LANGUE, Fr. a term peculiarly connected with the late military order of Malta. The eight nations of which this celebrated order consisted, were distinguished by the appellation of Langue or tongues. There were three of this description in France, viz. la Langue de France, la Langue de Provence, et la Langue d’Auvergne; two in Spain, viz. la Langue d’Arragon, et la Langue de Castile; and three indiscriminate ones, viz. la Langue d’Italia, la Langue d’Allemagne, et la Langue d’Angleterre. The head of each langue was called Grand Prieur, or Grand Prior.
Langue de terre, Fr. a tongue of land.
LANSQUENETS, Fr. the German mercenaries which Charles VII. of France first added to his infantry, were so called. They continued in the French service until the reign of Francis I. who consolidated all the foot establishments into a certain number of legions; they were so called from the lance or pike which was their weapon.
| LANS-PESATE, | - | |
| LANCE-PESADE, |
a soldier that does duty as a corporal, especially on guards and detachments; a lance corporal.
| LANTERN, | - | |
| LANTHORN, |
commonly called Muscovy lanterns, being a kind of dark lantherns, used in the field, when dark, to light the gunners in the camp to prepare the stores, &c.
LANTERNE, Fr. A word used in the French navy to signify any wooden case or box in which cartridges are brought out of the powder magazine for the purpose of serving the guns.
Lanterne, Fr. it is sometimes called cuiller or ladle, and serves to convey gunpowder into a piece of ordnance. It is made of copper, and resembles a round spoon or ladle, which is fixed to a long pole.
Lanterne, a mitrailles, Fr. A round piece of concave wood, something like a box, which is filled with case shot, and is fired from a piece of ordnance when the enemy is near.