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VIRTUE.
o. All the Virtues^ a name given to the Opposition
in the House of Commons in 1815-16.
On the model of* All the Talents ' applied to the Grenville
Ministry of 1806-7 : see Talent sb. 6 d,
i8t6 Sir G. Bingham Lett. 1 Jan., in Comh. Mag. (1900)
Jan. 34 Bonaparte.. has heard that 'Alt the Virtues', with
Sir Francis Burdett at their hefcd, were to advocate his
cause and recall.
d. A personified moral quality, or a representa-
tion of this in painting, sculpture, etc.
1851 E. J. MiLUNGTON tr. DidrotCs Chr, Iconogr. V. 84
Each Virtue bears a characteristic attribute. . . Liberty, like
..the twelve sister Virtues, .is decorated with a large nim.
bus. 1885 J. R. Ai.i.EN Early Chr. Symbolism 277 Crowned
figures armed with shields .. to symbolise the Virtues
trampling on the Vices overcome.
4. To make {a) virtue of necessity (or f need)^ to
do with apparent willingness, or as if performing
a meritorious action, what one in reality cannot
help doing; to submit to circumstances with a
good grace.
After OV./aire de necessiti vertu, h./acere de necessitate
virtutem (Jerome In Rufinum 3, n. a).
(«) c 1374 Chaucer Troylus iv, 1586 Ihus makeb vertue
of necessite By paciens, and J>enk ^at lord is he Of fortune
ay, J>at nought wolc of here recche. C1386 — Sqrs. T.
593 That I made vertu of necessitee And took it wel
syn J>at it moste bee. 1411-3 Hocclevh De Keg. Princ.
1252 Make of necessite, reed I vertu ; For better rede can
I non. C1480 Henkyson Test. Cresseid ^y% I counsall
the male vertew of ane neid. 1578 Whetstone ^nd Pt.
Promos ff Cass. v. v. Good Maddame way, by lawe, your
Lord doth dye. Wherefore make venue of necessity. 1646
Earl MoNM. Ir. Biondis Civil Wars v. 115 Villandras
weighing the danger made vertue of necessity, hee went to
Toulosse. 1659 Wright tr.
J. Camus' Nat. Paradox x.
245 However, I will have patience, and making Vertue of
Necessity, I will forbear.
0) «S^ Stocker Civ. IVarres Lawe C. i. 28 b, They
were en^rced to behaue themselues..and of necessitie, to
make a vertue. 1588 Greene Pandcsto (1607) 10 Shee was
faine to make a vertue of her neede. 1614 Day Festivals
X. (1615) 297, 1 wil make a Vertue of this Necessitie. 1639
S. Du Verger tr. Camus' Admir, Events 46 They make a
vertue of that necessity. 1677 W. Hughes Man o/Sin 11.
ix. 144 Their Modem Doctors, whom the Arguments of the
Protestants have compelled to make a Vertue of Necessity.
a 1708 [see Necessity sb. 5]. 1764 tr. Gil Bias 1. v. L 21
And making^ a virtue of necessity, I put the best face I
could upon it, and went about the work she set me upon.
1837 [see Necessity sb. 5J.
b. To make a virtue of, to make a merit of, to
gain credit by.
184a Lover Handy Andy xiii. Mat, who saw Furlongwas
near the mark, thought he might . . make a virtue of telling
him.
5. Superiority or excellence, unusual ability,
merit, or distinction, in some respect.
138a Wyclif Wisd. X. 2God..ladde hym out fro his gilte,
..and ^af to hym vertue of hauynge alle thingus. £1384
Chaucer //. Fame ir. 18 Now shal men se Vf any vertu in
the be To tel al my dreme aryght. c 1400 Brttt 1. 229 Miche
peple wer out of here mynde, vt God hat> sent ham her
myndc a^eyn ^ou? vertu of |?at holy martr*. c 1450 Holland
Houlate 264 Thir fowlis. . weraly awysit, full of wirtewe,
The maner, the mater, and how it remanyt ^147$
Ran/Coillear 162 Thow hes walkit, I wis, in mony wyld
land, The mair vertew thow suld haue, to keip the fra blame.
1484 Caxton Fables of Auiatt xii, For what veitue that
ony man hath none oughte to preyse hym self. i6oa
S^egkfsCfuiucer (ed. 2) civ, Vertue flourisheth in Chaucer
still, Though death of him hath wrought hb will. 1631
Makkham Cheap Hiisb. (ed. 6) i. iL 10 Our English Gentry
. .aime for the most part al no more skill than the riding
of a ridden and perfect horse, which is but onely the selling
forth of another mans vertue. i8a8 Macaulay Ess.^
Hallam's Coitstit, Hist. (1897) 85 That unsparing imparlialily
which is his \sc. Hallam's] most distinguishing virtue.
b. An accomplishment. Now rare or Obs,
15. . Aberdeen Reg. (Jam.), The singcir to pas & remane
in Pareis for ane yeir to leir wertcws. 1591 Shaks. Two
Gent.\\\.\.'^\-i,Sp. Item, she can wash and scoure. La. Aspeciall
vertue. 1608 — Per. iv. vi. 105 Proclaim that I can sing,
weave, sew, and dance, With other virtues, which I'll keep
from boast. 1615 Markham(^/V/e citee of
Aeon . , florisshed and stode in his vertue, loye and prosperite.
1484 Caxton Fables 0/ Msop iii. xvi, He that
gouerneth not wel his bely withe grete payne he may hold
the other lyrames in theyr strengthe and vertue.
7. The possession or display of manly qualities;
manly excellence, manliness, courage, valour.
In later use tending to pass into sense 2.
13. . Coerde L. 2810 A baroun of gret vertewe. a 1400-50
Alexander 5324 Quat may >i vertu now a-vaile & all J^ine
vayn pride? IIali Meid. i? Engel &meiden beon euening in
uertu of meidenhades mibte. £^1330 R. Bkunne Chron.
(i8io) 18 pe Kyng with ^w maistrie went in to be toun, pe
pris he had wonnen in vertew of Criste's passioun. 16x7
Fortescue Papers (Camden) 29 They should talke of the
points of religion but by way of discourse, and not as in
vertue of the commission (etc.! 1660 Jer. Taylor Worthy
Commun. \. iv. 75 Christ in heaven perpetually offers and
represents that sacrifice to his heavenly Father and in
vertue of that obtaines all good things for his church. 1703
Maundrell yottrn. Jerus. (1707) 105 In vertue of which
perswasion, the Olives, and Olive stones, and Oyl which
produce, became an excellent commodity in Sp^in.
Sherlock Disc. (1759) ^* " 77 ^^ *** '^^ Head of all
in Virtue of having created them. 1793 Smkaton
Edystone /.. 1 344 The experiment . . was ordered in virtue
of an observation that had occurred in the course of the
work. i833_ Ht. Martineau Three Ages u. 39 In virtue of
wroght..With I
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an office which he heldj he had liberty to pass through the
palace garden. 1879 \ roudk Csesar xiii. 188 He remained
a senator in virtue of his quaestorsbip.
Jas. 1 Kittgis Q. xx, In vere, that full of vertu is and gude,
Quhen nature first begynneth hir enprise. 1596 Spenser
F.Q. V. i. 10 The blade, .was of no less virtue, then of fame.
(b) C1350 Will. Palerne I
284, I ^ conture..bi vertu of j
}»ing J»at |>ou most in l»is world louest. to be j
I
excused fro bis somonynge of worldly prelat. c 1386
Chaucer Parsons T. r 340 It may wel '
wexe fieble and worth, I
faille hy vertu of baptesme and by the grace of god thurgh
penitence. 1495 Rolls ofParIt. IV. 290/1 That they mowe
be vertue of the same lokett, be fully excused att alle lymcs. '
149s Act II Hen, VII^z, 53 5 i Noo. .personc the whiche '
. .therwith entermedlede to your use or by vertu of your [
letters patentes. 1553 in Feuillerat Revels Q. Mary (1914)
149 By vertue of a warraunte sygned with her Nfaiesties
ounc handcs. 1587 Fleming Contn. Holvished III. 1376/2
They shall loose the fiue shillings that iheyshould receiue.
by vertue of my will. 1617 Sir T. Wentworth in Fortescue
Papers (Camden) 25 When indeed he was in effect out of j
the Commission before, by vertu of that direction. 1663 '
Heath Flagellum (1672) 47 Upon some pretence of private
business of the Colonels and by vertue thereof in a Disguise '
of a Servant [etc]. 1681-6 J. Scott Chr. Life (1747) III. 283 I
So we Christians by vertue of our Covenant with God in ;
Christ, are separated from all otherSocieties. \6qiEftg.AHc.
Const. Eng. 44 Violating the Fundamental Laws and consti.
tutions of the Government by vertue of which he became
King. 1785 Burke Sp. Nabob Arcot Wks. 184a 1. 318
No others, by virtue of^ general powers, can obtain a legal
title, .to exercise those special functions. 1838 Thirlwall
Greece III. 287 The refugees who retired by virtue of the
treaty from Amphipolis, found shelter at Eion. 1868
Lockyer Elem. Astron. 8374 The planets, when they are
visible, appear as stars, and, like the stars, they rise and
set by virtue of the Earth's rotation.
(c) c i>^ .V. Eng. Leg. I. 11/346 And Jwru^ vertue of >e
holie croiz he ouer-cam alle is fon. c 1330 Sir Tristr. 1894
Hole sche was & sounde J»urch vertu of his gle. c 1380 Sir :
Ferumb. 157 pe barouns.-prayede god Jjorw vertue of hem i
Schold sauye hem that fro hebc men. deuocyown. c 1430 Lyac. Min.
Poems (Percy Soc.) 9 Thes rialle gilTtes been of verieu
most, Costly coragis most sovereignly delyte. 1549 Latimer
Plojtght-rs (.Vb.) 32 Purposinge to euacuate Christes death,
to make it of smal efficacitie and vertue. 1567 Gude ^
Godlie B.iS.T.S.) 14 Our haptisme dotit with sane tit ude.
And greit vertew, to wesche our sinfulness. 1841 Myers
Cath. Th. in, § 17. 64 Few questions.. could well be rhore
important, if Divine virtue is to be ascribed to every letter
of Scripture.
d. Superiority or excellence in respect either of
kind.
or of operation ; worth or efficacy of any
«390 Gower Conf. IIL j6 Selden get a domb man lond.
Tak that proverbe, and understond That wordes ben of
grete. c 1400 Destr. Troy 8388 The walles [werej vp
stones full stoute, stithest of vertue. 14*3
1665-6 Phil. Trans. I. 282 Vet have these two Load-stones
no connexion or tye, though a Common Center of Virtue
according to which they joyntly act. 1669 Bunvan Holy
Citie 153 Gold is the choice and chief of all Metals both for
colour, and vertue. 1^79 Forrest yoy. N. Guinea
339 The latter [sc. cinnamon] is vastly superior in richness,
sweetness, and virtue. x^i*C\9.\ Datite, Par.viu 132 The
elements Are by created virtue inform'd. 1830 Hekscmel
Study Nat. Phil. 59 There is virtue in a bushel of coals
properly consumed, to raise seventy millions of pounds
weight a foot high. 1883 N. York Chr. Union 21 June,
The new Sound steamer * Pilgrim * is regarded as a model
of mechanical and constructional virtue.
+ e. Of laws, etc. : Operation, vigour. Obs.
C14SO Hari. Contin. Higden (Rolls) VIII. 511 Whiche
statute was ordeynede to talce vertu and begynnynge at the
feste of the Purificacion. 1471-5 Rolls ofParIt. VI. 162/1
That the said late Ordenaunce . , be and siond in strenght
and vertue, unto the xxvi day of May, 165a Needham
Selden^s Mare CI. 59 The Sea- Laws which were used and
in full force and virtue in both the Empires were borrowed
fiom the Rhodians. 1686 Col. Rec. Pennsylv. L 171 All
those laws shall and are hereby Continued to Stand and be
in full force and Vertue untill y« End of the first Session,
t f. In virtue J virtually. Obs.