Chapter Lovers' Leap to Lucifera of L by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Lovers' Leap to Lucifera

Lovers’ Leap. The leap from the Leucadian promontory into the sea. This promontory is in the island of Leucas or Leucadia, in the Ionian Sea. Sappho threw herself therefrom when she found her love for Phaon was not returned.

A precipice on the Guadalhorce, from which Manuel and Laila cast themselves, is also called “The Lovers’ Leap.” (See Laila, p. 587.)

Lovers’ Vows, altered by Mrs. Inchbald from Kotzebue’s drama (1800). Baron Wildenham, in his youth, seduced Agatha Friburg, and then forsook her. She had a son Frederick, who in due time became a soldier. While on furlough, he came to spend his time with his mother, and found her reduced to abject poverty and almost starved to death. A poor cottager took her in, while Frederick, who had no money, went to beg charity. Count Wildenhaim was out with his gun, and Frederick asked alms of him. The count gave him a shilling; Frederick demanded more, and, being refused, seized the baron by the throat. The keepers soon came up, collared him, and put him in the castle dungeon. Here he was visited by the chaplain, and it came out that the count was his father. The chaplain, being appealed to, told the count the only reparation he could make would be to marry Agatha and acknowledge the young soldier to be his son. This advice he followed, and Agatha Friburg, the beggar, became the baroness Wildenhaim of Wildenhaim Castle.

Loverule (Sir John), a very pleasant gentleman, but wholly incapable of ruling his wife, who led him a miserable dance.

Lady Loverule, a violent termagant, who beat her servants, scolded her husband, and kept her house in constant hot water, but was reformed by Zakel Jobson the cobbler.—Coffey: The Devil to Pay (died 1745). (See Devil to Pay, p. 275.)

Loves. (See p. 633.)

Lovewell, the husband of Fanny Sterling, to whom he has been clandestinely married for four months.—Colman and Garrick: The Clandestine Marriage (1766).

Loving-Land, a place where Neptune held his “nymphall” or feast given to the sea-nymphs.

[He] his Tritons made proclaim, a nymphall to be held
In honour of himself in Loving-land, where he
The most selected nymphs appointed had to be.
   —Drayton: Polyolbion, xx. (1622).

Lovinski (Baron), the frie nd of prince Lupauski, under whose charge the princess Lodoiska is placed during a war between the Poles and the Tartars. Lovinski betrays his trust by keeping the princess a virtual prisoner because she will not accept him as a lover. The count Floreski makes his way into the castle, and the baron seeks to poison him, but at this crisis the Tartars invade the castle, the baron is slain, and Floreski marries the princess.—J. P. Kemble: Lodoiska (a melodrame).

Low-Heels and High-Heels, two factions in Lilliput. The High-heels were opposed to the emperor, who wore low heels and employed Low-heels in his cabinet. Of course, the Low-heels are the whigs and low-church party, and the High-heels the tories and high-church party. (See Little-Endians, p. 619.)—Swift: Gulliver’s Travels (“Voyage to Lilliput,” 1726).

Lowestoffe[=Low-stiff] (Reginald), a young Templar.—Sir W. Scott: Fortunes of Nigel (time, James I.).

Lowther (Jack), a smuggler.—Sir W. Scott: Redgauntlet (time, George III.).

Loyal Subject (The), Archas general of the Muscovites, and the father of colonel Theodore.—Beaumont (?) and Fletcher: The Loyal Subject (1618).

(Beaumont died 1616.)