Chapter Lover's Leap to Lucifera of L by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Lover's Leap to Lucifera

Lover's Leap The promontory from which Sappho threw herself into the sea; now called Santa Maura. (See Leucadia .)

Loving or Grace Cup. A large cup passed round from guest to guest at state banquets and city feasts. Miss Strickland says that Margaret Atheling, wife of Malcolm Kanmore, in order to induce the Scotch to remain for grace, devised the grace cup, which was filled with the choicest wine, and of which each guest was allowed to drink ad libitum after grace had been said. (Historic Sketches.)

Loving Cup On the introduction of Christianity, the custom of wassailing was not abolished, but it assumed a religious aspect. The monks called the wassail bowl the poculum caritatis (loving cup), a term still retained in the London companies, but in the universities the term Grace Cup is more general. Immediately after grace the silver cup, filled with sack (spiced wine) is passed round. The master and wardens drink welcome to their guests; the cup is then passed round to all the guests. (See Grace Cup .)
    A loving or grace cup should always have two handles, and some have as many as four.
   Loving Cup. This ceremony, of drinking from one cup and passing it round, was observed in the Jewish paschal supper, and our Lord refers to the custom in the words, “Drink ye all of it.”

“He [the master of the house] laid hold of the vessel with both hands, lifted it up, and said- Blessed be Thou, O Lord our God, thou king of the world, who hast given us the fruit of the vine; and the whole assembly said `Amen.' Then drinking first himself from the cup, he passed it round to the rest.”- Eldad the Pilgrim, chap. ix.

Low-bell Night-fowling, in which birds are first roused from their slumber by the tinkling of a bell; and then dazzled by a light so as to be easily caught. (Low, Scotch, lowe, a flame, as a “lowe of fyre;” and bell.)

“The sound of the low-bell makes the birds lie close, so that they dare not stir whilst you are pitching the net, for the sound thereof is dreadful to them; but the sight of the fire, much more terrible, makes them fly up, so that they become instantly entangled in the net.”- Gent. Recreation.

Low Church The Times defines a Low Churchman as one “who loves a Jew and hates the Pope.” We now call a Calvinistic episcopalian one of the Low Church because he holds “church rituals” and the dogma of “apostolic succession” in lower esteem than personal grace and faith in the “blood of the atonement.”

Low Comedian (The), in theatrical parlance, is the farceur, but must not poach on the preserves of the “light comedian.” Paul Pry is a part for a “low comedian,” Box and Cox are parts for a “light comedian.”

Low Mass is a mass without singing. It is called low “quia submissa voce celebratur.” “Missa alta” is performed musically, and alta voce, in a loud voice.

Low Sunday The Sunday next after Easter; so called because it is at the bottom of the Easter which it closes.

Low to High From low St. James's up to high St. Paul's (Pope: Satires). In the Bangorian controversy, Bishop Hoadly, a great favourite at St. James's, was Low Church, but Dr. Hare, Dean of St. Paul's, was High Church.

Lower City (The). Acre, north of Zion, was so called.

Lower Empire The Roman or Western, from removal of the seat of empire to Constantinople to the extinction of that empire by the Turks in 1453.

Lower your Sail In French, “Caler la voile, ” means to salute; to confess yourself submissive or conquered; to humble oneself.