Chapter Leviticus to Lie of L by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Leviticus to Lie

Leviticus, the Greek title of the third book of the Old Testament. It was intended for the Levites, the tribe of the Jewish priesthood, and gives them full instructions about feast-days and sacrifices.

The Jews have no name for this book, but refer to it by the first words, And the Lord called unto Moses.

Levitt (Frank), a highwayman.—Sir W. Scott: Heart of Midlothian (time, George II.).

Lewis, landgrave of Thuringia, and husband of Elizabeth, a type of the unerotic adorers of women in the Middle Ages.—Kingsley: The Saints’ Tragedy, a dramatic poem (1846).

Lewis (Don), brother of Antonio, and uncle of Carlos the bookworm, of whom he is dotingly fond. Don Lewis is no scholar himself, but he adores scholarship. He is headstrong and testy, simple-hearted and kind.

John Quick’s great parts were “don Lewis,” “Tony Lumpkin,” and “Bob Acres” [1748–1831].—Records of a Stage Veteran.

(“Tony Lumpkin” in She Stoops to Conquer (Goldsmith); “Bob Acres” in The Rivals, by Sheridan.)

Lewis (Lord), father of Angelina.—Fletcher: The Elder Brother (1637).

Lewis (Matthew Gregory), generally called “Monk Lewis,” from his romance The Monk (1794). His best- known verses are the ballads of Alonzo the Brave and Bill Jones. He also wrote a drama entitled Timour the Tartar (1775–1818).

Oh! wonder-working Lewis! Monk or bard,
Who fain would make Parnassus a churchyard!
Lo! wreaths of yew, not laurel, bind thy brow;
Thy Muse a sprite, Apollo’s sexton thou.
   —Byron: English Bards and Scotch Reviewers (1809).

Lewis Baboon. Louis XIV. of France is so called by Dr. Arbuthnot in his History of John Bull. Baboon is a pun on the word Bourbon, specially appropriate to this royal “posture-master” (1712).

Lewkner’s Lane (London), now called Charles Street, Drury Lane; always noted for its “soiled doves.”

The nymphs of chaste Diana’s train,
The same with those in Lewkner’s Lane.
   —S. Butler: Hudibras, iii. 1 (1678).

Lewsome, a young surgeon and general practitioner. He forms the acquaintance of Jonas Chuzzlewit, and supplies him with the poison which he employs.—Dickens: Martin Chuzzlewil (1844).

Lewson, a noble, honest character. He is in love with Charlotte Beverley, and marries her, although her brother has gambled away all her fortune.—E. Moore: The Gamester (1753).

Leycippes and Clitophonta, a romance in Greek, by Achilles Tatius, in the fifth century; borrowed largely from the Theagenês and Chariclea of Heliodorus bishop of Trikka.

Liar (The), a farce by Samuel Foote (1761). John Wilding, a young gentleman fresh from Oxford, has an extraordinary propensity for romancing. He invents the most marvellous tales, utterly regardless of truth, and thereby involves both himself and others in endless perplexities. He pretends to fall in love with a Miss Grantam, whom he accidentally meets, and, wishing to know her name, is told it is Godfrey, and that she is an heiress. Now it so happens that his father wants him to marry the real Miss Grantam, and, in order to avoid so doing, he says he is already married to a Miss Sibthorpe. He afterwards tells his father he invented this tale because he really wished to marry Miss Godfrey. When Miss Godfrey is introduced, he does not know her, and while in this perplexity a woman enters, who declares she is his wife, and that her maiden name was Sibthorpe. Again he is dumfounded, declares he never saw her in his life, and rushes out, exclaiming, “All the world is gone mad, and is in league against me!”