By the wolf, no doubt, was meant the Pope, but the fox was resembled to the prelates, courtesans, priests, and the rest of the spirituality.—Foxe, Book of Martyrs, ed. 1641, vol. i. p. 511.
Courtship. We now assign to this and to ‘courtesy’ their own several domains of meanings; but they were once promiscuously used. See for another example of the same the quotation from Fuller, s. v. ‘Defalcation.’
As he [Charles I.], to acquit himself, hath not spared his adversaries, to load them with all sorts of blame and accusation, so to him, as in his book alive, there will be used no more courtship than he uses.—Milton, Iconoclastes, The Preface.
| Cumber, | } |
| Cumbrous. |
This word, the Old French combrer, has lost much of the force which it once possessed; it means now little more than passively to burden. It was once actively to annoy, disquiet, or mischief. It was as possessing this force that our Translators rendered ἵνα τί καὶ τὴν γῆν καταργεῖ; ‘why cumbereth it the ground?’ (Luke xiii. 7.)
The archers in the forefront so wounded the footmen, so galled the horses, and so combred the men of arms that the footmen durst not go forward.—Hall, Henry V. fol. 17, 6.
We have herde that certayne of oures are departed, and have troubled you and have combred [ἀνασκευάζοντες] your myndes, sayenge, Ye must be circumcised and must keep the law.—Acts xv. 24. Coverdale.
But Martha was cumbered [περιεσπᾶτο, cf. ver. 41: μεριμνᾷs καὶ τυρβάζῃ] about much serving.—Luke x. 40. (A.V.)
A cloud of combrous gnats do him molest,
All striving to infix their feeble stings.