Middle English Dictionary Entry
persecūciǒun n.
Entry Info
| Forms | persecūciǒun n. Also persecusioun, persecus(s)ion, persecucoun, percecucoun, persequcione, (late) persecution, persicution & parsecucioun, parsecussioun. |
| Etymology | OF persecucïon, persecusion, persecution, parsecution, persequucion & L persecūtio. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Malevolent pursuit; organized or repeated assault; persecution, oppression; affliction, injury; ~ of, torment or affliction imposed by (sb.); persecution inflicted upon (sb.); ~ of bodi, torture, physical torment; don ~ to, maken ~ ayen, to persecute (the Church), oppress; (b) repeated attacks by wolves; (c) an instance or act of persecution, injurious act; (d) a period of persecution; one of the periods of persecution endured by the early Christians; the time of ~; ~ of deth, a persecution imposing the sentence of death; ~ of heresi, a period of tyrannous imposition of pagan beliefs; (e) enduring of persecution; (f) pursuing, chase; (g) difficulty, tribulation.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Mat.5.10 : Blessid be thei that suffren persecucioun [WB(2): persecusioun; L persecutionem] for riȝtwisnesse.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Rom.8.35 : Who therfore schal departe vs from the charite of God? tribulacioun, or angwisch, or hungur or nakidnesse or persecucioun or perel or swerd?
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)5.433 : Edwynus fliȝ þe persecucioun [Higd.(2): persecucion; L persecutionem] of Ethelfridus.
- (?1387) Wimbledon Serm.(Corp-C 357)119/941 : Þe persecucioun [vr. percecucoun] vpon Cristen men was so gret þat wiþinne þretty dayes þer were two and twenty þousand men and wymmen slayn by diuerse countrees for Goddis sake.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)19a/a : He is gileful & desceyuable in pees & violent in persecucioun.
- a1400(c1340) Rolle Psalter (Hat 12)7/5 : Þe voyce of Cristenmans saule says til Crist, for persecucioun of gastly enmys and bodily, 'Lord whartille.'
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)13.205 : Hus seyntes..for hus sake þoleden Pouerte, penaunce, persecucion of body.
- c1400 *Bk.Mother (LdMisc 210)11/18 : Alle þat wollen lyue mekeliche in Crist schullen suffre parsecussioun.
- c1400 Wycl.LAChurch (Dub 244)p.xxxi : Suche persecucioun schal be in Goddis Chirche.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.5493 : Herodes þe blissed childe haþ souȝt Þoruȝ his malis & cruelte horrible..For which pursut and persecucioun Þer dide apere..An holy angel to Ioseph.
- a1425(c1340) Rolle Psalter (LdMisc 286)26.6 : If persecucyon of the world, or temptacyons wax ageynes me, in that batail i shal hope in my lord.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)4134 : In his tyme sal be swylk tribulacion And swa mykel parsecucion, Þat unnethes any sal dur graunt Þat he es cristen, and God servant.
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)2.105 : Þis persecucioun of Crist failiþ not ȝit in his membris, or in treuþe of Cristis cause.
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)128/17 : Þare was sum tyme a wikked tiraunt þat..persued Cristen men..And in þat cuntree dwelled many Cristen men þe whilk forsuke all þaire gudes and þaire ricchess and fledd by cause of þe persecucioun of þat tiraunt.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)224/37 : He fulfillide his obedience þat was put to hym..wiþdrawynge neuere..ne for no persecucioun of þe Iewis, ne for illusiouns, repreuys, and grucchinges and criinges of þe peple.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)416/28 : I schal refoorme my spouse, holy chirche, stiringe ȝou..to sorowe for þe wickidnes of hem þat doon persecucioun to it.
- (1440) Capgr.St.Norb.(Hnt HM 55)3177 : Of special persecucioun wil we now telle Whech þat to Norbert at þat tyme felle.
- a1456(a1449) Lydg.Friend AN (Ashm 59)36 : Kyng Dauid..and freondly Ionathas..sparde not..for al Saulus fel parsecucyoun, to contynue in oone opynyoun And never dessever for no foreine dede.
- a1450 Ben.Rule(2) (Vsp A.25)968 : For god sake we suld be bown To suffer sere persecucioun.
- ?c1450 St.Cuth.(Eg 3309)4579 : Persecucioun fers and fell Noyed all northumbirland.
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)64 : He counceled him that he schuld sese fro the persecucion of Cristen men.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)363/213 : I am not worthy to ben clepyd apostle, sothly I say yow, For as a woodman ageyn holy cherche I mad persecucyon.
- a1475 VPhilibert (Brog 2.1)p.38 : Thowȝe God send the propirte and welthe, Day by day he makyth the amonisione, By syknes and by wordly persecusione, That at the last nedys thou must dye.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)5.77 : The Grekes, trowblede soore and dredenge the persecucion of the Romanes, caste the bodies of Petyr and Paule in to a pytte.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)87.7 : Stormes of persicution thou brought on me for ekynge of my wo.
- ?a1500 Job (Hnt HM 140)33 : This serpent and Devyll Sathan..desired power of persecucion Of Job.
- c1525 Rule & T.St.Francis(2) (Fst D.4)564 : I commaunde also..that they..not..gette or purchease ony letter or writynge from the court of Rome, nother for the churche nor for any other maner of place, nother for prechyng nor vndre that colour, nother yet for the persecution of ther bodies.
- c1600(?c1395) PPl.Creed (Trin-C R.3.15)653 : Alle þat persecution in pure lijf suffren, Þei han the benison of god.
b
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)140/10 : In al Almayne there was siche persecucion that men ne durst not passe out of here howses but ȝif it were..so many men that myȝt defende hem-self fro the cruelte of the wolfes.
c
- c1350 Apoc.(1) in LuSE (Hrl 874)p.1 : Alle þoo þat willen pytiuosli leuen in iesu crist shullen suffre persecuciouns & anguisshes.
- c1390(c1350) NHom.(2) PSanct.(Vrn)102/322 : Holy men..Schulde Coueyte to suffre here Persecussions in mony manere.
- a1400 Apoc.(1) in LuSE (Cai 231/117)p.51 : Persecucouns [vr. persecucyons; Hrl 874: Þe grete stiring of erþe bitokneþ þe grete persecucioun of Antecrist].
- c1400 Bible SNT(1) (Selw 108 L.1)2 Thes.1.4 : We oweþ to þanke God..for ȝoure pacyence & ȝoure feiþ in alle persecucyons and ȝoure tribulacyounes þat ȝe suffreþ.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)60/11 : For riȝt as ȝe desyre to se my worschip in holy chirche, so schuld ȝe desyren to loue and to wille to suffre persecuciouns wiþ verry pacience.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)205/2 : Seynt Poul..roos fro his mysbileeue and persecuciouns þat he dide and schewide to trewe cristen folk.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)347/4 : But soþli my seruauntis ceessen not, ne faile not, neiþir for persecuciouns, ne scoornes, ne vnkyndenes of hem.
- (c1456) Pecock Faith (Trin-C B.14.45)256 : The apostlis hadden not grettist leisers, for persecuciouns, that thei myȝten anoon in the bigynnyng have writen.
- 1483 Cath.Angl.(Monson 168)276 : A Persecucion: persecucio, jnsecucio.
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)11/22 : In a serteyne Sonday was shewyd vn-to him..certeyne persecucions, the whiche schuld afturward befalle in the world.
d
- c1350 Apoc.(1) in LuSE (Hrl 874)p.51 : Þe grete stiring of erþe bitokneþ þe grete persecucioun of Antecrist.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)5.111 : Þis eiȝteþe ȝere of Dioclicianus was þe firste ȝere of þe grete persecucioun þat was under Dioclicianus in þe Est and Maximianus in þe West; þat persecucioun was grettest and lengest durynge.
- a1425(?a1400) PCounsel.(Hrl 674)151/1 : In þe first biginnyng of Holy Chirche, in þe tyme of persecucioun, dyuerse soules..weren so..touchid in sodeynte of grace þat..þei..ronnen wiþ-outyn ransakyng of reson to þe martirdom wiþ seintes.
- c1450(?c1400) 3 KCol.(1) (Cmb Ee.4.32)134/15-16 : After þe dethe of þes iii worscheppeful kyngis Constantyn and his holy Moder, seynt Elene forseyde, þer began aȝene a newe persecucioun of heresye aȝens þe cristen feiþ, and also a persecucioun of dethe aȝens hem þat wolde mayntene þe cristen feiþ.
e
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Sum.(Manly-Rickert)D.1909 : We mendynantz..Been wedded to pouerte and continence, To charitee humblesse and abstinence, To persecucioun for rightwisnesse, To wepyng, misericorde, and clennesse.
f
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)2.331 : Hit is redde the see Pamphilyke to haue bene diuidede afore grete Alexander the Conqueroure, and afore his hoste, in the persecucion of [Trev.: whan he pursewed; L in persequendo] Darius.
g
- a1450(?c1343) Rolle EDormio (Cmb Dd.5.64)65/141 : Some men er in pyne and persecucion [vrr. persecucioun, persequcione] & anguysch in þis lyfe, and hase heven to þair mede.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)40.12 : Sche..Evere As A womman good & Clene hire persecucions suffred..And Evere thanked God Of hire trebulacioun, Of hire deseisse and hire persecuciown.
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Hrl 7333)87 : Þou shalt suffre grete persecucion or þou come þere, and if þou be constant & pacient in all thi tribulacion, thy sorowe shal turne the to gret ioy.