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Ligan Goods thrown overboard, but tied to a cork or buoy in order to be found again. (Latin ligare, to tie
or bind.)
Flotsam. The débris of a wreck which floats on the surface of the sea, and is often washed ashore.
(Latin flotare, to float.)
Jetson or jetsam. Goods thrown overboard in a storm to lighten the vessel. (Latin jacere, to cast forth,
through the French jeter.
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The fable of Lilis or Lilith was invented to reconcile Gen. i. with Gen. ii. Genesis i. represents the
simultaneous creation of man and woman out of the earth; but Genesis ii. represents that Adam was
alone, and Eve was made out of a rib and was given to Adam as a helpmeet for him.
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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.)
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ily 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.)
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Limbo A waste-basket; a place where things are stowed, too good to destroy but not good enough to use.
In School theology unbaptised infants and good heathens go to Limbo. (Latin, limbus, the edge.) They
cannot go to heaven, because they are not baptised, and they cannot go to the place of torment, because
they have not committed sin at all, or because their good preponderates. (
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Limner A drawer, a painter, an artist. A contraction of illuminator, or rather lumenier (one who
illuminates manuscripts).
“The limner, or illuminer ... throws us back on a time when the illumination of MSS, was a
leading occupation of the painter.”- Trench: On the Study of Words, lecture iv. p. 171.
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Lina The Goddess Flax.
“Inventress of the woof, fair Lina flings
The flying shuttle through the dancing strings.
Darwin: Loves of the Plants, canto ii.
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Linen Goods In 1721 a statute was passed imposing a penalty of 5 upon the wearer, and 20 upon the
seller of, a piece of calico. Fifteen years later this statute was so far modified that calicoes manufactured
in Great Britain were allowed, “provided the warp thereof was entirely of linen yarn.” In 1774 a statute
was passed allowing printed cotton goods to be used on the payment of threepence a yard duty; in 1806
the duty was raised to threepence halfpenny. This was done to prevent the use of calicoes from
interfering with the demand for linen and woollen stuffs. The law for burying in woollen was of a similar
character. The following extracts from a London news-letter, dated August 2nd, 1768, are curious. [Note
- chintz is simply printed calico. ]
“Yesterday three tradesmen's wives of this city were convicted before the Rt. Hon. the Lord
Mayor for wearing chintz gowns on Sunday last, and each of them was fined 5. These make
eighty who have been convicted of the above offence within twelve months past ... There
were several ladies in St. James's Park on the same day with chintz gowns on, but the persons
who gave informas of the above three were not able to discover their names or places of
abode. ... Yesterday a waggon loaded with 2,000 worth of chintz was seized at Dartford in
Kent by some custom-house officers. Two post-chaises loaded with the same commodity got
off with their goods by swiftness of driving.”
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veteran
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like an arrant sleepy-head,
Had stayed at home behind me and was fast asleep in bed
Bill, I only just read this properly - and sleepily realise that I really like it. Is all Stevenson's stuff similar? And any recommended collections of his?
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