| 释义 |
▪ I. diligence1|ˈdɪlɪdʒəns|
In 5–6 dily-, dyly-, deli-, delygence, -ens.
[a. F. diligence (13–14th c. in Hatz.-Darm.), ad. L. dīligentia, f. dīligent-em diligent: see -ence. Cf. Pr. and Sp. diligencia, It. diligenza.]
The quality of being diligent.
1. Constant and earnest effort to accomplish what is undertaken; persistent application and endeavour; industry, assiduity.
c1374Chaucer Troylus iii. 86 (135) With al my wit and al my deligence. 1393Gower Conf. II. 37 As for thy diligence, Whiche every mannes conscience By reson shulde reule and kepe. c1425Wyntoun Cron. vi. iv. 74 To mak defens For hys Land wyth diligens. 1577B. Googe Heresbach's Husb. iv. (1586) 190 By the carefull toile and diligence of the Bee. 1644Milton Educ. Wks. (1847) 98/1 The extraordinary pains and diligence which you have used in this matter. a1718Penn Tracts Wks. 1726 I. 908 Diligence is a discreet and understanding Application of one's self to Business. 1718Freethinker No. 89 ⁋9 Manage Business with Regularity and Diligence. 1751Johnson Rambler No. 85 ⁋1 Many writers..have laid out their diligence upon the consideration of those distempers. 1871E. F. Burr Ad Fidem viii. 130 Patient diligence the only sure key to Divine treasures.
†b. Assiduity in service; persistent endeavour to please; officiousness. Obs.
1493Petronilla 142 (Pynson) To do servise with humble diligence Unto thy fader. 1500–20Dunbar Poems lvii. 3 Sum be seruice and diligence. 1591Shakes. 1 Hen. VI, v. iii. 9 This speedy and quicke appearance argues proofe Of your accustom'd diligence to me. 1671Milton P.R. ii. 387 Why shouldst thou, then, obtrude this diligence In vain, where no acceptance it can find? 1674Playford Skill Mus. i. xi. 41 Which sort of People we should endeavour to please with all diligence.
†c. with a and pl.: an act of diligence; pl. labours, exertions, diligent efforts. Obs.
1443Hen. VI in Ellis Orig. Lett. Ser. iii. I. 79 By whos notable..labours and diligences it hath liked our Lord to shewe us his grete fauour. 1549Coverdale, etc. Erasm. Par. Phil. II. 9 All them..that with their dilygences helpe forewarde the businesse of the gospell. 1600E. Blount tr. Conestaggio 314 Not suffering his men to discharge one volley..for that it seemed unto him a vaine diligence. 1652J. Wadsworth tr. Sandoval's Civ. Wars Spain 253 Whilest the Lord High Constable was making all these diligences, the Cardinal stole secretly out of Valladolid.
†d. One in whom the quality is personified; a diligent person. (nonce-use.)
1610Shakes. Temp. v. i. 241 Ar. Was't well done? Pr. Brauely (my diligence); thou shalt be free.
†e. Phrases. to put diligence, to do one's diligence, to do one's utmost endeavour, to exert oneself. to report one's diligence, to report what one has done, to report progress. Obs. or arch.
c1386Chaucer Melib. ⁋27 Whan thou hast for-goon thy freend, do diligence to gete another freend. c1386― Manciple's T. 37 And nyght and day did euere his diligence Hir for to plese. 1389Eng. Gilds (1870) 4 Þe same maistres & breþeren shul do her diligence trewly to redresse it. 1477Earl Rivers (Caxton) Dictes 128, I shal put my peyn and dyligence to distroye the. 1481Caxton Myrr. i. vi. 30 They [kynges] doo their diligence to lerne such clergye & science. 1509Barclay Shyp of Folys (1570) 6 Neuer wise man loued..To haue great riches put ouer great diligence. 1539Cranmer 2 Tim. iv. 9 Do thy diligence, that thou mayest come shortly vnto me. 1637–50Row Hist. Kirk (1842) 208 That they be carefull to correct what they can, and report their diligence to the nixt Assemblie. 1690W. Walker Idiomat. Anglo-Lat. 143, I will doe my diligence.
†2. Speed, dispatch, haste. Obs.
1490Caxton Eneydos xxvi. 95 Yf thou departe not with all diligence thou shalt soone see the see alle couered with vesselles of werre commynge ayenst the. 1548Hall Chron. 37 This phisician dyd not long lynger..but with good diligens repaired to the quene. 1605Shakes. Lear i. v. 4 If your Dilligence be not speedy, I shall be there afore you. 1632J. Hayward tr. Biondi's Eromena 21 Posting on with such diligence that by darke night hee reached [etc.]. 1703Rowe Ulyss. iv. i. 1415 With thy swiftest Diligence return. 1781Gibbon Decl. & F. III. 41 His rival..fled before him with the diligence of fear.
†b. A ‘company’ of messengers. Obs.
1486Bk. St. Albans F vj b, A Diligens of Messangeris.
†3. Careful attention, heedfulness, caution. to do diligence or have diligence, to take care, take heed, beware; to take care of or about a thing, to look after it carefully. Obs.
1340Ayenb. 238 Þeruore hi ssolle do greate payne and grat diligence wel to loki hare chastete. 1382Wyclif 1 Tim. iii. 5 If ony man kan not gouerne his hous, how schal he haue diligence of the chirche of God. c1400Lanfranc's Cirurg. 141 It is necessarie þat a surgian have more diligence in þe woundis of þe face. 1483Caxton Cato B v b, Thou oughtest to take dyligence and cure of thy werkes. 1535Coverdale Prov. iv. 23 Kepe thine hert with all diligence. 1577B. Googe Heresbach's Husb. iii. (1586) 152 To keepe your Bacon any long time, you must use greate diligence in the salting and drying of it. 1587L. Mascall Govt. Cattle, Horses (1627) 100 A horse doth aske a greater deligence to be meated and kept..then other cattell. 1665Hooke Microgr. 47 Moscovy-glass..with care and diligence may be slit into pieces..exceeding thin. 1795Southey Joan of Arc viii, Thou wilt guard them with due diligence, Yet not forgetful of humanity.
†b. with pl. Obs.
1675M. Clifford Hum. Reason in Phenix 1708 II. 530 Those necessary Diligences which are requir'd for so doubtful and dangerous a Passage.
4. Law. The attention and care due from a person in a given situation; spec. that incumbent upon the parties to a contract.
1622Malynes Anc. Law Merch. 407 The diligences which are requisite to bee done herein, are..to be obserued accordingly. 1781Sir W. Jones Ess. Bailments 16. 1848 Wharton Law Lex. s.v., The common law recognizes three degrees of diligence. (1) Common or ordinary..(2) High or great, which is extraordinary diligence..(3) Low or slight, which is that which persons of less than common prudence, or indeed of any prudence at all, take of their own concerns. 1875Poste Gaius 477 The opposite of Negligence is Diligence, vigilance, attention, which, like Negligence, admits of an infinite variety of gradations. Ibid. 480 If the interests of the parties are not identical, the Roman law, at least, requires extraordinary diligence.
5. Sc. Law.
a. The process of law by which persons, lands, or effects are attached on execution, or in security for debt.
b. The warrant issued by a court to enforce the attendance of witnesses, or the production of documents.
1568in Calderwood Hist. Kirk (1843) II. 426 The persons addebted for payment of the same being at the horne, and no further diligence used for obteaning of payment. 1752J. Louthian Form of Process (ed. 2) 37 Therefore, necessary it is for the Complainers to have our Warrant and Diligence for summoning the said C.D. to compear before Our Lords Justice-General. 1754Erskine Princ. Sc. Law (1809) 12 In our supreme courts of Session and Exchequer, not only process, but execution of diligence, runs in the name of the Sovereign. 1827Scott Jrnl. 13 Oct., Mr. Abud..has given the most positive orders to take out diligence against me for his debt of 1500l. 1858Polson Law & L. 197 Witnesses are brought into Court upon a diligence.
▪ II. diligence2
(ˈdɪlɪdʒəns; Fr. diliʒɑ̃s)
[mod.F.: a particular use of diligence, diligence1 sense 2, also in Ger. and Du.; It. diligenza, Sp. diligencia.]
A public stage-coach. (Now used only in reference to France or other continental countries.)
1742Lady M. W. Montagu Lett. (1893) II. 110 Travelled from Paris to Lyons in the diligence. 1756Nugent Gr. Tour France IV. 19 The Diligence is a kind of stage coach so called from its expedition, and differs from the carosse or ordinary stage-coach, in little else but in moving with greater velocity. It is used chiefly in travelling from Paris to Lyons, and from Paris to Brussels. 1815M. Birkbeck Journ. through France 17 From Rouen to Louviers we travelled by diligence. 1838J. L. Stephens Trav. Greece, etc. 62/1 We mounted a drosky and rode to the office of the diligence, which was situated in the Podolsk, or lower town. 1883S. C. Hall Retrospect II. 207 When travelling..on the top of a Diligence, Turner sketched, on the back of a letter, Heidelberg.
†b. Formerly used also in Great Britain. Obs.
1748Smollett Rod. Rand. xi, I shall make my lord very merry with our adventures in the diligence. [Satirically: it was a wagon.] 1776Wesley Wks. (1830) IV. 90, I set out for Bedford in the diligence. 1777Sheridan Sch. Scand. i. i, Her guardian caught her just stepping into the York Diligence with her dancing-master. 1780F. Burney Lett. 9 June, If..possible to send me a line by the diligence to Brighton. 1782Sir J. E. Smith in Mem. (1832) I. 55 We went in the diligence to Dumbarton. 1797Papers on Reform of Posts App. ii. 3 The Diligence that sets out from Bath..on Monday afternoon, will deliver a letter on Tuesday morning. 1849Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. 379 The interests of large classes had been unfavourably affected by the establishment of the new diligences.
c. Used for the passengers of a ‘diligence’. (Cf. coach n. 1 c.)
1887Ruskin Præterita II. 400 The hour when the diligence dined.
d. attrib.
1861Sat. Rev. 14 Dec. 607 Continuous diligence journey of three days and nights required to reach Madrid. 1866Miss Thackeray Village on Cliff in Cornh. Mag. 527, Catherine..looked out through the diligence windows at the château. |