LANDON, LETITIA ELIZABETH (Mies. Maoteme), generally known by her initials, L E. L.,' was born in the year 1802 at Old Brampton, a suburb of London. Her father was an army agent, and she was the niece of Dr. Landon, dean of Exeter, and the sister of the Rev. Whittington Landon. tier early years were spent with a relative in the country, nt Trevor Park in Hertfordshire. She read a great deal, displayed a lively and inventive imagination, and began to write short poetical pieces at the early age of thirteen. Having returned to her father's residence at 01(1 Brampton, where Mr. Jerdan, the editor of the 'Literary Gazette,' was a neighbour, she sent some short poems to that gentleman for his approval. They were published in the' Lite rary Gazette' In the year 1820, and were followed by others, which were favourably received by the public. Her father soon afterwards died, leaving has family in reduced circumstances. She then began to devote nearly the whole of her time to literature, and not ouly sup ported herself by it, but contributed largely to the maintenance of her relative.. her poems in tho ' Literary Gazette,' which were signed L E. L,' excited a good deal of admiration, and the editor began to employ her in criticising books of general literature, chiefly poetry and works of fiction. The assistance which she thus gave to the editor, at first casual, by degrees became permanent, and for many years she was rather an effective colleague than an occasional contributor, so that her labours on the ' Literary Gazette' were, as Mr. Jerdan himself states, little less than his own.
Miss Landon's labours however were not confloed to the Literary Gazette.' In 1821 ahe published ' The Fate of Adelaide, a Swiss Romantic Tale, and other Poems,' 12mo. This first collection of poems was succeeded by The Improvisatrice," Thu Troubadour,' The Golden Violet,' 'The Golden Bracelet," The Lay of the Peacock,' and, shortly after the announcement of her death, ' The Zenana, and Minor Poems of L. E. L, with a Memoir by Emma Roberts,' 12mo.
She also contributed largely to the Annuals, and published three novels, 'Romance and Reality," Francesca Carrara,' and Ethel Churchill.' Her poems are generally of a sentimental and melancholy cast, and the versification is loose and irregular, but always with a pleesiog musical rhythm. Her poems, probably from their romantic character, rather than from their intrinsic value, were very popular in their day. Her novels were less successful. The romantic melancholy of her poems was entirely imaginative. In private life she was full of mirth, and her conversation was very lively and entertaining.
On the 7th of Juue 1833 Miss Landon was married to George Mac lean, Esq., governor of Cape Coast Castle, now the principal fortress of the Gold Coast Colony, West Africa. She eoon afterwards sailed from England with her husband, and had not been long settled in her new residence at the Castle when her death occurred, October 15, 1539. She had been for many years subject to spasms and hysteric affections, as a relief for which she was in the habit of taking, by the advice of her physician, small doses of prussic-acid. When her female servant went into Mrs. Maclean's room, in the forenoon of that day, she found her mistress lying ou the floor dead, with a bottle in her hand, having the label on it. She appears by some accident to have taken an over dose of the poisonous medicine. The coroner's jury found no cause for suspicion that her death had been produced intentionally. Ou the contrary, she had written in tho morning of the same day a letter to one of her female friends in London, which was afterwards published, describing her occupations in lively terms, and expressing herself as contented and happy. in 1811 Mr. Leman Blanchard published ' The Life and Literary Remains of L. E. L.,' 2 vols.