Chapter Lady of the Haystack to Lambert's Day of L by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Lady of the Haystack to Lambert's Day

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

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.