Chapter Lilli-Burlero to Lincolnshire Bagpipes of L by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Lilli-Burlero to Lincolnshire Bagpipes

Lilli-Burlero or Lilli-Bullero and Bullen-a-lah. Said to have been the words of distinction used by the Irish Papists in their massacres of the Protestants in 1641. A song with the refrain of “Lilli-burlero, bullen-a-la!” was written by Lord Wharton, which had a more powerful effect than the philippics of either Demosthenes or Cicero, and contributed not a little to the great revolution of 1688. Burnet says, “It made an impression on the [king's] army that cannot be imagined. ... The whole army, and at last the people, both in city and country, were singing it perpetually ... never had so slight a thing so great an effect.” The song is in Percy's Reliques of Ancient English Poetry, series ii. bk. 3. (See Sterne: Tristram Shandy, chap. ii.)

“Lilli bullero, lilli bullero bullen a la,
Lero lero, lilli bullero, lero lero bullen a la,
Lero lero, lilli bullero, lero lero bullen a la.”

   Mr. Chappell attributes the air to Henry Purcell.

Lilliput The country of pigmies called “Lilliputians,” to whom Gulliver was a giant. (Swift: Gulliver's Travels.)

Lily (The). There is a tradition that the lily sprang from the repentant tears of Eve as she went forth from Paradise.
   Lily in Christian art is an emblem of chastity, innocence, and purity. In pictures of the Annunciation, Gabriel is sometimes represented as carrying a lily-branch, while a vase containing a lily stands before the Virgin, who is kneeling in prayer. St. Joseph holds a lily-branch in his hand, to show that his wife Mary was always the virgin.
   Lily. (Emblem of France.) Tasso, in his Jerusalem Delivered, terms the French Gigli d'oro (golden lilies). It is said the people were commonly called Liliarts, and the kingdom Lilium in the time of Philippe le Bel, Charles VIII., and Louis XII. They were so called from the fleur-de-lys, the emblem of France.

“I saw my country's lily torn.”
Bloomfield. (A Frenchman is speaking.)

“The burghers of Ghent were bound by solemn oath not to make war upon the lilies.”- Millington: Heraldry, i.

   Lily of France. The device of Clovis was three black toads, but an aged hermit of Joye-en-valle saw a miraculous light stream one night into his cell, and an angel appeared to him holding a shield of wonderful beauty; its colour was azure, and on it were emblazoned three gold lilies that shone like stars, which the hermit was commanded to give to Queen Clotilde. Scarcely had the angel vanished when Clotilde entered, and, receiving the celestial shield, gave it to her royal husband, whose arms were everywhere victorious. (See Les Petits Bollandistes, vol. vi. p. 426.)

“Un hermite apporta à la ditte royne vn drap d'azur à Trois Flevrs de Lis d'or, que l'ange luy auoit donnee et le deliura la ditte royne a son mary le roy Clovis pour le porter comme ses armes en lieu qu'il les portoit d'or à trois crapavz de sable.”- Chifflet.

    The kings of France were called “Lords of the Silver Lilies.”
    Florence is called “The City of Lilies.”

Lily of the Valley The Convallaria majalis (the May valley plant); one of the species is Solomon's seal. It is by no means the case that the Convallaria grow only in valleys, although they prefer shady places.
   This is not the lily (Matt. vi. 28) which is said to excel “Solomon in all his glory.” The Lilium Candidum is the flower alluded to by our Lord; a tall majestic plant, common in Palestine, and known by us as the Garden Lily. It is bellshaped, with white petals and golden yellow stamens. Jahn (Archæologia; Biblica, p. 125) tells us that “at festivals the rich and powerful robed themselves in white cotton, which was considered the most splendid dress.' ”

Lily Maid of Astolat (See Elaine .)

Lim Hay Lick it up like Lim hay. Lim, on the Mersey, is famous for its excellent hay.

Limb To tear limb from Warburton. Lymm cum Warburton forms one rectory in Cheshire. The play is on limb and Lymm.

Limb of the Law (A). A lawyer, or a clerk articled to a lawyer. The hands are limbs of the body, and the lawyer's clerks are his hands to copy out what the head of the office directs.