ASELECT GLOSSARYETC.

[Abandon.Now only used in the sense of to give up absolutely, to forsake, or desert; but in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries often found in the sense of to put to the ban, to proscribe, to cast out, reject. O. Fr.abandoner, to give up into the power of another, is due to the phrasemettre à bandon, to put under anyone’s jurisdiction; O. Fr.bandon(Low Lat.bandonem) is a derivative of Low Lat.bandumfor olderbannum; O. H. G.ban, an order, decree, proclamation. For O. Fr.bandon, used in the sense of free disposal, unfettered authority, compareChanson de Roland, 2703: ‘All Spain will be to-dayen lur bandun,’ i.e. in their power. The Germanic wordbann, an open proclamation, survives in our ‘bannsof marriage.’ The wordbandit,It.bandito, means properly a proclaimed, proscribed man.]

Blessed shall ye be when men shall hate you, andabandonyour name as evil [etejecerintnomen vestrum tanquam malum, Vulg.] for the Son of man’s sake.—Lukevi. 22. Rheims.

Beggar.Madame wife, they say that I have dreamedAnd slept above some fifteen years or more.Lady.Aye, and the time seems thirty unto me,Being all this timeabandonedfrom thy bed.Shakespeare,Taming of the Shrew, act i. sc. 1.

Beggar.Madame wife, they say that I have dreamedAnd slept above some fifteen years or more.Lady.Aye, and the time seems thirty unto me,Being all this timeabandonedfrom thy bed.

Beggar.Madame wife, they say that I have dreamedAnd slept above some fifteen years or more.

Beggar.Madame wife, they say that I have dreamed

And slept above some fifteen years or more.

Lady.Aye, and the time seems thirty unto me,Being all this timeabandonedfrom thy bed.

Lady.Aye, and the time seems thirty unto me,

Being all this timeabandonedfrom thy bed.

Shakespeare,Taming of the Shrew, act i. sc. 1.

Achievement.Of ‘achievement’ and ‘hatchment’ it need hardly be said that the latter is a contracted and corrupted manner of pronouncing the former. This ‘achievement’ or ‘hatchment’ is an escutcheon or coat of arms erected when a person of distinction has died; originally so called from its being granted in memory of some ‘achievement’ or distinguished feat. In the Heralds’ College there are ‘achievements’ still, as there were for Milton two centuries ago; but in our common language we call them ‘hatchments,’ and have let any such employment of ‘achievement’ go.

As if a herald in theachievementof a king should commit the indecorum to set his helmet sideways and close; not full-faced and open, as the posture of direction and command.—Milton,Tetrachordon.

Act.The verb ‘to actuate’ seems of comparatively late introduction into the language. The first example of it which our Dictionaries give is drawn from the works of the Latinist, Sir Thomas Browne, of Norwich. I have also met it in Jeremy Taylor.1But even for some time after ‘actuate’ was introduced—as late, we see, as Pope,—‘act’ did often the work which ‘actuate’ alone does now.

Within, perhaps, they are as proud as Lucifer, as covetous as Demas, as false as Judas, and in the whole course of theirconversation act and areacted, not by devotion, but design.—South,Sermons, 1737, vol. ii. p. 391.Many offer at the effects of friendship; but they do not last. They are promising at the beginning, but they fail and jade and tire in the prosecution. For most people in the world areactedby levity and humour, and by strange and irrational changes.—Id.Ib., vol. ii. p. 73.Self-love, the spring of motion,actsthe soul.Pope,Essay on Man, ep 2.

Many offer at the effects of friendship; but they do not last. They are promising at the beginning, but they fail and jade and tire in the prosecution. For most people in the world areactedby levity and humour, and by strange and irrational changes.—Id.Ib., vol. ii. p. 73.

Self-love, the spring of motion,actsthe soul.

Pope,Essay on Man, ep 2.

Adamant.It is difficult to trace the exact motives which induced the transferring of this name to the lodestone; but it is common enough in our best English writers, thus in Chaucer, Bacon, and Shakespeare; as is ‘aimant’ in French, and ‘iman’ in Spanish. See ‘Diamond,’ and the art. ‘Adamant’ inAppendixA to theDictionary of the Bible.

Right as anadamaund, iwys,Can drawen to hym sotyllyThe yren, that is leid therby,So drawith folkes hertis, ywis,Silver and gold that yeven is.Romaunt of the Rose, 1182 (ed. Morris).Demetrius.Hence, get thee gone, and follow me no more.Helena.You draw me, you hard-heartedadamant;And yet you draw not iron, for my heartIs true as steel.Shakespeare,Midsummer Night’s Dream, act ii. sc. 1.If you will have a young man to put his travel in little room, when he stayeth in one city or town, let him change his lodging from one end and part of the town to another; which is a greatadamantof acquaintance.—Bacon,Essays, 18.

Right as anadamaund, iwys,Can drawen to hym sotyllyThe yren, that is leid therby,So drawith folkes hertis, ywis,Silver and gold that yeven is.

Right as anadamaund, iwys,

Can drawen to hym sotylly

The yren, that is leid therby,

So drawith folkes hertis, ywis,

Silver and gold that yeven is.

Romaunt of the Rose, 1182 (ed. Morris).

Demetrius.Hence, get thee gone, and follow me no more.Helena.You draw me, you hard-heartedadamant;And yet you draw not iron, for my heartIs true as steel.

Demetrius.Hence, get thee gone, and follow me no more.

Helena.You draw me, you hard-heartedadamant;And yet you draw not iron, for my heartIs true as steel.

Helena.You draw me, you hard-heartedadamant;

And yet you draw not iron, for my heart

Is true as steel.

Shakespeare,Midsummer Night’s Dream, act ii. sc. 1.

If you will have a young man to put his travel in little room, when he stayeth in one city or town, let him change his lodging from one end and part of the town to another; which is a greatadamantof acquaintance.—Bacon,Essays, 18.

Admiral.This was a title often given in the seventeenth century to the principal and leading vessel in a fleet; the ‘admiral-galley’ North (Plutarch’s Lives) calls it.

Falstaff(to Bardolph).—Thou art ouradmiral; thou bearest the lantern in the poop—but ’tis the nose of thee; thou art the Knight of the Burning Lamp.—Shakespeare,1 Henry IV., act iii. sc. 3.Lincoln spake what was fit for comfort, and did what he was able for redress. He looked like the lanthorn in theadmiral, by which the rest of the fleet did steer their course.—Hacket,Life of Archbishop Williams, part ii. p. 143.His spear—to equal which the tallest pineHewn on Norwegian hills, to be the mastOf some greatammiral, were but a wand—He walked with, to support uneasy stepsOver the burning marle.Milton,Paradise Lost, i. 292.Theadmiralof the Spanish Armada was a Flemish ship.—Hawkins,Observations, &c., 1622, p. 9.

Falstaff(to Bardolph).—Thou art ouradmiral; thou bearest the lantern in the poop—but ’tis the nose of thee; thou art the Knight of the Burning Lamp.—Shakespeare,1 Henry IV., act iii. sc. 3.

Lincoln spake what was fit for comfort, and did what he was able for redress. He looked like the lanthorn in theadmiral, by which the rest of the fleet did steer their course.—Hacket,Life of Archbishop Williams, part ii. p. 143.

His spear—to equal which the tallest pineHewn on Norwegian hills, to be the mastOf some greatammiral, were but a wand—He walked with, to support uneasy stepsOver the burning marle.

His spear—to equal which the tallest pine

Hewn on Norwegian hills, to be the mast

Of some greatammiral, were but a wand—

He walked with, to support uneasy steps

Over the burning marle.

Milton,Paradise Lost, i. 292.

Theadmiralof the Spanish Armada was a Flemish ship.—Hawkins,Observations, &c., 1622, p. 9.

It now always implies to wonderwith approval; but was by no means restrained to this wonderin bonam partemof old.

Neither is it to beadmiredthat Henry [the Fourth], who was a wise as well as a valiant prince, should be pleased to have the greatest wit of those times in his interests, and to be the trumpet of his praises.—Dryden,Preface to the Fables.Let noneadmireThat riches grow in hell; that soil may bestDeserve the precious bane.Milton,Paradise Lost, i. 690.It may justly seemadmirablehow that senseless religion [Mahometanism] should gain so much on Christianity.—Fuller,Holy War, part i. c. 6.In man there is nothingadmirablebut his ignorance and weakness.—BishopTaylor,Dissuasive from Popery, part ii. b. i. § 7.I understand that you be in greatadmirationsof me, and take very grievously my manner of writing to you.—Latimer,Sermons and Remains, vol. ii. p. 419.And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints ... and when I saw her I wondered with greatadmiration.—Rev.xvii. 6. (A.V.)

Let noneadmireThat riches grow in hell; that soil may bestDeserve the precious bane.

Let noneadmire

That riches grow in hell; that soil may best

Deserve the precious bane.

Milton,Paradise Lost, i. 690.

It may justly seemadmirablehow that senseless religion [Mahometanism] should gain so much on Christianity.—Fuller,Holy War, part i. c. 6.

In man there is nothingadmirablebut his ignorance and weakness.—BishopTaylor,Dissuasive from Popery, part ii. b. i. § 7.

I understand that you be in greatadmirationsof me, and take very grievously my manner of writing to you.—Latimer,Sermons and Remains, vol. ii. p. 419.

And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints ... and when I saw her I wondered with greatadmiration.—Rev.xvii. 6. (A.V.)

Alchymy.By this we always understand now the pretended art of transmuting other metals into gold; but it was often used to express itself a certain mixed metal, which, having the appearance of gold, was yet mainly composed of brass. Thus the notion of falseness, of show and semblance not borne out by reality, frequently underlay the earlier uses of the word. Compare the second quotation under ‘Bullion.’

As for those gildings and paintings that were in the palace of Alcyna, though the show of it were glorious, the substance of it was dross, and nothing butalchymyand cosenage.—SirJ. Harington,A brief Allegory of Orlando Furioso.Whereupon out of most deep divinity it was concluded, that they should not celebrate the sacrament in glass, for the brittleness of it; nor in wood, for the sponginess of it, which would suck up the blood; nor inalchymy, because it was subject to rusting; nor in copper, because that would provoke vomiting; but in chalices of latten, which belike was a metal without exception.—Fuller,Holy War, b. iii. c. 13.Toward the four winds four speedy CherubimPut to their mouths the soundingalchymy.Milton,Paradise Lost, ii. 516.Such were his arms, false gold, truealchemy.—P. Fletcher,Purple Island, vii. 39.

Whereupon out of most deep divinity it was concluded, that they should not celebrate the sacrament in glass, for the brittleness of it; nor in wood, for the sponginess of it, which would suck up the blood; nor inalchymy, because it was subject to rusting; nor in copper, because that would provoke vomiting; but in chalices of latten, which belike was a metal without exception.—Fuller,Holy War, b. iii. c. 13.

Toward the four winds four speedy CherubimPut to their mouths the soundingalchymy.

Toward the four winds four speedy Cherubim

Put to their mouths the soundingalchymy.

Milton,Paradise Lost, ii. 516.

Such were his arms, false gold, truealchemy.—P. Fletcher,Purple Island, vii. 39.

‘To allow,’ from the French ‘allouer,’ and through it from the Latin ‘allaudare,’—and not to be confounded with another ‘allow,’ derived from another ‘allouer,’ the Latin ‘allocare,’—had once a sense very often of praise or approval, which may now be said to havedeparted from it altogether. Thus in Cotgrave’sFrench and English Dictionary, an invaluable witness of the force and meanings which words had two centuries ago, ‘allow’ is rendered by ‘allouer,’ ‘gréer,’ ‘approuver,’ ‘accepter,’ and ‘allowable’ by ‘louable.’

Mine enemy, say they, is not worthy to have gentle words or deeds, being so full of malice or frowardness. The less he is worthy, the more art thou thereforeallowedof God, and the more art thou commended of Christ.—Homilies;Against Contention.The hospitality and alms of abbeys is not altogether to beallowed, or dispraised.—Pilkington,The Burning of Paul’s, § 12.Truly ye bear witness that yeallow[συνευδοκεῖτε] the deeds of your fathers.—Lukexi. 48. (A. V.)A stirring dwarf we doallowancegiveBefore a sleeping giant.Shakespeare,Troilus and Cressida, act ii. sc. 3.Though I deplore your schism from the Catholic Church, yet I should bear false witness if I did not confess your decency, which I discerned at the holy duty, was veryallowablein the consecrators and receivers.—Hacket,Life of Archbishop Williams, part ii. p. 211.

The hospitality and alms of abbeys is not altogether to beallowed, or dispraised.—Pilkington,The Burning of Paul’s, § 12.

Truly ye bear witness that yeallow[συνευδοκεῖτε] the deeds of your fathers.—Lukexi. 48. (A. V.)

A stirring dwarf we doallowancegiveBefore a sleeping giant.

A stirring dwarf we doallowancegive

Before a sleeping giant.

Shakespeare,Troilus and Cressida, act ii. sc. 3.

Though I deplore your schism from the Catholic Church, yet I should bear false witness if I did not confess your decency, which I discerned at the holy duty, was veryallowablein the consecrators and receivers.—Hacket,Life of Archbishop Williams, part ii. p. 211.

Amiable.This and ‘lovely’ have been so far differentiated that ‘amiable’ never expresses now any other thanmoralloveliness; which in ‘lovely’ is seldom or never implied. There was a time when ‘amiable’ had no such restricted use, when it and ‘lovely’ were absolutely synonymous, as, etymologically, they might claim still to be.

Come sit thee down upon this flow’ry bed,While I thyamiablecheeks do coy.Shakespeare,Midsummer Night’s Dream, act iv. sc. 1.Howamiableare thy tabernacles, O Lord of Hosts.—Ps.lxxxiv. 1. (A.V.)Groves whose rich trees wept odorous gums and balm,Others whose fruit, burnished with golden rind,Hungamiable.Milton,Paradise Lost, iv. 248.

Come sit thee down upon this flow’ry bed,While I thyamiablecheeks do coy.

Come sit thee down upon this flow’ry bed,

While I thyamiablecheeks do coy.

Shakespeare,Midsummer Night’s Dream, act iv. sc. 1.

Howamiableare thy tabernacles, O Lord of Hosts.—Ps.lxxxiv. 1. (A.V.)

Groves whose rich trees wept odorous gums and balm,Others whose fruit, burnished with golden rind,Hungamiable.

Groves whose rich trees wept odorous gums and balm,

Others whose fruit, burnished with golden rind,

Hungamiable.

Milton,Paradise Lost, iv. 248.

The notion of diversion, entertainment, is comparatively of recent introduction into the word. ‘To amuse’ was to cause to muse, to occupy or engage, and in this sense indeed todivert, the thoughts and attention. The quotation from Phillips shows the word in transition to its present meaning. [O. Fr.amuseris a compound ofmuser, to muse, study, linger about a matter, to sniff as a hound, from *muse, a muzzle, nose of an animal (whence Mod. Fr.museau). Compare Florio’s Italian Dictionary: ‘Musare, to muse, to muzzle, to gape, to hold one’smuzleor snout in the air.’ The O. Fr. *museis the same word as the Lat.morsus, see Mayhew-Skeat,Dict. of Middle English.]

Camillus set upon the Gauls, when they wereamusedin receiving their gold.—Holland,Livy, p. 223.Beingamusedwith grief, fear, and fright, he could not find a house in London (otherwise well known to him), whither he intended to go.—Fuller,Church History of Britain, b. ix. § 44.A siege of Maestricht or Wesel (so garrisoned and resolutely defended), might not only haveamused, but endangered the French armies.—SirW. Temple,Observations on the United Provinces, c. 8.Toamuse, to stop or stay one with a trifling story, to make him lose his time, to feed with vain expectations, to hold in play.—Phillips,New World of Words.In a just way it is lawful to deceive the unjust enemy, but not to lie; that is, by stratagems and semblances of motions, byamusementsand intrigues of actions, by ambushes and wit, by simulation and dissimulation.—BishopTaylor,Ductor Dubitantium, b. iii. c. 2.

Camillus set upon the Gauls, when they wereamusedin receiving their gold.—Holland,Livy, p. 223.

Beingamusedwith grief, fear, and fright, he could not find a house in London (otherwise well known to him), whither he intended to go.—Fuller,Church History of Britain, b. ix. § 44.

A siege of Maestricht or Wesel (so garrisoned and resolutely defended), might not only haveamused, but endangered the French armies.—SirW. Temple,Observations on the United Provinces, c. 8.

Toamuse, to stop or stay one with a trifling story, to make him lose his time, to feed with vain expectations, to hold in play.—Phillips,New World of Words.

In a just way it is lawful to deceive the unjust enemy, but not to lie; that is, by stratagems and semblances of motions, byamusementsand intrigues of actions, by ambushes and wit, by simulation and dissimulation.—BishopTaylor,Ductor Dubitantium, b. iii. c. 2.

Anatomy.Now the act of dissection, but it was often used by our elder writers for the thing or object dissected, and then, as this was stripped of its flesh, for what we now call a skeleton. ‘Skeleton,’ which see, had then another meaning.

Here will be some need of assistants in this live, and to the quick, dissection, to deliver me from the violence of theanatomy.—Whitlock,Zootomia, p. 249.Antiquity held too light thoughts from objects of mortality, while some drew provocatives of mirth fromanatomies, and jugglers showed tricks with skeletons.—SirT. Browne,Hydriotaphia.A hungry lean-faced villain,A mereanatomy, a mountebank,A needy, hollow-eyed, sharp-looking wretch,A living deadman.Shakespeare,Comedy of Errors, act v. sc. 1.

Here will be some need of assistants in this live, and to the quick, dissection, to deliver me from the violence of theanatomy.—Whitlock,Zootomia, p. 249.

Antiquity held too light thoughts from objects of mortality, while some drew provocatives of mirth fromanatomies, and jugglers showed tricks with skeletons.—SirT. Browne,Hydriotaphia.

A hungry lean-faced villain,A mereanatomy, a mountebank,A needy, hollow-eyed, sharp-looking wretch,A living deadman.

A hungry lean-faced villain,

A mereanatomy, a mountebank,

A needy, hollow-eyed, sharp-looking wretch,

A living deadman.

Shakespeare,Comedy of Errors, act v. sc. 1.

Animosity.While ‘animosus’ belongs to the best period of Latin literature, ‘animositas’ is of quite the later silver age. It was used in two senses; in that, first, of spiritedness or courage (‘equianimositas,’ the courage of a horse), and then, secondly, as this spiritedness in one particular direction, in that, namely, of a vigorous and active enmity or hatred (Heb.xi. 27, Vulg.) Of these two meanings the latter is the only one which our ‘animosity’ has retained; yet there was a time when it had the other as well.

When her [the crocodile’s] young be newly hatched, such as give some proof ofanimosity, audacity, and execution, those she loveth, those she cherisheth.—Holland,Plutarch’s Morals, p. 977.Doubtless such as are of a high-flownanimosityaffectfortunas laviniosas, as one calls it, a fortune that sits not strait and close to the body, but like a loose and a flowing garment.—Hacket,Life of Archbishop Williams, part i. p. 30.In these cases consent were conspiracy; and open contestation is not faction or schism, but due Christiananimosity.—Hales,Tract concerning Schism.Cato, before he durst give the fatal stroke, spent part of the night in reading the Immortality of Plato, thereby confirming his wavering hand unto theanimosityof that attempt.—SirT. Browne,Hydriotaphia.

When her [the crocodile’s] young be newly hatched, such as give some proof ofanimosity, audacity, and execution, those she loveth, those she cherisheth.—Holland,Plutarch’s Morals, p. 977.

Doubtless such as are of a high-flownanimosityaffectfortunas laviniosas, as one calls it, a fortune that sits not strait and close to the body, but like a loose and a flowing garment.—Hacket,Life of Archbishop Williams, part i. p. 30.

In these cases consent were conspiracy; and open contestation is not faction or schism, but due Christiananimosity.—Hales,Tract concerning Schism.

Cato, before he durst give the fatal stroke, spent part of the night in reading the Immortality of Plato, thereby confirming his wavering hand unto theanimosityof that attempt.—SirT. Browne,Hydriotaphia.

Now rather to vex and disquiet than seriously to hurt and harm. But until comparatively a late day, it admitted no such mitigation of meaning. [The subst.annoyis the O. Fr.anoi(Mod. Fr.ennui), Sp.enojo, O. It.inodio, from Lat.in odio, lit. in hatred, used in the phrasein odio habui, I had in hatred,i.e. I was sick and tired of.]

For the Lord Almygtianoyede[nocuit, Vulg.] hym, and bitook him into the hondes of a womman.—Judithxvi. 7.Wiclif.Thanne cometh malignité, thurgh which a manannoiethhis neighebor, as for to brenne his hous prively, or empoysone him, or sleen his bestis, and semblable thinges.—Chaucer,The Persones Tale(Morris, p. 306).Against the Capitol I met a lion,Which glared upon me, and went surly by,Withoutannoyingme.Shakespeare,Julius Cæsar, act i. sc. 3.Look after her,Remove from her the means of allannoyance,And still keep eyes upon her.Id.Macbeth, act v. sc. 1.

For the Lord Almygtianoyede[nocuit, Vulg.] hym, and bitook him into the hondes of a womman.—Judithxvi. 7.Wiclif.

Thanne cometh malignité, thurgh which a manannoiethhis neighebor, as for to brenne his hous prively, or empoysone him, or sleen his bestis, and semblable thinges.—Chaucer,The Persones Tale(Morris, p. 306).

Against the Capitol I met a lion,Which glared upon me, and went surly by,Withoutannoyingme.

Against the Capitol I met a lion,

Which glared upon me, and went surly by,

Withoutannoyingme.

Shakespeare,Julius Cæsar, act i. sc. 3.

Look after her,Remove from her the means of allannoyance,And still keep eyes upon her.

Look after her,

Remove from her the means of allannoyance,

And still keep eyes upon her.

Id.Macbeth, act v. sc. 1.

Antics.Strange gestures now, but the makers of these strange gestures once.

Behold, destruction, fury, and amazement,Like witlessantics, one another meet.Shakespeare,Troilus and Cressida, act v. sc. 4.Have they not sword-players, and every sortOf gymnic artists, wrestlers, riders, runners,Jugglers and dancers,antics, mummers, mimics?Milton,Samson Agonistes, 1323.

Behold, destruction, fury, and amazement,Like witlessantics, one another meet.

Behold, destruction, fury, and amazement,

Like witlessantics, one another meet.

Shakespeare,Troilus and Cressida, act v. sc. 4.

Have they not sword-players, and every sortOf gymnic artists, wrestlers, riders, runners,Jugglers and dancers,antics, mummers, mimics?

Have they not sword-players, and every sort

Of gymnic artists, wrestlers, riders, runners,

Jugglers and dancers,antics, mummers, mimics?

Milton,Samson Agonistes, 1323.

With the exception of the one phrase ‘heirapparent,’ meaning heir evident, manifest, undoubted, we do not any longer employ ‘apparent’ for that which appears, because itis, but always either for that which appears and is not, or for that which appears, leaving in doubt whether it is or no.

It isapparentfoul play; and ’tis shameThat greatness should so grossly offer it.Shakespeare,King John, act iv. sc. 2.At that time Cicero had vehement suspicions of Cæsar, but noapparentproof to convince him.—North,Plutarch’s Lives, p. 718.The laws of God cannot without breach of Christian liberty, and theapparentinjury of God’s servants, be hid from them in a strange language, so depriving them of their best defence against Satan’s temptations.—Fuller,Twelve Sermons concerning Christ’s Temptations, p. 59.Love was not in their looks, either to GodOr to each other, butapparentguilt,And shame and perturbation and despair.Milton,Paradise Lost, x. 111.At that time [at the resurrection of the last day], as the Scripture doth mostapparentlytestify, the dead shall be restored to their own bodies, flesh and bones.—Articles of the Church(1552).

It isapparentfoul play; and ’tis shameThat greatness should so grossly offer it.

It isapparentfoul play; and ’tis shame

That greatness should so grossly offer it.

Shakespeare,King John, act iv. sc. 2.

At that time Cicero had vehement suspicions of Cæsar, but noapparentproof to convince him.—North,Plutarch’s Lives, p. 718.

The laws of God cannot without breach of Christian liberty, and theapparentinjury of God’s servants, be hid from them in a strange language, so depriving them of their best defence against Satan’s temptations.—Fuller,Twelve Sermons concerning Christ’s Temptations, p. 59.

Love was not in their looks, either to GodOr to each other, butapparentguilt,And shame and perturbation and despair.

Love was not in their looks, either to God

Or to each other, butapparentguilt,

And shame and perturbation and despair.

Milton,Paradise Lost, x. 111.

At that time [at the resurrection of the last day], as the Scripture doth mostapparentlytestify, the dead shall be restored to their own bodies, flesh and bones.—Articles of the Church(1552).

Apprehensive.As there is nothing which persons lay hold of more readily than that aspect of a subject in which it presents matter for fear, ‘to apprehend’ has acquired the sense of to regard with fear;yet not so as that this use has excluded its earlier; but ithasdone so in respect of ‘apprehensive,’ which has now no other meaning than that of fearful, a meaning once quite foreign to it.

See their odds in death:Appius died like a Roman gentleman,And a man both ways knowing; but this slaveIs only sensible of vicious living,Notapprehensiveof a noble death.Webster,Appius and Virginius, act v. sc. 3.She, being an handsome, witty, and bold maid, was bothapprehensiveof the plot, and very active to prosecute it.—Fuller,The Profane State, b. v. c. 5.My father would oft speakYour worth and virtue; and as I did growMore and moreapprehensive, I did thirstTo see the man so praised.Beaumont and Fletcher,Philaster, act v. sc. 1.

See their odds in death:Appius died like a Roman gentleman,And a man both ways knowing; but this slaveIs only sensible of vicious living,Notapprehensiveof a noble death.

See their odds in death:

Appius died like a Roman gentleman,

And a man both ways knowing; but this slave

Is only sensible of vicious living,

Notapprehensiveof a noble death.

Webster,Appius and Virginius, act v. sc. 3.

She, being an handsome, witty, and bold maid, was bothapprehensiveof the plot, and very active to prosecute it.—Fuller,The Profane State, b. v. c. 5.

My father would oft speakYour worth and virtue; and as I did growMore and moreapprehensive, I did thirstTo see the man so praised.

My father would oft speak

Your worth and virtue; and as I did grow

More and moreapprehensive, I did thirst

To see the man so praised.

Beaumont and Fletcher,Philaster, act v. sc. 1.

Ark.The ark of Noah, and ark of the covenant, were not the only ‘arks’ of which our ancestors spoke. Indeed, in Lancashire at this day a press to keep clothes in is an ‘ark,’ a large bin for holding meal a ‘meal-ark.’

Then first of all came forth Sir Satyrane,Bearing that precious relicke in anarkeOf gold.Spenser,Fairy Queen, iv. 4, 15.In the richearkeDan Homers rimes he placed.Earl of Surrey,Poems, p. 35 (ed. 1717).You have beheld how theyWith wickerarksdid come,To kiss and bear awayThe richer cowslips home.Herrick,Hesperides.

Then first of all came forth Sir Satyrane,Bearing that precious relicke in anarkeOf gold.

Then first of all came forth Sir Satyrane,

Bearing that precious relicke in anarke

Of gold.

Spenser,Fairy Queen, iv. 4, 15.

In the richearkeDan Homers rimes he placed.

Earl of Surrey,Poems, p. 35 (ed. 1717).

You have beheld how theyWith wickerarksdid come,To kiss and bear awayThe richer cowslips home.

You have beheld how they

With wickerarksdid come,

To kiss and bear away

The richer cowslips home.

Herrick,Hesperides.

That was ‘artificial’ once which wrought, or which was wrought, according to the true principles of art. The word has descended into quite a lower sphere of meaning; such, indeed, as the quotation from Bacon shows, it could occupy formerly, though not then exactly the same which it occupies now.

Queen Elizabeth’s verses, some extant in the elegant, witty, andartificialbook ofThe Art of English Poetry, are princely as her prose.—Bolton,Hypercritica.We, Hermia, like twoartificialgods,2Have with our neelds created both one flower.Shakespeare,Midsummer Night’s Dream, act iii. sc. 2.This is a demonstration that we are not in the right way, that we do not enquire wisely, that our method is notartificial. If men did fall upon the right way, it were impossible that so many learned men should be engaged in contrary parties and opinions.—BishopTaylor,A Sermon preached before the University of Dublin.This he did the rather, because having at his coming out of Britain givenartificially, for serving his own turn, some hopes in case he obtained the kingdom, to marry Anne, inheritress to the duchy of Britany.—Bacon,History of Henry VII.

Queen Elizabeth’s verses, some extant in the elegant, witty, andartificialbook ofThe Art of English Poetry, are princely as her prose.—Bolton,Hypercritica.

We, Hermia, like twoartificialgods,2Have with our neelds created both one flower.

We, Hermia, like twoartificialgods,2

Have with our neelds created both one flower.

Shakespeare,Midsummer Night’s Dream, act iii. sc. 2.

This is a demonstration that we are not in the right way, that we do not enquire wisely, that our method is notartificial. If men did fall upon the right way, it were impossible that so many learned men should be engaged in contrary parties and opinions.—BishopTaylor,A Sermon preached before the University of Dublin.

This he did the rather, because having at his coming out of Britain givenartificially, for serving his own turn, some hopes in case he obtained the kingdom, to marry Anne, inheritress to the duchy of Britany.—Bacon,History of Henry VII.

Artillery.Leaving the perplexed question of the derivation of this word,3it will be sufficient to observe, that while it is now only applied to the heavy ordnance of modern warfare, in earlier use any enginesfor the projecting of missiles, even to the bow and arrows, would have been included under this term.

The Parthians, having all their hope inartillery, overcame the Romans ofter than the Romans them.—Ascham,Toxophilus, p. 106 (ed. 1761).So the Philistines, the better to keep the Jews thrall and in subjection, utterly bereaved them of all manner of weapon andartillery, and left them naked.—Jewel,Reply to Mr. Harding, article xv.The Gods forbid, quoth he, one shaft of thineShould be discharged ’gainst that discourteous knight;His heart unworthy is, shootress divine,Of thineartilleryto feel the might.Fairfax,Tasso, b. 17, s. 49.And Jonathan gave hisartillery(weapons, R.V.) unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city.—1 Sam.xx. 40. (A.V.)

The Parthians, having all their hope inartillery, overcame the Romans ofter than the Romans them.—Ascham,Toxophilus, p. 106 (ed. 1761).

So the Philistines, the better to keep the Jews thrall and in subjection, utterly bereaved them of all manner of weapon andartillery, and left them naked.—Jewel,Reply to Mr. Harding, article xv.

The Gods forbid, quoth he, one shaft of thineShould be discharged ’gainst that discourteous knight;His heart unworthy is, shootress divine,Of thineartilleryto feel the might.

The Gods forbid, quoth he, one shaft of thine

Should be discharged ’gainst that discourteous knight;

His heart unworthy is, shootress divine,

Of thineartilleryto feel the might.

Fairfax,Tasso, b. 17, s. 49.

And Jonathan gave hisartillery(weapons, R.V.) unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city.—1 Sam.xx. 40. (A.V.)

‘Artisan’ is no longer either in English or in French used of him who cultivates one of thefinearts, but only those of common life. The fine arts, losing this word, have now claimed ‘artist’ for their exclusive property; which yet was far from belonging to them always. An ‘artist’ in its earlier acceptation was one who cultivated, not thefine, but theliberalarts. The classical scholar was eminently the ‘artist.’ ‘Artful’ did not any more than ‘cunning,’ which see, imply art which had degenerated into artifice or trick.

He was mightily abashed, and like an honest-minded man yielded the victory unto his adversary, saying withal, Zeuxis hath beguiled poor birds, but Parrhasius hath deceived Zeuxis, a professedartisan.—Holland,Pliny, vol. ii. p. 535.Rareartisan, whose pencil movesNot our delights alone, but loves!Waller,Lines to Van Dyck.For then the bold and coward,The wise and fool, theartistandunread,The hard and soft, seem all affined and kin.Shakespeare,Troilus and Cressida, act i. sc. 3.Nor would I dissuade anyartistwell grounded in Aristotle from perusing the most learned works any Romanist hath written in this argument. In other controversies between them and us it is dangerous, I must confess, even for well-groundedartiststo begin with their writings, not so in this.—Jackson,Blasphemous Positions of Jesuits, Preface.Some will make me the pattern of ignorance for making this Scaliger [Julius] the pattern of the generalartist, whose own son Joseph might have been his father in manyarts.—Fuller,Holy State, b. ii. c. 8.Stupendous pile! not reared by mortal hands;Whate’er proud Rome orartfulGreece beheld,Or elder Babylon its fame excelled.Pope,Temple of Fame.

Rareartisan, whose pencil movesNot our delights alone, but loves!

Rareartisan, whose pencil moves

Not our delights alone, but loves!

Waller,Lines to Van Dyck.

For then the bold and coward,The wise and fool, theartistandunread,The hard and soft, seem all affined and kin.

For then the bold and coward,

The wise and fool, theartistandunread,

The hard and soft, seem all affined and kin.

Shakespeare,Troilus and Cressida, act i. sc. 3.

Nor would I dissuade anyartistwell grounded in Aristotle from perusing the most learned works any Romanist hath written in this argument. In other controversies between them and us it is dangerous, I must confess, even for well-groundedartiststo begin with their writings, not so in this.—Jackson,Blasphemous Positions of Jesuits, Preface.

Some will make me the pattern of ignorance for making this Scaliger [Julius] the pattern of the generalartist, whose own son Joseph might have been his father in manyarts.—Fuller,Holy State, b. ii. c. 8.

Stupendous pile! not reared by mortal hands;Whate’er proud Rome orartfulGreece beheld,Or elder Babylon its fame excelled.

Stupendous pile! not reared by mortal hands;

Whate’er proud Rome orartfulGreece beheld,

Or elder Babylon its fame excelled.

Pope,Temple of Fame.

Ascertain.Now to acquire a certain knowledge of a thing, but once to render the thing itself certain. Thus, when Swift wrote a pamphlet having this title, ‘A Proposal for correcting, improving, andascertainingthe English Tongue,’ he did not propose to obtain a subjective certainty of what the English language was, but to give to the language itself an objective certainty and fixedness.

Sometimes an evil or an obnoxious person hath so secured andascertaineda mischief to himself, that he that stays in his company or his traffic must also share in his punishment.—BishopTaylor,The Return of Prayers.Success is intended him [the wicked man] only as a curse, as the very greatest of curses, and the readiest way, byhardening him in his sin, toascertainhis destruction.—South,Sermons, vol. v. p. 286.

Success is intended him [the wicked man] only as a curse, as the very greatest of curses, and the readiest way, byhardening him in his sin, toascertainhis destruction.—South,Sermons, vol. v. p. 286.

Aspersion.Now only used figuratively, and in an evil sense; being that which onesprinkleson another to spot, stain, or hurt him: but subject to none of these limitations of old.

The book of Job, and many places of the prophets, have greataspersionof natural philosophy.—Bacon,Fiium Labyrinthi.No sweetaspersionshall the heavens let fallTo make this contract grow.Shakespeare,Tempest, act iv. sc. 1.

The book of Job, and many places of the prophets, have greataspersionof natural philosophy.—Bacon,Fiium Labyrinthi.

No sweetaspersionshall the heavens let fallTo make this contract grow.

No sweetaspersionshall the heavens let fall

To make this contract grow.

Shakespeare,Tempest, act iv. sc. 1.

It is difficult to say at what date the name of ‘assassin,’ given first to the emissaries of the ‘Old Man of the Mountain,’ who were sent forth on his errands of blood, and who bore this name because maddened with ‘haschisch,’ a drink drawn from hemp, was transferred to other secret slayers. The word does not occur in Shakespeare (‘assassination’ once), and only once in Milton’s verse. Neither is it found in our English Bible; although it may be a question whether ‘assassins’ would not be an apter, as it would certainly be a closer, rendering of σικάριοι, on the one occasion of this word’s appearing (Acts xxi. 38), than the ‘murderers’ which we have actually adopted.4The verb ‘to assassinate,’ as used by Milton, obtained a meaning which still survives in the French ‘assassiner’ and the Italian ‘assassinare,’ and signifies, as these often do, treacherously to assault, extremely to maltreat, without suggesting the actual taking away oflife, which ‘to assassinate’ now always implies for us. Doubtless it was the Italian use of the word which influenced him.

Theseassassinswere a precise sect of Mahometans, and had in them the very spirits of that poisonous superstition.—Fuller,Holy War, b. ii. c. 34.As for the custom that some parents and guardians have of forcing marriages, it will be better to say nothing of such a savage inhumanity, but only thus, that the law which gives not all freedom of divorce to any creature endued with reason, soassassinated, is next in cruelty.—Milton,The Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce, b. i. c. 12.Such usage as your honourable lordsAfford me,assassinatedand betrayed.Milton,Samson Agonistes, 1108.

Theseassassinswere a precise sect of Mahometans, and had in them the very spirits of that poisonous superstition.—Fuller,Holy War, b. ii. c. 34.

As for the custom that some parents and guardians have of forcing marriages, it will be better to say nothing of such a savage inhumanity, but only thus, that the law which gives not all freedom of divorce to any creature endued with reason, soassassinated, is next in cruelty.—Milton,The Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce, b. i. c. 12.

Such usage as your honourable lordsAfford me,assassinatedand betrayed.

Such usage as your honourable lords

Afford me,assassinatedand betrayed.

Milton,Samson Agonistes, 1108.

Used often in our elder writers in the sense of ‘to betroth,’ or ‘to affiance.’ See ‘Ensure,’ ‘Sure.’

King Philip.Young princes, close your hands.Austria.And your lips too; for I am well assuredThat I did so, when I was firstassured.Shakespeare,King John, act ii. sc. 2.I myself have seen Lollia Paulina, only when she was to go unto a wedding supper, or rather to a feast when theassurancewas made, so beset and bedeckt all over with emeralds and pearls.—Holland,Pliny, vol. i. p. 256.But though few days were before the day ofassuranceappointed, yet Love, that saw he had a great journey to make in a short time, hasted so himself, that before her word could tie her to Demagoras, her heart hath vowed her to Argalus.—SirPhilip Sidney,Arcadia, p. 17.

King Philip.Young princes, close your hands.Austria.And your lips too; for I am well assuredThat I did so, when I was firstassured.

King Philip.Young princes, close your hands.

Austria.And your lips too; for I am well assuredThat I did so, when I was firstassured.

Austria.And your lips too; for I am well assured

That I did so, when I was firstassured.

Shakespeare,King John, act ii. sc. 2.

I myself have seen Lollia Paulina, only when she was to go unto a wedding supper, or rather to a feast when theassurancewas made, so beset and bedeckt all over with emeralds and pearls.—Holland,Pliny, vol. i. p. 256.

But though few days were before the day ofassuranceappointed, yet Love, that saw he had a great journey to make in a short time, hasted so himself, that before her word could tie her to Demagoras, her heart hath vowed her to Argalus.—SirPhilip Sidney,Arcadia, p. 17.

Astonish.‘To astonish’ has now loosened itself altogether from its etymology. The man ‘astonished’ can now be hardly said to be ‘thunderstruck,’ either in a literal or a figurative sense. But continually inour early literature we shall quite fall below the writer’s intention unless we read this meaning into the word.5

Stone-still,astonishedwith this deadly deed,Stood Collatine and all his lordly crew.Shakespeare,Lucrece.The knaves that lay in wait behind rose up and rolled down two huge stones, whereof the one smote the king upon the head, the otherastonishedhis shoulder.—Holland,Livy, p. 1124.The cramp-fish [the torpedo] knoweth her own force and power, and being herself not benumbed, is able toastonishothers.—Id.Pliny, vol. i. p. 261.In matters of religion, blind, astonished, and struck with superstition as with a planet; in one word, monks.—Milton,History of England, b. ii.

Stone-still,astonishedwith this deadly deed,Stood Collatine and all his lordly crew.

Stone-still,astonishedwith this deadly deed,

Stood Collatine and all his lordly crew.

Shakespeare,Lucrece.

The knaves that lay in wait behind rose up and rolled down two huge stones, whereof the one smote the king upon the head, the otherastonishedhis shoulder.—Holland,Livy, p. 1124.

The cramp-fish [the torpedo] knoweth her own force and power, and being herself not benumbed, is able toastonishothers.—Id.Pliny, vol. i. p. 261.

In matters of religion, blind, astonished, and struck with superstition as with a planet; in one word, monks.—Milton,History of England, b. ii.

As ‘chemist’ only little by little disengaged itself from ‘alchemist,’ and that, whether we have respect to the thing itself, or the name of the thing, so ‘astronomer’ from ‘astrologer,’ ‘astronomy’ from ‘astrology.’ It was long before the broad distinction between the lying art and the true science was recognized and fixed in words.

If any enchantress should come unto her, and make promise to draw down the moon from heaven, she would mock these women and laugh at their gross ignorance, who suffer themselves to be persuaded for to believe the same, as having learned somewhat inastrology.—Holland,Plutarch’s Morals, p. 324.Theastrologeris he that knoweth the course and motion of the heavens, and teacheth the same; which is a virtueif it pass not his bounds, and become of anastrologeranastronomer, who taketh upon him to give judgment and censure of these motions and courses of the heavens, what they prognosticate and destiny unto the creature.—Hooper,Early Writings, Parker Society’s Edition, p. 731.

Theastrologeris he that knoweth the course and motion of the heavens, and teacheth the same; which is a virtueif it pass not his bounds, and become of anastrologeranastronomer, who taketh upon him to give judgment and censure of these motions and courses of the heavens, what they prognosticate and destiny unto the creature.—Hooper,Early Writings, Parker Society’s Edition, p. 731.

See ‘Astrology.’

Not from the stars do I my judgment pluck,And yet, methinks, I haveastronomy,But not to tell of good or evil luck,Of plagues, of dearths, of seasons’ quality.Shakespeare,Sonnets, 14.Bowe ye not toastronomyers, neither axe ye onything of fals dyvynours.—Levit.xix. 31.Wiclif.Ifastronomerssay true, every man at his birth by his constellation hath divers things and desires appointed him.—Pilkington,Exposition upon the Prophet Aggeus, c. i.

Not from the stars do I my judgment pluck,And yet, methinks, I haveastronomy,But not to tell of good or evil luck,Of plagues, of dearths, of seasons’ quality.

Not from the stars do I my judgment pluck,

And yet, methinks, I haveastronomy,

But not to tell of good or evil luck,

Of plagues, of dearths, of seasons’ quality.

Shakespeare,Sonnets, 14.

Bowe ye not toastronomyers, neither axe ye onything of fals dyvynours.—Levit.xix. 31.Wiclif.

Ifastronomerssay true, every man at his birth by his constellation hath divers things and desires appointed him.—Pilkington,Exposition upon the Prophet Aggeus, c. i.

The notion ofsatisfactionlies now in these words rather than that ofreconciliation. An ‘atonement’ is thesatisfactionof a wrong which one party has committed against another, not thereconciliationof two estranged parties. This last, however, was its earlier meaning; and is in harmony with its etymology; for which see the quotation from Bishop Hall.

He and Aufidius can no moreatoneThan violentest contrarieties.Shakespeare,Coriolanus, act iv. sc. 6.His first essay succeeded so well, Moses would adventure on a second design, toatonetwo Israelites at variance.—Fuller,A Pisgah Sight of Palestine, vol. ii. p. 92.Having more regard to their old variance than their newatonement.—SirT. More,History of King Richard III.Ye witless gallants I beshrew your hearts,That set such discord twixt agreeing partsWhich never can be setat onementmore.BishopHall,Sat.3. 7.If Sir John Falstaff have committed disparagements unto you, I am of the Church, and will be glad to do my benevolence, to makeatonementsand compromises between you.—Shakespeare,Merry Wives of Windsor, act i. sc. 1.

He and Aufidius can no moreatoneThan violentest contrarieties.

He and Aufidius can no moreatone

Than violentest contrarieties.

Shakespeare,Coriolanus, act iv. sc. 6.

His first essay succeeded so well, Moses would adventure on a second design, toatonetwo Israelites at variance.—Fuller,A Pisgah Sight of Palestine, vol. ii. p. 92.

Having more regard to their old variance than their newatonement.—SirT. More,History of King Richard III.

Ye witless gallants I beshrew your hearts,That set such discord twixt agreeing partsWhich never can be setat onementmore.

Ye witless gallants I beshrew your hearts,

That set such discord twixt agreeing parts

Which never can be setat onementmore.

BishopHall,Sat.3. 7.

If Sir John Falstaff have committed disparagements unto you, I am of the Church, and will be glad to do my benevolence, to makeatonementsand compromises between you.—Shakespeare,Merry Wives of Windsor, act i. sc. 1.

Attire.In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries specially head-dress, head-gear. ‘Attired with stars’ in Milton’s beautiful linesOn Timeis not,clothedwith stars, but,crownedwith them; compare Rev. xii. 1: ‘upon her head a crown of twelve stars.’

Back to Index Next