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VAaABONDICAL. 10 VAGARY.
1615 J. H. Wcrids Foily C b, The recollection of the vagabundiall
lewes into the sheepe-fold of lesus Christ.
Va^bo ndical, a, rare. Also 6-7 vagabund-.
[f. as prec. + -ical.] Roaming, wander-
vagabondish.
XS76 Fleming tr.Ce body of
Seynte Cuthberte. 1480 Caxton OvicCs Met. xiv, x, For al
we haue be disparblid & longe haue be vagant on the see.
1483 — Gold, Leg. 407 b/i Thus Josaphat was two yere
vagaunte & erryd in deserte. X517 Watson Shypp'e 0/
Fooles A ij, I am the fyrste in the shyppe vagaunte with the
other fooles. 1578 Sc, Poems 26th C. (1801) II. 170 Thocht
vagant freirs faine wald lie. The trueth will furth,
2. Devious, erratic, rare.
138a Wyclif Prov. v. 6 Bi the path of lif thei gon not
vagaunt ben the goingus of hir, and vnserchable. 1708 Brit.
Apollo No. 50. i/i By so Vagant a Proceedure, it is a Chance
but he must hear some points of Duty ..repeated.
3. Of thoughts : Wandering.
c 1450 Myrr. our Ladye 42 Yt can not sturre vp yt selfe
from wandryng and vagant thoughtes that yt is accustomyd
in. Ibid, 165 Also the harte oughte fuUe besyly to be kepte
from all vagaunte thoughtes.
Vagara(u)nt, -ent, obs. forms of Vagrant.
Vagare, obs, form of Vagary.
Vaga-rian. rare-^, [t as next -i- -an.] One
given to vagaries or whims.
1891 in Cent. Diet,
Vagarious (vage^'rias), a. [f. Vagary sb."]
•\ 1. Variable, inconstant, changing. Obs."^
1798 R. P. Tour in Wales (MS.) 36 Thus life's vagarious
tenure passes on ! And thus, the scenic vision glows with
change
2. Marked or characterized by, full of, subject
to, vagaries ; erratic.
1827 Examiner 70/1 The Travels of Wilhelm Meister,
wild, vagarious, and disconnected as it is. a 1871 De
Morgan Budget Parad. (1872) 153 Mr. Wirgman's mind
was somewhat attuned to psychology; but he was cracky
and vagarious. 1897 Atlantic Monthly LXXIX. 134 The
work.. IS free from the vagarious theorizing.
3. Wandering, roaming, roving.
x88a HarPer^s Mag. April 661 Sharp interruption from the
vagarious homed enemy. 1888 Sat. Rev. 22 Sept. 363/2
The history of the vagarious canary, Kiki.
Hence Vaga'rionsly adv.
x^x Dispatch (Columbus) 17 Nov., An idly planned and
vagarioiisly disposed though always picturesque college
retreat.
Vagarish, a. Now rare or Obs. [f. as prec]
1. Of the eyes: Disposed to wander; wandering.
x8ox Wolcot'(P. Pindar) Tears 9f Smiles Wks. 1812 V. 40
His eyes were oft vagarish. 1823 New Monthly Mag. VII,
230 My people's eyes were all vagarish While striving your
hard phrases to conjecture.
2. Somewhat vagarious or whimsical.
1819 Krats in Ld. Houghton Li/e (1848) II. 26 But you
knowing my unsteady and vagarish disposition will [etcj.
Vaga'risome, a- U- as prec, + -some.] Vagarious,
capricious.
X883 bazaars Sept. 259 Early autumn clothing is slightly
vagarisome, and steady observation is^ necessary in order to
determine what is * worn ' from what is ' put on *.
Vagarist. rare, [f. as prec. + -IST.] One
wlio IS subject to vagaries ; a vagarious person.
1888 The yoice (N. V.1,24 May, The Prohibition party
are now free from , . suspicion of being vagarists.
Vagarity (vage^-rlti). rare""^, [f. as prec. +
-ITY.J Capricious irregularity or variability.
x886 N.^ g. 7th Ser. II. 89/1 Instances of vagarity are
noticeable with each Prince of Wales, many of whom seem
to have ignored . . the title (of Duke of Cornwall].
Vagary (vagee-ri), sb. Also 6-7 vagare, 6
-arte. [prob. ad. L, vagdrl (It. vagare) to wander.
Cf. Fegary.]
+ 1. A wandering or devious journey or tour ; a
roaming about or abroad ; an excursion, ramble,
stroll. Obs.
Freq. in the 17th c, chiefly in verbal phrases as tofetch^
fjtake, or take a vagary.
X577 Stanvhurst Descr. Irel. in Holinshed (1808) VI. 24
The Irish enimie spieing that the citizens were accustomed
to fetch such od vagaries, . . they . . laid in sundrie places for
their commine. 158a — J-Eneis 11. (Arb.) 44 Thee gates vncloased
they skud with a Huely vagare. x6oo Pory tr. Leo^s
Africa 1. 19 These haue often vagaries ouer the deserts vnto
the prouince of Tedgear. c i^i-iSoc.Cond. People Anglesey
(i860) 40 To entice his neighbours wifes..to leave their
husbands, .and to follow him by turns, into other counireys,
and after a long vagare, to return again. 1657 S. Purchas
Pol. Flying Ins. i, v, 12 A hot Sun-shine.. will quickly
prompt them out of their Hives to take a short vagary.
1677 LiiLPiN Demonol. (1867) 320 The like did Dinah, when
she made a needless vagary to see the daughters of the land.
x8a6 W. E. Andrews Crit. Rev. Fox's Bk. Mart. II. 413
Whether.. it is likely that such a person should be permitted
to make a walking vagary throughout all London.
transf. zxiA fig. ^1630 Risdon Surv. Devon §225 (1810)
237 Torridge, after a long vagary, making many meanders,
empiieth itself in the. .sea. X655 Gurnall Chr. in Arm,
xvi. (1665) 359 Our hearts are soon gone away from the duty
in hand, and taken a vagary to the furthest part of the
world. X759 Stebne Tr, Shandy i. xxii. My aunt Dinah
and the coachman, .led us a vagary some millions of miles
into the very heart of the planetary system.
+ b. To play his vagary y of a horse, to leave or
refuse to follow the proper or desired course. Obs.—^
1580 Blundevil Art of Riding i. 11 If he will then play
bis vagarie, beate him forthwith with your wand.
f 2. A wandering in speech or writing ; a rambling
from the subject under consideration ; a
digression ordivagation. Obs, (passing into senses),
X579 G. Harvey Letter-bk, (Camden) 67 Countenaundnge
oute the matter ether with tunge or penne withoute the
same discoursinge vagaries. x^96 R. H. tr. Lavaterus'
Ghostes Sp. To Rdr. aij. His histories seeme not idle
(Jtales,
or impertinent vagaries, but very truthes. x6sx
Baxter Inf. Bapt. Apol. 15 When ever he was at a loss, that
the people might not perceive it, he presently would fall
into a wordy vagary. i68x — Answ. Dodwell iv. 54 You
must talk at other rates than you have done in your tedious
fallacious Vagaries. 176a in Ellis Orig, Lett. Ser. 11. IV.
45! Mr. Beckford..had his vagaries as usual, and gave the
House a little prelude of what they were to expect.
3. A departure or straying from the ordered,
regular, or usual course of conduct, decorum, or
propriety; a frolic or prank, esp. one of a freakish
nature. Now rare or Obs, (passing into sense 4).
1588 Babington Prof. Exp. Lord^s Pr. {1596) 274 A
short vagare.. layde a grinding griefe vpon his conscience
during life. i53 B. Barnes Parth.