Here - Norm's Book Club

VOTARY. 813 VOTE.
1869 Browning Ring ^ Bk\ vn. 1506 So kneels a votarist,
Weeds some poor waste traditionary plot Where shrine
once was.
trans/. 1806 H. SiDDONS Maid, IVi/e, ^ IVidow II. 187
He is but a lukewarm votarist in the cause of truth and
virtue, if he is to be thus ridiculed out of Iiis integrity. 1831
W. Godwin Thoughts Man 202 There is still further advantage
that belongs to the poet and the votarist of polite literature,
which ought to be mentioned.-
Votary (v^u*tari), sb. Also 7-8 votary, [f. L,
vol-, ppl. stem of vovere to vow + -ary l,]
I, 1. One who is bound by vows to a religious
a monk or nun,
1546 Bale [title) The first two partes of the Actes or un-
life ;
chast examples of Englysh votaryes. 1560 Daus tr. Sleidanc's
Cotmn. 90 b, The controversie was.. especially for
the .Masse, and Votaries, for herein woulde the Catholikes
nothyng at all relent. 1594 West 2Hd Pi. Sytnbol. §17
Persons civilly dead, as monks, fryers, canons, professed
nuns, and such other superstitiouse votaries, 1607 Merry
Devil Edmonton v. ii. 166 Sirra, ride strait to Chesson
Nunry,..the house, I know, By this time misses their yong
votary. 1654 Earl Monm. tr. BentivogUds Wars Flanders
8g The hereticks.. growing more outragious then ordinarily
against Ecclesiastiuks, and especially against Votaries. 1662
OwEN/4M/;«a'/i'.^//x/Z.«j:'v.Wks. 1855 XIV. 68 Monasteries
of votaries under special and peculiar vows and rules. 1705
Addison Italy 494 The Abuse of Indulgencies, the Folly
and Impertinence of Votaries, and in short the Superstition
. .of the Roman Caihollck Religion. 1856 R. A. Vauchan
Mystics fi86o) I. 16 So Christianity^ corrupted by Gentile
philosophy, has in like manner its privileged and its inferior
order of votaries.
b. One who has made, or is bound by, a special
vow.
x^ Shaks. L. L. L. It. i. 37 Who are the Votaries my
loumg Lords, that are vow-fellowes with thisvertuous Duke?
a 1596 Sir '/'. More in. ii. (orig. draft), The votarie that will
not cut hishaire,Vntili the expiration of his vow. 1643 Trapp
Comm. Gen. xxviii. 20 And Jacob vowed a vow] The first
holy votary that ever we read of. 187a Spurgeon Trcas.
Dav. Ps, Ixvi. 14 God in answer to his vow removed the
distress, and now the votary desires to make good his promise.
2. One who is devoted to a particular religion, or
to some form of worship or religious observance
a devotee.
1704 Locke Toleration \v. Wks. 1727 III. 464 Nor is
there among the many absurd Religions of the World,
almost any one that does not find Votaries to lay down their
Lives for it. 1754 Sherlock Disc. (1753) ^' '• ^^ ^^ other
Relis^ion can give any Security of Life and Happiness
to its Votaries. 1777 R. Watson Philip If, viii- I. 296
That method of justifying iniquity, of which the votaries of
the Romish church have so often availed themselves. 1794
Palev Eind. x. \. (1817) 32 The ancient religion of a country
has always many votaries. 1847 Emerson Re^r, Men^
Sivedenborg Wks. (Bohn) I. ^34, I think of him as of some
transmigrating votary of Indian legend, i860 — Cond. Life^
Worship ibid. II. 395 The religion cannot rise above the
state of the votary.
b. A devout worshipper. (Cf. next.)
i8j3 Praed Poems (1864) II. 291 A happier votary at a
holier fane. 1842 Rarham Ingol. Leg. Ser. n. Lay St.
Ciithherty In fact, when the votaries came there to pray All
said there wasnouglit to compare with it. 1863 Kinglake
Crimea 1. 41 In order to keep these convents up, the priests
imagined the plan of causing the votary to pay according to
his means at every shrine which he embraced.
3. A devoted or zealous worshipper of God,
Christ, one of the saints, etc.
a 1700 Ken Sion Poet. Wks. 1721 IV. 388 True Christ-like
Love all other I-oves exceeds. By which to save a soul
Christ's Vot'ry bleeds. — On the Temptation Poet. Wks.
1721 I. 92 Jesus Satan of his Force bereft, And Con-
Juest easy to his Vot'rys left. 174J Young Nt, Th. in. 53
n propitious dreams (For dreams are thine) transfuse it
thro' the breast Of thy first votar>'. 1779 J. Moore Vieiu
Soc. Fr. (1789) II. xcv. 421 A supposed connection between
the characters of the Saints and the votaries. 1825 Scott
BetrptJud xxvii. The Virgin of the Garde Doloureuse, that
never failed a votary. 1840 Barham Ingol. Leg. Ser. i, St.
Odiile, I don't see, as a Saint, how she well could do less
Than to get such a votary out of her mess. 1869 Freeman
Norm. Conq. {1875) III. xiv. 360 Harold implored the help
of the relic whose sworn votary he was.
b. Used with reference to ancient or heathen
deities, partly in fig. tise.
? a 1690 Prior To Earl 0/ Dorset i, Hear, Goddess, hear
thy Votary. The meanest of thy Sons inspire. 17*6 Pope
Odyss. XVII. 288 Daughters of Jove !..your votary restore :
Oh be some God his convoy to our shore I 1766 [.^nstev]
Bath Guide iiL 14 Come the Nymph of various Mien,
Vot'ry true of Beauty's Queen. 1778 Bp. Lowth Trausl.
Isaiah Notes (1812) 340 Nor can they [the idols] answer, or
deliver their votaries, when they cry unto them. 1877 L.
Morris EAtc Hades iii. 242, I did not envy any goddess of
all The Olympian company her votaries. 1878 Browning
Poets Croisic xxxi, Silence and solitude Befit the votary of
the Muse.
II. 4. One who is devoted or passionately
addicted to some particular pursuit, occupation,
study, aim, etc.
159X Shaks. TwoGentl. m. ii. 58 We know (on Valentines
report) You are already loues firme votary. 1738
Gray Pr^ertius i. 2 Before the Goddess' shrine we too.
loves vot ries bend. 1764 Reid Inquiry i. § 8 If philosophy
befools her Votaries,, .let her be sent back to the infernal
regions. 1771 Beattie Minstr. i. ix, The boundless store
Ofcharms which Nature to her votary yields ! 1806 H. K.
White Lett. (1837) 319, I am. .a rejected votary at the
shrine of Health. x83oHerschel Study Nat. Phil. i. 1.
14 One of the great sources of delight which the study of
natural science imparts to its votaries. 1873 Hamerton
Intell. Life vi. iv. 218 Science requires a certain inward
heat and heroism in her votaries.
Vol. X.
b. Const, to (now rare) or of.
(rt) 159X Shaks. T^vo Gentl. i. i. 52 But wherefore waste
I time to counsaile thee That art a votary to fond desire?
1594 Selimus D j, I haue liu'd Almost a votarie to wantonnesse.
1742 Lond. ^ Country Bre%v. i. (ed. 4) 79,
I cannot be a Votary to this practice. 181 1 Shelley .J^
Irvyne iii. He became.. even a more devoted votary to
gambling than before.
(^) 159S Spenser Col. Clout •]6S They ,. do themselues
for want of other worke, Vaine votaries of laesie loue professe.
1690 Tkmple Ess,, Heroic Virtue Wks. 1720 I. 233
The usual Acceptation takes Profit and Pleasure for two
different Things, and.. calls the Followers or Votaries of
them by several Names of busy and of idle Men. 1733
Berkeley Alciphr. 1. § 5 Are you then in earnest a votary
of truth? 1766 Fordyce Scr/n. Yug. Wm. 1, iii. 90 Is it
surprising to see the daughters of such become very early
the votaries of Folly? 1783 Cowper yalediction 71 Vot'ries
of bus'ness and of pleasure prove Faithless alike in friendship
and in love. 1801 Hamilton Wks. (1886) VII. 218 The
patriotic votaries of whiskey in Pennsylvania and Virginia.
i8as Macaulav Ess., Milton (1851) I. 21 That an enthusiastic
votary of lilierty should accept office under a military
usurper seems, .extraordinary. 1869 Freeman Norm. Conq.
(1875} III. xi. 40 Ground from which the votaries of devotion
and art and history are bidden to turn away.
6. A devoted adherent or admirer of some
person, institution, etc.
1647 Clarendon Hist. Rcb. vr. § 36 It was not safe for any
to live at their Houses, who weie taken notice of as no
Votaries to the Parliament. 1678 Butler Hud. iii. i. 183,
I come to prove How much I've suffered for your Love,
Which (like your Votary) to win, I have not spar'd my
tatter'd skin. 168s Villiers (Dk. Buckhm.) Chances v. iit,
I shall not be asham'd to own my self a Votary to all your
Commands. 1713 Steele Guard, No. 18 p 4 One of the
most successful Stratagems whereby Mahomet became
formidable, was the assurance that Impostor gave his
votaries, that [etc.J. 1817 Chalmers Li/e in Churchyard
Chippes 46 He endeavoured to cultivate the patronage of
Essex, even after it had ceased to be of any value to his
votaries. x868 Freeman Norm. Conq, II, x. 464 The same
virtues gained him a still nobler and more powerful votary;
he became, as we have seen, the special friend of Earl
Harold.
tVo'tary, a, Obs. [Cf, prec]
1, Of persons : Consecrated by a vow ; devoted
to a religious life.
1564 Brief Exam. B iv b. The salarie.. consecrated, .to
thejT holy votaries virgins. x6ii Steed Theat. Gt. Brit.
xix. (1614) 27/2 Elie, had in account for the repute and holinesse
of votary-nun nes there residing. \6