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VIGIDITY.
1867 Smyth Saiior's IVord-hk., I'ig-ia, a hydrographical
warning on a chart to denote that the pinnacle of a rock,
or a shoal, may exist thereabout. 1875 Beui-ord Saiior's
Pocket Bk. V. (ed. 2) 147 Vigias.—Numerous imaginary
dangers are traditionally inserted in all Ocean Charts. 1899
M. Roberts in Brit. Soldiers (1900) 228 'There's a vigia
marked on the chart for bereaboats,* said Captain Spiller.
Vigi-dity. Obs.—^ [Irreg. f. L. vig-ere to
t
flourish.] Vegetation, growth.
i6a8 T. Spencer Logick 46 Wee haue an example of this,
io the rationalitie of man, and vigiditie of plants.
Vigil (vi-d^il), sby Forms: 3 uigile, 4-6
vigile, 5-6 vygyle ; 4-7 vigille (5 vygylle),
vigill (6 vygill), 5 vigell, vygell, wygell,
6 Sc. wigel, 5-6 vygyl, 6 vigyl, 6- vigil, [a.
AF. and OF. (also mod.F.) vigiie, = Sp. and It.
vigilia :— L. vigilia watch, watchfulness, wakefulness,
f. vigil awake, alert. Cf. ViGlLV.]
1. EccL The eve of (i.e. preceding^ a festival or
holy day, as an occasion of devotional watching or
religious observance.
a tz»s /incr. R, 412 5e schulen eten. .eueriche deie twie,
bute uridawes and umbridawes and joing dawes, and
uigiles. I39| Langl. /*. Pi. C. x. 232 Eche halyday to
huyre hollyche (>e seruice,Vigilesand fastyngdayes fortheremore
to knowe. 1417 E. E. H^ilis (1882) 28 pe date of bis
my testament, .on Setrvsday in |« vygyle of be Holy Trynyte.
143S-50 tr. Higden (Rolls) VII. gi Whiche takynge
b^'m in the vigille of Ester, ?afe choyce to hym (etc.). 1470-
85 Malory Arthur xiii. i.6i2 The vygyl of Pentecost whan
alic the felauship of the round table were comen vnto Gamelot.
15*3 Ld. Berners Froiss, I. ccxiii. 108 b/i And y«
next mornyng, y« whiche was in the vigill ofsaynt Symonde
and lude, the Frenche kynge departed out of Calais. 1555
Edem Decades {\xh.) t\ The thyrdc day before the calendes
of Aprell : which was that yeare the vigile of the Resurrection
of owre Lorde. 1509 Shaks. Hen. Kjiv. iii. 45 He that
shall see this day, and liuc old age. Will yeerely on the
Vigil feast his neighbours, And say, to morrow is Saint
Cnspian. 1649 Jer. Taylor Gt. Exemp. iii. xiv. 43 The
dayes from henceforward to the death of Jesus we must
reckon to be like the Vigils or Eves of his Passion. 1704
Nelson Fest. Sf Fasts ix. (1739) 566 If any of these Feasts
fall upon a Monday, then the Vigil or Fast-Day shall be
kept upon the Saturday. 1808 Scorr Marmion 1. xxi. Since,
on the vigil of St. Bede, In evil hour, he cross'd the Tweed.
1834 K. H. DiGBY Mores Cath. v. viii. 233 Bjj the rules of
fraternities of workmen, playing cards on the vigil of Christmas
subject«d offenders to be banished from the society.
1884 AuDis & Arkold Catk. Diet. 843 He even contends
that the law of fasting binds on the vigil of the Epiphany.
trans/, aadyf^. a 1533 Ld. Berners Gold, Bk, M.AureL
(1546J rf iv, The calme seson moste sure, is the vigile of the
more vnfortunc. 1637 T. Jackson Wks, (1844) Vf. 188 The
very time itself. . being the vigils of that great anniversary,
November 5. 1796 Burke Regie. Peace i. (1902) 4a Tliis
manifesto . . is dated . .on the vigil of the festive day of cor.
dial unanimity so happily celebrated by all parties in the
British Parliament,
b, A devotional watching, esp, the watch kept
on the eve of a festival or holy day ; a nocturnal
service or devotional exercise. Chiefly in pi.
14.. Ckaucer*s Prol. 377 (Lansd.), It is ful faire to be
cleped ma dame And gone to vigiles al to-fore, c 1484
E, E. Misc. (Warton CI.) 24 When thy concianse wold the
have mad chastessed. With wygellus, fastynge or with
allmysdede. 1504 C'tess Richmond tr. De itnitatione iv.
viL (1893) 269 Wepe and haue sorowe that thou art yet.. so
slepy to holy vygylys, I55« Huloet S.V., Vigill, or saynctes
euen bcyiige fasted, ^J^rtt/i'/Z/Vw. 1591G. Flctchkr Riisse
Comtuonw. (HakL Soc.) 138 They have also three vigils or
wakes in their great Lent, .and the last Friday, their great
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vigil, as they cal it. 1603 Drayton Odes ii. 13 Thy ancient
Vigils ycerely, I have observed cleerely. 1649 Jer. Taylor
Gt. Exemp. 111. xvi. 54 There are some things, .voluntary,
such as are., prostration, long prayers, vigils. ai68i
Wharton Fasts ^ Fest. Wks. (1&3) 31 At length the Vigils
themselves were inhibited ; and these Fasts.. instituted in
their stead. 1781 Gibbon Decl. ^ F. xxviL(i787) III. 34 As
the patience of the multitude might have been exhausted by
the length and uniformity of nocturnal vigils. 1836 J. H.
Newman /"anS^r-w*. III. xxi. (cd. 2) 338 These holy days..
were commonly ushered in by a Vigil or religious watching.
1840 Macaulay Ess.^ Ranke's Hist. F22 Thence he wan.
dered back to the farthest West, and astonished . . the
schools of France by his penances and vigils. 1896 Swete
Ch. Services 29 The solemnity of the Easter vigil was
deepened by a tradition that the Second Coming of the
Lord would surprise the world on some Easter Eve.
trans/. 1390 Gower Con/. II. 110 Ek to thee, Diane, I
preie, . . With al myn herte I wolde serve Be nyhte, and thi
vigile observe.
C. In the phr. to keep {a) vigil or vigils. Also
trans/. (Cf. 4 b.)
«555 W. Watreman Fardie Facions 11. xii. 296 The night
afore euery ordenary holidaie or feastefutl dale, the whole
clergie, and the people, ware bounde to kiepe Vtgill in euery
churche. 1616 m Catk. Rec. Soc. Publ. III. 40 They.,
expose the Blessed Sacrament, institute supplications &
keep a vigil throughout the whole night in prayer before
the same. 1695 Prior Ode to King i, Kt Mary s Tomb, (sad,
sacred Place I) The Virtues shall their Vigils keep. 1714
Pope IVi/e 0/ Batk 385 Visits to ev'ry Church we daily paid,
..The Stations duly, and the Vigils kept. 1717 — hloisa
21 Shrines ! where their vigils paleey'd virgins keep. 1803
Heber Palestine 251 Ve faithful few,.. Who round the
Saviour's cross your sorrows shed, Not for his sake your
tearful vigils keep. i8so W. Irving Sketch Bk. I. 89 The
first discoverer of the river and country, kept a kind of vigil
there. 1884 Addis & Arnold CaM. Diet. 843 St. Charles foroade
the keeping of any vigil except that before Christmas.
d. pi. Prayers said or song at a nocturnal
service, spec, for tlie dead.
Sometimes applied to the Office for the Dead : cf. F.
vigiles des marts, and med.L, vigiliae.
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1483 Caxton G. de la Tour A iv. And .she sayd vygylles
for thedede men. 1671 Milton /'.A', i. i82They in Heav'n
their Odes and Vigils tun'd. 1679 Hist. Jetzer 5 If they
would yet further sing four Vigils for his Soul. 1834 K. H.
DiGBY Mores Cath. v. iii. 84, I have seen the sublime
Cathedral of Amiens on the night of All-hallows, when the
vigils of the dead were sung there.
t 2. A wake. Obs,
^ ^374 Chaucer Troylus v. 305 Of the fyr and flaumbe
funeral. .And of the feste and pleyes palestral At my vigile,
I pray thee take good hede That al be wel. 1606 Holland
Sueton. 234 Upon the top of the Apennine Hill, hee celebrated
a sacrifice, with a Vigil \inarg. Or wake] all night
long.
f 3. a. One or other of the four watches into
which the Romans divided the night. Obs,
e four>e vigile
of J>e ny3t cam Crist to hem, walking on J>e water. 1533
Bellenden Livy (S.T.S.) II. 65 At J^e fourte vigill he rasit
his baner. 1536 — Cron. Scot. (1821) I. 259 The Romanis
. .at the third vigill maid thaim reddy to battall. 1656
Blount Glossogr. s.v.. The fiist Vigil began at six of the
clock in the Evening, and continued till nine.
t b. A place from which watch was kept. Obs,
1533 Bellenden Livy (S.T.S.) I. 284 The romanis.. be
wilfuTl eruptiouns fra t»are statiouns and vigilis [z/.r. wigelis],
effrayit l?e equis.
to. Bot. (Seequot.) Obs.
1783 Encycl. Brit. (ed. 2) X. 8716/1 Vigils 0/ Plants,..
the precise time of the day in which the flowers of different
plants open, expand, and shut. 180a R. Hall Elem. Bot. 196.
4. An occasion or period of keeping awake for
some special reason or purpose ; a watch kept
during the natural time for sleep.
1711 PopF, Temp. Fojne 301 With studies pale, with midnight
vigils blind. 17x3 Addison Guardian No. 120 f 7
There is nothing that wears out a fine Face like the Vigils
of the Card-Table. 1781 Cowper Retirem. 260 Soft airs,
nocturnal vigils, and day dreams ..Conspire against thy
peace. 1817 Byron Man/red iii. iii. 2 He hath pursued
long vigils in this tower. 1818 — Mazeppa x. The patient
scarcli and vigil long Of him who treasures up a wrong.
185s Macaulay Hist. Eng. xxiv. V. 139 His delicate frame
worn out by the labours and vigils of many months. 1879
Beerbohm Patagonia 23, I confess I should have liked
some companion to enliven my weary vigil.
trans/. ^ 1817 Byron Man/red i. i. 6 In my heart There
is a vigil, and these eyes but close To look within. 1843
T. Martini^au Chr, Li/e (1867) 166 The vigils of eternal
Providence.
b. In the phr. to keep a vigil or vigils, (Cf. i c.)
C1695 Kkn Hymn, 'All ^aise to Thee* x, O may my
Guardian, while I sleep, Close to my bed his vigils keep.
1738 PopK Dune. I. 93 While pensive Poets painful vigils
keep. Sleepless themselves, to give their readers sleep. 1748
Gv-KS Alliance 42 There industry and gain their vigils keep.
1845 Hirst Com. Mammoth, etc. 98 Lies some quaintly
sculptured God, O'er the scene no vigil keeping. 1850 S.
DoBELL Roman i. Poet. Wks. 1875 I. 4, 1 steal forth to keep
my twilight vigil. 1856 Harriett Parr * Hear $uy prayer,
O heavenly Father' i. Bid Thy angels.. Round my bed
their vigil keep.
c. Without article : Watching, watch.
x8i6 Byron Siege 0/ Corinth xiii. While he alone, where
thousands pass 'd A night of sleep,.. In sickly vigil wander 'd
on. 1853 Kane Grinnelt Exp. xxiv. (1856) 195 Many miles
to the south. Captain Back passed a memorable term of
vigil and exposure. _ 1856 Merivale Hist. Rom. Emp. xli.
(1871) V, 06 The abiding sense of moral obligation, which
should hold sleepless vigil round the desk of the historian.
1893 C. Taylor Hennas ^ Gospels 35 Hermas and the
twelve virgins keep vigil by the tower.
5. A wakefulness, or period of this, due to inability
to sleep, Somewhat rare.
1747 Berkeley Tar-water in Plague Wks. 1871 III. ^81
In the plague are observed, .drowsiness, anxiety, vigils,
sinking of spirits. x8oa Coleridge Dejection viii, Tis midnight,
but small thoughts have I of sleep: Full seldom may
my friend such vigils keep! iSaa Shelley Fragm. Unfinished
Drama 74 On a wintry bough the widowed bird .
Renewed the vigils of a sleepless sorrow.
6. attrib, and Comb., as vigil-keepings -rage,
service^ -wasted adj.
1819 Shelley Peter Bellsrd vii. xv, To wakeful frenzy's
vigil-rages, As opiates, were the same [pages] applied. 1846
Keble Lyra /nnoc. (ed. j) 240 But who is this that comes
with mantle rude And vigil.wasted air 1 1896 Swete Ch.
Services 29 Every Saturday night was marked by a vigil
service. 1897 R. Kearton Nature Hf Camera 330 llie
terrible loneliness of his vigil-keeping.
t Vi-gil, sb.^ Obs,-^ [a. L. vigil-, see prec.] A
watchman, custodian.
1648 Hkrrick Hesper., Panegyric to Sir L. Pemherton
13 For no black-bearded Vigil