Chapter Le'a to Learn of L by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Le'a to Learn

Le'a One of the “daughters of men,” beloved by one of the “sons of God.” The angel who loved her ranked with the least of the spirits of light, whose post around the throne was in the uttermost 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 spellword that gave him admittance into heaven. The moment Lea uttered that word her body became spiritual, rose through the air, and vanished from his sight. On the other hand, the angel lost his ethereal nature, and became altogether earthy, like a child of clay” (Moore: Loves of the Angels, story 1.)

Leaba na Feine [Beds of the Feïne ]. The name of several large piles of stones in Ireland. The ancient Irish warriors were called Fe'-i-ne, which some mistake for Phoeni (Carthaginians), but which means hunters.

Leach, Leachcraft A leach is one skilled in medicine, and “leach-craft” is the profession of a medical man. (Anglo-Saxon, laece, one who relieves pain, leachcraft.)

“And straight way sent, with carefull diligence,
To fetch a leach the which had great insight
In that disease.”
Spenser: Faërie Queene, book i canto x line 23

Lead (pronounced lêd), the metal, was, by the ancient alchemists, called Saturn. (Anglo-Saxon, lead.)
   To strike lead. To make a good hit.

“That, after the failure of the king, he should `strike lead' in his own house seemed ... an inevitable law”- Bret Harte: Foot of Five Forks

Lead (pronounce leed). (Anglo-Saxon laed-an.)
   To lead apes in hell. (See Apes.)
   To lead by the nose. (See under Nose.)
   To lead one a pretty dance. (See under Dance.)

Leaden Hail (Showers of). That of artillery in the battlefield.

Leaden Hall (pronounce leden), so named from the ancient manor of Sir Hugh Neville, whose mansion or hall was roofed with lead, a notable thing in his days. “Leadenhall Street” and “Leadenhall Market,” London, are on the site of Sir Hugh's manor.

Leader (A) or a leading article. A newspaper article in large type, by the editor or one of the editorial staff. So called because it takes the lead or chief place in the summary of current topics, or because it is meant to lead public opinion.
    The first fiddle of an orchestra and the first cornet-a-piston of a military band is called the leader.

Leading Case (A). A lawsuit to settle others of a similar kind.

Leading Note in music. The sharp seventh of the diatonic scale, which leads to the octave, only half a tone higher.

Leading Question A question so worded as to suggest an answer. “Was he dressed in a black coat?” leads to the answer “Yes.” In cross-examining a witness, leading questions are permitted, because the chief object of a cross-examination is to obtain contradictions.

Leading Strings To be in leading-strings is to be under the control of another. Leading-strings are those strings used for holding up infants just learning to walk.

Leaf Before the invention of paper one of the substances employed for writing was the leaves of certain plants. In the British Museum are some writings on leaves from the Malabar coast, and several copies of the Bible written on palm-leaves. The reverse and obverse pages of a book are still called leaves: and the double page of a ledger is termed a “folio,” from folium (a leaf).

Leaf (Anglo-Saxon ieaf.)
   To take a leaf out of [my] book. To imitate me; to do as I do. The allusion is to literary plagiarisms.
   To turn over a new leaf. To amend one's ways. The French equivalent is “Je lui ferai