Middle English Dictionary Entry
maǧestẹ̄ n.
Entry Info
| Forms | maǧestẹ̄ n. Also maǧestī(e, maieste, maiesti, majeste. |
| Etymology | OF |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
Qualities concomitant with or expressive of rulership; power, dignity, magnificence, etc.: (a) of God or Christ; in (on) ~; of ~, by (His) might or power; (b) of a king or emperor; in ~; of ~, by (his) might; (c) of a god or goddess; upon ~ ; (d) of a human being in eternal glory; (e) of God: power.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.Edm.Abp.(Hrl 2277)267 : Of þe pure stat of Crist & of his mageste, As angel him þoȝte he couþe.
- ?c1335 Þe grace of godde (Hrl 913)227 : Boþe god and man in mageste, Þe heiȝ king aboue vs alle.
- c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems (Add 17376)137/221 : Nou þou syxt..Þet o god hys; Ȝef þou þenkest forþer, Go nauȝt to niȝ hys maieste, To þenche amys.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)105/7 : Þet uerste word ous sseweþ þe langnesse of his eurebleuinge..þe uerþe, þe heȝnesse of his mageste.
- c1350 Apoc.(1) in LuSE (Hrl 874)p.123 : Þe tempel fulfilled of smook of þe mageste of god & of his vertu.
- (c1375) Chaucer CT.Mk.(Manly-Rickert)B.3358 : He wende that god that sit in magestee Ne myghte hym nat bireue of his estat.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)3615 : Ihesu lord..þat syttest on þy maieste..Saue me, ȝif þy wille be.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Num.14.22 : Alle men þat han seyn my Mageste [WB(2) vr. mageste or my grete wondirful doynge] & my sygnys þat y haue do in Egipt.
- c1390 Mirror St.Edm.(1) (Vrn)1086 : Þere þo men schul me se In þe Seete of my Maieste.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)11535 : God hym self, of mageste, Vnto hys lykenes he formed þe.
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)2.251 : God seiþ, 'Y have reserved veniaunce to me..for it falliþ to my mageste.'
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)81/27 : Ihesu answeryd to hir sowle..'I swer by myn hy mageste þat I xal neuyr forsakyn þe.'
- a1450 Castle Persev.(Folg V.a.354)3483 : Pesible Kyng in majeste, I, Pes þi dowtyr, aske þe a bonn Of Man, whouso it be.
- c1450(c1400) Sultan Bab.(Gar 140)1228 : Better..shul we dele By God that is in magiste.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)1032/23 : My soule shall be in grete joy to se..the majeste of oure Lorde.
- ?a1475(a1396) *Hilton SP (Hrl 6579)1.12.8b : Þat ȝe miȝte knowe..þe heiþ of þe almiȝti magestie of hym.
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)221/27 : The sowle sawe þere the maieste of God.
- a1475 *Sidrak & B.(Lnsd 793)5902 : In the þridde [heaven] is Goddis see, Þere he sitteþ in his maieste.
b
- (c1375) Chaucer CT.Mk.(Manly-Rickert)B.3766 : What nedeth it of kyng Anthiochus To telle his hye roial magestee?
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.ML.(Manly-Rickert)B.1082 : He wolde preye hir fader..That of his magestee he wolde enclyne To vouche sauf som day with hym to dyne.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)271b/b : Been haueþ a kyng þat is nought y-armed wiþ strengþe but wiþ lordschipe and mageste.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.1003 : In whos persone is made swyche aliaunce Atwen his manhood & royal mageste, Þat þei nyl suffre noon..Tenpugne his quiete.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)1.pr.4.160 : Gylty ayens the kynges real majeste.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)1236 : Sir, thi marschall..thy mercy besekez, Of thy mekill magestee, fore mendement of thi pople.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)63 : Al þing þat haþ an abilte to reule and gouerne oþere haþ amagiste, for a magiste is not but an abiltee or a þing wherby þat a persoone is abil to be ouer oþere and to gouerne and to reule hem.
- a1450 St.Editha (Fst B.3)4786 : He wolle delyuer hem..& herre enmyes sodenly doune cast Wt all hurre power & magiste.
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)931 : Þe man in his maieste was monþes bot þre; Þan he ȝeldeþ Sathanas þe soule.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)103/10 : Valerius wulde neuer ryse vnto Iulius Cesar..as it had bene a man þat had nott kend his magestie.
- (a1475) Fortescue Gov.E.(LdMisc 593)125 : [A king] woll bie riche hangynges..also horses off grete price..as bi sitith is roiall mageste.
- a1500 Mandev.(3) (Rwl D.99)419 : The king of Hungrye..thoruȝ gret mageste and strengthe, he holdeth manye dyuers londes vnder subieccioun of him.
c
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Deeds 19.27 : The temple of greet Dian schal be acountid into noȝt, but and the mageste of hir schal be distroyed.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.1510 : That was to day a ragged tre, To morwe upon his majeste Stant in the temple wel besein.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Mch.(Manly-Rickert)E.2258 : Thus seith the kyng..'Now wol I graunten of my magestee..That he shal haue ayein his eyen syght.'
d
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Luke 9.31 : And loo! tweye men spaken with him; forsothe Moyses and Elye weren seyn in mageste.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)495/133 : Off all women þou beris þe floure, Nowe schalle þou, lady, belde with me..Full high on highte in mageste.
e
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.102 : Bot ther is on above the Sonne..That is the god, whos mageste Alle othre thinges schal governe.
2.
(a) As a title: his (thi, your) ~ ; (b) God; divine (heigh) ~, ~ on heighe ; (c) a kingly act.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.9 : Whanne Alisaundre..wente toward his owne contray, þe messangers..of Affrica, of Spayne, and of Italy come in to Babilon to ȝilde hem to his lordschipe and mageste [L ejus ditioni].
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.3163 : Displese it nat, nor to ȝour worþines, In presence of ȝour maieste Þat I schal seyn.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)21/10 : Mekely I biseche þin hiȝ magiste, þat þou putte þo peynes upon me.
- c1425(c1400) Primer (Cmb Dd.11.82)p.65 : Þerfor y biseche þi maieste, þat þou, god, do awey wickidnesse.
- ?1435(1432) Lydg.Hen.VI Entry (Jul B.2)215 : Syngyng to-fforn thy ryall Mageste, We say off herte..Sovereyne Lorde, welcome, welcome ye be.
- (1433) RParl.4.444b : Plese it to your Rial Mageste..havynge consideration to the feblesse..of youre Porte of Melcombe, [etc.].
- a1450 LDirige(1) (Dgb 102)246 : I praye þy mageste, God, my wikkednesse away þou lede.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)5112 : He..Shuld degh..Þat so dispitously hath spoken in spit of your person, And meuyt your magesty with his mad wordes.
- c1450(?a1422) Lydg.LOL (Dur-U Cosin V.2.16)3.493 : O myghty lorde, we preyse and blisse the..And gloryfye thy high mageste.
- a1500 Imit.Chr.(Dub 678)150/6 : Þat no þynge be founden in þe temple of þi dignite þat mowe offende þe eyen of þi mageste.
b
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.1058 : Sche seide, 'O hihe mageste, Which sest the point of every trowthe, Tak of thi wofull womman rowthe.'
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.1737 : The hihe almyhti majeste..sende his Sone fro the hevene To sette mannes Soule in evene.
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)10.41 : Þoruȝ miȝt of þe maieste man was ymakid: Faciamus hominem ad ymaginem nostram.
- a1425(a1400) Paul.Epist.(Corp-C 32)Heb.1.3 : His sone..sittus at þe riȝthalfe of þe mageste in heye.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)56/12 : Þat soule..stood forþ tofore þe dyuyn mageste.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)58/34 : Whanne sche knewe þe hiȝ magiste of God so greetly offendid.
- ?c1425(c1390) Chaucer Fort.(Benson-Robinson)65 : Lo, th'execucion of the majestee That al purveyeth of his rightwysnesse, That same thing 'Fortune' clepen ye.
- c1475(a1449) Lydg.IVMass (Trin-C R.3.21)303 : Where Seraphyn sang..aftyr that Osanna, Hygh in excelsis, tofore the mageste.
c
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)3 Esd.4.46 : Þis is mageste [WB(2): the mageste; L majestas] þat of þee I aske þat þou do þe vow þat þou vowedest to þe king of heuene of þi mouþ.
3.
A representation of God or Christ in glory.
Associated quotations
- c1450(?a1422) Lydg.LOL (Dur-U Cosin V.2.16)3.1335 : This grete ymage called sholde be Goddes of Rome, and like a maieste, In hir Right hande sholde also holde A large worlde.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- (1473) RParl.6.92b : Provided alwey that this Acte…extend not nor in any wise be prejudiciall unto Edmund Talbot Squyer…aswell for takyng of Herry late Usurpaunt uppon our Magistee Roiall.
Note: New spelling
- a1500 in Parker Gloss.Archit.1504 fn. : If he be an Earle he must have a majeste and valence fringed.
Note: New sense