Chapter Launcelot to Lay of the Last Minstrel of L by Brewer's Readers Handbook

maiden came to glean in Palemon’s fields. The young squire was greatly struck with her exceeding beauty and modesty, but did not dare ally himself with a pauper. Upon inquiry, he found that the beautiful gleaner was the daughter of Acasto; he proposed marriage, and Lavinia “blushed assent.”—Thomson: Seasons (“Autumn,” 1730).

The resemblance between this tale and the Bible story of Ruth and Boaz must be obvious to every one.

Lavinian Shore (The), Italy. Lavinium was a town of Latium, founded by Æneas in honour of his wife Lavinia.

From the rich Lavinian shore,
I your market come to store.
   —Shakespeare.

Law of Athens (The). By Athenian law, a father could dispose of his daughter in marriage as he liked. Egeus pleaded this law, and demanded that his daughter Hermia should marry Demetrius or suffer the penalty of the law; if she will not

Consent to marry with Demetrius,
I beg the ancient privilege of Athens;
As she is mine, I may dispose of her:
Which shall be either to this gentleman,
Or to her death; according to our law.
   —Shakespeare: Midsummer Night’s Dream, act i. sc. I (1592).

Law of Flanders (The). Charles “the Good” earl of Flanders made a law that a serf, unless legally emancipated, was always a serf, and that whoever married a serf became a serf. S. Knowles has founded his tragedy called The Provost of Bruges on this law (1836).

Law of Lombardy (The).

We have a law peculiar to this realm,
That subjects to a mortal penalty
All women nobly born…who, to the shame
Of chastity, o’erleap its thorny bounds,
To wanton in the flowery path of pleasure.
   —Act ii. sc. 2.

On this law Robert Jephson has founded the following tragedy: The duke Bireno, heir to the crown, falsely charges the princess Sophia of incontinence. The villainy of the duke being discovered, he is slain in combat by a Briton named Paladore, and the victor marries the princess (1779).

Law of the Road. (See Road.)

Law’s Bubble, the famous Mississippi scheme, devised by John Law (1716–1720).

Law’s Tale (The Man of), the tale about Custance, daughter of the emperor of Rome, affianced to the sultan of Syria. On the wedding night the sultan’s mother murdered all the bridal party for apostacy, except Custance, whom she turned adrift in a ship. The ship stranded on the shores of Britain, where Custance was rescued by the lord-constable of Northumberland, whose wife, Hermegild, became much attached to her. A young knight wished to marry Custance, but she declined his suit; whereupon he murdered Hermegild, and then laid the knife beside Custance, to make it appear that she had committed the deed. King Alla, who tried the case, soon discovered the truth, executed the knight, and married Custance. Now was repeated the same infamy as occurred to her in Syria: the queen-mother Donegild disapproved of the match, and, during the absence of her son in Scotland, embarked Custance and her infant son in the same ship, which she turned adrift. After floating about for five years, it was taken in tow by the Roman fleet on its return from Syria, and Custance was put under the charge of a Roman senator. It so happened that Alla was at Rome at the very time on a pilgrimage, met his wife, and they returned to Northumberland together.

(This story is found in Gower, who probably took it from the French chronicle of Nicholas Trivet.)

A similar story forms the outline of Ema rê, a romance in Ritson’s collection.