Amerce, v. t. (Deut. xxii. 19). To impose a pecuniary penalty upon an offender. Blackstone and Spelman say to be amerced, or à mercie, is to be at the king's mercy with regard to the fine imposed.' An amercement differs from a fine proper, in that the latter is fixed by statute, but this distinction is not implied in the Hebrew. The author of Piers Ploughman has evidently this etymology in view; And though ye mowe amercy hem Vision, 3872. Shakespeare keeps up the true meaning of the word. But I'll amerce you with so strong a fine, Rom. and Jul. III. I. Millions of spirits, for his fault amerced Milton, Paradise Lost, 1. 609. Amiable, adj. (Ps. lxxxiv. 1). Lovely; from Fr. aimable, Lat. amabilis, of which we have retained only the active sense of 'loving.' Amiable, or woorthy to be loued. Amabilis...Amiable ou digne d'estre aimé. Baret, Alvearie, s. v. Come, sit thee down upon this flowery bed, While I thy amiable cheeks do coy. Shakespeare, Mid. N.'s Dr. Iv. 1. If it be true, that the principall part of beauty, is in decent motion, certainly it is no marvaile, though persons in yeares, seeme many times more amiable. Bacon, Ess. XLIII. p. 177. Amity, sb. (1 Macc. xii. 16). Friendship, especially between nations, political friendship; from Fr. amitié, Lat. amicitia. As well the Romaines, than great lordes of the worlde, as Persians, and diuers other realmes, desyred to haue with theim amitee and aliance. Elyot's Governour, 1. fol. 8 a. First, to do greetings to thy royal person; And lastly to confirm that amity Shakespeare, 3 Hen. VI. III. 3. Ancient, sb. (Is. iii. 14; Jer. xix. 1; Ez. vii. 26, &c.). An elder. For as much as our duetie is to worship and adore the gods, to honour our parents, to reverence our ancients, to obey the lawes. Holland's Plutarch, Morals, p. 9, 1. 23. Ancientest, adj. Most ancient. The Apostle excepteth no tongue; not Hebrewe the ancientest, not Greeke the most copious, not Latine the finest. The Translators to the Reader. Let me pass The same I am, ere ancient'st order was Shakespeare, Winter's Tale, IV. I. And all (Judg. xvi. 3, 'bar and all"). Halliwell and Hunter (Hallamshire Gloss.) put this down as a provincialism, and it certainly is very common in Yorkshire. To vs of Syon that ben borne If thou thy favoure wolt renewe Croke's Vers. of 51st Psalm. Yea and this citie here of Hierusalem...together with the temple and all...shall bee trodde vnder fete by the Gentiles. Udal's Erasmus, Luke xxi. In that respect we must hate none, we must love our enemies and all. Peter Smart's Sermon, p. 3. He razed townes and threwe downe towers and all. Sackville, Induction. See also the example from Ascham's Scholemaster, quoted under All. 1 And if (Matt. xxiv. 48). And if' or 'an if,' for 'if' simply, is a redundant expression of very common occurrence in old writers. (Compare or ere.) Mr Wedgwood regards both as fragments of the same English word even. On the other hand Horne Tooke derives an from the A. S. unnan, and if from gifan, both signifying 'to give.' The latter, though plausible, is rendered extremely doubtful by the analogy of the old Norse ef, from ifa to doubt. On the other hand the usage of gif in old English and of gin in Scotch seems to support Horne Tooke's etymology. We find and constantly used for if. O swete and wel biloved spouse deere Chaucer, 2nd Nun's Tale, 1. 12073. So wole Crist of his curteisie, Piers Ploughman's Vis. 1. 11849. Yhit suld him thynk, and he toke kepe, Rolle, The Pricke of Conscience, 1. 8075. And you love me, let's do 't: I am dog at a catch. speare, Tw. Night, II. 3. Shake And certainly, it is the nature of extreme selfe-lovers, as they will set an house on fire, and it were but to roast their egges, Bacon, Ess. XXIII. p. 97, l. 21. 'And if' as frequently occurs. But and if we have this livery, if we wear his cognizance here in this world, that is, if we love our neighbour, help him in his distress, be charitable, loving and friendly unto him, then we shall be known at the last day. Latimer, Serm. p. 452. I pray thee, Launce, and if thou seest my boy, Bid him make haste, and meet me at the North gate. Shakespeare, Two G. of V. III. I. Yes but you will my noble grapes, and if My noble fox could reach them. Id. All's Well, II. 1. Anger, v. t. (Ps. cvi. 32; Rom. x. 19). To make angry, provoke to anger, enrage. The chiefest cause as it is saied that angered Pyrrus most grew upon this. North's Plutarch, Pyrrus, p. 424. Not as compelled or driuen thereto for any perill that he seeth but angred at their folly that assaile or set vpon him. Holland's Pliny, VIII. 16. Angle, sb. (Is. xix. 8; Hab. i. 15). A fishing rod with line and hook; from A. S. angel a fish-hook. One of the treatises in the Boke of St Alban's (1496) is 'of fysshynge with an angle' Give me mine angle,-we'll to the river: there, Shakespeare, Ant. and Cl. II. 5. Ben Jonson, Alchemist, II. I. The Temple church, there have I cast mine angle. 'Angil-hoc' occurs in Wiclif, Is. xix. 8. Anon, adv. (Matt. xiii. 20; Mark 1. 30). Immediately, at once. Several derivations have been proposed. 'An one scil. minute vel instant, Junius. A. S. on-án, Minsheu. (See quot. 3.) Anoon I swowned after. Piers Ploughman's Vision, 1. 10831. Gower, Conf. Am. prol. I. p. 34. So it by-felle hym sonne onone. Sir Isumbras, l. 521. There issued out of Him as I shall entreat anon drops of blood. Latimer, Serm. p. 222. It occurs in the form in one or in oon, which probably led to the etymology proposed by Junius. That ever in one aliche hot Me greveth. Gower, Conf. Am. 1. 297. But ever in oon y-like sad and kynde. It is written also among.' Chaucer, Clerk's Tale, 1. 8478. But ever among they it assaile Gower, Conf. Am. 1. 348. The idea involved in anon is that of unbroken continuation. Compare the common expressions on and on,' and 'an end,' as in Massinger, A very Woman, III. I: For she sleeps most an end; that is, without intermission. Answer, is used in the A. V. with considerable latitude of meaning. It does not necessarily imply that a question has been previously asked, though there is usually reference to something that has gone before. One of the most marked instances is Acts v. 8, where St Peter is said to have answered Sapphira though apparently she had not spoken, and he really asked a question. Other noteworthy instances are 1 Kings xiii. 6; Is. lxv. 24;. ii. 14, 15, 26; Matt. xi. 25; xii. 38; xvii. 4; xxii. 1; xxvi. 25, 63; Mark ix. 5; xi. 14; Luke iii. 16; xxii. 51; Rev. vii. 13. In 2 Tim. iv. 16 it is used as a substantive to denote an apology or defence in a court of justice. Dan. Anything (Num. xvii. 13; Judg. xi. 25; 1 Sam. xxi. 2; Acts xxv. 8). At all. After whych tyme the prince neuer tyed his pointes, nor any thyng rought of hym selfe. Hall, Rich. III. f. 3 b. Any while (Mark xv. 44). For any length of time. See While. Apace, adv. (Ps. lxviii. 12; and lviii. 6, P. B.). From Fr. pas, a pace, step: at a great pace, swiftly. And in hire hour he walketh forth a paas Chaucer, Knight's Tale, 1. 2219. |