Middle English Dictionary Entry
trōne n.(2)
Entry Info
| Forms | trōne n.(2) Also tron(ne, troun, thron(e, throun & trọ̄ne & (error) tyme; pl. trones, etc. & tronus, tronen, troun, troni, thronus, throni. |
| Etymology | OF tron, trone, AF trun(e, throne & L thronus, ML tronus. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The seat occupied by a sovereign, a throne; also, the center of court or government; (b) the throne as a symbol of sovereign power; (c) the ecclesiastical seat occupied by a pope or a bishop; (d) a representation of a throne; also, a structure resembling a throne [quot. ?c1450].
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.Kath.(LdMisc 108)35 : Þe Aumperour sat In is trone And al is folk a-bouten him.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)6921 : Þe king þen dom uor to ȝiue, an hey sat on is trone.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Judg.3.20 : Þe kyng..satt forsoþe in þe somer soupynge place alone &..anoon roos fro þe trone [vr. troon].
- (a1382) WBible(1) Pref.Jer.(Bod 959)1.34 : Sum noble men..ȝede þoru þe most plenteuowse kyngdoms of ynde &..come to bragmans, þat hyarch syttand in þe golden trone.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)3.271 : His trone [Higd.(2): regalle seete] was in þe citee Susus.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)22122 : In þe temple o salamon þan sal þat traitur sett his tron.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1396 : Baltazar upon bench was busked to sete; Stepe stayred stones of his stoute throne.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)141/35 : At the chief of the halle is the Emperoures throne full high where he sytteth at the mete & þat is of fyn precyouse stones bordured all aboute with pured gold & precyous stones & grete perles.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)977 : The day efter his deth drerely him wendis Alexander his aire & syttis in his trone.
- a1486(a1460) Coron.Kings Eng.in Archaeol.57 (Mrg M 775)47 : The kyngis trone..in that pulpite shall be a royall trone and a ryall see in the whiche the kynge shall sitte and hit shall also be ryally arayed with cusshyns and clothis of golde and of silke.
- a1500 Add.37075 Gloss (Add 37075)85/319a : Tronus: a trone.
- 1543(1464) Hardyng Chron.B (Grafton)p.61 : Belyn was kyng and sat in royall trone.
b
- (c1375) Chaucer CT.Mk.(Manly-Rickert)B.3333 : The myghty trone, the precious tresor, The glorious ceptre and roial maiestee..hadde the kyng Nabugodonosor.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Judith 1.12 : King nabugodonosor..swor bi þe rewme & his trone þat he shulde defenden hym fro alle þoo regiounis.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)6.317 : He sette here in trone beside hym aȝenst þe manere of þe kyngdom of West Saxons.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)920 : Þou tellez me of Jerusalem..Þer Dauid dere watz dyȝt on trone.
- a1425 Dial.Reason & A.(Cmb Ii.6.39)13/24 : Emperours & kynges sitte þei neuere so hiȝe, here trone trembliþ vndur hem but vertu holde hem vp.
- a1450 Castle Persev.(Folg V.a.354)457 : Now I sytte in my semly sale; I trotte and tremle in my trew trone.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)2776 : Sire Dari..driȝten þi-selfe, Þe grete glorius god graythid in þi trone.
- a1500 Chartier Quad.(2) (Rwl A.338)134/17 : Divine prouidence..subuertith some from their high trone of imperiall lordeshippes into the diepe pitte of thralldom.
- a1500 Chartier Treat.Hope (Rwl A.338)28/2 : In erthe meke men haue disfacid the prowde men, and suche persons as war put abacke and kept vndir be now arraysid into the high troones from whens the prowde men be fall.
c
- c1390 NHom.Theoph.(Vrn)78 : Þe bisschop..made a noþur bisschop sone and set him deorely in trone.
- a1500(?c1378) Wycl.OPastor.(Ryl Eng 86)457 : Þe pope sittiþ in his troone & makiþ lordis to kisse his feet.
d
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.217 : In þe temple was Iupiters ymage of golde, sittynge in a trone.
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)114/8 : Þaire mawmet was first sett in trone in þaire temple.
- ?c1450 Brut-1447 (Trin-C O.9.1)463/17 : Þere was made in serkelwyse a Trone, and in the myddes sittyng a yonge child arayed as a kyng.
- c1475 Body Pol.(Cmb Kk.1.5)89/28 : The olde auncientis peyntid the goddesse of lordeship..like a lady sette up in an highe royall trone.
2.
(a) The seat of God, Christ, or a pagan deity; also, the place from which divine dispensations are made; in ~, in majesty, enthroned; (b) the place of honor assigned Mary, the apostles, or the saints in heaven; also, Lucifer's prelapsarian place of honor; (c) in fig. contexts: a symbol of a virtue; (d) a spiritual state hospitable to the divine presence; also, a symbol of a spiritual place reserved for the divine presence; (e) in epithets: ~ of charite, Christ; ~ of godhede (the trinite), Mary.
Associated quotations
a
- ?c1250 Somer is comen & (Eg 613)72 : He ros him ene þe þridde day & sette him on is trone.
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)1316 : Þat wite þw that sittes in trone!
- c1350 Ayenb.App.(Arun 57)266/33 : Ich y-zeȝ..oure lhordes iesu cristes..ine þe wonderuolle trone zittynde aboue alle þe holy ordres of angles and of men.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)162 : Y swere by cryst in trone.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Is.28.6 : In þat dai shal ben þe lord of ostis þe crowne of glorie..& þe spirit of dom to þe sittere vp on þe trone [L iudicium].
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Heb.4.16 : Therfore go we with trist to the trone of his grace, that we gete mercy, and fynde grace.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)8.243 : From Innocencius court he appeled to Cristes owne trone.
- c1400 Apoc.(2) (Hrl 171)19/11-12 : Hym þat ouercomeþ I schal ȝeue to sitte wiþ me in my troone, as I haue ouercomen, & sitte wiþ my fadir in his troone.
- a1425(c1300) NHom.(1) Nativ.(Cmb Gg.5.31)p.66 : That Lord that syttes heght in tronne [rime: mone]..For man sake was layde in cloutes.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)4.1079 : Almyghty Jove in trone..Rewe on my sorwe.
- a1425(a1400) Paul.Epist.(Corp-C 32)Rom.14.10 : Alle we schal stande by fore þe trone of god.
- a1450 Castle Persev.(Folg V.a.354)317 : Lord Jhesu, to ȝou I bydde a bone Þat I may folwe..Þe aungyl þat cam fro heuene trone.
- a1450 Castle Persev.(Folg V.a.354)3331 : Þou [Christ] descendyst fro þi trone And lyth in a maydyns wombe iwys.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)161 : Sirraphis at sittis in his trone..was þar god alþire-graythist [read: alþire gretist].
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)81/259 : I Crye þe mercy, lorde..recomendynge me to þat godhyd þat is tryne in trone.
- a1480(c1450) Barlaam (2) (Peterh 257)33/1151 : Þan shal an angel blowe a trumpe, and at þe sounde þereof, al deed men shul aryse in body and soule togydre, and come before his trone.
- a1500(?a1400) Morte Arth.(2) (Hrl 2252)3944 : Lord..Brynge thys sowle vnto thy trone.
- a1500(c1410) Dives & P.(Htrn 270)1.231 : Heuene..is Godis trone, ne be erde, for it is þe stol vndir his feet.
- a1500(?c1450) Florence (Cmb Ff.2.38)1839 : A dreryar woman myȝt noon leeue, Vndur heuyn trone.
b
- c1225(?c1200) SWard (Bod 34)28/261 : Ich iseh on heh ouer alle heouenliche þe eadi meiden his moder marie inempnet sitten in a trone se swiðe briht wid ȝimmes istirret.
- c1350 Ayenb.App.(Arun 57)267/13 : Ich y-zeȝ þe apostles ine tronen zittynde.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)5.177 : Basilius..sigh by nyȝte in þe myddel of þe chirche a gret multitude of aungels, and in þe myddel of hem a woman sittynge on a tyme [vr. trone].
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)13221 : Of hei oxspring [read: offspring] þan es þis ion, þat þar vp sittes hei in tron.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)211 : I schal telde up my trone in þe tramountayne And by lyke to þat Lorde þat þe lyft made.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)835 : Inmydez þe trone þere sayntez sete, Þe apostel John hym saȝ as bare Lesande þe boke with leuez sware.
- c1450 Heile be þou marie cristis (Lamb 853)20 : Heil be þou, marie, þat hiȝ sittist in troone.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)366/314 : O swete soule of mary..haue mynde of thy pore brether when thou comyst to þi tron.
- a1500 St.Anne(3) (Tan 407)268 : Now blyssyd be this lady there sche syttes in troon.
c
- c1390 Castle Love(1) (Vrn)736 : In þulke derworþe feire tour þer stont a trone wiþ muche honour, Of whit iuori.
- (a1398) Trev.Barth.(Add 27944:Seymour)74/32 : Þe vertu of Goddes equite is ilikned to a firy trone in Danyel.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)9944 : Wit-in þis tour..Es sett a tron os [read: of] iuor graid..godd him-self deuised it.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)2.134 : Alle þat han wel y-wroght wenden..to heuene..Ther treuthe is, þe trone þat trinite ynne sitteþ.
- c1425 Castle Love(2) (Eg 927)443 : The trone of yuor is the saule of our swete lady.
d
- c1450(c1415) Roy.Serm.(Roy 18.B.23)292/7 : Com to me, my choson, and I shall put my trone in þe, þat is my restynge place.
- c1460 Tree & Fruits HG (McC 132)161/12 : Thus þan chast virginite is þe spouse of crist, þe trone of god, þe temple of þe holy gost.
e
- c1390 Psalt.Mariae(1) (Vrn)274 : Heil temple of grace, Trone of þe godhed.
- a1450(a1400) Medit.Pass.(2) (Add 11307)652 : Brest fel ful of loue fre, Þou noble trone of charyte.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)108/333 : I comende me on to yow, þou trone of þe trinyte, O mekest mayde, now the modyr of jhesu.
3.
Pl. (a) The third of the nine orders of angels;—also sg.; (b) a representation of the angelic thrones.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Col.1.16 : For in hym alle thingis ben maad..ether trones ether domynaciouns ethir principatis.
- c1390(a1325) Ipotis (Vrn)93 : Þe furste ordre is Cherubin, And þat oþer Seraphin, Þe þridde is cleped Trones [vrr. tronys, tronus, thronus].
- a1425(a1396) Maidstone PPs. (Wht)111 : I cry the mercy, Kyng of Thrones.
- a1450(a1400) Medit.Pass.(2) (Add 11307)1105 : Angeles ben redy þere ywys..þat Trouns y-cleped be, ffor in hem is Godes owne se.
- c1450(?a1422) Lydg.LOL (Dur-U Cosin V.2.16)3.829 : For bothe troni and dominacion..The laudes songen in the hevynly quere.
- c1450 Bk.GGrace (Eg 2006)317/9 : Throni..broght with þame a throne of euere, wharebye sche vnderstode þe moste tranquillyte ande the moste peeseable reste wharewith God mayde his habytacion in here.
- (a1460) Bokenham Sts. (Adv Abbotsford B3)141.155 (v.2:p.399) : Heuynes takyn vp mayde Marye, gladyd aungelis ioyinge, archaung[e]ls iubilyng, troun lawinge, dominaciones seyinge, principatus armonizinge, prelates harpynge, cherubyn and saraphyn ympnizing (or ympnis singynge) [L hymnizando].
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)14 : Ordir aftir ordir thei commende, As Seraphin, as Cherubyn, as Throne.
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)183/24 : Sone abideþ þe with trones, dominaciones, and alle his angels.
- a1475 *Sidrak & B.(Lnsd 793)2095 : Þe seuenþe [order of angels] is throuns..And þervpon is Goddis see And by hem vsith God an hy Hise iugementis ful rightwisly.
b
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)4914 : It [bed]..Was browde all with brent gold, full of briȝt aungels, Þe testre trased full of trones with trimballand wingis.
4.
?Error for tour n.(1).
Associated quotations
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)15a/b : Coclia: heiȝt, a rund tron [Hrl 2257: cloclea: a high rounde toure].