Middle English Dictionary Entry
pāǧent n.
Entry Info
| Forms | pāǧent n. Also pagaunt, pageant, pageaunte, pageunt, pagia(u)nt, pagiont, paient, paiont, paja(u)nt & pagand, pagende, padghand, pachand, paiande & pagin. |
| Etymology | ML pāgina, -enda, -entēs, etc. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A play in a mystery play cycle; ~ hous, a building in which the movable stage, costumes, props, etc., for a pageant are stored; ~ maister, an officer appointed by a craft to supervise the production of the craft's pageant; ~ silver, money provided by the members of a craft for staging their craft's pageant; (b) a wheeled movable platform on which a mystery play is presented; (c) pleien ~ (pagentes), to act a part, fulfill a role; pleien the ~ of, act like (sb.); practice a deception like (sb.); (d) a scene in a royal welcome or a Roman triumph; (e) a story, tale; (f) an ornamental hanging for a room.
Associated quotations
a
- (1386-7) Mem.Bk.York in Sur.Soc.12097 : Les ditz quatre hommes sercheours coilleront chescun an parmy la citee lafferant de chescun homme de la dite arte qappurtient a lour pagyn de Corpore Christi.
- (1403) Inquis.Miscel.(PRO)7.125 : [2 other cottages and a] pagenthous.
- (1409) Mem.Bk.York in Sur.Soc.125176 : The padghand maistres..sall warn all the crafte, als ofte tymes als thai sall be charged be the sayd sercheours.
- 1415 Procl.Yk.Corp.Christi Dayp.xxxiv : We comand..that euery player..be redy in his pagiaunt at convenyant tyme..and then all oyer pageantz fast followyng ilk one after oyer.
- (a1430) Mem.Bk.York in Sur.Soc.125179 : Thay asked of tham pagand sylver.
- ?c1430 Wycl.Tract AMaria (Corp-C 296)206 : He þat kan best pleie a pagyn [vr. pagent] of þe deuyl..is holden most merie.
- (1435) Doc.in Craig Cov.Pl.p.108 : Unam domum vocatur a paiont hows.
- (1437) Doc.Merchant York in Sur.Soc.12949 : Item, payd for the makyng of the awrres of the pagent hous, vj s.
- (?1443) Mem.Bk.York in Sur.Soc.125181 : Every man of the said craftes shalbe prevy to the receytes..as wele pageant silver as other, and..the pageant maisters..shal make thair rakenyng..upon Sononday next before Missomerday.
- (1453) Doc.in Sharp Pageants Cov.15 : Thomas Colclow, skynner..shull have the rewle of the pajaunt unto the end of xij yers next folowing.
- (1467) Ordin.Wor.372 : Item, that v pageunts be hadd amonge the craftes.
- (1472) Doc.Merchant York in Sur.Soc.12969 : Pro reparacione super le pageant house super le toftes.
- (1472) Doc.Merchant York in Sur.Soc.12971 : This is the rakynyng of our pagyant sylver.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)1/14 : In þe ffyrst pagent we þenke to play how god dede make..hevyn so clere.
- (1475) Mem.Bk.York in Sur.Soc.120186 : Al tho that makes eny hamydown..shalbe contributorye yerely to the..pagiaunt of the said gyrdellers.
- (1476) Doc.York in Smith Yk.Pl.p.xli : Alle the maisters of the same crafte..to awayte apon their pagende maisters and pagende at þe playnge.
- a1525(?1428) Cov.Leet Bk.115 : The craft of Smythes..were discharged of the Cotelers pachand be a lete.
- a1525(?1435) Cov.Leet Bk.172 : The orden that the Sadelers..be..Contrebetory vnto þe paiont off the Cardemakers.
b
- (1392-3) Doc.in Sharp Pageants Cov.66 : Domum pro le pagent pannariorum Coventre.
- (1453) Doc.in Sharp Pageants Cov.15 : Þe kepers of the craft shall let bring forth þe pajant & find clothys that gon abowte þe pajant.
- (1462) Doc.in Craig Cov.Pl.p.89 : Expende..yn reparacion of the pagent, that is to say, a peyre of new whelys, the pryce viij s.
- (1471) Doc.in Craig Cov.Pl.p.89 : Expenses for burneysshyng and peyntyng of the fanes to the pagent, xx d.
- (1472) Doc.Merchant York in Sur.Soc.12972 : For bryngyng forth of the pagyantes into the strette, ij d.
- 1483 Cath.Angl.(Monson 168)266 : A Paiande: lusorium.
- a1525(?1474) Cov.Leet Bk.392 : Also at the Brodeyate a Pagiont; and seint Edward beyng therin with x a-states with hym.
c
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)1.129 : Þes pagyn playen þei þat hiden þe treuþe of Goddis lawe.
- ?c1430(c1400) Wycl.Prelates (Corp-C 296)99 : Þei pleien þe pagyn of scottis; for as scottis token þe skochen of armes of seynt george & here-bi traieden englischemen, so þes anticristis prelatis taken name & staat of cristis apostlis.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)5.2404 : Thus kan this ladi pleyen hir paient Bi a maner of deynous mokerie.
- c1450 ?C.d'Orl.Poems (Hrl 682)175/5228 : Take here a pleyer in For he shal pley his pagaunt now for me.
- (c1450) Boothe be ware (CotR 2.23)p.225 : Petur his pagent pleyed not with the.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)748/8 : I tolde you that thys day there wolde a knyght play his pageaunte.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)759/29 : Yondyr rydyth a knyght that playyth his pageauntes.
d
- c1450 Capgr.Rome (Bod 423)45 : Octauian..was receyued with uii sundry worchippis; perauentur of euery sciens of þe uii liberal was mad sum special pagent in comendacioun of þe man.
- (1468) Paston (EETS)1.539 : Many pagentys wer pleyid in hyr wey in Bryggys to hyr welcomyng, the best þat euer I sye.
e
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Merlin (Corp-C 80)19391 : Now reherseth here this pagent [F contes] how that kyng Ydyer..with xx Ml. Sesoignes dede fyhte.
f
- (1451-2) Grocer Lond.(Kingdon)315 : For duble handyng of the parloure wt lenyn clothe, Rede Worstede, iij pagentes wt our Armes..xj li. xix s. j d.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- (1468) Doc.in Bentley Excerpta Hist.229 : The pageauntes were soo obscure that y fere me to wryte or speke of them, because all was countenaunce and noo wordes. In my understondyng, the furste pageaunt [was] thorough wome Jason wan the flees of golde; the ijde was Quene Astor…and the iijde pageaunte was Vestie that was furst wife unto the Kyng Assureus.
Note: same event as described by John Paston (quoted). This is from acct. of marriage of Princess Margaret, so legit. for (d), but these are unambiguously tableaux. More examples, pp. 232-34.
Note: The Cov. Leet Bk. quotation under (b) should be under (d). It's in a series of descriptions of tableaux (but with set speeches as well) honoring the Prince of Wales. There is another such pageant at 393/1. Also see Chambers v.2, p. 174, where he refers specifically to this, and environs.