106 LAM 
LAMBI'TION, f. [lambo , Lat. to lick.] The aft of 
licking. Bailey. 
LAM'BITIVE. See Lambative. 
LAM'BKIN,/ A little lamb: 
Clean as young lambkins, or the goofe’s down t 
And like the goldfinch in her Sunday gown. Gay. 
LAM'BOURNE (Upper and Lower), a market-town 
in Berklhire, near the borders of Wilts, fifty-feven miles 
from London. It has its name from its little river which 
runs into the Kennet, and is remarkable for being high 
in the fummer and low in the winter. Its market is on 
Friday ; and fairs May i, Whit-Monday, September 21, 
and Nov. 23. On Oct. 16, 1782, a fire broke out here, 
which did 9000I. damage. 
LAM'BOURNE, a village in Eflex, between Waltham- 
abbey and Rumford. The manor is held by the fervice 
of the ward-ftaff, viz. to carry a load of draw in a cart 
with fix horfes, two ropes, and two men in harnefs, to 
watch the faid ward-ftaff, when it is brought to the neigh¬ 
bouring hamlet of Abridge. 
LAM'BRA, a town of European Turkey, in Livadia : 
fourteen miles fouth-fouth-eaft of Athens. 
LAM'BRES, a town of France, in the department of 
the Straits of Calais: one mile fouth of Aire. 
LAM'BRO, a river of Italy, which rifes about feven 
miles north-eaft from Como, and runs into the Po about 
five miles above Piacenza. 
LAM'BSDORFF, a town of Silefia, in the principality 
of Neilfe: nine miles north-eaft of Neifle. 
LAM'BSHEIM, a town of France, in the department 
of Mont Tonnerre : eight miles well; of Manheim, and 
eleven fouth of Worms. 
LAM'CAE, a town of Pegu, on an illand in the Ava; 
fifty-fix miles north-ealt of Perfaim. 
LAME, adj. [laam, lama, Saxon; lam, Dutch.] Crip¬ 
pled 5 difabled in the limbs.—A greyhound, of a moufe- 
colour, lame of one leg, belongs to a lady. Arbuthnot and 
Pope. —Hobbling ; not fmooth : alluding to the feet of a 
verfe: 
Whether in profe, or verfe, ’tis all the fame; 
The profe is fultian, and the numbers lame. Dryden. 
Imperfeft ; unfatisfaftory.—Shrubs are formed into fun- 
dry fliapes, by moulding them within, and cutting them 
without; but they are but lame things, being too fmall to 
keep figure. Bacon. 
Swift, who could neither fly nor hide, 
Came fneaking to the chariot fide; 
And offer’d manya/awte excufe; 
He never meant the lealt abufe. Swift. 
To LAME, v. a. To make lame ; to cripple.—If you 
happen to let the child fall, and lame it, never confefs. 
Swift. 
The fon and heir 
Affronted once a cock of noble kind, 
And either lam'd his legs, or ftruck him blind. Dryden. 
LAME, a river of Weftphalia, which runs into the In- 
Herfee feven miles fouth-eaft of Hildefheim. 
LA'MECH, the fon of Methufael, of the race of Cain, 
the fifth in defcent from him, and the father of Jabel, Ju- 
bal, Tubalcain, and Naamah. He married two wives, 
Adah and Zillah, and is fuppofed to have introduced po- 
lygamy. To his wives he faid, Hear my voice, ye wives of 
l.amech ; for I have Jlain a man to my wounding, and a young 
■man to.my hurt: if Cain fall be avenged J,ev enfold,furely La- 
mech feventy and feven fold. Gen. iv. 24., 25. Thefe words 
have perplexed biblical critics. Some interpretations have 
been given of this pafiage, which muft be confidered as 
founded on mere fables, and are not worthy of recital. 
Onkelos, who w'rote the firft Chaldee paraphrafe on the 
Pentateuch, reads the words with an interrogation : “ Have 
I (lain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my 
hurt ?” and accordingly he paraphrafes it thus; “ I have 
LAM 
not killed a man, that I Ihould bear the fin of it ; nor 
have I deftroyed a young man, that my offspring fnould 
be cut off for it.” Dr. Shuckford has improved this in¬ 
terpretation, by fuppofing that Lamech was endeavouring 
to reafon his wives and family out of their fear of having 
the death of Abel revenged upon them, who were of the 
pofierity of Cain. As if he had faid, “ What have we 
done, that we fhould be afraid ? We have not killed a 
man, nor offered any injury to our brethren of any other 
family ; and, if God would not allow Cain to be killed, 
who had murdered his brother, but threatened to take (e- 
ven-fold vengeance on any that fhould kill him ; doubt- 
lefs they mult expeft much greater punifhment who fliould 
prefume to kill any of us. Therefore we may furely look 
upon ourfelves as lafe under the proteftion of the law, and 
of the providence of God.” 
LA'MECH was alfo the fon of Methufelah, and father 
of Noah; at whole birth he was 182 years of age; and he 
lived after it 595 years, fo that his whole life was 777 
years, being born A. M. 874., and dying 1651. 
LAMED, f. The name of the twelfth Hebrew let¬ 
ter : ’7. 
LAM'EGAL, a town of Portugal, in the province of 
Beira : nine miles north-weft of Pinhel, and eighteen north 
of Guarda. 
LAME'GO, a city of Portugal, in the province of Bei¬ 
ra, the fee of a biftiop, futfragan of Braga, fituated in a 
plain near the Duero, furrounded with mountains. It 
contains two cathedral churches, an hofpital, four con¬ 
vents, and about 4500 inhabitants. In this town the dates 
aflembled to confirm the election of Alphonfo Henriques, 
firft king of Portugal; and enacted the fundamental laws, 
now forgotten. The cofintry about it produces excellent 
wine: thirty-fix miles ealt of Porto, and feventy-two north- 
north-eaft of Coimbra. Lat. 41. 7. N. Ion. 7. 27. W. 
LAM'ELAN, an illand in the Baltic, near the fouth- 
eaft coaft of the illand of Aland: eight miles long, and 
four wide. Lat. 60 5. N. Ion. 37.45. E. 
LAMEL'LA,yi [Latin.] A little thin plate. 
LAM'ELLAFED, adj. [ lamella , Lat.] Covered with 
films or plates.—The lamellated antennae of fome infefis 
are furprifingly beautiful when viewed through a micro- 
fcope. Derham. 
LA'MELY, adv , [from lame.'] Like a cripple; without 
natural force or activity.—Thofe mufcles become callous-* 
and, having yielded to the extenfion, the patient makes 
fhift to go upon it, though lamely. V/ifeman's Surgery .— 
Imperfedtly; without a full or complete exhibition of all 
the parts: 
Look not ev’ry lineament to fee : 
Some will be calf in (hades, and fome will be 
So lamely drawn, you fcarcely know ’tis (he. Dryden. 
Weakly ; unfteadily ; poorly. 
LA'MENESS, /. The ftate of a cripple ; lofs or inabi¬ 
lity of limbs.— Lamenefs kept me at home. Digby to Pope. 
Let blindnefs, lamenefs, come; are legs and eyes 
Of equal value to fo great a prize ? Dryden. 
Imperfection; weaknefs.—If the ftory move, or the aftor 
help the lamenefs of it with his performance, either of thefe 
are fufficient to effect a prelent liking. Dryden. 
To LAMEN'T, v. n. [lamentor , Lat. lamenter, Fr.] To 
mourn; to wail; to grieve; to exprefs forrow.—Jeremiah 
lamented for Joliah, and all the tinging men and women 
lpake of Joliah in their lamentations. 2 Chronicles. 
Far lefs I now lament for one whole world 
Of wicked fons deftroy’d, than I rejoice. 
For one man found fo perfect and fo juft. 
That God vouchfafes to raife another world 
From him. Milton. 
To LAMEN'T, v. a. To bewail; to mourn; to bemoan 3 
to exprefs forrow for : 
One pity’d, one contemn’d, the woful times. 
One laugh’d at follies, one lamented crimes. Dryden. 
LAMEN'T* 
