Middle English Dictionary Entry
policīe n.
Entry Info
| Forms | policīe n. Also policẹ̄̆, poleci(e, polesi(e, polosie, pollicie, pollicei, polleci(e. |
| Etymology | OF policie, pollicie & police. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The art, study, or practice of government; also, good government; roial ~, monarchical government; (b) the government of a country, a system for ruling a state; (c) a commonwealth or state; bodi of ~, a political union, body politic; (d) the policies, Aristotle's Politics; (e) as adj.: political.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pard.(Manly-Rickert)C.600 : If that a prynce vseth hasardrye, In alle gouernaunce and policye [vr. polesye], He is, as by commune opynyoun, Yholde the lasse in reputacioun.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.1683 : Practique..techeth hou and in what wise..A king schal sette in governance His Realme, and that is Policie, Which longeth unto Regalie.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)8.2567 : Fals ambicioun..Dyuysioun, malicious doubilnesse, Rancour, hatreed..Which set aside al good policie..Haue be cheeff ground of thi [Rome's] destruccioun.
- c1450(a1449) Lydg.SSecr.(Sln 2464)312 : My penne I shulde applye..To..This translacyoun of Royal policye Out of Greek.
- c1450(c1415) Roy.Serm.(Roy 18.B.23)267/26 : I seid also policie, othere good gouernaunce, mervelys vppon þis same.
- c1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Tbr A.7)22481 : Flaterye..causith..rebellyoun In many dyuerse regyoun ffor lak oonly off polosye Off ffolke aboue, that scholde hem guye.
- c1475 Body Pol.(Cmb Kk.1.5)64/22 : Tragedie..is a maner of a ditee that blameth thyngis that be euyll done in ordre of policie of the comonte or of prynces.
- c1484(a1475) Caritate SSecr.(Tak 38)127/32 : Prouydens and polycie be fer fro hys kyngdam.
- a1500(a1471) Ashby APP (Cmb Mm.4.42)643 : To youre richesse make neuer man liche, If ye wol stande in peas and be set by -- So wol god and polleci sykerly.
- 1532-1897(c1385) Usk TL (Thynne:Skeat)51/78 : I am sory to see that governaunce fayleth, as thus: to sene smale and lowe governe the hye and bodies above, Certes, that policye is naught.
b
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)3.3197 : Solon also the beste lawes made..Athenyeses theroff wer ful glade, His gret wisdam whan thei dede espie, Thei fond theryn so moch policie.
- c1475 Chartier Quad.(1) (UC 85)171/10 : By a right comparison the polecye of this land may now be likened to the hous of an yll husbond, the which destrueth his present substaunce or he make purveaunce of that is comynge.
- a1500 Chartier Treat.Hope (Rwl A.338)44/22 : Ye haue committid your poletik rewlis to the manere of an ydolatrie, which corruptith your maners and peruertith your polecie.
- a1500 Chartier Treat.Hope (Rwl A.338)56/6 : Ayeinst thes thre spices of polecye be raysid vnlawful vsurpacions.
c
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)3.459 : Cheste..with the wyndes whiche he bloweth, Fulofte sythe he overthroweth The Cites and the policie.
- 1447 Bokenham Sts.(Arun 327)952 : Fel a ful greuows dissencyoun Betwix the patriark of Antyoche toun..& hym that was be tyrannye That tyme prynce of ther polycye.
- ?a1450(1422) Lydg.SD (McC 182)57/6 : Considerith in youre herte þe noble and þe prudente statutes of þe Polecie of Rome.
- c1475 Body Pol.(Cmb Kk.1.5)48/12 : The wyse men..determyne..the ordre to gouerne well the policie.
- c1475 Body Pol.(Cmb Kk.1.5)164/30 : The whiche said prynce or prynces we haue taken for the hede of the body of polecy.
- c1475 Chartier Quad.(1) (UC 85)173/5 : The peeple is a notable membre of a reame, withoute the whiche the chirche nor the nobles may neuir suffise to make a body of policye.
d
- a1500 Chartier Treat.Hope (Rwl A.338)57/21 : Thei that haue wretyn to vs before The Polesyes haue shewid vs by conclusion that men by theire vndirstondinge ben abled within themself by nature to haue gouernaunce and lordeship.
e
- c1450 Scrope Othea (Lngl 253)2 : I..take vpon me..to translate..a Book off Knyghthode, as wele off gostly and spirituell actis off armys for the sowle hele, as of wordly dedys and policie gouernaunce.
2.
A course of action or procedure, private or public; organization or conduct of affairs; marcial (spiritual) ~, such a plan or procedures pertaining to military (spiritual) affairs.
Associated quotations
- (?1406) Hoccl.MR (Hnt HM 111)252 : Whan þt Vlixes saillid to and fro By meermaides, this was his policie: Alle eres of men of his compaignie With wex he stoppe leet.
- (1447-8) Shillingford86 : The saide Deane and Chapitere the dorys of the saide cloister have stoppid and closid..ayenst al good pollecye.
- c1460(a1449) Lydg.MRose (Hrl 2255)97 : Put in a som al marcial policye..Ten thousand knyhtes.
- c1450 Scrope Othea (Lngl 253)3 : He exercisyd his knyghtly labowris..in grete police vsyng, as of grete cowneseylles and wysdomys.
- a1475(a1447) Bokenham MAngl.(Hrl 4011)24/28 : Yn thus Chapture my auctour determynythe of spiritualle policies of þus londe by bysshopes.
- (a1475) Fortescue Gov.E.(LdMisc 593)148 : Thies counsellors mowe contenually..comune and delibre..vppon þe materes off þe pollycye off þe reaume, as how þe goyng owt off þe money may be restrayned, how bullyon mey be brought in to þe lande..and vppon suche oþer poyntes off police.
- 1790(1471-1472) Ordin.Househ.Edw.IV(2) (Topham)18 : Domus regis edwardi tertii was the house of very polycie and flowre of Englond, the furst setter of certeynties among his domestycall meyne vppon a grounded rule.
- a1500 Chartier Quad.(2) (Rwl A.338)244/33 : Flyes that make hony..keping togedir their assemble and by their litill pollicey [CQ(1): polecie] to kepe the lordship of their kyng þat regnith among them vndir a litill praty roofe.
3.
(a) Practical wisdom, practical ability; administrative skill; (b) prudent conduct of life; (c) guile, sharp practice.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)132 : Louȝer eendis..mowe not be gete wiþoute meenys þerto leding, as is open ynouȝ to men sufficiently leerned in natural philosophie and in moral, and in pollicie and in craft.
- (c1454) Pecock Fol.(Roy 17.D.9)54/6 : Mowe be founden oþire spicis of prudence..fallyng vpon gouernauncis of which no lawe of man is maad, as ben many suche in policie and also in marchaundisyng and in husbondrie.
- (1467-8) RParl.5.623a : What pollecy wolde theryn [in an invasion of France], he reported hym unto their wysdomes.
- c1475 Abbrev.Trip.SSecr.(UC 85)304/8 : Whan his subgites..see him doo alle his besines with wysdome and policie.
- c1475 Chartier Quad.(1) (UC 85)219/26 : The sommes of money suche as our prince receyueth..is come by policye and diligence.
- (1477) Paston (EETS)1.503 : It weere nott polesy for me to sett þat maner jn suche case.
- a1500 Chartier Quad.(2) (Rwl A.338)142/24 : Also their fell vnto my mynde..the subtill wittes, the prudence and witty policie [CQ(1): industrie] of people of diuerse estates.
- c1500(?a1475) Ass.Gods (Trin-C R.3.19)304 : Of worldly wysdom sate the forteresse Callyd Othea, chyef grounde of polycy..Of Prudence the goddese.
- 1543(1464) Hardyng Chron.B (Grafton)p.244 : He gate also a castell besyeged longe Whiche he scalyd with noble polycie.
b
- c1450(c1440) Scrope Othea (StJ-C H.5)7/11 : Be-cause the iiij cardinall vertues be necessarie to good policie, we schal speke of them.
- c1460(a1449) Lydg.Consulo (Hrl 2255)2 : I conseyl..Off policye, forsight, and prudence..Yiff thou wilt lyve in pees..Lyke the audience so vttir thy language.
- (1465) Paston (EETS)1.132 : As for yowre sone..I wold he dede wel, but I vnderstand in hym no disposicion of polecy ne of gouernans as man of the werld owt to do.
c
- (1455) RParl.5.331b : By the subtill labour and grete pollicie of long tyme continued..by the Merchaunts..the Wolles of this Land be brought unto so lite and lowe a price.