The Online Library of Liberty

A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.

• Preface
• Introduction
• A.: Editions
• B.: Dates of Composition and Publication
• I.: The First Edition
• II.: The Second Edition
• C.: Historical Setting
• I.: ‘anarchy and Confusion’
• II.: ‘aierie Modells’
• D.: Milton’s Ideal Republic
• E.: Two Formative Influences
• I.: Mediæval Republican Thought
• II.: The Rota Club
• F.: Sources
• I.: Scriptural Authority and Illustration
• II.: Classical Precedent
• 1.: Greek Commonwealth-theory
• 2.: The Roman Republic and Its Expounders
• III.: Modern Political Theorists
• 1.: Machiavelli
• 2.: Bodin
• 3.: Miscellaneous Contributors
• G.: Style
• H.: Significance
• The Text a Reproduction of the First Edition With Variants From the Second Edition
• Editor’s Note
• The Ready and Easy Way to Establish a Free Commonwealth
• Glossary
• Appendices
• A.: the Process of Revision
• B.: Contemporary Criticism

GLOSSARY

This glossary is designed to include all obsolete, archaic, dialectical, and rare words that occur in the text. For the sake of clearness or convenience, a few current words have been admitted. The principal authorities that have been consulted are the New English Dictionary (NED.), the Century Dictionary, Skeat’s Etymological Dictionary, and Lockwood’s Lexicon.

A dagger (†) before a word or meaning indicates that the word or meaning is obsolete; an interrogation (?), that the interpretation is doubtful.

†Acquisite,a. [ad. L. acquīsīt-us pa. pple. of acquīrere.] Acquired; obtained for oneself. 25. 11.

Addicted,ppl. a. †Attached by one’s own act; given up, devoted, inclined (to a person or party). 21. 22.

Admirable,a. †To be wondered at; wonderful, surprising, marvelous. 18. 26.

Admiration,sb. Wonder, astonishment, surprise. Arch.10. 8.

Admire,v. †intr. To wonder, to marvel. 19. 13.

Affected,ppl. a. Disposed, inclined. 11. 17.

Aftergame,sb. ‘Prop. A second game played in order to reverse or improve the issues of the first; hence “The scheme which may be laid or the expedients which are practised after the original game has miscarried; methods taken after the first turn of affairs” Johnson.’ NED. 15. 4.

Anough.Obs. form of enough.11. 24.

Answerable,a. Corresponding; proportional. Absol. Arch.25. 38.

Apprehension,sb. Notion; opinion; fixed idea. 40. 1.

Assistances,sb. Assistance; succour. Arch. in pl.14. 27.

Bandy,v. intr. To contend, to strive. 26. 15.

Briskest,a. Most active; liveliest. 33. 7.

Censur’d,v. trans. †Judged to be. 13. 29.

Charges,sb. ‘Expenses: often with sense scarcely or not at all distinguishable from the sing.’ NED. Arch. in pl.16. 5.

Cheapning,v. trans. †Haggling terms about; ?endeavoring to lower the price of. 16. 32.

Circumstances,sb. ‘Subordinate matters or details: strictly, matters “appendant or relative to a fact” (Johnson), viewed as extraneous to its essence, but passing into the sense of “subordinate parts of the fact, details.’ ” NED. Obs. in pl.40. 35.

Civilest,a. †Having proper public or social order; well-ordered, orderly, well-governed. 31. 13.

Commodious,a. Convenient. Arch.38. 18.

Conceit,sb. Notion, idea. 29. 5.

Concernment,sb. †Interest. 9. 20.

Conclude,v. trans. †To prove. 18. 19.

Constantly,adv. With mental constancy or steadfastness; steadily, resolutely, faithfully. 14. 12.

Constituted,ppl. a. †Set up, established, ordained. 28. 5.

Constitutions,sb. Existing order or arrangements of government. 9. 17.

Corruption,sb. [Replaced by ‘contagion’ in 2d ed.] An infectious moral disease. 13. 31.

Cunning,a. In a bad sense: crafty; skilful at underhand methods. 9. 10.

Default,sb. †Failure in duty; misdeed. 28. 6.

Deferr,v. trans. †To delay, to put off (a person). 12. 27.

Delinquents,sb. ‘Those who assisted Charles I or Charles II, by arms, money, or personal service, in levying war, 1642-1660.’ NED. 12. 14.

†Democratie,sb. [L. democratia.] Democracy. 25. 19.

Disaffected,a. Unfriendly to the government. 20. 19.

Disallowance,sb. Disapproval. 15. 21.

Discoveries,sb. †Investigations. 32. 33.

Dooms-day,sb. [OE. dōmes dæg.] Judgment day. 21. 3.

Driving,v. intr. Moving energetically. 29. 7.

Effects,sb. †Outward signs; evidence. 40. 34.

Election,sb. †choice. 39. 10.

Endevord,v. trans. Attempted. Obs. exc. arch.11. 33.

Equal,a. †Impartial. 38. 19.

Estates,sb. Orders of society. 11. 16.

Event,sb. Final outcome. 25. 17.

Expecting,ppl. a. Awaiting. Arch.20. 7.

Face,sb. Aspect; visible condition. 9. 1.

Faces,sb. Outward shows. 33. 6.

Facilitie,sb. Freedom from difficulty. 29. 3.

Faction,sb. †Party-strife; intrigue. 35. 21.

Fain,adv. Gladly; willingly. 31. 34.

Fine,sb. End. Obsolete except in phrase in fine.25. 19.

Fond,a. Idiotic. 29. 5.

Force,sb. †Compulsion. 11. 10.

Forgoe,v. give up; renounce. 40. 14.

Frequent,a. †Of persons, an assembly, etc.: Assembled in great numbers, crowded, full. Often in full and frequent.9. 14.

Friendly,adv. In a friendly manner. 16. 8.

Fluxible,a. Inconstant; ready for change. 25. 12.

Gentilism,sb. †Heathenism. 15. 21.

Gestures,sv. Bodily movements (e. g., in drinking healths). 33. 7.

Gratulate,v. trans. To congratulate. Arch.27. 20.

Humour,sb. Groundless fancy, or inclination. Obs. with of.9. 9.

Imposition,sb. Tax. 32. 25.

Indifferent,a. †Neutral; ‘Not more advantageous to one party than to another.’ NED. 38. 19.

Inferrs,v. †Logically necessitates. 15. 35.

Ingenuous,a. †Noble in character; highminded. 38. 33; 41. 20.

Judicatures,sb. Courts of justice. 37. 34.

Judicial,adj. Secular, as opp. to moral or ceremonial. 37. 32.

Judgments,sb. Visitions of divine wrath. 40. 26.

Knockt,v. trans. Phrase knocked on = driven on by a blow. 31. 4.

Least,conj. Obs. form of lest.24. 1.

Lieger,a. Obs. form of ledger. Resident; stationary. 26. 5.

Light,sb. Instruction; advice. 40. 17.

Longing,sb. †Object of intense desire. 32. 10.

Low,a. Humble; dispirited. 31. 30.

Lurch,v. trans. †To get by stealth; to steal. 29. 8.

Magnanimously,adv. †Courageously; heroicly. 10. 6.

Magnifi’d,a. †Lauded. 13. 13.

Masks,sb. Originally the same word as masques. ‘A form of amateur histrionic entertainment, popular at Court and amongst the nobility in England during the latter part of the 16th c. and the first half of the 17th c.; originally consisting of dancing and acting in dumb show, the performers being masked and habited in character; afterwards including dialogue (usually poetical) and song.’ NED. 16. 11.

Maxim,sb. ‘A precept of morality or prudence expressed in sententious form.’ NED. 36. 24.

Minde,sb. Opinion. 36. 24.

Mischief,sb. †Misfortune, calamity. 20. 15.

Motion,sb. Moving; ? †transportation. 26. 1.

Motiond,v. trans. pp. of motion. †Proposed. 11. 20.

Neuters,sb. Those of neither side. 32. 35.

Novice,a. Inexperienced. 25. 4.

Noxious,a. Harmful. 9. 8.

Ofter,adv. comp. of oft. Archaic. Oftener. 24. 19.

Ordination,sb. Induction into the ministry. 12. 12.

Ornaments,sb. [L. ornamenta.] Distinctions; public honors. 39. 10.

Outlandish,a. Of foreign birth; un-English. Archaic.16. 15.

Pageant,v. To carry about as a show. 16. 37.

Parlie,sb. [From OF. parler, to speak.] Speech; conference. 27. 10.

Peculiar,a. †‘Belonging specially to.’ NED. 32, 6; †Individual. 38. 22.

Popularities,sb. Obs. Democracies. 25. 26.

Policie,sb. †Government; political science. 24. 33.

Precedence,sb. Order of occurrence. 23. 16.

†Prejudicate, v. Judge hastily; condemn in advance. 31. 15.

Prescription,sb. †Limitation; conformity to prescribed rules of conduct. 28. 23.

Prettie,a. Perhaps in OE. sense, †cunning; but possibly ironical. 29. 7.

Principld,ppl. a. Imbued with principles. Rare except in combination. 36. 27.

Progress,sb. †A state procession. 16. 37.

†Proprieties,sb. Properties. 28. 27.

Prostrations,sb. Attitudes expressive of servility or adoration. 18. 26.

Qualifie,v. trans. †Regulate. 26. 21.

Revels,sb. Dances given in connection with masques, but not a part of them. 16. 11.

Ribald,sb. A base person; a profligate. 33. 12.

Seek, to, †adj. phrase. Ignorant. 25. 4.

Shift, put to, Forced to devise new expedients. 12. 7.

Stay,vb. intr. Wait patiently. 23. 3.

Stay,sb. Check; halt. 41. 29.

Stearage,sb. The course steered; the path or way. 37. 14.

Suffrages,sb. Control by means of popular votes. 39. 25.

Summ, in,adv. phrase. In short. 35. 27.

†Suspence,a. Suspended; held in doubt. 22. 32.

Swell,v. intr. Strut; put on airs. 18. 8.

Temperament,sb. Compromise; adjustment of differences. Arch.23. 37.

Then.Obs. form of than.9. 15.

Thir,pron. pl. Their. Obs. or dial.15. 4.

Throughly,adv. By-form of thoroughly. Skeat, Etym. Dict.11. 3.

Timely,adv. [A. S. tīmlīce.] In good time. 41. 30.

Took,vb. Deemed; judged. 10. 11.

Umbrage,sb. Shadow; slight appearance. 36. 13.

Vassals,sb. Subjects; underlings. 18. 20.

Venereal pox.sb. Disease due to sexual profligacy. 33. 19.

Vicegerent,sb. One exercising delegated power. 19. 27.

Voice, negative,sb. Power of veto. 29. 34.

Voices,sb. Votes. 11. 18.

Weight,sb. Importance; effective influence. 12. 2.

Whenas,conj. When. Arch.20. 26.

Wonderd, be,v. †impers. Be a cause for astonishment. 18. 16.

Worthies,sb. Persons of superior eminence and worth. 20. 27.