Middle English Dictionary Entry
tranquillitẹ̄ n.
Entry Info
| Forms | tranquillitẹ̄ n. Also tranquilite, trancquillite, transquillite. |
| Etymology | OF tranquilité, tranquillité, transquillité; also cp. L tranquillitas. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Peace in city, realm, or church, or for an individual or institution; right rule, public order; freedom from war, rebellion, oppression, interference, disturbance, etc.; also, security from loss [quot. c1440]; (b) peace between individuals, groups, or nations, harmony, amicable relations.
Associated quotations
a
- (1417) Let.War France in Bk.Lond.E.(Gldh LetBk I & K)69/30 : Euer syn the tyme of your last departyng it hath stonde..in as gret pees and tranquillite as euer ded Cite in absence of his most soueraign and excellent lord.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.7193 : Regned a kyng..whiche in tranquillite, With-oute werre or aduersite, Had holde his septer & his royal sete.
- (1439) Proc.Privy C.5.357 : God made..the princes for..the wele and behove of his poeple..to reule theim in tranquillite, namly by the mene of deue ministracion of justice.
- c1440 ?Lydg.Charters (Add 14848)p.227 : Who that cherysshethe..them [freedoms of the Convent]..receyve shal..helthe and good aventure, of lyf and goodys fulsom tranquyllyte, welthe and proteccioun long to endure.
- (c1447) Let.Oxf.in OHS 35262 : We beseche ȝour good lordschip to be good lord and protectour to us & to our..Universite, for þe good rest and tranquillite of þe study.
- a1450(c1400) Wor.Serm.(Wor F.10)24/91 : And e þis prayer, ȝe schul ha recomendid þe vnite & te tranquilite of al holichirche.
- c1450 Capgr.Rome (Bod 423)39 : Lord..moost fortunat to pees and trancquillite, we se weel..þat þis þing myth neuyr be doo be a worldly man.
- c1450 Scrope Othea (Lngl 253)3 : He exercisyd his knyghtly labowris..in..grete cowneseylles and wysdomys, yevyng and executing the same for the conseruacyon of iustice and transquillite..for all the comon welleffare of that noble royaulme.
- (1457) LRed Bk.Bristol2.184 : The right wise and discrete Counsell..for the gode gouernaunce and the grete tranquillite, prosperite, and availe of the seid Towne of Bristow..have ordeigned..ye ordinaunce and actes that hereafter foloweth.
- (1474) Let.Christ Ch.in RS 85.3275 : Tranquillite and assured peax within forth is the oonly moyen by the which any reame or comynalte of the world hath growen to abundance and richesse.
- c1475(a1449) Lydg.St.Giles (LdMisc 683)284 : Sette thy chirche for euer in sekernesse And thy relygioun in Tranquyllyte.
- a1500 Chartier Treat.Hope (Rwl A.338)61/7 : Þe people retournid agayne owt of bondage vnto fredom, from the affecion [read: affliccion] of Babylon vnto the tranquyllite of Ierusalem.
- c1500 O Vanite (Ashm 61)3 : Lo! how þis werld is turnyd vp & downe: Now wele, now wo; now tranquilyte, Now werre; now pese, & now rebilyoun.
- a1525(?1464) Cov.Leet Bk.328 : We therfore, and for the tender zele and chierte that we bere to oure seid Cite & thease & tranquillite of our true subgiettes of the same, haue ceassed of any strayt examinacion in the seid mater.
b
- (1444) RParl.5.121a : Afore this tyme for the wele of Peas, Tranquillite, and gode Governance bitwene the Baillifs and Cominalte of the Toun of Shroesbury, divers composicions were made.
- a1450(1412) Hoccl.RP (Hrl 4866)5036 : Thynges þat leden men to pees be thre: Conformyng in god; in our self humblesse; And wit our neigheboures tranquillite.
- a1450-a1500(1436) Libel EP (Warner)1115 : Oure lord Ihesu seith, 'Blessid mot they be That maken pease,' that is tranquillite.
- (1471) Doc.in HMC Var.Col.4209 : Suche conclusion, We trust, shall ensue as shall now be to the tranquillite, rest, weal and encrease of love bitwixt the said Reverende Fadre, you, and oure Comminalte there.
2.
(a) Equanimity, composure, contentment; don a ~, to relieve (someone's) distress, uplift (sb.); (b) relaxation, rest, repose; physical and emotional calmness; (c) spiritual tranquillity, serenity; imperturbability.
Associated quotations
a
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.1805 : What wilful lust..Han putte þi soule out of tranquillite, To make þe wery of þi prosperite.
- a1456(1429) Lydg.Hen.VI Coron.Ballade (Trin-C R.3.20)63 : God sende þis day vn-to þy regalye..with Cesar Iulyus, His pacyence and his tranquyllytee.
- a1450(1412) Hoccl.RP (Hrl 4866)5055 : The thrid is eke tranquillite of þought, Þat gydeth man to pees; for..who þat is with greuous þoughtes twight, May with himself non othir folk a-riȝt Haue no pees.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.52 : Moche noyse of thyne affeccioun Hath sore distracted and distourbed þee And put thy mynde out of tranquillite As sorwe, mournynge, heuynesse and ire.
- c1450 ?C.d'Orl.Poems (Hrl 682)28/830 : Suche as haue of louys payne felyng..when to speke..naue tyme nor metyng To say ther ladies of ther aduersite, Yet doth it them a gret tranquyllite Forto endite and sende as in writyng.
- c1475 Body Pol.(Cmb Kk.1.5)176/25 : For by long studying all the sentyfe vertues of a man be made wery and dulle..they be not brought agayn to their reste and tranquillyte [F transquilité] by cessyng of all maner werkes.
b
- ?a1425 Chauliac(1) (NY 12:Wallner)2.98/17 : Be he war of..bisynez, of to much exercise & superflwe waking; Halde his wombe laxe, Luf he gladsomnez and tranquillite.
- ?a1425 Chauliac(1) (NY 12:Wallner)3.82/16 : Yt bihoueþ þat þe state of hym be moiste & softe And þat he stande in tranquillite & quiete.
- c1475 *Mondeville (Wel 564)148a/a : As longe as þe pacient blediþ we schulen make him to be in al þe reste & tranquillite þat we kunnen ouþir mowen..we musten caste fro him alle maner of þouȝtis and meuynges boþe bodily & goostily, as yre.
- a1500(a1450) Ashmole SSecr.(Ashm 396)54/30 : And sothly in the eve souper..the body may have tranquyllite of his labour, and than may rest body and soule.
c
- c1400 Aelred Inst.(1) (Vrn)43/727 : In oure preyeres..Let also vre herte be left vp wit-oute wraþþe, wit-oute stryf, þat tranquillite haþ put in reste.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)2.pr.4.136 : Yif it so be that thow art myghty over thyself (that is to seyn, by tranquillite of thi soule), than hastow thyng in thi powere that thow noldest nevere leesen.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)174/7 : In þe þridde gree, þat is, in pees & tranquillyte of soule, þei han experyence in hemsilf of parfiȝt vertu.
- 1447 Bokenham Sts.(Arun 327)3065 : Þe gatys of heuyn to þe Bene now wyd opynnyd; come jn meryly Ant rest in pese & tranquillyte.
- c1450(a1400) Orolog.Sap.(Dc 114)380/35 : What-tyme a mannes soule is..clensed of alle þe degrees of passyouns and, in as myche as hit is graunted to mannes freelte, is commun to vnmouabil tranquillite and reste of soule and parfite clannes, hee þis schalle come to þe vnbroken perseueraunce of my lovynge.
- c1460 Tree & Fruits HG (McC 132)72/16 : What is pees but tranquillite of soule, sympilnes of hert, þe bonde of loue, and þe feleschip of charite.
- c1475 Wisd.(Folg V.a.354)59 : Wo takyt me [Wisdom] to spowse may veryly wene..That rest and tranqwyllyte he xall sene And dey in sekyrnes of joy perpetuall.
- a1500 Imit.Chr.(Dub 678)46/25 : He haþ gret tranquillite of herte þat settiþ neuer by praisynges ner blamynges.
3.
Stillness, calm; fair weather; also fig.
Associated quotations
- c1425 Found.St.Barth.44/10 : At his beke..the ire of wyndys were restreynyd, the feruor of the swellyng see was I-sesid, clerenes to heuyn, tranquyllite to the see was I-ȝeuen.
- a1475(1450) Scrope DSP (Bod 943)254/29 : Whenne thi ship is in grete tranquillite, be than in greete doubte of drownynge.
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Hrl 7333)106 : As longe as that bridde dwellithe in hir nest, al the see is in tranquilitee.
- a1500 Imit.Chr.(Dub 678)97/6 : Comaunde wyndes & tempestes; sey to þe see, 'be in reste, ' & to þe norþen wynde, 'blowe not'; & þere shal be gret tranquillite.
- a1500 12 PTrib.(2) (Rwl C.894)393 : Þou delitest not in oure per[i]chynge, for after tempestis þou makist tranquillite, & after teers and wepyng þou sendist gladnesse.