Le Castre, the indulgent father of Mirable “the wild goose,” Beaumont and Fletcher, The Wild-goose Chase (1652).
L’Eclair (Philippe), orderly of Captain Florian. L’Eclair is a great boaster, who masks his brag under the guise of modesty. He pays his court to Rosabelle, the lady’s-maid of Lady Geraldine.—W. Dimond, The Foundling of the Forest.
Led Captain (A), an obsequious person, who styles himself “Captain;” and, out of cupboard love, dances attendance on the master and mistress of a house.
Mr. Wagg, the celebrated wit, and a led captain and trencherman of my Lord Steyne, was caused by the ladies to make the assault.—Thackeray, Vanity Fair, li. (1848).
Lee (Sir Henry), an officer in attendance at Greenwich Palace.—Sir W. Scott, Kenilworth (time, Elizabeth).
Lee (Sir Henry), an old royalist, and head-ranger of Woodstock Forest.
Alice Lee, daughter of the old knight. She married Markham Everard.
Colonel Albert Lee, her brother, the friend of Charles II.—Sir W. Scott, Woodstock (time, commonwealth).
Leek, worn on St. David’s Day. The general tale is that King Cadwallader, in 640, gained a complete victory over the Saxons by the special interposition of St. David, who ordered the Britons to wear leeks in their caps, that they might recognize each other. The Saxons, for want of some common cognizance, often mistook friends for foes. Drayton gives another version: He says the saint lived in the valley Ewias (2 syl.), situated between the Hatterill Hills, in Monmouthshire. It was here “that reverend British saint to contemplation lived,”
... and did so truly fast,