Part 243

LACHER un prisonnier, Fr. to let a prisoner escape, or go away unmolested.

LACHER un coup, in speaking of fire arms, signifies to discharge a pistol or musquet. Il lui lâcha un coup de pistolet dans la tête; he lodged a bullet in his head. Le vaisseau lâcha toute sa bordée à la portée du mousquet; the ship fired a whole broadside within musquet shot.

LACHETE, Fr. An opprobrious term which is frequently used among the French, and is applied in all instances of cowardice, want of spirit, or dishonorable conduct. One of their writers emphatically observes, that in a military sense of the word it cannot be misunderstood, as the least imputation of cowardice or want of spirit, is sufficient to destroy the entire character and fame of every officer and soldier whom it may affect. As it is the direct opposite to courage, the person who enters into the profession of arms, should weigh well within himself whether he possesses that indispensible quality, which is above all the temptations of pleasure or the effeminacy of life, and is only alive to the glorious impulse of military animation. He only, in fact, is fit for arms, whose spirit is superior to every sordid view, who knows no personal fear, and who can encounter the greatest difficulties and dangers with an inward placidity of soul, and an outward indifference to life. In order to illustrate this article, we shall quote some ancient and modern instances of that species of cowardice or lâcheté, which affects the military character.

Euripidas, chief of the Eléans, having imprudently advanced too far into a long and narrow defile, and learning, that Philip of Macedon was on this march to block up the passage through which he had entered, instead of manfully waiting the issue of an engagement, abandoned his army, in the most cowardly manner. It does not appear says the chevalier Folard, that Euripidas possessed those talents which are necessary to form a great general; for instead of meanly stealing off by a bye road and leaving his army to its fate, he would have remained at its head, and either have fought his way through, honorably have capitulated, or have died combating with his men.

Base and inglorious as this conduct of Euripidas most unquestionably was, the behaviour of Perseus king of the Macedonians exceeded it in cowardice and degradation. This infamous prince did not wait to be visited by misfortune or to lose a battle; he had, on the contrary, obtained a signal victory over the Romans, and when Paulus Emilius marched against him, the army he commanded was not inferior to that of his opponent in discipline and valor, and had the advantage in point of numbers. Yet, strange to relate! the engagement was no sooner begun, than he rode off full gallop, and repaired to the town of Pydnus, under the flimsy pretext of sacrificing to the God Hercules; as if Hercules, to use Plutarch’s expression, was the deity to whom the prayers and offerings of Cowards were to be preferred!

The English duke of York on two occasions during his command in the Netherlands, displayed this lâcheté.

Mark Antony on the other hand, after having acquired the reputation of a brave and distinguished general, submitted to the allurements of sensual gratification, and buried all his glory in the meretricious embraces of an Egyptian strumpet. We have had a striking instance, during the present war, of the superiority which a real military thirst for glory will always have over private indulgences. When the French army was very critically situated in Germany, general Hoche who commanded it, became exposed one evening to the allurements of a most beautiful woman, who by design or accident got placed near the general at a public supper. Aware of the weakness of human nature, and full of his own glory, as well as conscious of the critical state of the army entrusted to his care, he suddenly rose, ordered his horses, and left the place at midnight.

We might enumerate a variety of cases in which the greatest heroes have fallen victims to human weakness; and few alas! in which a sense of public duty and a regard for the opinion of posterity have got the ascendancy. History, however, saves us that trouble, and we shall remain satisfied with having explained under the word Lâchete, what we conceive disgraceful in an officer or soldier, who suffers personal fear, passion, or interest to get the better of public character.

La trahison est une lâcheté; treason is infamous in its nature.

LACUNETTE, Fr. a term in fortification. A small fossé or ditch was formerly so called. The word Cunette has since been adopted.

LADAVEE, Ind. A release or acquittance from any demand.

LADLES, in gunnery, are made of copper, to hold the powder for loading guns, with long handles of wood, when cartridges are not used.

LADLES, in laboratory business, are very small, made of copper, with short handles of wood, used in supplying the fuses of shells, or any other composition, to fill the cases of sky-rockets, &c.--There is another kind of ladle which is used to carry red hot shot. It is made of iron, having a ring in the middle to hold the shot, from which 2 handles proceed from opposite sides of the ring.

Scaling-LADDERS (échelles de siege, Fr.) are used in scaling when a place is to be taken by surprise. They are made several ways: sometimes of flat staves, so as to move about their pins and shut like a parallel ruler, for conveniently carrying them: the French make them of several pieces, so as to be joined together, and to be capable of any necessary length: sometimes they are made of single ropes, knotted at proper distances, with iron hook at each end, one to fasten them upon the wall above, and the other in the ground; and sometimes they are made with 2 ropes, and staves between them, to keep the ropes at a proper distance, and to tread upon. When they are used in the action of scaling walls, they ought to be rather too long than too short, and to be given in charge only to the stoutest of the detachment. The soldiers should carry these ladders with the left arm passed through the second step, taking care to hold them upright close to their sides, and very short below, to prevent any accident in leaping into the ditch.

The first rank of each division, provided with ladders, should set out with the rest at the signal, marching resolutely with their firelocks slung, to jump into the ditch: when they are arrived, they should apply their ladders against the parapet, observing to place them towards the salient angles rather than the middle of the curtain, because the enemy has less force there. Care must be taken to place the ladders within a foot of each other, and not to give them too much nor too little slope, so that they may not be overturned, or broken with the weight of the soldiers mounting upon them.

The ladders being applied, they who have carried them, and they who come after should mount up, and rush upon the enemy sword in hand: if he who goes first, happens to be overturned, the next should take care not to be thrown down by his comrade; but on the contrary, immediately mount himself so as not to give the enemy time to load his piece.

As the soldiers who mount first may be easily tumbled over, and their fall may cause the attack to fail, it would perhaps be right to protect their breasts with the fore-parts of cuirasses; because, if they can penetrate, the rest may easily follow.

The success of an attack by scaling is infallible, if they mount the 4 sides at once, and take care to shower a number of grenades among the enemy, especially when supported by some grenadiers and picquets, who divide the attention and share the fire of the enemy.

The ingenious colonel Congreve of the British artillery, has very much improved upon the construction of these ladders. As the height of different works vary, and the ladders, when too long, afford purchase to the besieged, he has contrived a set of ladders having an iron staple at the lower part of each stem, so that if 1, 2, or 3, should be found insufficient to reach the top of the work, another might with facility be joined to the lowest, and that be pushed up until a sufficient length could be obtained.

LAITON, sometimes written LETTON, Fr. a metallic composition which is made of copper and the lapis calaminaris; a soft brass.

LALA, Ind. lord; sir; master; worship.

LAMA, Ind. A chief priest, whose followers suppose him immortal. They imagine, that on the dissolution of his mortal frame, his spirit enters the body of a new born child. He is also monarch of Thibet.

LAMBREQUINS, Fr. small mantles or ribands which were twisted round the hood or top of a helmet at the bottom of the crest, and kept the whole together. These ornaments fell into disuse when the helmet was laid aside. In former times, when the cavaliers or persons who wore them, wished to take breath, and to be relieved from the weight of the helmet, they untied the mantles, and let them float about their shoulders suspended from the hood only. Hence the appellation of valets as hanging behind.

LAMPION à parapet, Fr. a lamp generally used on the parapet or elsewhere in a besieged place. It is a small iron vessel filled with pitch and tar which the garrison lighted as occasions required. The lampion is sometimes confounded with the réchaud de rampart, or chaffing dish, which is used upon the rampart on similar occasions.

LANCE, lance, Fr. This offensive weapon was much used by the French in former times, particularly by that class of military gentlemen called chevaliers, and by the gendarmes. It has also been used by the English and other nations. Lances were made of ash, being a wood of a tough quality and not so liable to break as another species. Before the reign of Philip de Valois, the chevaliers and gens d’armes fought on foot, armed with lances only, both in battles and at sieges. On these occasions they shortened their lances, which were then said to be retaillées or cut again. A sort of bannerol or streamer hung from each lance, and was attached to the bottom of the sharp iron or blade which was fixed to the pole. Lances were used in this manner as far back as during the crusades.

Rompre la LANCE, Fr. to break a lance. This was a phrase peculiar to any assault which was given at tilts or tournaments, and signified to engage or come to close combat.

Rompre une LANCE, according to the last edition of the Dictionnaire de l’Académie Francoise, likewise means in a familiar and proverbial sense, to defend another against the attacks of an adversary. The French say: rompre des lances pour quelqu’un, to defend another: rompre une lance avec quelqu’un, to enter into any warm dispute or controversy with another.

Main de la LANCE, Fr. A figurative expression, to signify the right hand of a cavalier or horseman.