This is for Quyllur, who inspired me to look up one of my favorite passages from Dorothy Dunnett

[ellid]

Note: the two main characters in The Lymond Chronicles, Francis Crawford and his wife Phillipa Somerville, improvise these, so it's not whole like this in the book. They've found an abandoned play script where every single character's name begins with L: Lamuel, Laies Lechery the Sumtuous Hore, Lammarkin the Lance Knight, Luck, Love, Little-looked-for Death, etc. Francis speculates that the play was never written because there are too many L's.


I'm Lechery a Luscious Hore
A Lady Loose who Lists to Lower
Her Limbs upon a Lance Knights Lap
His Lips to Buss and Cheeks to Clap.....

And I, Limp Lamuel Longing Sigh,
Beside Light Lechery to Lie
Lo Here I Learn my Lesson Lewd
And Love and Lounge in Lassitude.

Which I, Lame Lazar List to Cure,
But Light beneath the Lady's Lure
And Lift my Crutch with Leprous Glee,
And Leap upn the Lady's Knee.....

But I, dear Luck, will Lead you all.
On Lilied Lawns of Light to Loll
Where Lute and Lyre will Lilt their Lay
And Lull sweet Lovers at their Play!

'Till Little-lookedfor Death appeared
And Loathsome on the Lovers Leered
And Laughters' Lodge was Let to Fear
And love to Lugworms Fell.....

Ah, Lamuel, lest your Life be Light
Lament not for your Lost Delight
Beshrew Loose Ladies in the Night
Or.....LANGUISH LOCKED IN L!!!

Comments

[zephre.livejournal.com]

I love this passage, too, but especially the context around the recitation and the revelation at the end. Poor Francis. ;)
Man, I'm in the middle of Niccolo but I may have to reread this book once again.

[kamion.livejournal.com]

how so; too many L's?
love this
not the foggiest idea what's all about , but love the sound of it.

[quyllur.livejournal.com]

Thank you!! I appreciate you finding this and posting this "interlude" for us!! I can see why they found this one so amusing! All those Ls just lock themselves into your mind!!

I'm in the middle of rereading Queen's Play. This series can be read so many times and each time some new significant interpretation will press itself upon me.