Aristark, myne evene caytyf [concaptivus meus, Vulg.], greetith you wel.—Col. iv. 10. Wiclif (earlier version).
The riche Cresus, caytif in servage.
Chaucer, The Knightes Tale.
Avarice doth tyrannize over her caitiff and slave, not suffering him to use what she commanded him to win.—Holland, Plutarch’s Morals, p. 208.
Alas, poore Caitiffe.
Shakespeare, Othello, act iv. sc. 1.
Capitulate. There is no reason why the reducing of any agreement to certain heads or ‘capitula’ should not be called to ‘capitulate,’ the victor thus ‘capitulating’ as well as the vanquished; and the present limitation of the word’s use, by which it means to surrender on certain specified terms, is quite of modern introduction.
Gelon the tyrant, after he had defeated the Carthaginians near to the city Himera, when he made peace with them, capitulated, among other articles of treaty, that they should no more sacrifice any infants to Saturn.—Holland, Plutarch’s Morals, p. 405.
He [the Emperor Charles V.] makes a voyage into England, and there capitulates with the King, among other things, to take to wife his daughter Mary.—Heylin, History of the Reformation.
Wonder He will condescend to it! To capitulate with dust and ashes! To article with his own creature, with whom He may do what He will!—Howe, The Redeemer’s Dominion, &c.