| E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898. |
| | | Fairies | | |
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are the dispossessed spirits which once inhabited human bodies, but are not yet meet to dwell with the “saints in light.” | 1 |
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| “All those airy shapes you now behold |
| Were human bodies once, and clothed with earthly mould; |
| Our souls, not yet prepared for upper light, |
| Till doomsday wander in the shades of night.” | |
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Dryden: The Flower and the Leaf. |
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