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VISITANT. 253 VISITATION.
belonging to the Order of the Visitation, founded
in 1610 by Mme, de Chantal (St. Frances) under
the direction of St. Francis de Sales.
1747 Gentl, Mag. 571/1 There is near the same number
of Congregants, Ur^ulines, Visitnndines, and other sorts of
Beguines. 187a \V. H. Jfrvis Gnllican Ch. I. v. 247 A
kindred institution took its rin
Aytmer's F. 166 And Edith's everywhere; And Edith ever
visitant with him. 1887 Ruskin Prxterita II. 281 Mr.
Melvill was entirely amiable in the Church visitant, though
not formidable in the Church militant.
Vi'sitatin^i //A «. rare~^. [f. L. visitdt-,
ppl. stem of visitdre to visit.] Visiting,
1613 Two Noble K. i. i. But our Lords Lie blist'ring 'fore
the visitating Sun, And were good Kings, when living.
Visitatioil (vizit^'Jan). Forms : 4 vysytaoyun,
5-6 vysytacyon (5 -acyone, 6 -aoion),
vysitacyon, viaytacion; 4-5 visitacioun {(iSc.
-atioun), 4-7 Tisitacion (7 -acycn), 4- visitation
; 6 vesyt-, ffessyt-, feoytaoyon. [a, AF.
visitacioun (Gower), OF. and F. visitation ( 'Sp.
visitacion^ Pg. visita^do. It. visitazione), or ad. L.
visitiftion-, vtsitdtio, noun of action f. visitdre to
visit ]
I. 1, The action, on the part of one in authority,
or of a duly qualified or authorized person, of
going to a particular place in order to make an
inspection and satisfy himself that everything is in
order; an instance of such inspection or super-
vision.
a, A visit by an ecclesiastical person (or body)
to examine into the state of a diocese, parish, reli-
gious institution, etc. ; spec, in English use, such
a visit paid by a bishop or archdeacon ; a meeting
or gathering of persons concerned in such a visit.
Quotations for an archdeacon's vt.sitation are placed
separately under Kb).
(«) «303 R- Brunne Handl. .Synne 2103 He [an abbot]
went hj-s wey To Palesiyne, ^at ys an abbey, To make hys
v>'sytacyun As fallcl> yn relygyun. 1401 Pol. Poems
(Rolls) II. 2t Why be ye not under your bishops visitations,
and leege men to our king? 1536 Pilgr. Per/. (W.
de W. 1531)64 --Vbbot Pyor, whicrie among a great multitude
of fathers and bretherne gathered together in maner
of a vysytacyon.. dyd in this wyse. a 15^ Hall Chron,,
Hen. VII I, 143 The Cardtiiall by Visitacions, ma! yng or
Abbottes,. .and other pollynges..had made his threasore
e^all with the kynges. 1591 Spensgr M. Hnbberd %(:^
All their Parishners..to the Ordinarie of them complaind,
. .Till at the length he published to holde .A Visitation, and
them cytcd thether. i66i J. Stephens Procurations 17
For what are Visitations other then laborious travellings
from place to place? 1739 Bp. Herring in }. Duncornbe
Lett. (1773) II. 132 It was the year of my primary visit;ition,
and I determined to see every part of my diocese.
1761 Wabburton in IV. ^ /Kurd's Lett. {1809) 326, I fancy
my Visitation, .will be the last week in June and the 6rst
in July. i8s7 Hallam Const. Hist. ii. (1876) I 70 Wolscy,
as papal legate,, .commenced a visitation of the professed
as well as secular clergy in 1533.
(b) 1536 DunmowChurckw. MS. fol. 22 b, Item payd at the
(fessytacyon, liii*. iS37 Ibid. fol. 23 Item payd at Chelmsford
at the Vesytacyon fjr howr costs, xviii^, 1566 Eng.
Ch. Furniture (Peacock, 1866) 56 Imprimis a box made of
bone sold to Jho Wattes sens the last visitacion who keeps yt
to put monney in. \to-iCotisiit.\ Canons cx\. In all Visitatlons
of Bishops and Archdeacons, the Church- wardens.,
shall, .present the names of all those which behaue themselues
rudely, .in the Church. 169a Prideaux Lett. (Camden)
152, I have yours of the j6th. but it came not to my
hands till last Friday, for I was absent at Ipswich on a
visitation. 1713 Gibson Codex 5(99 If any Archdeacons
are entituled to require Exhibits in their Visitations, it can
only be upon the fool of Cu-vtom. I7»6 Avliffk. Parergon
06 For the Bishop ought to visit his Diocess every Year in
nis own Person, unless bethinks fit to omit the same,.. and
then in such a Case he ought to send his Archdeacon, which
was the Original of the Archdeacons Visitation. 184a Words
to Churchwardens (Camb. Camd. Soc.) 1. 3 I'he Archdeacon
at his Visitation seldom er.ds his charge without a
few words to us Churchwarden.s. 1857 Toulmin Smith
Parish 94 The articles of Visitation i^suei by him, when
archdeacon in 1713, as to be answered by all churchwardens.
{c) 17J7 P. Wai.her Li/e Semple Biog. Presbyt. (1827) I.
158 There were few parochial Visitations, .but he was at
them, for encouraging of laboriousgodly Ministers, and censuring
of such as were scandalous.
b. A visit of inspectif n made by one or more
persons having civil authority or jurisdiction or
specially appointed to exercise supervision within
a certain sphere ; the making of such visits ; f the
body of persons making an inspection of this kind,
t Visitationo/ iraners: see quot. 1607 and Mainour.
1533-4 Act 25 Hen. VIII, c. 21 § 14 Redresse visitacion
and coufirmacion shalbe had by the Kynges Highnes. 1556
Chron. Gr. Friars (Camden) 54 Item the v. day after in
September [1547] beganne the kynges vysytacion at Powlles,
and alle imagys puliyd downe. 1607 Cowkll Interpr.,
Visitation 0/ innners . .^t^% wont to be tl-.e name of the Regarders
office in auncient time. 1665 in W. Campbell Ch.
iif Par. Kirkaldy 84 The visitation present appoynts the
school to be visited four times in the year. 1691 Wood
Ath. Oxon. I. 327 On the 8. of Nov... the Visitation of his
Library is commonly made. 1773 Gentl, Mog. XLIIl. 349
Sir Thomas Pychas it in command from the King to
acquaint [certain admirals, captains, etc.] that he is pleased
with their attention during his visitation at Portsmouth.
1845 PoLsoN in Encycl. Meircp. II. 826/1 It was held, that
in default of. a special visitor appointed by the founder or
charter, the king, in the person of his chancellor, had the
right of visitation. 1874 Hucknill & Tuke Psychol. Med.
(ed. 3) 2 The bill of 1828, by which the Secretary of State
was allowed to appoint fifteen ('ommispioners annually, for
the license and visitation of those houses whiLh had been
previously licensed by the College of Physicians.
C. A periodic visit made to a district by heralds
to examine and enrol arms and pedigrees. Now
only Hist.
i57« N, Roscarbocke Prelim. Verses in Bossewell
Annorie, Of dubbing knights, the orde:s ther ihey haue j
..With visitacions, which allottes to eche desert his right.
i64oYork:e L'nion //(?». To Rdr., For the Armesof our Lincolnshire
Gentlemen, I haue taken their knowledge from
themselues, and by Visitations. 1849 R. Sims {title). An
Index to the Pedigrees and Arms contained in the Heralds'
Visitations. 1864 Boutell Her. Hist, ^ Pop. xiii. (ed. 3)
133 The Records of these Visitations are preserved in the
College of Arms.
d. In general use: Examination, inspection.
1583 Melbancke Philotimus E iij b, The old huddle
missing his monye at his next visitation, toke the haulter
and hanged himselfe. 1643 Sir T. Browne Relig Med.
I. §16, I cannot tell by what Logick we call a Toad, a
Be:ire, or an Elephant, ugly, they .. having past that
generall visitation of God, who saw that all that he had
made was good.
e. Spec. Examination of goods by a customs
officer or similar official ; the action on the part of
a belligerent vessel of ascertaining, by entry or
close examination, the character of a merchant
ship belonging to a neutral state.
1755 Magrns Insurances II. 513 Where these Goods
shall be subject to Visitation in the same manner, as those
which are made in the Kingdom. 1826 Kent Comm. I. 31
Maritime states claim upon a principle just in itself and
temperately applied, a right of visitation. 1867 Smyth
Sailor's Word.hk. 714 The law of nations gives to every
belligerent cruiser the right of visitation and search of all
merchant ships.
2. The action of going to a place, either for
some special purpose or merely in order to see it
an ins'.ance of this.
C1386 Chaucer Wi/i's Prol. 555 Therfore I made my
visitacions To vigllies, and to processions To prechyng eek
and to thtse pilgrimages. 165:4 Codhington tr. Justin
xxxviii. (1672) 377 The Ambassadors of the Romans, .made
a visitation into those parts to observe the condition and
Kingdoms of their Confederates. 1687 A. LovELLtr. The7enoi's
'Prav. i. 172 We took the way by 'I'or, partly to see
it, and partly to take a Monk to guide us in our visitations.
X7»o Wklion Suffer, Son o/Coii II. xviji. 405 The Blesstd
Jesus.. found 'lime enough to make His Circular Visitation
thro' all those Towns in and about Palestine, a 1774
Goldsm. Surv. Exp. Phiios. (1776) I. 305 In this manner
we find, that no part of nature is wholly secluded from
human visitation. 1839 Lytton Pevereux r. viii, The town
was a favourite place of visitation with all the fjimily.
183* G. DowNF.s Lett. Cont. Countries I. 311 We proceeded
from hence to the Church of St. Mary Segreta, and
terminated our visitation at that of the Holy Sepulchre.
1866 Rogers Agric.