Chapter Legends to Leoline of L by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Legends to Leoline

Legends (Golden), a collection of monkish legends, in Latin, by Jacob de Voragine or Varagine, born at Varaggio, in Genoa. His Legenda Sancta was so popular that it was called “Legenda Aurea” (1230–1298)

Legion of Honour, an order of merit, instituted by Napoleon I. when “first consul,” in 1802. The undress badges are, for—

Chevaliers, a bow of red ribbon in the button-hole of their coat, to which a medal is attached.

Officers, a rosette of red ribbon, etc., with medal.
Commanders, a collar-ribbon.
Grand-officers, a broad ribbon under the waistcoat.
Grand-cross, a broad ribbon, with a star on the
breast, and a jewel-cross pendent.

N. B.—Napoleon III. instituted a lower degree than Chevalier, called Médaille Militaire, distinguished by a yellow ribbon.

Legree, a slave-dealer and hideous villain, brutalized by slave-dealing and slave-driving.—Mrs. Beecher Stowe: Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1853).

Leicester (The earl of), in the court of queen Elizabeth.

The countess of Leicester (born Amy Robsart), but previously betrothed to Edmund Tressilian.—Sir W. Scott: Kenilworth (time, Elizabeth).

Leigh (Amyas), the hero of Charles Kingsley’s novel, Westward Ho! A young man of great bodily strength and amiable disposition, but very combative (1855).

Leigh (Aurora), the heroine and title of a poem by Mrs. Browning. The design of this poem is to show the noble aim of true art.

Leila, the young Turkish child rescued by don Juan at the siege of Ismail (canto viii. 93-102). She went with him to St. Petersburg, and then he brought her to England. As Don Fuan was never completed, the future history of Leila has no sequel.

…at his side
Sat little Leila, who survived the parries
He made ’gainst Cossack sabres, in the wide
Slaughter of Ismail.
   —Byron: Don Fuan, x. 51 (1824).

Leila, the beautiful slave of the caliph Hassan. She falls in love with “the Giaour” [djow-er], flees from the seraglio, is overtaken, and cast into the sea.

Her eyes’ dark charm ’twere vain to tell;
But gaze on that of the gazelle—
It will assist thy fancy well.
   —Byron: The Giaour (1813).

Leila, or “The Siege of Granada,” a novel by lord Lytton (1838).

Leilah, the Oriental type of female loveliness, chastity, and impassioned affection. Her love for Mejnôun, in Mohammedan romance, is held in much the same light as that of the bride for the bridegroom in Solomon’s song, or Cupid and Psychê among the Greeks.

When he sang the loves of Megnôun and Leileh sic] …tears insensibly overflowed the cheeks of his auditors.—Beckford: Vathek (1786).

Leipsic. So-and-so was my Leipsic, my fall, my irrevocable disaster, my ruin; referring to the battle of Leipsic (October, 1813), in which Napoleon I. was defeated and compelled to retreat. This was the “beginning of his end.”

Juan was my Moscow [turning-point], and Faliero.
My Leipsic.
   —Byron: Don Fuan, xi. 56 (1824).