Sir Henry Wotton

Diplomat and poet, 1568-1639

Cited as Sir H. Wotton. — 68 quotations

Ambulatory

The princess of whom his majesty had an ambulatory view in his travels.

Ballot

None of the competitors arriving to a sufficient number of balls, they fell to ballot some others.

Butt

Two harmless lambs are butting one the other.

Buttery

All that need a cool and fresh temper, as cellars, pantries, and butteries, to the north.

Circumspectness

[Travel] forces circumspectness on those abroad, who at home are nursed in security.

Circumvest

Circumvested with much prejudice.

Compartition

Their temples . . . needed no compartitions.

Complimental

Languages . . . grow rich and abundant in complimental phrases, and such froth.

Conduce

He was sent to conduce hither the princess.

Conscionable

Let my debtors have conscionable satisfaction.

Contentment

At Paris the prince spent one whole day to give his mind some contentment in viewing of a famous city.

Conterminable

Love and life not conterminable.

Contexture

He was not of any delicate contexture; his limbs rather sturdy than dainty.

Conversative

She chose . . . to endue him with the conversative qualities of youth.

Courtesan

Lasciviously decked like a courtesan.

Cumber

A place of much distraction and cumber.

Daintiness

The duke exeeded in the daintiness of his leg and foot, and the earl in the fine shape of his hands,

Delivery

Neater limbs and freer delivery.

Detract

Detract much from the view of the without.

Discredit

He. . . least discredits his travels who returns the same man he went.

Discuss

Many arts were used to discuss the beginnings of new affection.

Disposure

In a kind of warlike disposure.

Disrobe

Two great peers were disrobed of their glory.

Elevation

His style . . . wanted a little elevation.

Epithet

Never was a town better epitheted.

eruption

He would . . . break out into bitter and passionate eruditions.

File

Let me resume the file of my narration.

Forwardness

He had such a dexterous proclivity, as his teachers were fain to restrain his forwardness.

Fuel

Well watered and well fueled.

Fugitive

A libellous pamphlet of a fugitive physician.

Inaugurate

As if kings did choose remarkable days to inaugurate their favors.

Incumbent

Two incumbent figures, gracefully leaning upon it.

Inlet

Doors and windows, inlets of men and of light.

Insensible

Accept an obligation without being a slave to the giver, or insensible to his kindness.

Insociable

Lime and wood are insociable.

Latitude

Provided the length do not exceed the latitude above one third part.

Ledge

The lowest ledge or row should be of stone.

Luster

His ancestors continued about four hundred years, rather without obscurity than with any great luster.

Maidenhead

The maidenhead of their credit.

Meridional

Offices that require heat . . . should be meridional.

Nurture

He was nurtured where he had been born.

Picture

Any well-expressed image . . . either in picture or sculpture.

Plot

The prince did plot to be secretly gone.

Proclivity

He had such a dexterous proclivity as his teachers were fain to restrain his forwardness.

Prompt

The reception of the light into the body of the building was very prompt.

Rap

From Oxford I was rapt by my nephew, Sir Edmund Bacon, to Redgrove.

Recourse

Thus died this great peer, in a time of great recourse unto him and dependence upon him.

Refuge

Light must be supplied, among gracefulrefuges, by terracing story in danger of darkness.

Resupination

Our Vitruvius calleth this affection in the eye a resupination of the figure.

Rude

He was but rude in the profession of arms.

Rush

A gentleman of his train spurred up his horse, and, with a violent rush, severed him from the duke.

Sally

The excursion was esteemed but a sally of youth.

Sardonic

Where strained, sardonic smiles are glozing still, And grief is forced to laugh against her will.

Second

Being sure enough of seconds after the first onset.

Shift

My going to Oxford was not merely for shift of air.

Shy

Princes are, by wisdom of state, somewhat shy of thier successors.

Solemness

Some think he wanted solemnes.

Staircase

To make a complete staircase is a curious piece of architecture.

Step

The breadth of every single step or stair should be never less than one foot.

Stive

His chamber was commonly stived with friends or suitors of one kind or other.

Sturdy

He was not of any delicate contexture; his limbs rather sturdy than dainty.

Tend

Two gentlemen tending towards that sight.

Transportation

To provide a vessel for their transportation.

Traverse

Oak . . . being strong in all positions, may be better trusted in cross and traverse work.

Try

He first deceased: she for a little tried To live without him; liked it not, and died.

Vacancy

All dispositions to idleness or vacancy, even before they are habits, are dangerous.

Vacant

The duke had a pleasant and vacant face.

Washy

A polish . . . not over thin and washy.