Chapter Lays of Ancient Rome to Leander of L by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Lays of Ancient Rome to Leander

Lays of Ancient Rome, a series of ballads by Macaulay (1842). The chief are called, Horatius; The Battle of the Lake Regilus; and Virginia. The first of these is the best.

Lays of the Scottish Cavaliers, by Aytoun (1849).

Layers-over for Meddlers, nothing that concerns you. Said to children when they want to know something which the person asked does not think proper to explain to them. A layer-over means “a whip,” and a layer-over for meddlers means a “rod for the meddlesome.”

Lazarillo, a humoursome varlet, who serves two masters, “don Felix” and Octavio. Lazarillo makes the usual quota of mistakes, such as giving letters and money to the wrong master; but it turns out that don Felix is donna Clara, the fiancée of Octavio, and so all comes right.—Jephson: Two Strings to your Bow (1792).

Joseph Munden [1758–1832] was the original “Lazarillo.”—Memoir of J, S. Munden (1832).

Lazarillo de Tormes, the hero of a romance of roguery by don Diego de Mendoza (1553). Lazarillo is a compound of poverty and pride, full of stratagems and devices. The “hidalgo” walks the streets (as he says) “like the duke of Arcos,” but is occupied at home “to procure a crust of dry bread, and, having munched it, he is equally puzzled how to appear in public with due decorum. He fits out a ruffle so as to suggest the idea of a shirt, and so adjusts a cloak as to look as if there were clothes under it.” We find him begging bread, “not for food,” but simply for experiments. He eats it to see “if it is digestible and wholesome;” yet is he gay withal and always rakish.

Lazarus and Divês. Lazarus was a blotched beggar, who implored the aid of Divês. At death, Lazarus went to heaven, and Divês to hell, where he implored that the beggar might be suffered to bring him a drop of water to cool his lips withal.—Luke xvi. 19-31.

N. B.—Lazarus is the only proper name given in any of the New Testament parables.

Lazy Lawrence of Lubber-Land, the hero of a popular tale. He served the schoolmaster, the squire’s cook, the farmer, and his own wife, all which was accounted treason in Lubber-land. (Probably the seventeenth century.)

Le Beau, a courtier attending upon Frederick the usurper of his brother’s throne.—Shakespeare: As You Like It (1600).

Le Febre, a poor lieutenant, whose admirable story is told by Sterne in The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy (1759–1767).

Lea, one of the “daughters of men,” beloved by one of the “son of God.” The angel who loved her ranked with the least of the spirits of light, whose post around the throne was in the outermost 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 spell-word that gave him admittance into heaven. The moment Lea uttered it, her body became spiritual, rose through the air, and vanished from sight. On the other hand, the angel lost his ethereal nature, and became altogether earthly, like a child of clay.—Moore: Loves of the Angels, i. (1822).

Lead Apes in Hell (To), i.e. to die an old maid.

And now Tatlanthê, thou art all my care…
Pity that you, who’ve served so long and well,
Should die a virgin, and lead apes in hell.
Choose for yourself, dear girl, our empireround;
Your portion is twelve hundred thousand pound.
   —Carey: Chrononhotonthologos.