90.

Liberty means “to do what one likes.” (Latin, liber, free.)

Civil Liberty. The liberty of a subject to conduct his own affairs as he thinks proper, provided he neither infringes on the equal liberty of others, nor offends against the good morals or laws under which he is living.

Moral Liberty. Such freedom as is essential to render a person responsible for what he does, or what he omits to do.

National Liberty. The liberty of a nation to make its own laws, and elect its own executive. Natural Liberty. Unrestricted freedom to exercise all natural functions in their proper places. Personal Liberty. Liberty to go out of one's house, or nation, and to return again without restraint, except deprived thereof by way of punishment.

Political Liberty. The right to participate in political elections and civil offices; and to have a voice in the administration of the laws under which you live as a citizen and subject.

Religious Liberty. Freedom in religious opinions, and in both private and public worship, provided such freedom in no wise interferes with the equal liberty of others.

Cap of Liberty. The Goddess of Liberty, in the Aventine Mount, was represented as holding in her hand a cap, the symbol of freedom. In France, the Jacobins wore a red cap. In England, a blue cap with a white border is the symbol of liberty, and Britannia is sometimes represented as holding such a cap on the point of her spear. (See Cap Of Liberty.)

Liberty

The Goddess of Liberty. On December 10th, 1793, Mlle, Malliard, an actress, was selected to personify the “Goddess of Liberty.” Being brought to Notre Dame, Paris, she was seated on the altar, and lighted a large candle to signify that Liberty was the “light of the world.” (See Louis Blanc: History, ii. 365—367.)

The statue of Liberty, placed over the entrance of the Palais Royal, was modelled from Mme. Tallien.

The Goddess of Reason. (Aug. 10, 1793.) The Goddess of Reason was enthroned by the French Convention at the suggestion of Chaumette; and the cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris was desecrated for the purpose. The wife of Momoro the printer was the best of these goddesses. The procession was attended by the municipal officers and national guards, while troops of ballet girls carried torches of truth. Incredible as it may seem, Gobet (the Archbishop of Paris), and nearly all the clergy stripped themselves of their canonicals, and, wearing red nightcaps, joined in this blasphemous mockery. So did Julien of Toulouse, a Calvinistic minister.

“Mrs. Momoro, it is admitted, made one of the best goddesses of Reason, though her teeth were a little defective.”— Carlyle: French Revolution, vol. iii. book v. 4.

Libitina

The goddess who, at Rome, presided over funerals.

“Omnis moriar; nullaque pars met vitabit Libitinam.”

Libra

[the balance ]. One of the twelve signs of the Zodiac (September 22 to October 22), when day and night being weighed would be found equal.

Library

One of the most approved materials for writing on, before the invention of paper, was the thin rind between the solid wood and the outside bark of certain trees. This substance is in Latin called liber, which came in time to signify also a “book.” Hence our library, the place for books; librarian, the keeper of books; and the French livre, a book.

Some interesting facts concerning books and libraries will be found in Disraeli's Curiosities of Literature.

A circulating library. A library from which the books may be borrowed and taken by readers to their homes under certain restrictions.

A living or walking library. Longinus, the philosopher and rhetorician, was so called. (213—273.) Public Libraries.

Ancient. The first public library known was founded at Athens (B.C. 540) by Pisistratos. That of Alexandria, founded (B.C. 47) by the Ptolemies, contained 400,000 books. It was burnt by order of the Calif

Omar, A.D. 641.

The first public library of Rome was founded by Asinus Pollio; the second, called the Palatine, by Augustus. The royal library of the Fatimites of Egypt contained 100,000 manuscripts, splendidly bound. (Gibbon.)

The library of the Ommiades of Spain contained 600,000 volumes, 44 of which were catalogues. (Gibbon.) There were seventy public libraries in the kingdom of Andalusia. (Gibbon.)

When the monastery of Croydon was burnt, in 1091, its library consisted of 900 volumes, 300 of which were very large. (Ingulphus. )

Modern. The British Museum library contains above 32 miles of book—shelves, 1,250,000 volumes, and 89,000 MSS. Some 40,000 additions are made yearly.

The Bibliothèque Nationale of Paris, founded by Louis XIV., is the largest library in the world. It contains above 1,400,000 volumes, 500,000 pamphlets, 175,000 manuscripts, 300,000 maps and charts, 150,000 coins and medals, 1,400,000 engravings, contained in 10,000 volumes, and 100,000 portraits.

The Impériale, France, contains about 600,000 books, 500,000 pamphlets, and 85,000 manuscripts. The Munich Library contains about 600,000 books and 10,000 manuscripts.

The Vienna, about 500,000 books and 20,000 manuscripts.

The Vatican, about 200,000 books and 40,000 manuscripts. The Imperial Library of Russia, about 650,000 books and 21,000 manuscripts. The Copenhagen Library, about 500,000 books and 15,000 manuscripts.

Libya

Africa, or all the north of Africa between Egypt and the Atlantio Ocean. It was the Greek name for Africa in general. The Romans used the word sometimes as synonymous with Africa, and sometimes for the fringe containing Carthage.

Licentiate

(4 syl.) One who has a licence to practise some art or faculty, as a licentiate of medicine.

Lich

A dead body. (Anglo—Saxon, lic; German, leiche.)

Lich—field, in Staffordshire. The field of the dead, i.e. of the martyred Christians. Lich—fowls. Birds that feed on carrion, as night—ravens, etc. Lich—gate. The shed or covered place at the entrance of churchyards, intended to afford shelter to the coffin and mourners, while they wait for the clergyman to conduct the cortège into the church.

Lich—owl. The screech—owl, superstitiously supposed to foretell death. Lich—wake or Lyke—wake. The funeral feast or the waking of a corpse, i.e. watching it all night. Lich—way. The path by which a funeral is conveyed to church, which not unfrequently deviates from the ordinary road. It was long supposed that wherever a dead body passed became a public thoroughfare.

Lichten

Belonging to the lich—ground or cemetery. In Chichester, just outside the city walls on the east, are what the common people call the lightnen or liten schools, a corruption of lichten schools, so termed because they stand on a part of the ancient Saxon lich—acre. The spelling usually adopted for these schools is “litten.”

Lick

as I licked him. I flogged or beat him. (Welsh, llach, a slap, verb llachian; Anglo—Saxon, slic —an, to strike, or slick.)

Lick into Shape

(To). According to tradition the cubs of bears are cast shapeless, and remain so till the dam has licked them into proper form.

“So watchful Bruin forms, with plastic care,

Each growing lump, and brings it to a bear.”

Pope: Dunciad, i, 101.

Lick the Dust

(To). To fall in battle.

“His enemies shall lick the dust.” — Psalm lxxii.9.

Licks the Butter

The very dogs refused to lick the butter from his forehead. Before the dead body of a Parsee is removed from the house, the forehead is smeared with clarified butter or ghee, and the dogs of the house are admitted. If the dog or dogs lick the butter, it is a good omen; if not, it signifies perdition.

Lickspittle

(A). A servile toady.

“His heart too great, though fortune little,

To lick a rascal statesman's spittle.” Swift.

Lictors Binders (Latin, ligo, to bind or tie). These Roman officers were so called because they bound the hands and feet of criminals before they executed the sentence of the law. (Aulus Gellius.)

“The lictors at that word, tall yeomen all and strong.

Each with his axe and sheaf of twigs, went down into the throng.”

Macaulay: Virginia.

Lid Anglo—Saxon, hlid; Dutch and Danish, lid. “Close” is the Latin supine clus—um.

Lidskialfa

[the terror of nations ]. The throne of Alfader, whence he can view the whole universe. (Scandinavian mythology.)

Lie

(Anglo—Saxon, lige, a falsehood.)

Father of lies. Satan (John viii. 44).

The greatest lie. The four P's (a Palmer, a Pardoner, a Poticary, and a Pedlar) disputed as to which could tell the greatest lie. The Palmer said he had never seen a woman out of patience; whereupon the other three P's threw up the sponge, saying such a falsehood could not possibly be outdone. (Heywood: The Four P's.)

White lies. (See White.)

Lie Circumstantial

(The) or The lie with circumstance. Sir, if you said so, it was a lie. As Touchstone says, this insult is voidable by this means— “If you said so, I said it was a lie,” but the word “if” makes the insult hypothetical. This is the lie direct in the second degree or once removed. (See Countercheck.)

Lie Direct

(The). Sir, that's a lie. You are a liar. This is an offence no gentleman can take.

“One day as I was walking, with my customary swagger,

Says a fellow to me, `Pistol, you're a coward, though a bragger.'

Now, this was an indignity no gentleman could take, sir;

So I told him flat and plump. `You lie— (under a mistake sir).' “

Lie Quarrelsome

(The). To tell one flat and plump “You lie.” Touchstone calls this “the countercheck quarrelsome.”

“If again [the fifth time] it was not well cut, he would say I lied: this is called the countercheck quarrelsome.”'— Shakespeare: As You Like It, v 4

Lie hath no Feet

(A). Because it cannot stand alone. In fact, a lie wants twenty others to support it, and even then is in constant danger of tripping

Lie

(Anglo—Saxon, licgan, to `bide or rest; but lie, to deceive, is the Anglo—Saxon verb leog—an.)

“Lie heavy on him, earth, for he

Laid many a heavy load on thee

This is part of Dr. Evan's epitaph on Sir John Vanbrugh, the comic poet, herald, and architect. The “heavy

loads” referred to were Blenheim, Greenwich Hospital (which he finished), Castle Howard in Yorkshire, and other massive buildings. (1666—1726.)

Lie Low

(To). To conceal oneself or one's intentions.

“All this while Brer Rabbit lay low.”— Uncle Remus.

Lie Over (To). To be deferred; as, this question must lie over till next sessions.

Lie—to

(To). To stop the progress of a vessel at sea by reducing the sails and counterbracing the yards; to cease from doing something. A nautical phrase.

“We now ran plump into a fog, and were obliged to lie—to.”— Lord Dufferin.

Lie Up (To). To refrain from work; to rest.

Lie at the Catch

(To). Thus Talkative says to Faithful. “You lie at the catch, I perceive.” To which Faithful replies, “No, not I: I am only for setting things right.” “To lie at the catch,” or lie on the catch, is to lie in wait or to lay a trap to catch one.

Lie in State

(To). “Étre couché sur un lit de parade.” A dead body displayed to the general public.

Lie on Hand

(To). To remain unsold. “Rester depuis longtemps on main.”

Lie to One's Work

(To). To work energetically.

Lie with One's Fathers

(To). To be buried in one's native place. “Reposer avec ses péres.”

“I will lie with my fathers, and thou shalt carry me out of Egypt.”— Genesis xlvii. 30

Liebenstein and Sternfels

Two ruined castles of the Rhine. According to tradition, Leoline, the orphan, was the sole surviving child of the lord of Liebenstein; and two brothers, named Warbeck and Otho, were the surviving children of the lord of Sternfels. Both the brothers fell in love with Leoline; but, as Leoline gave the preference to Otho, Warbeck joined the Crusades. A Templar in time persuaded Otho to do the same; but, the war being over, Otho stayed at Constantinople, where he fell in love with a Greek, whom be brought home for his bride. Leolins retired to the adjacent convent of Bornhofen. Warbeck defied his brother to single combat for this insult to his betrothed; but Leoline with the nuns interposed to prevent the fight. The Greek wife, in time, eloped with one of the inmates of Sternfels, and Otho died childless. A band of robbers broke into the convent; but Warbeck armed in its defence. He repelled the robbers, but received his death—wound, and died in the lap of Leoline; thus passed away the last lord of Liebenstein. (Traditions of the Rhine.)

Liege

The word means one bound, a bondsman (Latin, ligo, to bind); hence, vassals were called liege—men—

i.e. men bound to serve their lord. The lord was called the liege—lord, being bound to protect the vassals.

“Unarmed and bareheaded, on his knees, and with his hands placed between those of his lord, he [the military tenant] repeated these words:`Hear, my lord, I have become your liegeman of life and limb, and earthly worship; and faith and truth I will bear to you to live and die.”— Lingard: History of England, vol. ii. chap. i. p. 27.

Lien

A bond. (Latin, ligamen). Legally, a bond on goods for a debt; a right to retain goods in a creditor's hands till he has satisfied a legal claim for debt.

Liesse

(2 syl.). Abbé de Liesse or Abbas Letitiae. The French term for the “Boy Bishop,” or “Abbot of Unreason.” (See Abbot.)

Lieutenant

(pronounce lef—ten'—unt) is the Latin locum—tenens, through the French. A Lieutenant—Colonel is the Colonel's deputy. The Lord—Lieutenant of Ireland is a viceroy who represents the crown in that country.

Life

(Anglo—Saxon, lif.)

Drawn from life. Drawn or described from some existing person or object. For life. As long as life continues.

For the life of me. True as I am alive. Even if my life depended on it. A strong asseveration.

“Nor could I, for the life of me, see how the creation of the world had anything to do with what I was talking about.”— Goldsmith; Vicar of Wakefield.

Is life worth living? Schopenhauer decides in the negative. In the “funeral service” we are taught to thank God for delivering the deceased “out of the miseries of this sinful life.” On the other hand, we are told that Jesus called Lazarus from the grave, not by way of punishment, but quite the contrary.

“On days like this, one feels that Schopenhauer is wrong after all, and that life is something really worth living for.”— Grunt Allen: The Curate of Churnside.

Large as life. Of the same size as the object represented. On my life. I will answer for it by my life; as, “Il le fera j'en répondes sur ma vie.” To bear a charmed life. To escape accidents in a marvellous manner.

To know life. In French, “Savoir vivre” — that is, “Savoir ce que c'est que de vivre.” “Not to know life,” is the contrary— “Ne savoir pas ce que c'est que de vivre.”

To the life. In exact imitation. “Done to the life.” “Faire le portrait de quelqu'un au naturel” (or) “daprès

nature.”

Life—boat (A). A boat rendered especially buoyant for the purpose of saving those who are in peril of their life at sea.

Life—buoy

(A). A float to sustain two or more persons in danger of being drowned at sea.

Life—Guards

Two senior regiments of the mounted body—guard, comprising 878 men, all six feet high; hence, a fine, tall, manly fellow is called “a regular Life—guardsman.”

Life Policy

(A). An assurance to be paid after the death of the person.

Life Preserver

(A). A buoyant jacket, belt, or other appliance, to support the human body in water; also a loaded staff or knuckle—duster for self—defence.

Lift

To have one at a lift is to have one in your power. When a wrestler has his antagonist in his hands and lifts him from the ground, he has him “at a lift,” or in his power.

“ `Sirra,' says be, `I have you at a lift.

Now you are come unto your latest shift.' “

Percy: Reliques, Gay and Amarant

Lift not up your Horn on High (Psalm lxxv. 5.) Do not behave scornfully, maliciously, or arrogantly. (See under Horn.)

Lift up the Heel against Me

(To). To kick me (physically or morally); to treat with contumely or contempt: to oppose, to become an enemy. As an unruly horse kicks the master who trusts and feeds him

“Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted his heel against me.”— Psalm xli. 9.

Lift up the Voice

(To). To shout or cry aloud; to utter a cry of joy or of sorrow.

“Saul lifted up his voice and wept.”— I Sam. xxiv. 16.

Lifted up

Put to death; to raise on a cross or gibbet.

“When ye have lifted up the Son of Man, then shall ye know that I am He.”— John viii 28.

Lifter

A thief. We still call one who plunders shops a “shop—lifter.”

“Is he so young a man, and so old a lifter?”Shakespeare: Troilus and Cressida, i.2.

Lifting

(The). In Scotland means lifting the coffin on the shoulders of the bearers. Certain ceremonies preceded the funeral.

“When at the funeral of an ordinary husband—man, one o'clock was named as the hour for `lifting,' the party began to assemble two hours previously.”— Saladin: Agnostic Journal, Jan. 14,1893, p. 27.

At the first service were offered meat and ale; at the second, shortbread and whisky; at the third, seed—cake and wine; at the fourth, currant—bun and rum: at the last, sugar—biscuits and brandy.

Lifting

or Lifting the Little Finger. Tippling. In holding a beaker or glass, most persons stick out or lift up the little finger. “Lifting” is a contracted form of the full phrase.

Ligan

Goods thrown overboard, but tied to a cork or buoy in order to be found again. (Latin ligare, to tie or bind.)

Flotsam. The débris of a wreck which floats on the surface of the sea, and is often washed ashore. (Latin flotare, to float.)

Jetson or jetsam. Goods thrown overboard in a storm to lighten the vessel. (Latin jacere, to cast forth, through the French jeter.

Light

Life. Othello says, “Put out the light and then put out the light.” In May, 1886, Abraham Harper, a

market—gardener, of Oxford, hit his wife in the face, and threatened to “put her light out,” for which he was fined 5s. and costs. (Truth, May 20th, 1886.)

Light

Graces, holiness. Called “the candle of the Lord,” the “lamp of God,” as, “The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord.” (Prov. xx. 27.)

“Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works.”— Matt. v. 16.

To stand in one's own light. To act in such a way as to hinder advancement.

“He stands in his own light through nervous fear.”— The Leisure Hour, 1886.

Light Comedian

(A), in theatrical parlance, is one who performs in what is called legitimate comedy, but is very different to the “low comedian,” who is a farceur. Orlando, in As You Like It, might be taken by a “light comedian,” but not by a “low comedian.” Tony Lumpkin and Paul Pry are parts for a “low comedian,” but not for a “light comedian.”

Light Horsemen

Those who live by plunder by night. Those who live by plunder in the daytime are Heavy Horsemen. These horsemen take what they can crib aboard ship, such as coffee—beans, which they call pease; sugar, which they call sand; rum, which they called vinegar, and so on. The broker who buys these stolen goods and asks no questions is called a fence. (See Captain Marryat: Poor Jack, chap. xviii.)

Light Troops

i.e. light cavalry, meaning Lancers and Hussars, who are neither such large men as the “Heavies,” nor yet so tall. (See Light—Armed Artillery.)

Light—armed Artillery

The Royal Horse Artillery. The heavy artillery are the garrison artillery.

Light as a Feather

(See Similes .)

Light—fingered Gentry

(The). Pick—pockets and shop—lifters.

Light Gains make a heavy Purse

Small profits and a quick return, is the best way of gaining wealth. French, “Le petit gain remplit la bourse;” Italian, “I guadagni mediocri empiono la borsa.”

Light of One's Countenance

(The). The bright smile of approbation and love.

“Lift up the light of Thy countenance on us.”— Psalm iv. 6.

Light of the Age

Maimonides or Rabbi Moses ben Maimon, of Cordova (1135—1204).

Light of the Harem

The Sultana Nourmahal', afterwards called Nourjehan (Light of the World). She was the bride of Selim. (Thomas Moore: Lalla Rookh.)

Lighthouse

The most celebrated of antiquity was the one erected by Ptolemy Soter in the island of Pharos, opposite Alexandria. Josephus says it could be seen at the distance of 42 miles. It was one of the “seven wonders” of the ancient world.

Of modern lighthouses the most famous are the Eddystone, 14 miles S.W. of Plymouth Sound; the Tour de Corduan, at the entrance of the Gironde, in France; and the Bell Rock, which is opposite the Frith of Tay.

The largest lighthouses are:— (1) The lighthouse at Hell Gate in New York, 250 feet high, with 9 electric lamps of 6,000 candle—power each. (2) The Bartholdi Statue of Liberty, in New York harbour, 220 feet high.

(3) One in Genoa, Italy, 210 feet in height. (4) Cape Hatteras Light, which is 189 feet high. (5) Eddystone Lighthouse is 85 feet high, and lights a radius of 17 miles.

Lightning

[Barca]. Hamilcar of Carthage was called “Barca,” both on account of the rapidity of his march and also for the severity of his attacks. (B.C. 247—228.)

Chain lightning. Two or more flashes of lightning repeated without intermission. Forked lightning. Zig—zag lightning. Globular lightning. A meteoricball [of fire], which sometimes falls on the earth and flies

off with an explosion.

Lightning Conductor

A metal rod raised above a building with one end in the earth, to carry off the lightning and prevent its injuring the building.

It must be pointed at the top extremity to ensure a quiet discharge.

Lightning Preservers

The most approved classical preservatives against lightning were the eagle, the

sea—calf, and the laurel. Jupiter chose the first, Augustus Caesar the second, and Tiberius the third.

(Columella, x.; Sueton, in Vit. Aug., xc.; ditto in Vit. Tib., lxix.) (See House—Leek.) Bodies scathed and persons struck dead by lightning were said to be incorruptible; and anyone so distinguished was held by the ancients in great honour. (J. C. Bullenger: De Terrae Motu, etc., v. 11.)

Lightning Proof

A building protected by lightning conductors (one or more).

Lightning Rod

(A). (See Lightning Conductor .)

Liguorians

A congregation of missionary priests called also Redemptorists, founded in 1732, by St. Alphonsus Liguori. Their object is the religious instruction of the people, and the reform of public morality.

Ligurian Arts

Deception, trickery.

Ligurian Republic

(The). Venetia, Genoa, and a part of Sardinia, tied up in one bundle by Napoleon I. in 1797, and bound with a constitution similar to that of the French “Directory,” so called from Liguria, pretty well commensurate with these districts. It no longer exists.

Ligurian Sage

(The). Aulus Persius Flaccus, born at Volaterrae, in Etruria, according to ancient authors; and at Lunae Portus, in Liguria, according to some modern authorities. (A.D. 34—62.) (See Satires, vi. 6.)

Lilburn Shawl

The name of a place in Wensleydale, Yorkshire. Shawl is shaw, a hill; shaw'l = shaw—hill.

Lilburne

If no one else were alive, John would quarrel with Lilburne. John Lilburne was a contentious Leveller in the Commonwealth; so rancorous against rank that he could never satisfy himself that any two persons were exactly on the same level. (See Lawsuits.)

“Is John departed? and is Lilburne gone?

Farewell to both— to Lilburne and to John.

Yet, being gone, take this advice from me:

Let them not both in one grave buried be.

Here lay ye John, lay Lilburne thereabout;

For if they both should meet, they would fall out.”Epigrammotic Epitaph.

Lilinau was wooed by a phantom that lived in her father's pines. At nightfall the phantom whispered love, and won the fair Lilinau, who followed his green waving plume through the forest, and was never seen again. (American—Indian tradition.)

Lilis

or Lilith (Rabbinical mythology). The Talmudists say that Adam had a wife before Eve, whose name was Lilis. Refusing to submit to Adam, she left Paradise for a region of the air. She still haunts the night as a spectre, and is especially hostile to new—born infants. Some superstitious Jews still put in the chamber occupied by their wife four coins, with labels on which the names of Adam and Eve are inscribed, with the words, “Avaunt thee, Lilith!” &Goethe; has introduced her in his Faust. (See Lamia.)

“It was Lilith, the wife of Adam ...

Not a drop of her blood was human,

But she was made like a soft sweet woman.”

D. G. Rossetti: Eden Bower.

The fable of Lilis or Lilith was invented to reconcile Gen. i. with Gen. ii. Genesis i. represents the simultaneous creation of man and woman out of the earth; but Genesis ii. represents that Adam was alone, and Eve was made out of a rib and was given to Adam as a helpmeet for him.

Lilli—Burlero

or Lilli—Bullero and Bullen—a—lah. Said to have been the words of distinction used by the Irish Papists in their massacres of the Protestants in 1641. A song with the refrain of “Lilli—burlero,

bullen—a—la!” was written by Lord Wharton, which had a more powerful effect than the philippics of either Demosthenes or Cicero, and contributed not a little to the great revolution of 1688. Burnet says, “It made an impression on the [king's] army that cannot be imagined. ... The whole army, and at last the people, both in city and country, were singing it perpetually ... never had so slight a thing so great an effect.” The song is in Percy's Reliques of Ancient English Poetry, series ii. bk. 3. (See Sterne: Tristram Shandy, chap. ii.)

“Lilli bullero, lilli bullero bullen a la,

Lero lero, lilli bullero, lero lero bullen a la,

Lero lero, lilli bullero, lero lero bullen a la.”

Mr. Chappell attributes the air to Henry Purcell.

Lilliput

The country of pigmies called “Lilliputians,” to whom Gulliver was a giant. (Swift: Gulliver's Travels.)

Lily

(The). There is a tradition that the lily sprang from the repentant tears of Eve as she went forth from Paradise.

Lily in Christian art is an emblem of chastity, innocence, and purity. In pictures of the Annunciation, Gabriel is sometimes represented as carrying a lily—branch, while a vase containing a lily stands before the Virgin, who is kneeling in prayer. St. Joseph holds a lily—branch in his hand, to show that his wife Mary was always the virgin.

Lily. (Emblem of France.) Tasso, in his Jerusalem Delivered, terms the French Gigli d'oro (golden lilies). It is said the people were commonly called Liliarts, and the kingdom Lilium in the time of Philippe le Bel, Charles VIII., and Louis XII. They were so called from the fleur—de—lys, the emblem of France.

“I saw my country's lily torn.”

Bloomfield. (A Frenchman is speaking.)

“The burghers of Ghent were bound by solemn oath not to make war upon the lilies.”— Millington: Heraldry, i.

Lily of France. The device of Clovis was three black toads, but an aged hermit of Joye—en—valle saw a miraculous light stream one night into his cell, and an angel appeared to him holding a shield of wonderful beauty; its colour was azure, and on it were emblazoned three gold lilies that shone like stars, which the hermit was commanded to give to Queen Clotilde. Scarcely had the angel vanished when Clotilde entered, and, receiving the celestial shield, gave it to her royal husband, whose arms were everywhere victorious. (See Les Petits Bollandistes, vol. vi. p. 426.)

“Un hermite apporta à la ditte royne yn drapdazur à Trois Flevrs de Lis d'or, que l'ange luy auoit donnee et le deliura la ditte royne a son mary le roy Clovis pour le porter comme ses armes en lieu qu'il les portoit d'or à trois crapavz de sable.”— Chifflet.

The kings of France were called “Lords of the Silver Lilies.”

Florence is called “The City of Lilies.”

Lily of the Valley

The Convallaria majalis (the May valley plant); one of the species is Solomon's seal. It is by no means the case that the Convallaria grow only in valleys, although they prefer shady places.

This is not the lily (Matt. vi. 28) which is said to excel “Solomon in all his glory.” The Lilium Candidum is the flower alluded to by our Lord; a tall majestic plant, common in Palestine, and known by us as the Garden Lily. It is bellshaped, with white petals and golden yellow stamens. Jahn (&Archaeologia; Biblica, p. 125) tells us that “at festivals the rich and powerful robed themselves in white cotton, which was considered the most splendid dress.' “

Lily Maid of Astolat

(2 syl.). The “lily maid of Astolat” (Guildford, in Surrey ), who loved Sir Lancelot “with that love which was her doom.” Sir Lancelot, being sworn to celibacy, could not have married her, even if he had been willing; and, unhappily, what little love he had was bestowed on the queen.

Elaine felt that her love was a vain thing, and died. According to her last request, the bed on which she died was placed on a barge, and on it was laid her dead body, arrayed in white, a lily in her right hand, and a letter avowing her love in the left. An old dumb servitor steered and rowed the barge up the river, nd when it stopped at the palace staith, King Arthur ordered the body to be brought in. The letter being read, Arthur directed that the maiden should be buried like

Lim Hay

Lick it up like Lim hay. Lim, on the Mersey, is famous for its excellent hay.

Limb

To tear limb from Warburton. Lymm cum Warburton forms one rectory in Cheshire. The play is on limb and Lymm.

Limb of the Law

(A). A lawyer, or a clerk articled to a lawyer. The hands are limbs of the body, and the lawyer's clerks are his hands to copy out what the head of the office directs.

Limberham

A tame, foolish keeper. The character is in Dryden's comedy of Limberham, or the Kind Keeper, and is supposed to satirise the Duke of Lauderdale.

Limbo

A waste—basket; a place where things are stowed, too good to destroy but not good enough to use. In School theology unbaptised infants and good heathens go to Limbo. (Latin, limbus, the edge.) They cannot go to heaven, because they are not baptised, and they cannot go to the place of torment, because they have not committed sin at all, or because their good preponderates. (See Milton: Paradise Lost, bk. iii.) (See Araf.)

In limbo. Go to limbo — that is, prison.

Limbus

preceded by in or to becomes limbo — as, in limbo, to limbo. Occasionally, limbo stands for limbus.

Limbus Fatuorum

The Limbus of Fools, or Fool's Paradise. As fools are not responsible for their works, they are not punished in Purgatory, but cannot be received into Heaven; se they go to a place called the Paradise of Fools.

“Then might you see

Cowls, hoods, and habits, with their wearers tossed

And fluttered into rags; then relics, beads,

Indulgences, dispenses, pardons, bulls,

The sport of winds. All these, upwhirled aloft, Into a Limbo large and broad, since called

The Paradise of Fools.”

Milton: Paradise Lost, book iii. 489—95.

One cannot wonder that Milton's great poem was placed by the Catholics in the Index of books forbidden.

Limbus Patrum The half—way house between earth and heaven, where the patriarchs and prophets, after death, await the coming of Messiah. According to the Roman Catholic notion, this is the “hell,” or hades, into which Jesus Christ descended after He gave up the ghost on the cross. Limbo, and sometimes Limbo patrum, is used for “quod,” jail, confinement.

“I have some of them in limbo patrum, and there they are like to dance these three days.”— Shakespeare: Henry VIII., v. 4.

Limbus Puerorum

The Child's Paradise, for children who die before they are responsible for their actions.

Limbus of the Moon

In the limbo of the moon. Ariosto (in his Orlando Furioso, xxxiv. 70) says, in the moon are treasured up such stores as these: Time misspent in play, all vain efforts, all vows never paid, all intentions which lead to nothing, the vanity of titles, flattery, the promises of princes, death—bed alms, and other like vanities.

“There heroes' wits are kept in ponderous vases,

And beaux' in snuff—boxes and tweezer—cases; There broken vows and death—bed alms are found,

And lovers' hearts with ends of ribbon bound; The courtier's promises and sick man's prayers, The smiles of harlots, and the tears of heirs.”

Pope: Rape of the Lock, 115—120.

Lime Street

London. The place where, in former times, lime was sold in public market. It gives its name to one of the wards of London.

Limited Liability

The liability of a shareholder in a company only for a fixed amount, generally the amount of the shares he has subscribed for. The Limited Liability Act was passed 1855.

Limner

A drawer, a painter, an artist. A contraction of illuminator, or rather lumenier (one who illuminates manuscripts).

“The limner, or illuminer ... throws us back on a time when the illumination of MSS, was a leading occupation of the painter.”— Trench: On the Study of Words, lecture iv. p. 171.

Limp

Formed of the initial letters of Louis (XIV.), James, Mary, Prince (of Wales). A Jacobite toast in the time of William III. (See Notarica.)

Lina

The Goddess Flax.

“Inventress of the woof, fair Lina flings

The flying shuttle through the dancing strings. Darwin: Loves of the Plants, canto ii.

Lincoln

A contraction of Lindumcolonia. Lindum was an old British town, called Llyn—dune (the fen—town). If we had not known the Latin name, we should have given the etymology Llyn—collyne (the fen—hill, or hill near the pool), as the old city was on a hill.

The devil looks over Lincoln. (See Devil.)

Lincoln College (Oxford). Founded by Richard Fleming in 1427), and completed by Rotherham, Bishop of Lincoln, in 1479.

Lincoln Green

Lincoln, at one time, was noted for its green, Coventry for its blue, and Yorkshire for its grey. (See Kendal Green.)

“And girls in Lincoln green.”

Drayton: Polyolbion, xxv.

Falstaff speaks of Kendal Green (Westmoreland), 1 Hen. IV., ii. 4.)

“Here be a sort of ragged knaves come in,

Clothed all in Kendale green.”

Plays of Robyn Hood.

Lincoln's Inn One of the fashionable theatres in the reign of Charles II.

Lincoln's Inn Fields

London. Henry Lacy, Earl of Lincoln, built an inn (mansion) here in the 14th century. The ground belonged to the Black Friars, but was granted by Edward I. to Lacy. Later, one of the bishops of Chichester, in the reign of Henry VII., granted leases here to certain students of law.

Lincolnshire Bagpipes

The croaking of frogs in the Lincolnshire fens. We have Cambridgeshire nightingales, meaning frogs; fen nightingales, the Liège nightingale. In a somewhat similar way asses are called “Arcadian nightingales.”

“Melancholy as ... the drone of a Lincolnshire bagpipe.”— Shakespeare: 1 Hen. IV., i. 2.

Lindabrides

A heroine in The Mirror of Knighthood, whose name at one time was a synonym for a kept mistress, in which sense it was used by Scott, Kenilworth and Woodstock.

Linden Tree

(A). Baucis was converted into a linden tree. Philemon and Baucis were poor cottagers of Phrygia, who entertained Jupiter so hospitably that he promised to grant them whatever request they made. They asked that both might die together, and it was so. At death Philemon became an oak and Baucis a linden tree. Their branches intertwined at the top.

Lindor

A poetic swain of the Corydon type, a lover en bergère.

“Do not, for heaven's sake, bring down Corydon and Lindor upon us.”— Sir Walter Scott.

Line Trade, business.

What line are you in? What trade or profession are you of? “In the book line”— i.e. the book trade. This is a Scripture phrase. “The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places, yea, I have a goodly heritage.” The allusion is to drawing a line to mark out the lot of each tribe, hence line became the synonym of lot, and lot means position or destiny; and hence a calling, trade, or profession. Commercial travellers use the word frequently to signify the sort of goods which they have to dispose of; as, one travels “in the hardware line,” another “in the drapery line,” or “grocery line,” etc.

Line

(The). The equator. (See Crossing The Line. )

The deep—sea line. A long line marked at every five fathoms, for sounding the depth of the sea. The line. All regiments of infantry except the foot—guards, the rifle brigade, the marines, the militia, and the volunteers.

Line a Day

(A). (“Nulla dies sine linea.”) Apelles the artist said he never passed a day without doing at least one line, and to this steady industry he owed his great success.

Line of Battle

The order of troops drawn up so as to present a battle—front. There are three lines— the van, the main body, and the rear. A fleet drawn up in line of battle is so arranged that the ships are ahead and astern of each other at stated distances.

All along the line, in every particular. The reference is to line of soldiers.

“The accuracy of the statement is contested all along the line by persons on the spot.”—W. E. Gladstone (Newspaper report).

To break the enemy's line is to derange their order of battle, and so put them to confusion.

Line of Beauty according to Hogarth, is a curve thus. Mengs was of the same opinion, but thought it should be more serpentine. Of course, these fancies are not tenable, for the line which may be beautiful for one object would be hideous in another. What would Hogarth have said to a nose or mouth which followed his line of beauty?

Line of Communication

or rather Lines of Communication, are trenches made to continue and preserve a safe correspondence between two forts, or two approaches to a besieged city, or between two parts of the same army, in order that they may co—operate with each other.

Line of Demarcation

The line which divides the territories of different proprietors. The space between two opposite doctrines, opinions, rules of conduct, etc.

Line of Direction

The line in which a body moves, a force acts, or motion is communicated. In order that a body may stand without falling, a line let down from the centre of gravity must fall within the base on which the object stands. Thus the leaning tower of Pisa does not fall, because this rule is preserved.

Line of Life

(The). In French, La ligne de vie. So also, line of duty, La ligne du devoir, etc. In palmistry, the crease in the left hand beginning above the web of the thumb, and running towards or up to the wrist is so called.

The nearer it approaches the wrist the longer will be the life, according to palm—lorists. If long and deeply marked, it indicates long life with very little trouble; if crossed or cut with other marks, it indicates sickness.

Line of March

The ground from point to point over which an army moves.

Line of Operation

(The) in war. The line between the base of operation (q.v.) and the object aimed at. Thus, if a fleet is the base and the siege of a city is the object aimed at, the line of operation is that drawn from the fleet to the city. If a well—fortified spot is the base and a battle the object, the line of operation is that which lies between the fortified spot and the battle—field.

Line upon Line

Admonition or instruction repeated little by little (a line at a time). Apelles said “Nulla dies sine linea. ” A drawing is line upon line, an edifice is brick upon brick or stone upon stone.

“Line upon line, line upon line, here a little and there a little.”— Isiah xxviii. 10.

Lines

The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places. The part allotted to me and measured off by a measuring line. (Palms xvi. 6.)

Hard lines. Harsh restrictions. Here lines means an allotment measured out. To read between the lines. To discern the secret meaning. One method of cryptography is to write in alternate lines; if read line by line, the meaning of the writer is reversed or wholly misunderstood. Thus lines 2, 4, 6 of the following cryptogram would convey the warning to Lord Monteagle of the Gunpowder Plot.

“My lord, having just returned from Paris,

(2) stay away from the house to—night and give me the pleasure of your company.

(4) for God and man have concurred to punish those who pay not regard to their health,

and

(6) the wickedness of the time adds greatly to its wear and tear.”

Linen Goods In 1721 a statute was passed imposing a penalty of 5 upon the wearer, and 20 upon the seller of, a piece of calico. Fifteen years later this statute was so far modified that calicoes manufactured in Great Britain were allowed, “provided the warp thereof was entirely of linen yarn.” In 1774 a statute was passed allowing printed cotton goods to be used on the payment of threepence a yard duty; in 1806 the duty was raised to threepence halfpenny. This was done to prevent the use of calicoes from interfering with the demand for linen and woollen stuffs. The law for burying in woollen was of a similar character. The following extracts from a London news—letter, dated August 2nd, 1768, are curious. [Note — chintz is simply printed calico. ]

“Yesterday three tradesmen's wives of this city were convicted before the Rt. Hon. the Lord Mayor for wearing chintz gowns on Sunday last, and each of them was fined 5. These make eighty who have been convicted of the above offence within twelve months past ... There were several ladies in St. James's Park on the same day with chintz gowns on, but the persons who gave informas of the above three were not able to discover their names or places of abode. ... Yesterday a waggon loaded with 2,000 worth of chintz was seized at Dartford in Kent by some custom—house officers. Two post—chaises loaded with the same commodity got off with their goods by swiftness of driving.”

Lingo

Talk, language. A corruption of lingua.

Lingua Franca

A species of corrupt Italian spoken on the coasts of the Mediterranean. The Franks' language mixed with the Italian.

Lining of the Pocket

Money.

“My money is spent: Can I be content

With pockets deprived of their lining?”

The Lady's Decoy, or Man Midwife's Defence, 1738, p. 4.

When the great court tailor wished to obtain the patronage of Beau Brummel, he made him a present of a dress—coat lined with bank—notes. Brummel wrote a letter of thanks, stating that he quite approved of the coat, and he especially admired the lining.

Linnæan; System

A system devised by Linnæus; of Sweden, who arranged his three kingdoms of animals, vegetables, and minerals into classes, orders, genera, species, and varieties, according to certain characteristics.

Linne

(The Heir of). The Lord of Linne was a great spendthrift, “who wasted his substance in riotous living.” Having spent all, he sold his estates to John o' the Scales, his steward, reserving to himself only a “poor and lonesome lodge in a lonely glen.” When he had squandered away the money received for his estates, and found that no one would lend or give him more, he retired to the lodge in the glen, where he found a rope with a running noose dangling over his head. He put the rope round his neck and sprang aloft, when lo! the ceiling burst in twain, and he fell to the ground. When he came to himself he espied two chests of beaten gold, and a third full of white money, and over them was written, “Once more, my son, I set thee clear; amend thy life, or a rope at last must end it.” The heir of Linne now returned to his old hall, where he asked his quondam steward for the loan of forty pence; this was refused him. One of the guests proffered the loan, and told John o' the Scales he ought to have lent it, as he had bought the estate cheap enough. “Cheap call you it?” exclaimed John; “why, he shall have it back for 100 marks less.” “Done,” said the heir of Linne, and counted out the money. He thus recovered his estates, and made the kind guest his forester. (Percy: Reliques, series ii. book 2.)

Linsey—woolsy Million (The). The great unwashed. The artisan class, supposed to dress in linsey—woolsy. “Broad cloth” being for the gentry.

“Truth needs not, John, the eloquence of oaths:

Not more than a decent suit of clothes

Requires of broad gold lace th' expensive glare, That makes the linsey—woolsy million stare.” Peter Pindar: Silvanus Urban.

Linspe (French, 2 syl.) means a prince in slang or familiar usage. It comes from the inspector or monitor of the cathedral choir called the Spé or the 1nspé (inspector), because he had to superintend the rest of the boys.

Lion

(as an agnomen).

ALP ARSLAN [the Valiant Lion, son of Togrul Beg, the Perso—Turkish monarch. (Reigned 1063—1072.) ALI was called The Lion of God for his religious zeal and great courage. His mother called him at birth Al Haïdara, the Rugged Lion. (A.D. 602, 655—661.)

ALI PASHA, called The Lion of Janina, overthrown in 1822 by Ibrahim Pasha. (1741, 1788—1822.) ARIOCH (fifth of the dynasty of Ninu, the Assyrian), called Arioch Ellasar— i.e. Arioch Melech al Asser, the Lion King of Assyria. (B.C. 1927—1897.)

DAMELOWIEZ, Prince of Haliez, who founded Lemberg (Lion City) in 1259. GUSTA'VUS ADOLPHUS, called The Lion of the North. (1594, 1611—1632.)

HAMZA, called The Lion of God and of His Prophet. So Gabriel told Mahomet his uncle was enregistered in heaven.

HENRY, Duke of Bavaria and Saxony, was called The Lion for his daring courage. (1129—1195.) LOUIS VIII. of France was called The Lion because he was born under the sign Leo. (1187, 1223—1226.) RICHARD I. Coeur de Lion (Lion's heart), so called for his bravery. (1157, 1189—1199.)

WILLIAM of Scotland, so called because he chose a red lion rampant for his cognisance. (Reigned 1165—1214.)

The Order of the Lion. A German Order of civil merit, founded in 1815.

Lion

(as an emblem). A lion is emblem of the tribe of Judah; Christ is called “the lion of the tribe of Judah.”

“Judah is a lion's whelp: ... he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?”— Genesis xlix.9.

A lion emblematic of St. Jerome. The tale is, that while Jerome was lecturing one day, a lion entered the schoolroom, and lifted up one of its paws. All the disciples fled; but Jerome, seeing that the paw was wounded, drew out of it a thorn and dressed the wound. The lion, out of gratitude, showed a wish to stay with its benefactor. Hence Jerome is typified as a lion, or as accompanied by a lion. (Kenesman: Lives of the Saints, p. 784.)

Androclus and the Lion. This is a replica of the tale of ANDROC'LUS. Androclus was a Roman slave, condemned to encounter a lion in the amphitheatre; but when the beast was let loose it crouched at the feet of the slave and began licking them. The circumstance naturally excited the curiosity of the consul: and the slave, being brought before him, told him the following tale: “I was compelled by cruel treatment to run away from your service while in Africa, and one day I took refuge in a cave from the heat of the sun. While I was in the cave a lion entered, limping, and evidently in great pain. Seeing me, he held up his paw, from which I extracted a large thorn. We lived together in the cave for some time, the lion catering for both of us. At length I left the cave, was apprehended, brought to Rome, and condemned to encounter a lion in the amphitheatre. My enemy was my old friend, and he recognised me instantly.” (A. Gellius: Noctes, v. 15.)

St. Gerasimus and the Lion. A very similar tale is told of ST. GERASIMUS (A.D. 475). One day, being on the banks of the Jordan, he saw a lion coming to him, limping on three feet. When it reached the saint, it held up

to him the right paw, from which Gerasimus extracted a large thorn. The grateful beast attached itself to the saint, and followed him about as a dog. (Vies des Pères des Déserts d'Orient.)

Sir George Davis and the Lion. Sir George Davis was English consul at Florence at the beginning of the 19th century. One day he went to see the lions of the great Duke of Tuscany. There was one which the keepers could not tame; but no sooner did Sir George appear than it manifested every symptom of joy. Sir George entered its cage, when the lion leaped on his shoulder, licked his face, wagged its tail, and fawned on him like a dog. Sir George told the great duke that he had brought up the creature; but as it grew older it became dangerous, and he sold it to a Barbary captive. The duke said that he had bought it of the very same man, and the mystery was solved.

Half a score of such tales are told by the Bollandistes in the Acta Sanctorum.

The lion an emblem of the resurrection. According to tradition, the lion's whelp is born dead, and remains so for three days, when the father breathes on it and it receives life. Another tradition is that the lion is the only animal of the cat tribe born with its eyes open, and it is said that it sleeps with its eyes open. This is not strictly correct, but undoubtedly it sleeps watchfully and lightly.

Mark the Evangelist is symbolised by a lion, because he begins his gospel with the scenes of John the Baptist and Jesus in the Wilderness. Matthew is symbolised by a man, because he begins his gospel with the humanity of Jesus, as a descendant of David. Luke is symbolised as a calf, because he begins his gospel with the priest sacrificing in the &demple;. John is symbolised by an eagle, because he soars high, and begins his gospel with the divinity of the Logos. The four symbols are those of Ezekiel's cherubim.

The American lion. The puma. A Cotswold lion. A sheep.

Lion

(grateful for kindness):—

ANDRROC'LUS. (See under Lion as an emblem.) SIR IWAIN DE GALLES was attended by a lion, which, in gratitude to the knight, who had delivered it from a serpent with which it had been engaged in deadly combat, ever after became his faithful servant, approaching the knight with tears, and rising on his hind—feet like a dog.

SIR GEOFFREY DE LATOUR was aided by a lion against the Saracens; but the faithful brute was drowned in attempting to follow the vessel in which the knight had embarked on his departure from the Holy Land.

ST. GERASIMUS. (See under Lion as an emblem.)

ST. JEROME. (See under Lion as an emblem.

)Lion in HERALDRY. (1) Couchant. Lying down; head erect, and tail beneath him. Emblematic of sovereignty. (2) Coward or Coué. With tail hanging between his legs.

(3) Dormant. Asleep, with head resting on his fore—paws.

(4) Passant. Walking, three feet on the ground; in profile. Emblematic of resolution.

(5) Passant Gardant. Three feet on the ground; full face. The “Lion of England.” Resolution and Prudence. (6) Passant Regardant. Three feet on the ground; side face turned backwards.

(7) Rampant. Erect on his hind legs; in profile. Emblematic of magnanimity.

(8) Rampant Gardant. Erect on his hind legs; full face. Emblematic of prudence.

(9) Rampant Regardant. Erect on his hind legs; side face looking behind. Emblematic of circumspection.

(10) Regardant. Looking behind him; emblematic of circumspection.

(11) Saliant. In the act of springing forward on its prey. Emblematic of valour.

(12) Sejant. Sitting, rising to prepare for action; face in profile, tail erect. Emblematic of counsel.

(13) Sejant Affronté (as in the crest of Scotland).

(14) Statant. Standing with four legs on the ground.

(15) Lion of St. Mark. A winged lion sejant, holding an open book with the inscription “Pax tibi Marce, Evangelista Meus.” A sword—point rises above the book on the dexter side, and the whole is encircled by an aureola.

(16) Lion of Venice. The same as the lion of St. Mark.

Then there are black, red, and white lions, with many leonine monsters.

A lion at the feet of knights and martyrs, in effigy, signifies that they died for their magnanimity. The lions in the arms of England. They are three lions passant gardant, i.e. walking and showing the full face. The first lion was that of Rollo, Duke of Normandy, and the second represented the country of Maine, which was added to Normandy. These were the two lions borne by William the Conqueror and his descendants. Henry II. added a third lion to represent the Duchy of Aquitaine, which came to him through his wife Eleanor. The French heralds call the lion passant a leopard; accordingly Napoleon said to his soldiers, “Let us drive these leopards (the English) into the sea.”

In heraldry any lion not rampant is called a lion leopardé.

The lion in the arms of Scotland is derived from the arms of the ancient Earls of Northumberland and Huntingdon, from whom some of the Scotch monarchs were descended. The tressure is referred to the reign of King Achaicus, who made a league with Charlemagne, “who did augment his arms with a double trace formed with Floure—de—lyces, signifying thereby that the lion henceforth should be defended by the ayde of Frenchmen.” (Holinshed: Chronicles.)

Sir Walter Scott says the lion rampant in the arms of Scotland was first assumed by William of Scotland, and has been continued ever since.

“William, King of Scotland, having chosen for his armorial bearing a Red Lion rampant, acquired the name of William the Lion; and this rampant lion still constitutes the arms of Scotland; and the president of the heraldic court ... is called Lord Lion King—at—Arms.”— Tales of a Grandfather, iv.

A marble lion was set up in honour of Leonidas, who fell at &Thermopylae;, and a Belgian lion stands on the field of Waterloo.

Lions in classic mythology. CYB'ELE (3 syl.) is represented as riding in a chariot drawn by two tame lions. PRACRITI, the goddess of nature among the Hindus, is represented in a similar manner.

HIPPOM'ENES and ATLANTA (fond lovers) were metamorphosed into lions by Cybele. HERCULES is said to have worn over his shoulders the hide of the Nemean lion, which he slew with his club. TERROUR is also represented as arrayed in a lion's hide.

The Nemean lion, slain by Hercules. The first of his twelve labours. As it could not be wounded by any weapon, Hercules squeezed it to death.

Lion

(a public—house sign).

Black lion comes from the Flemings.

“Au noir lyon la fleur—de—lis

Prist la terre de ca le Lys.”

Godefroy de Paris.

Blue, the badge of the Earl of Mortimer, also of Denmark.

Blue seems frequently to represent silver; thus we have the Blue Boar of Richard III., the Blue Lion of the Earl of Mortimer, the Blue Swan of Henry IV., the Blue Dragon, etc.

Crowned, the badge of Henry VIII. Golden, the badge of Henry I., and also of Percy, Duke of Northumberland. Passant gardant (walking and showing a full face), the device of England. Rampant, the device of Scotland.

Rampant, with the tail between its legs and turned over its back, the badge of Edward IV. as Earl of March. Red, of Scotland; also the badge of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, who assumed this badge as a token of his claim to the throne of Castile.

Sleeping, the device of Richard I.

Statant gardant (i.e. standing and showing a full face), the device of the Duke of Norfolk. White, the device of the Dukes of Norfolk; also of the Earl of Surrey, Earl of Mortimer, and the Fitz—Hammonds.

“For who, in field or foray slack,

Saw the blanche lion e'er fall back? [Duke of Norfolk].” Sir Walter Scott: Lay of the Last Minstrel.

The winged lion. The republic of Venice. Its heraldic device.

White and Red Lions. Prester John, in a letter to Manuel Comnenus, of Constantinople, 1165, says his land is “the home of white and red lions.”

Lion—hunter

(A). One who hunts up a celebrity to adorn or give prestige to a party. Mrs. Leo Hunter, in Pickwick, is a good satire on the name and character of a lion—hunter.

Lion—killer

(The). Jules Gerard (1817—1864).

Lion Sermon

(The). Preached in St. Katharine Cree church Leadenhall—street, London, in October, to commemorate “the wonderful escape” of Sir John Gayer, about 250 years ago, from a lion which he met with on being shipwrecked on the coast of Africa. Sir John was Lord Mayor in 1647.

Sir John Gayer bequeathed 200 for the relief of the poor on condition that a commemorative sermon was

preached annually at St. Katharine Cree. It is said that Sir John was on his knees in prayer when the lion came up, smelt about him, prowled round and round him, and then stalked off.

Lion—sick

Sick of love, like the lion in the fable. (See Shakespeare: Troilus and Cressida, ii. 3.)

Lion Tamer

(The). Ellen Bright, who exhibited at Wombwell's menagerie, was so called. She was killed by a tiger in 1880, at the age of seventeen.

Lion and Unicorn

The animosity which existed between these beasts, referred to by Spenser in his Faërie Queene, is allegorical of the animosity which once existed between England and Scotland.

“Like as a lyon, whose imperial powre

A prowd rebellious unicorn defyes.”

Book ii. canto 5.

Lion and Unicorn. Ever since 1603 the royal arms have been supported as now by the English lion and Scottish unicorn; but prior to the accession of James I. the sinister supporter was a family badge. Edward III., with whom supporters began, had a lion and eagle; Henry IV., an antelope and swan; Henry V., a lion and antelope; Edward IV., a lion and bull; Richard III., a lion and boar; Henry VII., a lion and dragon; Elizabeth, Mary, and Henry VIII., a lion and greyhound. The lion is dexter— i.e. to the right hand of the wearer or person behind the shield.

Lion and the True Prince

(The). The lion will not touch the true prince (1 Henry IV., ii. 4). This is a religious superstition; the “true prince,” strictly speaking, being the Messiah, who is called “the Lion of the tribe of Judah.” Loosely it is applied to any prince of blood royal, supposed at one time to be hedged around with a sort of divinity.

“Fetch the Numidian lion I brought over;

If she be sprung from royal blood, the lion

Will do her reverence, else he'll tear her.”

Beaumont and Fletcher: The Mad Lover.

Lion of God Ali was so called, because of his zeal and his great courage, (602, 655—661.)

Lion of St. Mark

(See under Lion , heraldry.)

Lion of the Reformation

(The). Spenser says that while Una was seeking St. George, she sat to rest herself, when a lion rushed suddenly out of a thicket, with gaping mouth and lashing tail; but as he drew near he was

awe—struck, and, laying aside his fury, kissed her feet and licked her hands; for, as the poet adds, “beauty can master strength, and truth subdue vengeance.” (The lion is the emblem of England, which waits upon Truth. When true faith was deserted by all the world, England the lion came to its rescue.) The lion then followed Una as a dog, but when Una met Hypocrisy, Sansloy came upon them and killed the lion. That is, during the reigns of Henry VIII. and Edward VI., England the lion followed the footsteps of Truth, but in the reign of Mary, Hypocrisy came and False—faith killed the lion, i.e. separated England from Truth by fire and sword.

Lion of the Zodiac

One of the signs of the Zodiac (28th of July to the 23rd of August).

Lion's Claws

Commonly used as ornaments to the legs of furniture, as tables, chairs, etc.; emblematical of strength and stability. The Greeks and Romans employed, for the same purpose, the hoofs of oxen.

“Les soutiens des tables et des trépieds [in Greece and Rome] se terminaiént souvent en forme de piedes de &boeuf;, pour exprimer la force et la stabilité.”— Noel: Dictionnaire de la Fable, vol. i. p. 237, col. 2.

Lion's Head

In fountains the water generally is made to issue from the mouth of a lion. This is a very ancient custom. The Egyptians thus symbolised the inundation of the Nile, which happens when the sun is in Leo. The Greeks and Romans adopted the same device for their fountains.

Lion's Mouth

To place one's head in the lion's mouth. To expose oneself needlessly and foolhardily to danger.

Lion's Provider

A jackal; a foil to another man's wit, a humble friend who plays into your hand to show you to best advantage. The jackal feeds on the lion's leavings, and is supposed to serve the lion in much the same way as a dog serves a sportsman. The dog lifts up its foot to indicate that game is at hand, and the jackals yell to advertise the lion that they have roused up his prey. (See Jackal .)

“... the poor jackals are less foul,

As being the brave lion's keen providers.

Than human insects catering for spiders.”

Byron: Don Juan, ix. 27.

Lion's Share

The larger part: all or nearly all: In Æsop's; Fables, several beasts joined the lion in a hunt; but, when the spoil was divided, the lion claimed one quarter in right of his prerogative, one for his superior courage, one for his dam and cubs, “and as for the fourth, let who will dispute it with me.” Awed by his frown, the other beasts yielded and silently withdrew. (See Montgomery .)

Lions

(The). The lions of a place are sights worth seeing, or the celebrities; so called from the ancient custom of showing strangers, as chief of London sights, the lions at the Tower. The Tower menagerie was abolished in 1834.

Lionise a Person

(To) is either to show him the lions, or chief objects of attraction; or to make a lion of him, by fêting him and making a fuss about him. To be lionised is to be so treated.

Liosalfar

The light Alfs who dwell in the city Alf—heim. They are whiter than the sun. (See Dock—Alfar .) (Scandinavian mythology. )

Lip

(Anglo—Saxon, lippe, the lip.)

To curl the lip. To express contempt or disgust with the mouth.

To hang the lip. To drop the under lip in sullenness or contempt. Thus Helen explains why her brother Troilus is not abroad by saying, “He hangs the lip at something.” (Act iii. 1.)

“A foolish hanging of thy nether lip.”— Shakespeare: 1 Henry IV., ii. 4.

To shoot out the lip. To show scorn.

“All they that see me laugh me to scorn. They shoot out the lip; they shake the head...”— Psalm xxii. 7.

Lip Homage

Homage rendered by the lips only, that is, either by a kiss like that of Judas, or by words.

Lip Service Verbal devotion. Honouring with the lips while the heart takes no part nor lot in the matter. (See Matt, xv. 8, Isa. xxix. 13.)

Lips

The calves of our lips (Hosea xiv. 2). The sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving.

The fruit of the lips. Thanksgivings.

“Let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name.”— Heb. xiii. 15.

Liquor up

Take another dram.

Lir

(King). Father of Fionmala. On the death of Fingula, the mother of his daughter, he married the wicked Aoife, who, through spite, transformed the children of Lir into swans, doomed to float on the water till they heard the first mass—bell ring. Thomas Moore has versified this legend.

“Silent, O Moyle, be the roar of thy water,

Break not, ye breezes, your chain of repose,

While murmuring mournfully, Lir's lovely daughter Tells to the night—stars the tale of her woes.”

Irish Melodies, No. ii. 9.

Liris

A proud but lovely daughter of the race of man, beloved by Rubi, first of the angel host. Her passion was the love of knowledge, and she was captivated by all her lover told her of heaven and the works of God. At last she requested Rubi to appear before her in all his glory, and as she fell into his embrace was burnt to ashes by the rays which issued from him. (Moore: Loves of the Angels, story ii.)

Lisbo'a

or Lisboa. Lisbon (q.v.)

“What beauties doth Lisbo'a first unfold.”

Byron: Childe Harold, 1. 16.

“And thou, famed Lisboa, whose embattled wall

Rose by the hand that wrought proud Ilion's fall.” Mickle: Lusiad.

Lisbon A corruption of' Ulyssippo (Ulysses' polis or city). Said by some to have been founded by Lusus, who visited Portugal with Ulysses, whence “Lusitania” (q.v.); and by others to have been founded by Ulysses himself This is Camoens' version. (See above.)

Lismahago

(Captain), in Smollett's Humphry Clinker. Very conceited, fond of disputation, jealous of honour, and brim—full of national pride. This poor but proud Scotch officer marries Miss Tabitha Bramble. The romance of Captain Lismahago among the Indians is worthy of Cervantes.

Lisuarte of Greece

One of the knights whose adventures and exploits are recounted in the latter part of the Spanish version of Amadis of Gaul. This part was added by Juan Diaz.

Lit de Justice

Properly the seat occupied by the French king when he attended the deliberations of his parlement. The session itself. Any arbitrary edict. As the members of Parlement derived their power from the

king, when the king himself was present their power returned to the fountain—head, and the king was arbitrary. What the king then proposed could not be controverted, and, of course, had the force of law. The last lit de justice was held by Louis XVI. in 1787.

Little

Thomas Moore published a volume of amatory poems in 1808, under the name of Thomas Little.

“When first I came my proper name was Little— now I'm Moore. “

Hood: The Wee Man.

Little Little by little. Gradually; a little at a time.

Many a little makes a mickle. The real Scotch proverb is: “A wheen o' mickles mak's a muckle,” where mickle means little, ad muckle much; but the Anglo—Saxon micel or mycel means “much,” so that, if the Scotch proverb is accepted, we must give a forced meaning to the word “mickle.”

Little Britain

or Brittany. Same as Armorica. Also called Benwic.

Little Corporal

(The). Napoleon Bonaparte. So called after the battle of Lodi, in 1796, from his low stature, youthful age, and amazing courage. He was barely 5 ft. 2 in, in height.

Little Dauphin

(The). The eldest son of the Great Dauphin— i.e. the Duc de Bourgogne, son of Louis, and grandson of Louis XIV

Little Ease

The name of a prison cell too small to allow the prisoner to stand upright, or to lie down, or to assume any other position of ease. I have seen such a cell at St. Cyr; and according to Curiosity, or, The General Library, p. 69 (1738), cells of this kind were used “at Guildhall for unruly apprentices.”

Little—Endians

The two great empires of Lilliput and Blefuscu waged a destructive war against each other, exhausted their treasures, and decimated their subjects on their different views of interpreting this vital direction contained in the 54th chapter of the Blun—decral (Koran): “All true believers break their eggs at the convenient end.” The godfather of Calin Deffar Plane, the reigning emperor of Lilliput, happened to cut his finger while breaking his egg at the big end, and very royally published a decree commanding all his liege and faithful subjects, on pains and penalties of great severity, to break their eggs in future at the small end. The orthodox Blefuscudians deemed it their duty to resent this innovation, and declared a war of extermination against the heretical Lilliputians. Many hundreds of large treatises were published on both sides, but those of a contrary opinion were put in the Index expurgatorius of the opposite empire. (Gulliver's Travels Voyage to Lilliput, iv.)

“The quarrel between the Little—endians and the Big—endians broke out on Thursday, like the after—fire of a more serious conflagration.”— The Times.

Little Englanders Those who uphold the doctrine that English people should concern themselves with England only: they are opposed to colonisation and extension of the Empire.

Little—Go

The examination held in the Cambridge University in the second year of residence. Called also

“the previous examination,” because it precedes by a year the examination for a degree. In Oxford the corresponding examination is called The Smalls. (See Mods .)

Little Jack Horner

(See Jack .)

Little John A big stalwart fellow, named John Little (or John Nailor), who encountered Robin Hood, and gave him a sound thrashing, after which he was rechristened, and Robin stood godfather. Little John is introduced by Sir Walter Scott in The Talisman.

“`This infant was called John Little,' quoth he; `Which name shall be changed anon,

The words we'll transpose, so wherever he goes, His name shall be called Little John.”

Ritson: Robin Hood, xxi.

Little John was executed on Arbor Hill, Dublin.

It will be remembered that Maria in Twelfth Night, represented by Shakespeare as a little woman, is by a similar pleasantry called by Viola, “Oliva's giant;” and Sir Toby says to her, “Good night, Penthesile'a”— i.e. Amazon.

Little Masters

A name applied to certain designers, who worked for engravers, etc., in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Called little because their designs were on a small scale, fit for copper or wood. The most famous are Jost Amman, for the minuteness of his work; Hans Burgmair, who made drawings in wood illustrative of the triumph of the Emperor Maximilian; Hans Sebald Beham; Albert Altdorfer, and Henrich Aldegraver. Albert Dürer and Lucas van Leyden made the art renowned and popular.

Little Nell

A child of beautiful purity of character, living in the midst of selfishness, worldliness, and crime. (Dickens: Old Curiosity Shop.)

Little Ones

(The). The small children, and young children generally.

Little Paris

Brussels, the capital of Belgium, and Milan, in Italy, are so called, from their gaiety and resemblance in miniature to the French capital.

Little Pedlington

The village of quackery and cant, humbug, and egotism, wherever that locality is. A satire by John Poole.

Little Red Ridinghood

This nursery tale is, with slight alterations, common to Sweden, Germany, and France. It comes to us from the French, called Le Petit Chaperon Rouge, in Charles Perrault's Contes des Temps.

Little Gentleman in Velvet

(The). The mole. “To the little gentleman in velvet” was a favourite Jacobite toast in the reign of Queen Anne. The reference was to the mole that raised the mole—hill against which the horse of William III. stumbled at Hampton Court. By this accident the king broke his collar—bone, a severe illness ensued, and he died early in 1702.

Little Packs become a Little Pedlar

“Little boats must keep near shore, larger ones may venture more.”

“Mainwaring is a clever justice—

In him, my lord, our only trust is—

Burdett's a ratten meddler;

Volks shud turn round and see their backs,

And meend [mind] old proverbs: `Little packs Become a little pedlar.”

Peter Pindar: Middlesex Election, letter i.

Liturgy originally meant public work, such as arranging the dancing and singing on public festivals, the

torch—races, the equipping and manning of ships, etc. In the Church of England it means the religious forms prescribed in the Book of Common Prayer. (Greek, litourgia.)

Live

He lived like a knave, and died like a fool. Said by Bishop Warburton of Henry Rich, first Earl of Holland, the turncoat. He went to the scaffold dressed in white satin, trimmed with silver.

Liver—vein

(The). A love rhapsody. The liver was anciently supposed to be the seat of love. When Longaville reads the verses, Biron says, in an aside, “This is the liver—vein, which makes flesh a deity.” (Shakespeare: Love's Labour's Lost, iv. 3.)

Livered

As, white—livered, lily—livered. Cowardly. In the auspices taken by the Greeks and Romans before battle, if the liver of the animals sacrificed was healthy and blood—red, the omen was favourable; but if pale, it augured defeat.

“Thou lily—livered boy.”

Shakespeare: Macbeth v. 3.

Liverpool

Said to be the “liverpool.” The liver is a mythic bird, somewhat like the heron. The arms of the city contain two livers.

Liverpudlian

A native of Liverpool.

Livery

What is delivered. The clothes of a man—servant delivered to him by his master. The stables to which your horse is delivered for keep. During the Merovingian and Carlovingian dynasties, splendid dresses were given to all the members of the royal household; barons and knights gave uniforms to their retainers, and even a duke's son, serving as a page, was clothed in the livery of the prince he served. (French, livrer.)

“What livery is we know well enough; it is the allowance of horse—meate to keepe horses at livery; the which word, I guess, is derived of delivering forth their nightly food.”— Spenser on Ireland.

Livery. The colours of a livery should be those of the field and principal charge of the armorial shield; hence the Queen's livery is gules (scarlet) or scarlet trimmed with gold. The Irish regiments preserve the charge of their own nation. Thus the Royal Irish Dragoon Guards have scarlet uniform with blue facings, and the Royal Irish Lancers have blue uniform with scarlet facings.

Livery—men

The freemen of the ninety—one guilds of London are so called, because they are entitled to wear the livery of their respective companies.

Livy of France

(The). Juan de Mariana (1537—1624).

Livy of Portugal

(The). Joào de Barros, the best of the Portuguese historians. (1496—1570.)

Liza

An innkeeper's daughter in love with Elvino, a rich farmer: but Elvino loves Amina. Suspicious circumstances make the farmer renounce the hand of Amina and promise marriage to her rival; but Liza is shown to be the paramour of another, and Amina, being proved innocent, is married to the man who loves her. (Bellini: La Sonnambula.) Or LISA. (See Elvino .)

Lizard

(The). Supposed, at one time, to be venomous, and hence a “lizard's leg” was an ingredient of the witch's cauldron in Macbeth.

Lizard Islands

Fabulous islands where damsels outcast from the rest of the world are received. (Torquemada: Garden of Flowers.)

Lizard Point

(Cornwall). A corruption of “Lazars' Point,” i.e. the place of retirement for lazars or lepers.

Lloyd's An association of underwriters, for marine insurances. So called because the society removed in 1716 from Cornhill to a coffee—house in Lombard Street kept by a man named Lloyd.

Lloyd's Books

Two enormous ledger—like volumes, raised on desks at the entrance (right and left) of Lloyd's Rooms. These books give the principal arrivals, and all losses by wrecks, fire, or other accidents at sea. The entries are written in a fine, bold Roman hand, legible to all readers.

Lloyd's List

A London periodical, in which the shipping news received at Lloyd's Rooms is regularly published.

Lloyd's Register

A register of ships, British and foreign, published yearly.

Lloyd's Rooms

The rooms where Lloyd's Books are kept, and the business of the house is carried on. These rooms were, in 1774, removed from Lombard Street to the Royal Exchange, and are under the management of a committee.

Loaf

Never turn a loaf in the presence of a Menteith. Sir John Stewart de Menteith was the person who betrayed Sir William Wallace to King Edward. His signal was, when he turned a loaf set on the table, the guests were to rush upon the patriot, and secure him. (Sir Walter Scott: Tales of a Grandfather, vii.)

Loaf held in the Hand

(A) is the attribute of St. Philip the Apostle, St. Osyth, St. Joanna, Nicholas, St. Godfrey, and of many other saints noted for their charity to the poor.

Loafers

Tramps, thieves, and the ne'er—do—well. Idle fellows who get their living by expedients; chevaliers d'industrie. (German, läufer, a runner; Dutch, looper.)

“Until the differentiation of the labourer from the loafer takes place, the unemployed question can never be properly dealt with.”— Nineteenth Century, December, 1893, p. 855.

Loathly Lady

A lady so hideous that no one would marry her except Sir Gawain; and immediately after the marriage her ugliness— the effect of enchantment— disappeared, and she became a model of beauty. Love beautifies.

Loaves and Fishes

With an eye to the loaves and fishes; for the sake of ... With a view to the material benefits to be derived. The crowd followed Jesus Christ, not for the spiritual doctrines which He taught, but for the loaves and fishes which He distributed amongst them.

“Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye seek Me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.”— John vi. 26.

Lob

A till. Hence lob—sneak, one who robs the till; and lob—sneaking, robbing tills. (See next article.)

Lob's Pound

A prison, the stocks, or any other place of confinement. (Welsh, llob, a dolt). The Irish call it Pook's or Pouk's fold, and Puck is called by Shakespeare “the lob of spirits,” and by Milton, “the lubber fiend.” Our word lobby is where people are confined till admission is granted them into the audience chamber; it is also applied to that enclosed space near farmyards where cattle were confined.

Lobby

The Bill will cross the lobbies. Be sent from the House of Commons to the House of Lords.

Loblolly

among seamen, is spoon—victuals, or pap for lobs or dolts. (See Lollypops .)

Loblolly Boy (A.) A surgeon's mate in the navy. Here lob is the Welsh llob, a dolt, and loblolly boy is a dolt not yet out of his spoon—meat or baby—pap.

“Loblolly—boy is a person on board a man—of—war who attends the surgeon and his mates, but knows as much about the business of seaman as the author of this poem.”— The Patent (1776).

Lobster Sauce

Died for want of lobster sauce. Died of mortification at some trifling disappointment. Died from pique, or wounded vanity. At the grand feast given by the great Condé to Louis XIV., at Chantilly, Vatel was told that the lobsters for the turbot sauce had not arrived, whereupon this chef of the kitchen retired to his private room, and, leaning on his sword, ran it through his body, unable to survive such a dire disgrace as serving up turbot without lobster sauce.

Lobsters

and Tarpaulings. Soldiers and sailors. Soldiers are now popularly called lobsters, because they are turned red when enlisted into the service. But the term was originally applied to a troop of horse soldiers in the Great Rebellion, clad in armour which covered them as a shell.

“Sir William Waller received from London (in 1643) a fresh regiment of 500 horse, under the command of Sir Arthur Haslerig, which were so prodigiously armed that they were called by the king's party `the regiment of lobsters,' because of their bright iron shells with which they were covered, being perfect cuirassiers, and were the first seen so armed on either side.”— Clarendon: History of the Rebellion, iii. 91.

Lochiel

(2 syl.) of Thomas Campbell is Sir Evan Cameron, lord of Lochiel, surnamed The Black, and The Ulysses of the Highlands. His grandson Donald was called The Gentle Lochiel. Lochiel is the title of the head of the clan Cameron.

“And Cameron, in the shock of steel,

Die like the offspring of Lochiel.”

Sir W. Scott: The Field of Waterloo.

Lochinvar being in love with a lady at Netherby Hall, persuaded her to dance one last dance. She was condemned to marry a “laggard in love and a dastard in war,” but her young chevalier swung her into his saddle and made off with her, before the “bridegroom” and his servants could recover from their astonishment. (Sir Walter Scott: Marmion.)

Lock, Stock, and Barrel

The whole of anything. The lock, stock, and barrel of a gun is the complete instrument.

“The property of the Church of England, lock, stock, and barrel, is claimed by the Liberationists.”— Newspaper paragraph; 1885.

Lock the Stable Door

Lock the stable door when the steed is stolen. To take “precautions” when the mischief is done.

Lockhart

When the good Lord James, on his way to the Holy Land with the heart of King Robert Bruce, was slain in Spain fighting against the Moors, Sir Simon Locard, of Lee, was commissioned to carry back to Scotland the heart, which was interred in Melrose Abbey. In consequence thereof he changed his name to Lock—heart, and adopted the device of a heart within a fetterlock, with this motto: “Corda serata pando" (Locked hearts I open). Of course, this is romance. Lockhart is Teutonic, “Strong Beguiler.”

“For this reason men changed Sir Simon's name from Lockhard to Lockheart, and all who are descended from Sir Simon are called Lockhart to this day.”— Sir Walter Scott: Tales of a Grandfather, xi.

Lockit

The jailer in Gay's Beggar's Opera.

Lockitt's

A fashionable coffee—house in the reign of Charles II.

Lockman

An executioner; so called because one of his dues was a lock (or ladleful) of meal from every caskful exposed for sale in the market. In the Isle of Man the under—sheriff is so called.

Locksley

So Robin Hood is sometimes called, from the village in which he was born. (See Ivanhoe, ch. xiii.)

Locksley Hall

Tennyson has a poem so called. The lord of Locksley Hall fell in love with his cousin Amy, but Amy married a rich clown. The lord of Locksley Hall, indignant at this, declares he will marry a savage; but, on reflection, adds: “Better fifty years of Europe than a cycle of Cathay.”

Locksmith's Daughter

A key.

Loco Parentis

(Latin). One acting in the place of a parent, as a guardian or schoolmaster.

Locofocos

Lucifer—matches; self—lighting cigars were so called in North America in 1834. (Latin, loco—foci, in lieu of fire.)

“In 1835 during an excited meeting of the party in Tammany Hall, New York, when the candles had been blown out to increase the confusion, they were lighted with matches then called “locofocos.”— Gilman: The American People, chap. xxi.

Locofocos. Ultra—Radicals, so called in America because, at a grand meeting in Tammany Hall, New York, in 1835, the chairman left his seat, and the lights were suddenly extinguished, with the hope of breaking up the turbulent assembly; but those who were in favour of extreme measures instantly drew from their pockets their locofocos, and relighted the gas. The meeting was continued, and the Radicals had their way. (See Gilman: The American People, chap. xxi.)

Locomotive

or Locomotive Engine. A steam—engine employed to move carriages from place to place. (Latin, locus moveo, to move one's place.)

Locomotive Power

Power applied to the transport of goods, in contradistinction to stationary power.

Locrin

or Locrine (2 syl.). Father of Sabrina, and eldest son of the mythical Brutus, King of ancient Britain. On the death of his father he became king of Loegria (q.v.). (Geoffrey: Brit. Hist., ii. 5.)

“Virgin daughter of Locrine

Sprung from old Anchises' line,”

Milton: Comus, 942—3.

Locum Tenens

(Latin). One holding the place of another. A substitute, a deputy; one acting temporarily for another; a lieutenant.

Locus Delicti

The place where a crime was committed.

Locus in quo (Latin). The place in question, the spot mentioned.

Locus Poenitentiæ

(Latin.) Place for repentance— that is, the licence of drawing back from a bargain, which can be done before any act has been committed to confirm it. In the interview between Esau and his father Isaac, St. Paul says that the former “found no place for repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears” (Heb. xii. 17)— i.e. no means whereby Isaac could break his bargain with Jacob.

Locus poenitentiae. Time to withdraw from a bargain (in Scotch law).

Locus Sigilli

or L. S. The place where the seal is to be set.

Locus Standi

(Latin). Recognised position, acknowledged right or claim. We say such—and—such a one has no locus standi in society.

Locust Bird

A native of Khorassan (Persia), so fond of the water of the Bird Fountain, between Shiraz and Ispahan, that it will follow wherever it is carried.

Locusts

(For food.)

“The bushmen [says Captain Stockenston] consider locusts a great luxury, consuming great quantities, fresh, and drying abundance for future emergencies.” “They are eaten [says Thomas Bayne] in like manner by the Arabs of the Desert, and by other nomadic tribes in the East.”

“Even the wasting locust—swarm,

Which mighty nations dread,

To me no terror brings, nor harm,

I make of them my bread.”

African Sketches (1820).

Locusta

This woman has become a byword for one who murders those she professes to nurse, or those whom it is her duty to take care of. She lived in the early part of the Roman empire, poisoned Claudius and Britannicus, and attempted to destroy Nero; but, being found out, she was put to death.

Lode

The vein that leads or guides to ore. A dead lode is one exhausted.

Lode. A ditch that guides or leads water into a river or sewer.

Lodestar

The leading—star by which mariners are guided; the pole—star.

“Your eyes are lodestars.”— Shakespeare: Midsummer Night's Dream, i. 1.

Lodestone

or Loadstone. The magnet or stone that guides.

Lodona

The Lodden, an affluent of the Thames in Windsor Forest. Pope, in Windsor Forest, says it was a nymph, fond of the chase, like Diana. It chanced one day that Pan saw her, and tried to catch her; but Lodona fled from him, imploring Cynthia to save her from her persecutor. No sooner had she spoken than she became “a silver stream which ever keeps its virgin coolness.”

Loegria

or Logres. England is so called by Geoffrey of Monmouth, from Logrine, eldest son of the mythical King Brute.

“His [Brute's] three sons divide the land by consent; Locrine had the middle part, Loëgra ...”— Milton: History of England, bk. i.

“Thus Cambria to her right, what would herself restore,

And rather than to lose Loegria, looks for more.” Drayton: Polyolbion, iv.

“Il est ecrit qu'il est une heure

Ou tout le royaume de Logres,

Qui jadis fut la terre es ogres,

Sera detruit par cette lance.”

Chretien de Troyes.

Log An instrument for measuring the velocity of a ship. It is a flat piece of wood, some six inches in radius, and in the shape of a quadrant. A piece of lead is nailed to the rim to make the log float perpendicularly. To this log a line is fastened, called the log—line (q.v.). Other forms are also used.

A king Log. A roi fainéant. In allusion to the fable of the frogs asking for a king. Jupiter first threw them down a log of wood, but they grumbled at so spiritless a king. He then sent them a stork, which devoured them eagerly.

Log—board

A couple of boards shutting like a book, in which the “logs" are entered. It may be termed the waste—book, and the log—book the journal.

Log—book

The journal in which the “logs” are entered by the chief mate. Besides the logs, this book contains all general transactions pertaining to the ship and its crew, such as the strength and course of the winds, the conduct and misconduct of the men, and, in short, everything worthy of note.

Log—line

The line fastened to the log (q.v.), and wound round a reel in the ship's gallery. The whole line (except some five fathoms next the log, called stray line) is divided into equal lengths called knots, each of which is marked with a piece of coloured tape or bunting. Suppose the captain wishes to know the rate of his ship; one of the sailors throws the log into the sea, and the reel begins to unwind. The length of line run off in half a minute shows the rate of the ship's motion per hour.

Log—roller

(A). One engaged in log—rolling, that is (metaphorically) in furthering another's schemes or fads; persons who laud a friend to promote the sale of his books, etc. The allusion is to neighbours who assist a new settler to roll away the logs of his “clearing.”

“The members [of Congress] ... make a compact by which each aids the other. This is log—rolling.”— Bryce: Commonwealth, vol. ii. part iii. chap. lxvii. page 125 (1889).

Log—rolling

The combination of different interests, on the principle of “Claw me, I'll claw you.” Applied to mutual admiration criticism. One friend praises the literary work of another with the implied understanding of receiving from him in return as much as he gives. The mutual admirers are called “log—rollers.”

In the last decade of the nineteenth century, it was used politically to signify if A B will help C D to pass their measures through the House, then C D will return the same favour to A B.

Of course, the term is American. If you help me to make my clearance, I will help you to roll away the logs of yours.

Log—rolling Criticism

The criticism of literary men who combine to praise each other's works in press or otherwise.

Logan or Rocking Stones, for which Corn wall is famous.

Pliny tells us of a rock near Harpasa which might be moved with a finger. Ptolemy says the Gygonian rock might be stirred with a stalk of asphodel. Half a mile from St. David's is a Logan stone, mounted on divers other stones, which may be shaken with one finger.

At Golcar Hill (Yorkshire) is a rocking stone, which has lost its power from being hacked by workmen who wanted to find out the secret of its rocking mystery.

In Pembrokeshire is a rocking stone, rendered immovable by the soldiers of Cromwell, who held it to be an encouragement to superstition.

The stone called Menamber in Sithney (Corn wall) was also rendered immovable by the soldiers, under the same notion.

There are very many others.

Loggerheads

Fall to loggerheads; to squabbling and fisticuffs.

Logget

A sweetmeat, a toffy cut into small manchets, a little log of toffy. Common enough in Norfolk.

Logistilla

(in Orlando Furioso). The good fairy, and sister of Alcina the sorceress. She teaches Ruggiero to manage the hippogriff, and gives Astolpho a magic book and horn. The impersonation of reason.

Logres

(See Loegria .)

Logria

England, so called by the old romancers and fabulous historians.

Logris, Locris

Same as Locrin or Locrine (q.v.).

Loins

Gird up the loins, brace yourself for vigorous action, or energetic endurance. The Jews wore loose garments, which they girded about their loins when they travelled or worked.

“Gird up the loins of your mind.”— 1 Peter i. 13.

My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins (1 Kings xii. 10). My lightest tax shall be heavier than the most oppressive tax of my predecessor. The arrogant answer of Rehoboam to the deputation which waited on him to entreat an alleviation of “the yoke” laid on them by Solomon. The reply caused the revolt of all the tribes, except those of Judah and Benjamin.

Loki

The god of strife and spirit of evil. He artfully contrived the death of Balder, when Odin had forbidden everything that springs “from fire, air, earth, and water” to injure him. The mistletoe not being included was made into an arrow, given to the blind Höder, and shot at random; but it struck the beautiful Balder and killed him. This evil being was subsequently chained to a rock with ten chains, and will so continue till the twilight of the gods appears, when he will break his bonds; then will the heavens disappear, the earth be swallowed up by the sea, fire shall consume the elements, and even Odin, with all his kindred deities, shall perish. (See Balder, Kissing .)

Loki's Three Children

were Jörmungand (a monstrous serpent), Fenrir (a wolf), and Hela (half corpse and half queen). His wife was Siguna.

Loki is the personification of sin. Finrir personifies the gnawings of a guilty conscience. Both Loki and Fenrir were chained by the &AEsir;, but not with iron chains. (Scandinavian mythology.

Lokman A fabulous personage, the supposed author of a collection of Arabic fables. Like &AEsop;, he is said to have been a slave, noted for his ugliness.

Lollards

The early German reformers and the followers of Wickliffe were so called. An ingenious derivation is given by Bailey, who suggests the Latin word lolium (darnel), because these reformers were deemed “tares in God's wheat—field.”

Gregory XI., in one of his bulls against Wickliffe, urges the clergy to extirpate this lolium.

“The name of Lollards was first given (in 1300) to a charitable society at Antwerp, who lulled the sick by singing to them.”— Dr. Blair: Chronology (under the date 1300).

German lollen, to hum.

Lollop

To lounge or idle about.

Lollypops

Sweets made of treacle, butter, and flour; any sweets which are sucked. A “lolly” is a small lump.

Lombard

(A). A banker or moneylender, so called because the first bankers were from Lombardy, and set up in Lombard Street (London), in the Middle Ages. The business of lending money on pawns was carried on in England by Italian merchants or bankers as early at least as the reign of Richard I. By the 12 Edward I., a messuage was confirmed to these traders where Lombard Street now stands; but the trade was first recognised in law by James I. The name Lombard (according to Stow) is a contraction of Longobards. Among the richest of these Longobard merchants was the celebrated Medici family, from whose armorial bearings the insignia of three golden balls has been derived. The Lombard bankers exercised a monopoly in pawnbroking till the reign of Queen Elizabeth.

Lombard Fever

Laziness. Pawn—brokers are called Lombard brokers, because they retain the three golden balls of the Lombard money—changers; and lazy folk will pawn anything rather than settle down to steady work.

Lombard Street to a China Orange

Long odds. Lombard Street, London, is the centre of great banking and mercantile transactions. To stake the Bank of England against a common orange is to stake what is of untold value against a mere trifle.

“`It is Lombard Street to a China orange,' quoth Uncle Jack.”— Bulwer Lytton: The Caxtons.

Lombardic The debased Roman style of architecture adopted in Lombardy after the fall of Rome.

London

says Francis Crossley, is Luan—dun (Celtic), City of the Moon, and tradition says there was once a temple of Diana (the Moon) where St. Paul's now stands. Greenwich he derives from Grian—wich (City of the Sun), also Celtic. It would fill a page to gave a list of guesses made at the derivation of the word London. The one given above is about the best for fable and mythology. (See Augusta, Babylon, and Luds Town.)

London Bridge built on Woolpacks

In the reign of Henry II. the new stone bridge over the Thames was paid for by a tax on wool.

There was a bridge over the Thames in the tenth century. There was a new one of wood in 1014. The stone bridge (1176—1209) was by Peter of Colechurch. New London Bridge, constructed of granite, was begun in 1824, and finished in seven years. It was designed by Sir John Rennie, and cost 1,458,000. In 1894 was opened a new bridge, called the Tower Bridge, to admit of easier traffic.

London Stone

The central milliarium (milestone) of Roman London, similar to that in the Forum of Rome. The British high roads radiated from this stone, and it was from this point they were measured. Near London Stone lived Fitz Alwyne, who was the first mayor of London.

London Stone was removed for security into the wall of St. Swithin's church, facing Cannon Street station, and secured from damage by an iron railing.

There are two inscriptions, one in Latin and one in English. The latter runs thus:—

“London stone. Commonly believed to be a Roman work, long placed about xxxv feet hence towards the south—west, and afterwards built into the wall of this church, was, for more careful protection and transmission to future ages, better secured by the church wardens in the year of OVR LORD MDCCCLXIX.”

Long Chalk (A) or Long Chalks. He beat me by a long chalk or by long chalks. By a good deal; by many marks. The allusion is to the game of dominoes, where the notation is made by chalk on a table.

Long Dozen

(A) is 13. A long hundred is 120.

Long—headed

Clever, sharp—witted. Those who believe in the shape and bumps of the head think that a long head indicates shrewdness.

Long Home

He has gone to his long home. He is dead. The “long home” means the grave. The French equivalent is “Aller dans une maison ou l'on demeurera toujours. “

Long Lane

(See Lane .)

Long Meg of Westminster

A acted virago in the reign of Henry VIII. Her name has been given to several articles of unusual size. Thus, the large blue—black marble in the south cloister of Westminster Abbey, over the grave of Gervasius de Blois, is called “Long Meg of Westminster.” Fuller says the term is applied to things “of hop—pole height, wanting breadth proportionable thereunto,” and refers to a great gun in the Tower so called, taken to Westminster in troublous times.

The large gun in Edinburgh Castle is called Mons Meg, and the bomb forged for the siege of Oudenarde, now in the city of Ghent, is called Mad Meg.

In the Edinburgh Antiquarian Magazine, September, 1769, we read of “Peter Branan, aged 104, who was six feet six inches high, and was commonly called Long Meg of Westminster. (See Meg.)

Long Meg and her daughters. In the neighbourhood of Penrith, Cumberland, is a circle of 67 (Camden says

77) stones, some of them ten feet high, ranged in a circle. Some seventeen paces off, on the south side, is a single stone, fifteen feet high, called Long Meg, the shorter ones being called her daughters. (Greek, Megas, great.)

“This, and the Robrick stones in Oxford shire, are supposed to have been erected at the investiture of some Danish kings, like the Kingstoler in Denmark, and the Moresteen in Sweden.”— Camden: Britannta.

Long Odds The odds laid on a horse which has apparently no chance of winning the race. Any similar bet.

Long Parliament

The parliament which assembled November 3rd, 1640, and was dissolved by Cromwell on April 20th, 1653; that is, 12 1/2 years.

Long Peter

Peter Aartsen, the Flemish painter; so called on account of his extraordinary height. (1507—1573.)

Long Run

In the long run. Eventually. Here “long run” is not the correlative of a “short run,” but the Latin adverb demum, ultimately; in French, “A la longue. “

Long—Sword

(Longue épée). William, the first Duke of Normandy. (Died 943.)

Long Tail

Cut and long tail. One and another, all of every description. The phrase had its origin in the practice of cutting the tails of certain dogs and horses, and leaving others in their natural state, so that cut and long tail horses or dogs included all the species. Master Slender says he will maintain Anna Page like a gentlewoman. “Ah!” says he—

“That I will, come cut and long tail under the degree of a squire [i.e. as well as any man can who is not a squire].”— Shakespeare: Merry Wives of Windsor, iii. 4.

Long—tailed How about the long—tailed beggar? A reproof given to one who is drawing the longbow too freely. The tale is that a boy who had been a short voyage pretended on his return to have forgotten everything belonging to his native home, and asked his mother what she called that “long—tailed beggar,” meaning the cat.

Long Tom Coffin

A sailor of noble daring, in The Pilot, by Cooper.

Long Words

Agathokakological. (Southey: The Doctor.)

Alcomiroziropoulopilousitounitapignac. The giantess. (Croquemitaine, iii. 2.) Amoronthologosphorus. (See Hair.) (The Three Hairs.) Anantachaturdasivratakatha. (Sanskrit work.) (See Trübner's Literary Record.)

Antipericatametanaparbeugedamphi—cribrationes Toordicantium. One of the books in the library of St. Victor. (Rabelais: Pantagruel, ii. 7.)

Batrachomyomachia (battle of the frogs and mice). A Greek mock heroic. Cluninstaridysarchides. (Plautus.)

Deanthropomorphisation.

Don Juan Nepomuceno de Burionago—natotorecagageazcoecha. An employe in the finance department of Madrid (1867).

Drimtaidhvrickhilliohattan, in the Isle of Mull, Argyleshire.

Honorificabilitudinitatibus, called the longest word in the (?) English language. It frequently occurs in old plays. (See Bailey's Dictionary.) The “quadradimensionality” is almost as long.

“Thou art not so long by the head as honorific—abilitudinitatibus.”— Shakespeare: Love's Labour's Lost, v. 1.

Inanthropomorphisability of deity.

Jungefrauenzimmerdurchschwind—suchttoedtungs—gegenverein (German. (See Notes and Queries, vol. v. p. 124, first series.)

Kagwadawwacomëgishearg. An Indian chief, who died in Wisconsin in 1866.

It is one of the longest words extant (179 English and 169 Greek letters and consisting of 78 syllables). (Aristophanes: Ekklesiazousai, v. 1169.)

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrn—drobwllllandyssiliogogogoch. The name of a Welsh village in Anglesea. In the postal directory the first twenty letters only are given as a sufficient address for practical purposes, but the full name contains 59 letters. The meaning is, “The church of St. Mary in a hollow of white hazel, near to the rapid whirlpool, and to St. Tisilio church, near to a red cave.”

“What, Mr. Manhound, was it not enough thus to have morcrocastebezasteverestegrigeligoscop—apondrillated us all in our upper members with your botched mittens, but you must also apply such morderegrippiatabirofreluchamburdureca—quelurintimpaniments on our shin—bones with the hard tops and extremities of your cobbled shoes.”— Rabelais, illustrated by Gustavc Dore, p. 438.

They morramborizeverzengirizequo—quemorgasacbaquevezinemaffretiding my poor eye. (Rabelais: Pantagruel, iv. 15.)

Nitrophenylenediamine. A dye of an intense red colour.

“Dinitroaniline, chloroxynaphthalic acid, which may be used for colouring wool in intense red; and nitrophenylenediamine of chromatic brilliancy.”— William Crookes: The Times, October 5th, 1868.

Polyphrasticontinomimegalondulaton.

“Why not wind up the famous ministerial declaration with `Konx Ompax' or the mystic `Om' or that difficult expression `Polyphrasti—continomimegalondulaton?' ”— The Star.

M. N. Rostocostojambedanesse, author of After Beef, Mustard. (Rabelais: Pantagruel, ii. 7.) Sankashtachaturthivratodyapana. (Sanskrit work.) (See Trübner's Literary Record. Forster gives one of 152 syllables.

Tetramethyldiamidobenzhydrols.

“The general depth of modern researches in structural chemistry must be explained, even to those who are not interested in the mystery of tryphenylmethans, the

tetramethyldiamidobenz—hydrols, and other similarly terrific terms used by chemists.”— Nineteenth Century (Aug., 1893, p. 248).

“Miss Burney has furnished the longest compound in the English tongue: `the

sudden—at—the—moment—though—from—lingering—illness—often—previously—expected death of Mr. Burney's wife.”— De Vere.

Zürchersalzverbrauchsbuchhaltungs—verordnung. (Ausland.)

“Conturbabantur Constantinopolitani, Innumerabilibus sollicitudinibus.”

“Constantinopolitan maladministration Superinduces denationalisation.”

Longboat

Formerly the largest boat belonging to a ship, built so as to carry a great weight. A long—boat is often from 30 to 40 feet long, having a beam from 29 to 25 of its length. It has a heavy flat floor, and is carvel built.

Longbow

To draw the longbow. To exaggerate. The force of an arrow in the longbow depends on the strength of the arm that draws it, so the force of a statement depends on the force of the speaker's imagination. The longbow was the favourite weapon of the English from the reign of Edward II. till it was superseded by fire—arms. The “long—bow” was the hand—bow, as distinguished from the crossbow or bow fitted on a stock.

Longchamps

On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of Passion Week, the Parisians go in procession to Long—champs, near the Bois de Boulogne. This procession is made by private carriages and hired cabs, and is formed by all the smartly—dressed men and women who wish to display the spring fashions. The origin of the custom is this: There was once a famous nunnery at Long—champs, noted for its singing.

In Passion Week all who could went to hear these religious women sing the Ténèbres; the custom grew into a fashion, and though the house no longer exists, the procession is as fashionable as ever.

Longcrown

A deep fellow, long—headed.

That caps Longcrown, and he capped the devil. That is a greater falsehood than the “father of lies” would tell.

Longevity

The oldest man of modern times was Thomas Carn, if we may rely on the parish register of St. Leonard's, Shoreditch, where it is recorded that he died in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, aged 207. He was born in 1381, in the reign of Richard II., lived in the reigns of ten sovereigns, and died in 1588. Old Jenkins was only 160 when he died, and remembered going (when he was a boy of twelve) with a load of arrows, to be used in the battle of Flodden Field. Parr died at the age of 152. William Wakley (according to the register of St. Andrew's church, Shifnal, Salop) was at least 124 when he died. He was baptised at Idsal 1590, and buried at Adbaston, November 28, 1714, and he lived in the reigns of eight sovereigns. Mary Yates, of Lizard Common, Shifnal, married her third husband at the age of 92, and died in 1776, at the age of 127.

Longius

The Roman soldier who smote our Lord with his spear. In the romance of King Arthur, this spear was brought by Joseph of Arimathea to Listenise, when he visited King Pellam, “who was nigh of Joseph's kin.” Sir Balim the Savage, being in want of a weapon, seized this spear, with which he wounded King Pellam. “Three whole countries were destoyed” by that one stroke, and Sir Balim saw “the people thereof lying dead on all sides.” (History of Prince Arthur, vol i. chap. 41.) Generally called LONGINUS.

Longo Intervallo

Proximus sed longo intervallo. Next (it is true), but at what a vast distance! Generally quoted “Longo intervallo. “

Looby

A simpleton. (Welsh, llob, a dolt.)

“The spendthrift and the plodding looby,

The nice Sir Courtly, and the booby.”

Hudibras: Redivivus (1707).

Look Alive

Be more active and energetic; look sharp

Look Black

(To) and Black Looks. (See Black ...)

Look Blue

(To). To show signs of disappointment, disgust, or displeasure.

“Squire Brown looked rather blue at having to pay 2 10s. for the posting expenses from Oxford.”— Hughes: Tom Brown at Oxford.

Look Daggers (To). To look very angry, as if to annihilate you. Clytus says to Alexander, “You cannot look me dead.”

“You may look daggers, but use none.”

Look as Big as Bull Beef

(To). To look stout and hearty, as if fed on bull beef. Bull beef was formerly recommended for making men strong and muscular.

Look Before You Leap

Consider well before you act. “Melius est cavere semper, quam patiri semel. “

“And look before you ere you leap,

For, as you sow, you're like to reap.”

Butler: Hudibras, canto ii. part ii. 502.

Look for a Needle in a Bottle of Hay

(To). (See Bottle .)

Look not a Gift Horse in the Mouth

“Noli dentes equi inspicere donati. ” Do not examine a gift too critically.

Look One Way and Row Another

(To). “Olera spectant, lardum tollunt. ” To aim apparently at one thing, but really to be seeking something quito different.

Look through Blue Glasses or Coloured Spectacles

To regard actions in a wrong light; to view things distorted by prejudice.

Lookers—on

The man on the dyke always hurls well. The man standing on the mound, and looking at those who are playing at hurling, can see the faults and criticise them. Umpires are lookers—on.

Looking Back

Unlucky. This arose from Lot's wife, who looked back towards Sodom and was turned to a pillar of salt (Genesis xix. 26).

Looking—glass

It is unlucky to break a looking—glass. The nature of the ill—luck varies; thus, if a maiden, she will never marry; if a married woman, it betokens a death, etc. This superstition arose from the use made of mirrors in former times by magicians. If in their operations the mirror used was broken, the magician was obliged to give over his operation, and the unlucky inquirer could receive no answer.

Looking—glass of Lao reflected the mind as well as the outward form. (Citizen of the World, xlv.)

Loom

means a utensil. (Anglo—Saxon, loma). Thus “heir—loom" means a personal chattel or household implement which goes by special custom to the heir. The word was in familiar use in Prior's time

(1664—1721), for he says “a thousand maidens ply the purple loom.”

Loony

or Luny. A simpleton; a natural. Corruption of lunatie.

Loophole

A way of escape, an evasion; a corruption of “louvre holes.” (See Louvre .)

Loose

Having a tile loose. Not quite of sound mind. The head being the roof of the temple called the body.

Out on the loose. Out on the spree; out of moral bounds.

Loose—coat Field

The battle of Stamford in 1470. So called because the men under Lord Wells, being attacked by the Yorkists, threw off their coats that they might flee the faster.

“Cast off their country's coats to haste their speed away:

Which `Loose—coat Field' is called e'en to this day.” Drayton: Polyolbion, xxii.

Loose Fish

(A). A dissipated man. We also speak of a “queer fish,” and the word “fishy” means of very doubtful character. A loose fish is one that has made its way out of the net; and applied to man it means one who has thrown off moral restraint.

Loose—girt Boy

(The). Julius Caesar was so nicknamed.

Loose—strife

Botanically called Lysimachia, a Greek compound meaning the same thing. The author of Flora Domestica tells us that the Romans put these flowers under the yokes of oxen to keep them from quarrelling with each other; for (says he) the plant keeps off flies and gnats and thus relieves horses and oxen from a great source of irritation. Similarly in Collins' Faithful Shepherdess, we read—

“Yellow Lysimachus, to give sweet rest,

To the faint shepherd, killing, where it comes,

All busy gnats, and every fly that hums.”

(Pliny refers the name to one of Alexander's generals, said to have discovered its virtues.)

Lorbrulgrud

The capital of Brobdingnag. The word is humorously said to mean “Pride of the Universe.” (Swift: Gulliver's Travels.)

Lord

A nobleman.

The word lord is a contraction of hlaford (Saxon for “loaf—author” or “bread—earner"). Retainers were called hlaf—ætas, or “bread—eaters.” Verstegan suggests hlaf—ford, “bread—givers.” (See Lady.)

We have in Anglo—Saxon hlaf—ord, hlaford—gift (lordship), hlaford— less (lordless), hlafordom (dominion), and many more similar compounds.

Lord, a hunchback (Greek, lord—os, crooked). Generally “My lord.”

Lord

Drunk as a lord. Before the great temperance movement set in, in the latter half of the nineteenth century, those who could afford to drink thought it quite comme il faut to drink two, three, or even more bottles of port wine for dinner, and few dinners ended without placing the guests under the table in a hopeless state of intoxication. The temperate habits of the last quarter of the nineteenth century renders this phrase now almost unintelligible

Lord Burleigh

As significant as the shake of Lord Burleigh's heud. In The Critic, by Sheridan, is introduced a tragedy called the Spanish Armada. Lord Burleigh is supposed to be too full of State affairs to utter a word; he shakes his head, and Puff explains what the shake means.

Lord Fanny

A nickname given to Lord Hervey for his effeminate and foppish manners. He painted his face, and was as pretty in his ways as a boarding—school miss. (In the reign of George II.)

Lord Foppington

A coxcomb who considers dress and fashion the end and aim of nobility. (Vanbrugh: The Relapse.)

Lord, Lady

When our Lord falls in our Lady's lap. That is, when Good Friday falls on the same date as Lady Day. (March 25th.)

Lord Lovel

The bridegroom who lost his bride on the wedding—day. She was playing at hide—and—seek, and selected an old oak chest for her hiding—place. The chest closed with a spring lock, and many years after her skeleton told the sad story of The Mistletoe Bough. Samuel Rogers introduces this story in his Italy (part i.

18). He says the bride was Ginevra, only child of Orsini, “an indulgent father.” The bridegroom was Francesco Doria, “her playmate from her birth, and her first love.” The chest in which she was buried alive in her bridal dress was an heirloom, “richly carved by Antony of Trent, with Scripture stories from the life of Christ.” It came from Venice, and had “held the ducal robes of some old ancestor.” Francesco, weary of his life, flew to Venice and “flung his life away in battle with the Turk.” Orsini went mad, and spent the live—long day “wandering as in quest of something, something he could not find.” Fifty years afterwards the chest was removed by strangers and the skeleton discovered.

Lord Mayor's Day

November 9th. So called because the Lord Mayor of London enters into office on that day, and inaugurates his official dignity with a street procession, followed by a grand banquet at the Mansion House.

Lord Peter

The Pope is so called in The History of John Bull, by Dr. Arbuthnot.

Lord Strutt

Charles II. of Spain is so called in The History of John Bull, by Arbuthnot.

Lord Thomas

and the Fair Annet or Elinor, had a lover's quarrel, when Lord Thomas resolved to forsake Annet for a nut—brown maid who had houses and lands. On the wedding—day Annet, in bridal bravery, went to the church, when Lord Thomas repented of his folly, and gave Annet a rose. Whereupon the nut—brown

maid killed her with a “long bodkin from out her gay head—gear.” Lord Thomas, seeing Annet fall dead, plunged his dagger into the heart of the murderess, and then stabbed himself. Over the graves of Lord Thomas and fair Annet grew a “bonny briar, and by this ye may ken right well that they were lovers dear.” In some ballads the fair Annet is called the fair Elinor. (Perey. Reliques, etc., series iii. bk. 3.)

Lord of Creation. Man

“Replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed ... and every tree ”— Gen. i. 28, 29.

Lord of Misrule

called in Scotland Abbo of Unreason, prohibited in 1555. Stow says, “At the feast of Christmas, in the king's court, there was always appointed, on All—Hallow's seve, a master of mirth and fun,” who remained in office till the Feast of Purification. A similar “lord" was appointed by the lord mayor of London, the sheriffs, and the chief nobility. Stubbs tells us that these mock dignitaries had from twenty to sixty officers under them, and were furnished with hobby—horses, dragons, and musicians. They first went to church with such a confused noise that no one could hear his own voice.

Lord of the Isles

Donald of Islay, who in 1346 reduced the Hebrides under his sway The title had been borne by others for centuries before, and was also borne by his successors. One of Sir Walter Scott's metrical romances is so called. This title is now borne by the Prince of Wales.

Loredano

(James). A Venetian patrician, and one of the “Council of Ten.” (Byron. The Two Foscari.)

Lorenzo

(in Edward Young's Nights Thoughts). An atheist, whose remorse ends in despair.

Lorenzo. The suitor of the fair Jessica, daughter of Shylock the Jew. (Shakespeare: Merchant of Venice.)

Loretto

The house of Loretto. The Santa Casa, the reputed house of the Virgin Mary at Nazareth. It was “miraculously” translated to Fiume in Dalmatia in 1291, thence to Recanati in 1294, and finally to Macerata in Italy, to a plot of land belonging to the Lady Loretto.

“Our house may have travelled through the air, like the house of Loretto, for aught 1 care”— Goldsmith: The Good—natured Man, iv 1.

There are other Lorettos: for instance, the Loretto of Austria, Mariazel (Mary in the Cell, in Styria. So called from the miracle—working image of the Virgin. The image, made of ebony, is old and very ugly. Two pilgrimages every year are made to it.

The Loretto of Bavaria (Altötting near the river Inn, where there is a shrine of the Black Virgin.

The Loretto of Switzerland. Einsiedeln, a village containing a shrine of the “Black Lady of Switzerland.” The church is of black marble and the image of ebony.

Lorrequer

(Harry). The hero of a novel so called, by Charles Lever.

Lose

“ `Tis not I who lose the Athenians, but the Athenians who lose me, ” said Anaxagoras, when he was driven out of Athens.

Lose Caste

To lose position in society. To get degraded from one caste to an inferior one.

Lose Heart

(To). To be discouraged or despondent. Heart=courage.

Lose not a Tide

Waste no time; set off at once on the business.

Lose the Day

(To). To lose the battle; to be defeated. To win (or gain) the day is to be victorious; to win the battle, the prize, or any competition.

Lose the Horse or win the Saddle

Everything or nothing. “Aut Cæsar, aut nullus. ” A man made the bet of a horse that another could not say the Lord's Prayer without a wandering thought. The bet was accepted, but before half—way through the person who accepted the bet looked up and said, “By—the—bye, do you mean the saddle also?”

Losing a Ship for a Haporth o' Tar

Suffering a great loss out of stinginess. By mean savings, or from want of some necessary outlay, to lose the entire article. For example, to save the expense of a nail and lose the

horse—shoe as the first result, then to lame the horse, and finally perhaps kill it.

Loss

To be at a loss. To be unable to decide. To be puzzled or embarrassed. As “I am at a loss for the proper word.” “Je m'y perds, ” or “Je suis bien embarrassée de dire “

Lost Island

Cephalonia, so called because it was only by chance that even those who had visited it could find it again It is sometimes called “The Hidden Island.”

Lothair

A novel by Benjamin Disraeli (Lord Beaconsfield). The characters are supposed to represent the following persons—

The Oxford Professor, Goldwin Smith.

Grandison, Cardinal Manning and Wiseman. Lothair, Marquis of Bute.

Catesby, Monseigneur Capel.

The Duke and Duchess, the Duke and Duchess of Abercorn. The Bishop, Bishop Wilberforce.

Corisande, one of the Ladies Hamilton.

Lothario

A gay Lothario. A gay libertine, a seducer of female modesty, a debauchee. The character is from The Fair Penitent, by Rowe, and Rowe's tragedy is from Massinger's Fatal Dowry.

Lothian

(Scotland). So named from Llew, the second son of Arthur, also called Lothus. He was the father of Modred, leader of the rebellious army that fought at Camlan, A.D. 537.

Arthur's eldest son was Urien, and his youngest was Arawn.

Lotus

The Egyptians pictured God sitting on a lote—tree, above the watery mud. Jamblichus says the leaves and fruit of the lote—tree being round represent “the motion of intellect;” its towering up through mud symbolises the eminency of divine intellect over matter; and the Deity sitting on the lote—tree implies His intellectual sovereignty. (Myster. Egypt., sec. 7, cap. ii. p. 151.)

Lotus. Mahomet says that a lote—tree stands in the seventh heaven, on the right hand of the throne of God. Dryope of OEchalia was one day carrying her infant son, when she plucked a lotus flower for his amusement, and was instantaneously transformed into a lotus.

Lotis, daughter of Neptune, fleeing from Priapus, was metamorphosed into a lotus.

Lotus—eaters

or Lotophagi, in Homeric legend, are a people who ate of the lotus—tree, the effect of which was to make them forget their friends and homes, and to lose all desire of returning to their native land, their only wish being to live in idleness in Lotus—land. (Odyssey, xi.)

A Lotus—eater. One living in ease and luxury. Lord Tennyson has a poem called The Lotus Eaters. The drink is made from the Zizyphus Lotus, which grows in Jerbah, an island near Tunis.

Loud Patterns

Flashy, showy ones. The analogy between sound and colour is very striking.

Loud as Tom of Lincoln

The great church bell.

Louis

(St.) is usually represented as holding the Saviour's crown of thorns and the cross, sometimes, however, he is represented with a pilgrim's staff, and sometimes with the standard of the cross, the allusion in all cases being to his crusades.

Louis Dix—huit

was nicknamed Des Huîtres, because he was a great gourmand, and especially fond of oysters.

Louisiana

U.S. America. So named in compliment to Louis XIV. of France. Originally applied to the French possessions in the Mississippi Valley.

Loup

“Le loup sait bien ce que male bête pense ” [male = méchant]. “Un fripon reconnait un fripon au premier coup d'oeil. ” We judge others by ourselves. “Chacun mesure tout à son aune. ” We measure others in our own bushel. The wolf believes that every beast entertains the same wolfish thoughts and desires as it does itself. Plautus expresses the same idea thus “Insanire me aiunt ultro cum ipsi insanrunt; ” and Cicero says, “Malum conscientia suspiciosum facit “

Louvre

[Paris ]. A corruption of Lupara, as it is called in old title—deeds. Dagobert is said to have built here a hunting—seat, the nucleus of the present magnificent pile of buildings.

“He'll make your Paris Louvre shake for it.”

Shakespeare: Henry V, ii. 4.

Louvre. The tower or turret of a building like a belfry, originally designed for a sort of chimney to let out the smoke. (French, l'ouvert, the opening.)

Louvre boards in churches. Before chimneys were used, holes were left in the roof, called loovers or leuver holes. From the French l'ouvert (the open boards).

Louvre of St. Petersburg

(The). The Hermitage, an imperial museum.

Love (God of). (Anglo—Saxon luf.)

Camdeo, in Hindu mythology.

Camadeva, in Persian mythology.

Cupid, in Roman mythology.

Eros, in Greek mythology.

Freya, in Celtic mythology.

Kama or Cama, in Indian mythology. (See Bowyer, etc., etc.)

The family of love. Certain fanaties in the sixteenth century, holding tenets not unlike those of the Anabaptists.

There is no love lost. Because the persons referred to have no love for each other. What does not exist cannot be lost.

Love—lock

A small curl gummed to the temples, sometimes called a beau or bow catcher. When men indulge in a curl in front of their ears, the love—lock is called a bell—rope— i.e. a rope to pull the belles after them. At the latter end of the sixteenth century the love—lock was a long lock of hair hanging in front of the shoulders, curled and decorated with bows and ribbons.

Love—powders

or Potions were drugs to excite lust. Once these love—charms were generally believed in; thus, Brabantio accuses Othello of having bewitched Desdemona with “drugs to waken motion;” and Lady Grey was accused of having bewitched Edward IV. “by strange potions and amorous charms.” (Fabian, p. 495.)

Love and Lordship

Love and lordship never like fellowship French, “Amour et seigneurie ne veulent point de campaigne; ” German, “Liebe und herrschaft leiden keine gesellschaft, ” Italian, “Amor e seiguoria non vogliono compagnia (Neither lovers nor princes can brook a rival.)

Love in a Cottage

A marriage for love without sufficient means to maintain one's social status. However, “When poverty comes in at the door, love flies out of the window.”

Love—in—Idleness

One of the numerous names of the pansy or hearts—ease. Originally white, but changed to a purple colour by the fall of Cupid's bolt upon it.

“Yet marked I where the bolt of Cupid fell.

It fell upon a little Western flower,

Before, milk—white, now purple with love's wound; The maidens call it Love—in—idleness.”

Shakespeare Midsummer Night's Dream, ii. 2.

Love me, Love my Dog

St. Bernard quotes this proverb in Latin, “Quo me amat, amat et canem meam, ” French, “Qui aime Pertrand, aime son chien ” Spanish, “Quién bién quiérs a beliram, bien quiére a su can. “ (If you love anyone, you will like all that belongs to him.)

Love's Girdle

Cestus in Homer, is the girdle of Venus, of magical power to move to ardent love. In Jerusalem Delivered, Armida wore a similar cestus.

Love's Labour's Lost

(Shakespeare). Ferdinand, King of Navarre, with the three lords, Biron', Longaville, and Dumain, make a vow to spend three years in study, during which time they bind themselves to look upon no woman. Scarce is the vow made when the Princess of France, with Rosaline, Maria, and Catherine are announced, bringing a petition from the King of France. The four gentlemen fall in love with the four ladies, and send them verses; they also visit them masked as Muscovites. The ladies treat the whole matter as a jest, and when the gentlemen declare their intentions to be honourable impose upon them a delay of twelve

months, to be spent in works of charity. If at the expiration of that time they still wish to marry, the ladies promise to lend a favourable ear to their respective suits.

Lovel, the Dog

(See Rat, Cat , etc.)

Lovelace

The hero of Richardson novel called Clarissa Harlowe. He is a selfish voluptuary, a man of fashion, whose sole ambition is to ensnare female modesty and virtue Crabbe calls him “rich, proud, and crafty; handsome, brave, and gay.”

Lover's Leap

The promontory from which Sappho threw herself into the sea; now called Santa Maura. (See Leucadia .)

Loving

or Grace Cup. A large cup passed round from guest to guest at state banquets and city feasts. Miss Strickland says that Margaret Atheling, wife of Malcolm Kanmore, in order to induce the Scotch to remain for grace, devised the grace cup, which was filled with the choicest wine, and of which each guest was allowed to drink ad libitum after grace had been said. (Historic Sketches.)

Loving Cup

On the introduction of Christianity, the custom of wassailing was not abolished, but it assumed a religious aspect. The monks called the wassail bowl the poculum caritatis (loving cup), a term still retained in the London companies, but in the universities the term Grace Cup is more general. Immediately after grace the silver cup, filled with sack (spiced wine) is passed round. The master and wardens drink welcome to their guests; the cup is then passed round to all the guests. (See Grace Cup .)

A loving or grace cup should always have two handles, and some have as many as four.

Loving Cup. This ceremony, of drinking from one cup and passing it round, was observed in the Jewish paschal supper, and our Lord refers to the custom in the words, “Drink ye all of it.”

“He [the master of the house] laid hold of the yesset with both hands, lifted it up, and said— Blessed be Thou, O Lord our God, thou king of the world, who hast given us the fruit of the vine; and the whole assembly said `Amen.' Then drinking first himself from the cup, he passed it round to the rest.”— Eldad the Pilgrim, chap. ix.

Low—bell

Night—fowling, in which birds are first roused from their slumber by the tinkling of a bell; and then dazzled by a light so as to be easily caught. (Low, Scotch, lowe, a flame, as a “lowe of fyre;” and bell.)

“The sound of the low—bell makes the birds lie close, so that they dare not stir whilst you are pitching the net, for the sound thereof is dreadful to them; but the sight of the fire, much more terrible, makes them fly up, so that they become instantly entangled in the net.”— Gent. Recreation.

Low Church The Times defines a Low Churchman as one “who loves a Jew and hates the Pope.” We now call a Calvinistic episcopalian one of the Low Church because he holds “church rituals” and the dogma of

“apostolic succession” in lower esteem than personal grace and faith in the “blood of the atonement.”

Low Comedian

(The, in theatrical parlance, is the farceur, but must not poach on the preserves of the “light comedian.” Paul Pry is a part for a “low comedian,” Box and Cox are parts for a “light comedian.”

Low Mass

is a mass without singing. It is called low “quia submissa voce celebratur.” “Missa alta” is performed musically, and alta voce, in a loud voice.

Low Sunday The Sunday next after Easter; so called because it is at the bottom of the Easter which it closes.

Low to High

From low St. James's up to high St. Paul's (Pope: Satires). In the Bangorian controversy, Bishop Hoadly, a great favourite at St. James's, was Low Church, but Dr. Hare, Dean of St. Paul's, was High Church.

Lower City

(The). Acre, north of Zion, was so called.

Lower Empire

The Roman or Western, from removal of the seat of empire to Constantinople to the extinetion of that empire by the Turks in 1453.

Lower your Sail

In French, “Caler la voile, ” means to salute; to confess yourself submissive or conquered; to humble oneself.

Lowlanders of Attiea

were the gentry, so called because they lived on the plains. (Pedieis.)

Lowndean Professor

(Cambridge University). A professor of astronomy (and geometry); the chair founded by Thomas Lowndes, Esq., in 1749.

Loy

A long, narrow spade used in cultivating stony lands.

Loyal

Only one regiment of all the British army is so called, and that is the “Loyal North Lancashire,” in two battalions, No. 47 and No. 81. It was so called in 1793, and probably had some allusion to the French revolutionists.

Loys

[lo—is ]. So Louis was written in French till the time of Louis XIII.

Luath

(2 syl.). Cuthullin's dog in Ossian's Fingal; also the name of the poor man's dog representing the peasantry in The Twa Dogs, by Robert Burns. The gentleman's dog is called Caesar. Also Fingal's dog. (See Dog.)

Lubber

(A). A dolt. Seamen call an awkward sailor a land—lubber. A variant of “looby” (Welsh, llob, with a diminutive, “somewhat of a dunce or dolt.”)

Lubber's Hole

A lazy cowardly way of doing what is appointed, or of evading duty. A seaman's expression. Sailors call the vacant space between the head of a lower—mast and the edge of the top, the lubber's hole, because timid boys get through this space to the top, to avoid the danger and difficulties of the “futtock shrouds.”

Lubberkin

or Lubrican. (Irish, Lobaircin or Leprechaun. ) A fairy resembling an old man, by profession a maker of brogues, who resorts to out—of—the—way places, where he is discovered by the noise of his hammer. He is rich, and while anyone keeps his eye fixed upon him cannot escape, but the moment the eye is withdrawn he vanishes.

Lubins

A species of goblins in Normandy that take the form of wolves, and frequent churchyards. They are very timorous, and take flight at the slightest noise.

“Il a peur de lubins ” (Afraid of ghosts). Said of a chicken—hearted person.

Lucasian Professor

A professor of mathematics in the University of Cambridge. This professorship was founded in 1663 by Henry Lucas, Esq, M.P. for the University.

Lucasta to whom Richard Love—lace sang, was Lucy Sacheverell, called by him lux casta, i.e. Chaste Lucy.

Luce

Flower de Luce. A corruption of fleur—de—lis (q.v.), more anciently written “floure delices, ” a corruption of fiordilisa, the white iris. The French messenger says to the Regent Bedford—

“Cropped are the flower de luces in your arms;

Of England's coat one—half is cut away.”

Shakespeare: 1 Henry VI., i. 1.

referring of course to the loss of France. The luce or lucy is a full—grown pike. Thus Justice Shallow says— “The luce is the fresh fish, the salt fish is an old coat”— i.e. Lucy is a new name, the old one was Charlecote.

(Merry Wives of Windsor, i. l.) (See Fleurs—De—Lys.)

Luce

the full—grown pike, is the Latin luci—us, from the Greek lukos (a wolf), meaning the wolf of fishes.

Lucia Di Lammermoor

Called Lucy Ashton by Sir Walter Scott, was the sister of Lord Henry Ashton of Lammermoor, who, to retrieve the fallen fortunes of the family, arranges a marriage between his sister and Lord Arthur Bucklaw (or Frank Hayston, laird of Bucklaw). Unknown to Henry Ashton, Edgardo (or Edgar), master of Ravens—wood), whose family has long been in a state of hostility with the Lammermoors, is in love with Lucy, and his attachment is reciprocated. While Edgar is absent in France on an embassy, Lucy is made to believe, by feigned letters, that Edgar is unfaithful to her, and in her frenzy of indignation consents to marry the laird of Bucklaw; but on the wedding night she stabs her husband, goes mad, and dies. (Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor, an opera; and Sir Walter Scott: Brids of Lammermoor.)

Lucian

The impersonation of the follies and, vices of the age, metamorphosed into an ass. The chief character in the Golden Ass of Apuleius.

Lucifer

The morning star. Venus is both an evening and a morning star: When she follows the sun, and is an evening star, she is called Hesperus; when she precedes the sun, and appears before sunrise, she is called Lucifer (the light—bringer).

Proud as Lucifer. Very haughty and overbearing. Lucifer is the name given by Isaiah to Nebuchadnezzar, the proud but ruined king of Babylon: “Take up this proverb against the King of Babylon, and say, ... How art thou fallen, from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!” (Isa. XIV. 4, 12). The poets feign that Satan, before he was driven out of heaven for his pride, was called Lucifer. Milton, in his Paradise Lost, gives this name to the demon of “Sinful Pride.”

Lucifers

(1833). An improvement on the Congreves and Prometheans. Phosphorus was introduced into the paste; but phosphorus made the matches so sensitive that the whole box often ignited, children were killed by sucking the matches, and at Boulogne two soldiers and a woman were poisoned by drinking coffee in which a child had put a “lucifer.” The manufacture of these matches was also very deleterious, producing “jaw disease.” (See Prometheans, Safety Matches .)

Lucifera

[Pride ] lived in a splendid palace, only its foundation was of sand. The door stood always open, and the queen gave welcome to every comer. Her six privy ministers are Idleness, Gluttony, Lechery, Avarice, Envy, and Revenge. These six, with Pride herself, are the seven deadly sins. Her carriage was drawn by six different animals— viz. an ass, swine, goat, camel, wolf, and lion, on each of which rode one of her privy councillors, Satan himself being coachman. While here the Red—Cross Knight was attacked by Sansjoy, who would have been slain if Duessa had not rescued him. (Spenser: Faëric Queene, bk. i. 4.)

Luciferians

A sect of the fourth century, who refused to hold any communion with the Arians, who had renounced their “errors” and been re—admitted into the Church. So called from Lucifer, Bishop of Cagliari, in Sardinia, their leader.

Lucinian

The young prince, son of Dolopatos, the Sicilian monarch, entrusted to the care of Virgil, the philosopher. (See Seven Wise Masters, and Dolopatos.)

Lucius

A soldier in the Roman army, mentioned in 2 Tim. iv. 21, in connection with Linus and Claudia. According to tradition, Claudia, the wife of Pudens, was a British lady; Linus, otherwise called Cyllen, was her brother; and Lucius, “the British king,” the grandson of Linus. Tradition further adds that Lucius wrote to Eleutherus, Bishop of Rome, to send missionaries to Britain to convert the people

Luck

Accidental good fortune. (Dutch, luk; German, glück, verb glücken, to succeed, to prosper.) Down on one's luck. Short of cash and credit. “Not in luck's way,” not unexpectedly promoted, enriched, or otherwise benefited. Give a man luck and throw him into the sea. Meaning that his luck will save him even in the greatest extremity. Referring to Jonah and Arion, who were cast into the sea, but carried safely to land, the one by a whale and the other by a dolphin.

Luck for Fools

This is a French proverb: “A fou fortune. ” And again, “Fortune est nourrice de folie. “

Luck in Odd Numbers

A major chord consists of a fundamental or tonic, its major third, and its just fifth. According to the Pythagorean—system, “all nature is a harmony,” man is a full chord; and all beyond is Deity, so that nine represents deity. As the odd numbers are the fundamental notes of nature, the last being deity, it will be easy to see how they came to be considered the great or lucky numbers. In China, odd numbers belong to heaven, and v.v. (See Diapason, Number.)

“Good luck lies in odd numbers ... They say, there is divinity in odd numbers, either in nativity, chance, or death.”— Shakespeare: Merry Wives of Windsor. v. 1.

No doubt the odd numbers 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, play a far more important part than the even numbers. One is Deity, three the Trinity, five the chief division (see Five), seven is the sacred number, and nine is three times three, the great climacteric.

Luck of Eden Hall

(The). A drinking cup, said to have been given to Miss Zoe Musgrave on her marriage with Mr. Farquharson, and still in Eden Hall, Cumberland. The tale is, that is was snatched surreptitiously from the fairies, who attached this threat to it:

“If that cup either break or fall,

Farewell the luck of Eden Hall.”

(See Eden Hall.)

Luck

or Lucky Penny. A trifle returned to a purchaser for good luck. A penny with a hole in it, supposed to ensure good luck.

Lucky

To cut one's lucky. To decamp or make off quickly: I must cut my stick As luck means chance, the phrase may signify, “I must give up my chance and be off. (See Cut ...)

Lucky Stone

(A). A stone with a hole through it. (See Lucky Penny.)

Lucrezia di Borgia

daughter of Pope Alexander VI., was thrice married, her last husband being Alfonso, Duke of Ferrara. Before her marriage with the duke she had a natural son named Gennaro, who was sent to be brought up by a Neapolitan fisherman. When arrived at man's estate he received a letter informing him that he

was nobly born, and offering him a commission in the army. In the battle of Rimini he saved the life of Orsini, and they became sworn friends. In Venice he is introduced to the young nobles, who tell him of the ill deeds of Lucrezia Borgia. Each of them has had some relative put to death by her agency. Gennaro, in his indignation, mutilates the duke's escutcheon with his dagger, knocking off the “B” of his name, and changing Borgia into Orgia (orgies). Lucrezia, not knowing who has offered the insult, requests the duke that the perpetrator may be put to death, but when she discovers it to be her own son gives him an antidote to neutralise the poison he has drunk, and releases him from his confinement. Scarcely is he liberated when he and his companions are invited by the Princess Negroni to a banquet, where they are all poisoned, Lucrezia tells Gennaro he is her son, and dies herself as soon as her son expires. (Donizetti's opera.)

Lucullus sups with Lucullus

Said of a glutton who gormandises alone. Lucullus was a rich Roman soldier, noted for his magnificence and self—indulgence. Sometimes above 1,700 was expended on a single meal, and Horace tells us he had 5,000 rich purple robes in his house. On one occasion a very superb supper was prepared, and when asked who were to be his guests the “rich fool” replied, “Lucullus will sup to—night with Lucullus.” (B.C. 110—57.)

Lucus a non Lucendo

An etymological contradiction. The Latin word lucus means a “dark grove,” but is said to be derived from the verb luce o, to shine. Similarly our word black (the Anglo—Saxon blaec ) is derived from the verb blaec—an, to bleach or whiten.

Beldam. An ugly hag. From the French belle dame.

Bellum [war] quia minime bellum. (Priscian.) Bellum, a beautiful thing. Calid (hot) radically the same as the Saxon cald, German kalt (cold).

Cleave, to part, also signifies to stick together. (Saxon, clifan, to adhere.) Curtana (the instrument that shortens by cutting off the head; French court, Italian corto is the blunt sword, emblematical of mercy, borne before our sovereigns at their coronation.

Devoted (attached to is the Latin devotus (cursed).

Eumenides (the well—disposed); the Furies.

Euonyma (good name); is poisonous.

Hiren, a sword, a bully. (Gk. irene, peace.)

Kalo—Johannes, son of Alexius Comnenes. Called Kalos (handsome) because he was exceedingly ugly and undersized. He was, however, an active and heroic prince, and his son Manual (contemporary with Richard Coeur de Lion) was even more heroic still.

Lambs were ruffians formerly employed at elections to use “physical force” to deter electors from voting for the opposition.

Leucosphere, the inner and brighter portion of the sun's corona. It is neither white nor spherical. Lily—white, a chimney—sweep.

Religion, bond—service (re—ligo, is the service of which Christ has made us free. Speaker of House of Commons. The only member that never makes speeches.

Solomon, George III., so called by Dr. Wolcott, because he was no Solomon. In their marriage service the Jews break a wine—glass; the symbol being “as this glass can never be rejoined, so may our union be never broken.” (See Misnomer.)

Lucy

(St.). Patron saint for those afflicted in the eyes. It is said that a nobleman wanted to marry her for the beauty of her eyes; so she tore them out and gave them to him saying, “Now let me live to God.” The story says that her eyesight was restored; but the rejected lover accused her of “faith in Christ,” and she was martyred by a sword thrust into her neck. St. Lucy is represented in art carrying a palm branch, and bearing a platter with two eyes on it.

Lucy and Colin

A ballad by Thomas Tickell, translated into Latin by Vincent Bourne. Colin forsook Lucy of Leinster for a bride “thrice as rich.” Lucy felt that she was dying, and made request that she might be taken to the church at the time of Colin's wedding. Her request was granted, and when Colin saw Lucy's corpse, “the

damps of death bedewed his brow, and he died.” Both were buried in one tomb, and to their grave many a constant hind and plighted maid resort to “deck it with garlands and true—love knots.”

Lud

A mythical king of Britain. General Lud. (See Luddites.)

Lud's Bulwark

Ludgate prison. (See above.)

Luds Town

London; so called from Lud, a mythical king of Britain. Ludgate is, by a similar tradition, said to be the gate where Lud was buried. (See London.)

“And on the gates of Lud's town set your heads.”

Shakespeare: Cymbeline, iv. 2.

Ludgate

Stow says, “King Lud, repairing the city, called it after his name Lud's town; the strong gate which he built in the west part he likewise named Ludgate. In the year 1260 the gate was beautified with images of Lud and other kings. Those images, in the reign of Edward VI., had their heads smitten off .... Queen Mary

did set new heads upon their old bodies again. The twenty—eighth of Queen Elizabeth the gate was newly and beautifully built, with images of Lud and others, as before.” (Survey of London.) The more probable etymon of Lud—gate is the Anglo—Saxon leode (people), similar to the Porto del populi of Rome.

“[Lud] Built that gate of which his name is hight,

By which he lies entombëd solemnly.”

Spenser: Faerie Queene, ii. x. 46.

Ludgate was originally built by the barons, who entered London, destroyed the Jews' houses, and erected this gate with their ruins. It was used as a free prison in 1373, but soon lost that privilege. A most romantic story is told of Sir Stephen Forster, who was lord mayor in 1454. He had been a prisoner at Ludgate, and begged at the gate, where he was soen by a rich widow, who bought his liberty, took him into her service, and afterwards married him. To commemorate this strange eventful history. Sir Stephen enlarged the prison accommodation, and added a chapel. The old gate was taken down and rebuilt in 1586. The new—built gate was destroyed in the Great Fire of London, and the next gate (used also as a prison for debtors) was pulled down in 1760, the prisoners having been removed to the London Workhouse, and afterwards to the Giltspar Street Compter.

Luddites

(2 syl.). Riotous workmen who went about the manufacturing districts breaking machines, under the notion that machinery threw men out of employ. Miss Martineau says that the term arose from Ned Lud, of Leicestershire, an imbecile who was much hounded by boys. One day he chased a set of tormentors into a house, and broke two stocking—frames, whence the leader of these rioters was called General Lud, his chief abettors Lud's wives, and his followers Luddites. (1811—1816.)

Ludlum

(See Lazy .).

Luez

(See Luz .)

Luff

The weather—gauge. The part of a vessel towards the wind. A sailing close to the wind. (Dutch, loef, a weather—gauge.)

To luff is to turn the head of a ship towards the wind. Luff!— i.e. Put the tiller on the leeside. This is done to make the ship sail nearer the wind. Luff round! Throw the ship's head right into the wind.

Luff a—lee! Same as luff round.

A ship is said to spring her luff when she yields to the helm by sailing nearer the wind.

Keep the luff. The wind side.

Lufra

Douglas's dog, “the fleetest hound in all the North.” (Sir Walter Scott: Lady of the Lake, v. 25.) (See Dog .)

Luggie

The warlock who, when storms prevented him from going to sea, used to sit on “Luggie's Knoll.” and fish up dressed food.

Luggnagg

An island mentioned in Gulliver's Travels, where people live for ever. Swift shows the evil of such a destiny, unless accompanied with eternal youth. (See Struldbrugs .)

Luke

(St.). Patron saint of painters and physicians. Tradition says he painted a portrait of the Virgin Mary. From Col. iv. 14 he is supposed to have been a physician.

St. Luke, in Christian art, is usually represented with an ox lying near him, and generally with painting materials. Sometimes he seems engaged painting a picture of the Virgin and infant Saviour, his descriptions of the early life of the Saviour being more minute than that of the other envangelists. Metaphrastus mentions the skill of St. Luke in painting; John of Damascus speaks of his portrait of the Virgin (p. 631: Paris, 1712). Many pictures still extant are attributed to St. Luke; but the artist was probably St. Luke, the Greek hermit; for certainly these meagre Byzantine productions were not the works of the evangelist. (See Lanzi: Storia Pittorica dell' Italia, ii. 10.)

St. Luke's Club or The Virtuosis. An artists' club, established in England by Sir Antonio Vandyke, and held at the Rose Tavern Fleet Street. There was an academy of St. Luke founded by the Paris artists in 1391; one at Rome, founded in 1593, but based on the “Compagnia di San Luca” of Florence, founded in 1345; a similar one was established at Sienna in 1355.

St. Luke's Summer, called by the French Vété de S. Martin; hence the phrase “L'été de la S. Denis á la S. Martin,” from October 9th to November 11th, meaning generally the latter end of autumn.

“... St. Luke's short summer lived these men, Nearing the goal of threescore years and ten Morris: Earthly Paradise (March).

As light as St. Luke's bird (i.e. an ox). Not light at all, but quite the contrary. St. Luke is generally represented writing, while behind him is an ox, symbolical of sacrifice. The whole tableau means that Luke begins his gospel with the priest sacrificing in the Temple.

Matthew is symbolised by a man, because he begins his gospel with the manhood of Jesus as a descendant of David; Mark, by a lion, because he begins his gospel with the baptism in the wilderness; John, by an eagle, because he begins his gospel by soaring into heaven, and describing the pre—existing state of the Logos.

Luke's Iron Crown

George and Luke Dosa headed an unsuccessful revolt against the Hungarian nobles in the early part of the sixteenth century. Luke (according to Goldsmith) underwent the torture of the red—hot iron crown, as a punishment for allowing himself to be proclaimed king. History says it was George, not Luke.

(The Traveller.)

Lullian Method

A mechanical aid to the memory, by means of systematic arrangements of ideas and subjects, devised by Raymond Lully, in the thirteenth century.

Lumber

(from Lombard). A pawn—broker's shop. Thus Lady Murray writes: “They put all the little plate they had in the lumber, which is pawning it, till the ships came home.”

Lumine Sicco

(In). Disinterestedly; as a dry question to be resolved without regard to other matters.

“If physiological considerations have any meaning, it will be always impossible for women to view the subject [of women's suffrage] in lyrnine sicco.”— The Nineteenth Century (The Hon: Mra. Chapman April, 1886).

Lump

If you don't like it, you may lump it. Whether you like to do it or not, no matter; it must be done. Here

“lump it” means “to gulp it down,” or swallow unwillingly, to put up with it unwillingly but of necessity. Thus we say of medicine, “lump it down,” i.e. gulp it down. (Danish, gulpen, to swallow.)

Lumpkin

(Tony), in She Stoops to Conquer, by Goldsmith. A sheepish, mischievous, idle, cunning lout, “with the vices of a man and the follies of a boy;” fond of low company, but giving himself the airs of the young squire.

Lun

So John Rich called himself when he performed harlequin (1681—1761).

“On the one Folly sits, by some called Fun,

And on the other his arch—patron Lun.”

Churchill.

Luna An ancient seaport of Genoa, whence the marble quarried in the neighbourhood is called “marmo lunense.” (Orlando Furioso.)

Conte di Luna. Garzia, brother of Count Luna, had two sons. One day a gipsy was found in their chamber, and being seized, was condemned to be burnt alive. The daughter of the gipsy, out of revenge, vowed vengeance, and stole Manrico, the infant son of Garzia. It so fell out that the count and Manrico both fell in love with the Princess Leonora, who loved Manrico only. Luna and Manrico both fall into the hands of the count, and are condemned to death, when Leonora promises to “give herself” to Luna, provided he liberates Manrico both fall into the hands of the count, and are condemned to death, when Leonora promises to “give herself” to Luna, provided he liberates Manrico. The count accepts the terms, and goes to the prison to fulfil his promise, when Leonora dies from poison which she has sucked from a ring. Soon as Manrico sees that

Leonora is dead, he also dies. (Verdi: Il Trovatore, an opera.

Lunar Month About four weeks from new moon to new moon.

Lunar Year

Twelve lunar months. There are 13 lunar months in a year, 13 × 4 = 52 weeks.

Lunatics

Moon—struck persons. The Romans believed that the mind was affected by the moon, and that “lunatics” were more and more frenzied as the moon increased to its full. (See Avertin .)

“The various mental derangements ... which have been attributed to the influence of the moon, have given to this day the name lunatics to persons suffering from serious mental disorders.”— Crazier. Popular Errors. chap iv. p. 53.

Luncheon

(Welsh, llonc or llivno, a gulp; llyncu, to swallow at a gulp.) The notion of its derivation from the Spanish once, eleven, is borrowed from the word nuncheon, i.e. nón—mete, a noon repast. Hence Hudibras:

“When, laying by their swords and truncheons,

They took their breakfasts, or their nuncheons.” Book i. 1. lines 345, 346.

In Letter Book G, folio iv. (27 Edward II.), donations of drink to workmen are called noncchenche. (Riley: Memorials of London.)

Lungs of London The parks. In a debate, June 30th, 1808, respecting encroachments upon Hyde Park, Mr. Windham said it was the “lungs of London.”

Lunsford

A name used in terrorem over children. Sir Thomas Lunsford was governor of the Tower; a man of most vindictive temper, and the dread of everyone.

“Make children with your tones to run for't.

As bad as Bloodybones or Lunsford.”

Bittler: Hudibras, iii. 2.

Lupercal

(The), strictly speaking, meant the place where Romulus and Remus were suckled by the wolf (lupus). A yearly festival was held on this spot on Feb. 15, in honour of Lupercus, the god of fertility. On one of these festivals Antony thrice offered to Julius Cæsar a kingly crown, but seeing the people were only

half—hearted, Cæsar put it aside, saying, “Jupiter alone is king of Rome.” Shakespeare makes Antony allude to this incident:

“You all did see that on the Lupercal

I thrice presented him a kingly crown.

Which he did thrice refuse.”

Julius Caesar, iii. 2.

Shakespeare calls the Lupercalia “the feast of Lupercal” (act i. 1.), and probably he means the festival in Antony's speech, not the place where the festival was held.

Lupine

He does not know a libel from a lupine. In Latin: “Ignorat quid distent ara lupinis,” “He does not know good money from a counter, or a hawk from a handsaw.” The Romans called counters lupines or beans. A libel was a small silver coin the tenth part of a denarius = the as.

Lupus et Agnus A mere pretence to found a quarrel on. The words are the Latin title of the well—known fable of The Wolf and the Lamb.

Lupus in Fabula (See above.)

“ `Lupus in fabula.' answered the abbot, scornfully. `The wolf accused the sheep of muddying the stream, when he drank in it above her.' ”— Sir W. Scott: The Moncastery, last chapter.

Lurch

To leave in the lurch. To leave a person in a difficulty. In cribbage a person is left in the lurch when his adversary has run out his score of sixty—one holes before he himself has turned the corner (or pegged his

thirty—first) hole. In cards it is a slam, that is, when one of the players wins the entire game before his adversary has scored a single point or won a trick.

Lush

Beer and other intoxicating drinks; so called from Lushington the brewer.

Luslad

or The Lusiads. The adventures of the Lusians or Portuguese under Vasquez da Gama in their

“discovery of India.” The fleet first sailed to Mozambique, in Africa, but Bacchus (the guardian power of the Mahometans) raised a commotion against the Lusians, and a battle ensued in which the Lusians were victorious. The fleet was next conducted by treachery to Quiloa, a harbour on the east coast of the same continent; but Venus or Divine love, to save her favourites from danger, drove them away by a tempest, and Hermes bade Gama steer for Melinda, in Africa. At Melinda the Lusians were hospitably received, and the king of the country not only vowed eternal friendship, but also provided a pilot to conduct the fleet to India. In the Indian Ocean Bacchus tried to destroy the fleet, but “the silver star of Divine love” calmed the sea, and Gama arrived at India in safety. Having accomplished his object, Gama returned to Lisbon.

N.B. Gama sailed three times to India:— (1) with four vessels, in 1497, returning to Lisbon in two years and two months; he was appointed admiral of the Eastern seas. (2) In 1502, with twenty ships, when he was attacked by the Zamorin or king of Calicut, whom he defeated, and returned to Lisbon the year following; and

(3) when John III. appointed him viceroy of India. He established his government at Cochin, where he died in 1525. It is the first of these voyages which is the subject of the Lusiad by Camoens.

Lusitania

Ancient name for Portugal, said to be so called from Lusus. (See Lusus .)

Lusitanian Prince

Don Henry, third son of John I. “the Great,” King of Portugal—

“Who, heaven—inspired;

To love of useful glory roused mankind,

And in unbounded commerce mixed the world.” Thomson: Summer.

Lustral Water Water for aspersing worshippers was kept in an aspersorium, that those who entered or left the templo might dip their fingers into the water or be sprinkled by a priest. The same may be said of Indian pagodas, and the custom prevailed in ancient Egypt, and Etruria, with the Hebrews, and almost all the nations of antiquity. In Romo the priest used a small olive or laurel branch for sprinkling the people. Infants were also sprinkled with lustral water.

Lustrum

A space of five years. The word means a purification. These public expiations were made at Rome by one of the censors every fifth year, at the conclusion of the census. (Latin, luere, to purify.)

Lusus The sons or race of Lusus. Pliny (iii. 1) tells us that Lusus was the companion of Bacchus in his travels, and settled a colony in Portugal; whence the country was termed Lusitania, and the inhabitants Lusians.

Lusus Naturse A freak of nature; as a man with six toes, a sheep with two heads, or a stone shaped like some well—known object, etc.

Lutestring

A glossy silk; a corruption of the French word lustrine (from lustre).

To speak in lutestring. Flash, highly—polished oratory. The expression was first used in Junius. Shakespeare has “taffeta phrases and silken terms precise.” We call inflated speech “fustian” (q.v.) or “bombast” (q.v.) ; say a man talks stuff; term a book or speech made up of other men's brains, shoddy (q.v.); sailors call telling a story “spinning a yarn,” etc. etc.

Lutetia

Mud—hovels; the ancient name of Paris. The Romans call it Lutetia Parisiorum, the mud—town of the Parisii. The former word being dropped, has left the present name Paris.

Luther's Hymn

“Great God, what do I see and hear,” and “A safe strong—hold,” etc.

Lutherans

Dr. Eck was the first to call the followers of Martin Luther by this name. It was used by way of contempt.

Lutin

A sort of goblin in the mythology of Normandy, very similar to the house—spirits of Germany and Scandinavia. Sometimes it assumes the form of a horse ready equipped, and in this shape is called Le Cheval Bayard.

To lutin is to twist hair into elflocks. Sometimes these mischievous urchins so tangle the mane of a horse or head of a child that the hair must be cut off.

Le Prince Lutin, by the Countess D'Aulnoy.

Luxembergers

The people of Luxemberg. Similarly we have Augsburgers, Carlsburgers, Edinburghers, Friburgers, Hamburghers and many more.

Luz

or Luez .The indestructible bone; the nucleus of the resurrection body.

“ `How doth a man revive again in the world to come?' asked Hadrian; and Joshua Ben Hananiah made answer. `From luz in the backbone.' He then went on to demonstrate this to him: He took the bone luz, and put it into water, but the water had no action on it; he put it in the fire, but the fire consumed it not; he placed it in a mill, but could not grind it; and laid it on an anvil, but the bammer crushed it not.”— Lightfoot.

“The learnéd rabbins of the Jews

Write there's a bone, which they call luez ...

Butler; Iludibras, iii. 2.

Lybius

(Sir). A very young knight who undertook to rescue the lady of Sinadone. After overcoming various knights, giants, and enchanters, he entered the palace of the lady. Presently the whole edifice fell to pieces about his ears, and a horrible serpent coiled round his neck and kissed him. The spell being broken, the serpent turned into the lady of Sinadone, who married the knight that so gallantly rescued her. (Libeaux, a romance.)

Lycaonian Tables

[Lycaoniæmensæ]. Execrable food. Lycaon, desirous of testing the divine knowledge of Jove, who had honoured him with a visit, served up human flesh on his table; for which the god changed him

into a wolf.

Lycidas

The name under which Milton celebrates the untimely death of Edward King, Fellow of Christ College, Cambridge, who was drowned in his passage from Chester to Ireland, August 10th, 1637. He was the son of Sir John King, Secretary for Ireland.

Lycisca

(half—wolf, half—dog). One of the dogs of Actæon. In Latin it is a common term for a sheperd's dog, and is so used by Virgil (Eclogue iii. 18). (See Dog .)

Lyoopodium

Wolf's foot, from a fanciful resemblance thereto.

Lydford Law

is, punish first and try afterwards. Lydford, in the county of Devon, was a fortified town, in which was an ancient castle, where were held the courts of the Duchy of Cornwall. Offenders against the stannary laws were confined before trial in a dungeon so loathsome and dreary that it gave rise to the proverb referred to. The castle was destroyed by the Danes. (See Cupar Justice, Cowper Law .)

“I oft have heard of Lydford law,

How in the morn they hang and draw,

And sit in judgment later.”

A Devonshire Poet.

Lydia

daughter of the King of Lydia, was sought in marriage by Alcestes, a Thracian knight; his suit was refused, and he repaired to the King of Armenia, who gave him an army, with which he laid siege to Lydia. He was persuaded by Lydia to raise the siege. The King of Armenia would not give up the project, and Alcestes slew him. Lydia now set him all sorts of dangerous tasks to “prove the ardour of his love,” all of which he surmounted. Lastly, she induced him to kill all his allies, and when she had thus cut off the claws of this love—sick lion she mocked him. Alcestes pined and died, and Lydia was doomed to endless torment in hell, where Astolpho saw her, to whom she told her story. (Orlando Furioso, bk. xvii.)

Lydia Languish

in The Rivals, by Sheridan.

Lydian Poet

(The). Aleman of Lydia. (Flourished B.C. 670.)

Lying Traveller

(The). So Sir John Mandeville has been unjustly called. (1300—1372.)

Lying by the Wall

Dead but not buried. Anglo—Saxon, wæl (death). He is lying with the dead.

Lying for the Whetstone

Said of a person who is grossly exaggerating or falsifying a statement. One of the Whitsun amusements of our forefathers was the lie—wage or lie—match; he who could tell the greatest lie was rewarded with a whetstone to sharpen his wit. The nature of these contests may be illustrated by the following well—known extravaganza: one of the combatants declared he could see a fly on the top of a church—steeple; the other replied, “Oh yes, I saw him wink his eye.”

When Sir R. Digby declared he had scen the

“philosopher's stone,” Bacon quizzically replied, “perhaps it was a whetstone.”

Lyme—hound

and Gaze—hound. The stanch lyme—hound tracks the wounded buck over hill and dale. The fleet gazehound kills the buck at view.

“Thou art the lyme—hound. I am the gazehound. ... Thou bast deep sagacity and unrelenting

purpose, a steady, long—breathed malignity of nature, that surpasses mine. But then, I am the bolder, the more ready, both at action and expedient. ... I say shall we hunt in couples?”— Sir

W. Scott: Kenilworth, chap. iv

Lynceus

(2 syl.) was so sharp sighted he could see through the earth, and distinguish objects nine miles off.

That Lynceus may be matched with Gautard's sight.”

Hall: Satires, iv. 1.

“Non possis oculo quantum contendere Lynceus.”

Horace: 1 Epistle, i. 28.

Lynch Law

Mob—law, law administered by private persons. According to Webster, the word lynch refers to a Mr. James Lynch, a farmer, of Piedmont, in Virginia. The tale is that, as Piedmont, on the frontier, was seven miles from any law court, the neighbours, in 1686, selected James Lynch, a man of good judgment and great impartiality, to pass sentence on offenders for the nonce. His judgments were so judicious that he acquired the name of Judge Lynch, and this sort of law went by the name of Lynch law. In confirmation of this story, we are told there was a James Lynch Fitz—Stephen, who was warden of Galway in 1526; and in the capacity of warden he passed sentence of death on his own son for murder. (See Burlaw .)

“George was lynched, as he deserved.”— Emerson English Traits, chap. ix

Lynch—pin

(Anglo—Saxon, lynis, an axle), whence club. (Qy. lynch—law.)

Lynchnobians

Booksellers and publishers. Rabelais says they inhabit a little hamlet near Lantern—land, and live by lanters. (Pantagruel, v. 33.)

Lynx

proverbial for its piercing eyesight, is a fabulous beast, half dog and half panther, but not like either in character. The cat—like animal now called a lynx is not remarkable for keen—sightedness.

Lynx—eyed

Having as keen a sight as a lynx. Some think the word lynx is a perversion of Lynceus. (See above.)

Lyon King—of—Arms

Chief heraldic officer for Scotland; so called from the lion rampant in the Scottish regal escutcheon.

Lyonnesse

(3 syl.). “That sweet land of Lyonnesse”— a tract between the Land's End and the Scilly Isles, now submerged full “forty fathoms under water.” Arthur came from this mythical country.

Lyre

(The). That of Terpander and Olympus had only three strings; the Scythian lyre had five; that of Simonides had eight; and that of Timotheus (3 syl.) had twelve. It was played either with the fingers or with a plectrum. The lyre is called by poets a “shell,” because the cords of the lyre used by Orpheus (2 syl.), Amphion, and Apollo, were stretched on the shell of a tortoise. Hercules used boxwood instead.

Amphion built Thebes with the music of his lyre, for the very stones moved of their own accord into walls and houses.

Arion charmed the dolphins by the music of his lyre, and when the bard was thrown overboard one of them carried him safely to Taenarus.

Hercules was taught music by Linus. One day, being reproved, the strong man broke the head of his master with his own lyre.

Orpheus charmed savage beasts, and even the infernal gods, with the music of his lyre.

Lysander and Rosicrucius

in the romance called Biblimonia, are meant for the author himself, Thomas Frognall Dibdin, D.D., a bibliographer, well known for his Classics— i.e. book on the Rare and Valuable Editions of the Greek and Latin Classics (1811).

Lyttelton

invoked by Thomson in his Spring, was George, Lord Lyttelton, of Hagley, Worcestershire, who procured from the Prince of Wales a pension of 100 a year for the poet. Lucinda was Lucy Fortescue, daughter of Hugh Fortescue, of Devonshire.