Chapter Leonora de Guzman of L by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Leonora de Guzman

Leon, son of Constantine th e Greek emperor. Amon and Beatrice, the parents of Bradamant, promise to him their daughter Bradamant in marriage; but the lady is in love with Rogero. When Leon discovers this attachment, he withdraws his suit, and Bradamant marries Rogero.—Ariosto: Orlando Furioso (1516).

Leon, the hero who rules Margaritta his wife wisely, and wins her esteem and wifely obedience. Margaritta is a wealthy Spanish heiress, who married in order to indulge in wanton intrigues more freely. She selected Leon because he was supposed to be a milksop whom she could bend to her will; no sooner, however, is she married than Leon acts with manly firmness and determination, but with great affection also. He wins the esteem of every one, and Margaritta becomes a loving, devoted, virtuous, and obedient wife.—Fletcher: Rule a Wife and Have a Wife (1640).

Edward Kynaston [1619–1687] executed the part of “Leon” with a determined manliness, well worth the best actor’s imitation. He had a piercing eye, and a quick, imperious vivacity of voice.—Colley Cibber.

Leonard, a real scholar, forced for daily bread to keep a common school.—Crabbe: Borough, xxiv. (1810).

Leonardo [Gonzaga], duke of Mantua. Travelling in Switzerland, an avalanche fell on him; he was nursed through a severe illness by Mariana the daughter of a Swiss burgher, and they fell in love with each other. On his return home, he was entrapped by brigands, and kept prisoner for two years. Mariana, seeking him, went to Mantua, where count Florio fell in love with her, and obtained her guardian’s consent to their union; but Mariana refused to comply. The case was referred to the duke (Ferrardo), who gave judgment in favour of the count. Leonardo happened to be present, and, throwing off his disguise, assumed his rank as duke, and married Mariana; but, being called away to the camp, left Ferrardo regent. Ferrardo laid a most villainous scheme to prove Mariana guilty of adultery with Julian St. Pierre; but Leonardo refused to credit her guilt. Julian turned out to be her brother, exposed the whole plot, and amply vindicated Mariana of the slightest indiscretion.—Knowles: The Wife (1833).

Leonato, governor of Messina, father of Hero, and uncle of Beatrice.—Shakespeare: Much Ado about Nothing (1600).

Leonesse, Leonnesse, Leonnais, Leones, Leonnoys, Lyonnoys, etc., a mythical country belonging to Cornwall, supposed to have been sunk under the sea since the time of king Arthur. It is very frequently mentioned in the Arthurian romances.

Leonidas, an historic poem in twelve books, by Richard Glover (1737).

Leonidas. When one said to Leonidas king of Sparta, who was s ent with 300 Spartans to withstand the whole army of Xerxes at the defile of Thermopylæ, that the Persians were so numerous their arrows would darken the sun, he answered, “It is well, friend; for we shall fight in the shade.”—Plutarch,

Herodotos puts the same words into the mouth o f Dieneces (also a Spartan); and says, when one was telling Diene cesabout the battle of Thermopylæ, that the arrows of the Persians were so numerous they actually shut out the sun, he naïvely replied, “So much the better, for then they fought in the shade.”—Herodotos: History, vii. 226.

Leonidas of Modern Greece, Marco Bozzaris, a Greek patriot, who, with 1200 men, put to rout 4000 Turco-Albanians, at Kerpenisi, but was killed in the attack (1823). He was buried at Mesolonghi.

Leonine, servant to Dionyza.—Shakespeare: Pericles Prince of Tyre (1608).

Leonine Verse. So called from Leonius, a canon of the church of St. Victor, in Paris, in the twelfth century, who first composed in such verse. It has a rhyme in the middle of the line; as—

Pepper is black, though it hath a good smack.
Est avis in dextra melior quam quatuor extra.