Lightning before death (R. and J. v. 3), the temporary reviving of the mental powers sometimes seen in sick persons a little before death. It may be so named from an analogy with lightning; but it more probably means relieving, easing.
Light-o'-love (Two Gent. i. 2, M. Ado, iv. 3), the name of an old tune for dancing; no words to it are known.
Line. "Under the line" (Temp. iv. 1), i.e. at stake, a phrase of the tennis-court: "Let us keep the laws of the court—that is, stake money under the line (sotto la corda). Is it not so?—Yea, sir, you hit it right" (Florio, Second Fruits, ch. ii). Elsewhere in this play (iv. 1) line is lime- or linden-tree.
Line of life (M. of V. ii. 2)—in fortune-telling, one of the lines of the hand.
Lipsbury pinfold (Lear ii. 2). Pinfold is a pound for cattle; but no place of the name of Lipsbury is known. As Nares observes, this is probably a coined name, like Lob's pound.
Lock (M. Ado, iii. 3, v. 1), i.e. love-lock, a lock of hair plaited and tied with ribbon, hanging on the left side down to the shoulder, or even lower. It was greatly the fashion among the men of the poet's time, and much later. Prynne wrote furiously against it.
Loggat (Ham. v. 1), a small log of wood. Steevens, of his own knowledge, describes the game of loggats as played at sheep-shearing feasts. A stake was stuck in the ground, at which they threw loggats, and he that threw nearest to it was the winner; the prize was a black fleece. This he gave to the farmer's maid to make her a petticoat, on the condition of her kneeling down on it to be kissed by the company.
Lord. "Good lord" (All's Well, ii. 3; "dear lady," Temp. i. 2) is patron or protector of any one.
Lord have mercy upon us! (L. L. L. v. 2), the inscription put on houses where the plague was, to warn people against entering them.
Lord's sake. "For the Lord's sake!" (M. for M. iv. 3). This was the word of prisoners for debt from the prison window, calling on the passers-by to give them some relief.