| 释义 |
visitation|vɪzɪˈteɪʃən|
Forms: 4 vysytacyun, 5–6 vysytacyon (5 -acyone, 6 -acion), vysitacyon, visytacion; 4–5 visitacioun (6 Sc. -atioun), 4–7 visitacion (7 -acyon), 4– visitation; 6 vesyt-, ffessyt-, fecytacyon.
[a. AF. visitacioun (Gower), OF. and F. visitation (= Sp. visitacion, Pg. visitação, It. visitazione), or ad. L. vīsitātiōn-, vīsitātio, noun of action f. vīsitāre to visit.]
I.
1. The action, on the part of one in authority, or of a duly qualified or authorized person, of going to a particular place in order to make an inspection and satisfy himself that everything is in order; an instance of such inspection or supervision. a. A visit by an ecclesiastical person (or body) to examine into the state of a diocese, parish, religious institution, etc.; spec. in English use, such a visit paid by a bishop or archdeacon; a meeting or gathering of persons concerned in such a visit.
Quotations for an archdeacon's visitation are placed separately under (b).
(a)1303R. Brunne Handl. Synne 2103 He [an abbot] went hys wey To Palestyne, þat ys an abbey, To make hys vysytacyun As falleþ yn relygyun. 1401Pol. Poems (Rolls) II. 21 Why be ye not under your bishops visitations, and leege men to our king? 1526Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 64 Abbot Pyor, whiche among a great multitude of fathers and bretherne gathered together in maner of a vysytacyon..dyd in this wyse. a1548Hall Chron., Hen. VIII, 143 The Cardinall by Visitacions, makyng of Abbottes,..and other pollynges..had made his threasore egall with the kynges. 1591Spenser M. Hubberd 569 All their Parishners..to the Ordinarie of them complain'd,..Till at the length he published to holde A Visitation, and them cyted thether. 1661J. Stephens Procurations 17 For what are Visitations other then laborious travellings from place to place? 1739Bp. Herring in J. Duncombe Lett. (1773) II. 132 It was the year of my primary visitation, and I determined to see every part of my diocese. 1761Warburton in W. & Hurd's Lett. (1809) 326, I fancy my Visitation..will be the last week in June and the first in July. 1827Hallam Const. Hist. ii. (1876) I. 70 Wolsey, as papal legate,..commenced a visitation of the professed as well as secular clergy in 1523.
(b)1536Dunmow Churchw. MS. fol. 22 b, Item payd at the ffessytacyon, iiiid. 1537Ibid. fol. 23 Item payd at Chelmsford at the Vesytacyon for howr costs, xviiid. 1566Eng. Ch. Furniture (Peacock, 1866) 56 Imprimis a box made of bone sold to Jho Wattes sens the last visitacion who keeps yt to put monney in. 1603Constit. & Canons cxi, In all Visitations of Bishops and Archdeacons, the Church-wardens..shall..present the names of all those which behaue themselues rudely..in the Church. 1692Prideaux Lett. (Camden) 152, I have yours of the 16th, but it came not to my hands till last Friday, for I was absent at Ipswich on a visitation. 1713Gibson Codex 999 If any Archdeacons are entituled to require Exhibits in their Visitations, it can only be upon the foot of Custom. 1726Ayliffe Parergon 96 For the Bishop ought to visit his Diocess every Year in his own Person, unless he thinks fit to omit the same,..and then in such a Case he ought to send his Archdeacon, which was the Original of the Archdeacons Visitation. 1842Words to Churchwardens (Camb. Camd. Soc.) i. 3 The Archdeacon at his Visitation seldom ends his charge without a few words to us Churchwardens. 1857Toulmin Smith Parish 94 The articles of Visitation issued by him, when archdeacon in 1713, as to be answered by all churchwardens.
(c)1727P. Walker Life Semple Biog. Presbyt. (1827) I. 158 There were few parochial Visitations..but he was at them, for encouraging of laborious godly Ministers, and censuring of such as were scandalous.
b. A visit of inspection made by one or more persons having civil authority or jurisdiction or specially appointed to exercise supervision within a certain sphere; the making of such visits; † the body of persons making an inspection of this kind.
† visitation of maners: see quot. 1607 and mainour.
1533–4Act 25 Hen. VIII, c. 21 §14 Redresse visitacion and confirmacion shalbe had by the Kynges Highnes. 1556Chron. Gr. Friars (Camden) 54 Item the v. day after in September [1547] beganne the kynges vysytacion at Powlles, and alle imagys pullyd downe. 1607Cowell Interpr., Visitation of maners..was wont to be the name of the Regarders office in auncient time. 1665in W. Campbell Ch. & Par. Kirkaldy 84 The visitation present appoynts the school to be visited four times in the year. 1691Wood Ath. Oxon. I. 327 On the 8. of Nov...the Visitation of his Library is commonly made. 1773Gentl. Mag. XLIII. 349 Sir Thomas Pye..has it in command from the King to acquaint [certain admirals, captains, etc.] that he is pleased with their attention during his visitation at Portsmouth. 1845Polson in Encycl. Metrop. II. 826/1 It was held, that in default of..a special visitor appointed by the founder or charter, the king, in the person of his chancellor, had the right of visitation. 1874Bucknill & Tuke Psychol. Med. (ed. 3) 2 The bill of 1828, by which the Secretary of State was allowed to appoint fifteen Commissioners annually, for the license and visitation of those houses which had been previously licensed by the College of Physicians.
c. A periodic visit made to a district by heralds to examine and enrol arms and pedigrees. Now only Hist.
1572N. Roscarrock Prelim. Verses in Bossewell Armorie, Of dubbing knights, the orders ther they haue;..With visitacions, which allottes to eche desert his right. 1640Yorke Union Hon. To Rdr., For the Armes of our Lincolnshire Gentlemen, I haue taken their knowledge from themselues, and by Visitations. 1849R. Sims (title), An Index to the Pedigrees and Arms contained in the Heralds' Visitations. 1864Boutell Her. Hist. & Pop. xiii. (ed. 3) 133 The Records of these Visitations are preserved in the College of Arms.
d. In general use: Examination, inspection.
1583B. Melbancke Philotimus E iij b, The old huddle missing his monye at his next visitation, toke the haulter and hanged himselfe. 1643Sir T. Browne Relig. Med. i. §16, I cannot tell by what Logick we call a Toad, a Beare, or an Elephant, ugly, they..having past that generall visitation of God, who saw that all that he had made was good.
e. spec. Examination of goods by a customs officer or similar official; the action on the part of a belligerent vessel of ascertaining, by entry or close examination, the character of a merchant ship belonging to a neutral state.
1755N. Magens Insurances II. 513 Where these Goods shall be subject to Visitation in the same manner, as those which are made in the Kingdom. 1826Kent Comm. I. 31 Maritime states claim upon a principle just in itself and temperately applied, a right of visitation. 1867Smyth Sailor's Word-bk. 714 The law of nations gives to every belligerent cruiser the right of visitation and search of all merchant ships.
2. a. The action of going to a place, either for some special purpose or merely in order to see it; an instance of this.
c1386Chaucer Wife's Prol. 555 Therfore I made my visitacions To vigilies, and to processions To prechyng eek and to thise pilgrimages. 1654Codrington tr. Justin xxxviii. (1672) 377 The Ambassadors of the Romans..made a visitation into those parts to observe the condition and Kingdoms of their Confederates. 1687A. Lovell tr. Thevenot's Trav. i. 172 We took the way by Tor, partly to see it, and partly to take a Monk to guide us in our visitations. 1720Welton Suffer. Son of God II. xviii. 495 The Blessed Jesus..found Time enough to make His Circular Visitation thro' all those Towns in and about Palestine. a1774Goldsm. Surv. Exp. Philos. (1776) I. 395 In this manner we find, that no part of nature is wholly secluded from human visitation. 1829Lytton Devereux i. viii, The town was a favourite place of visitation with all the family. 1832G. Downes Lett. Cont. Countries I. 311 We proceeded from hence to the Church of St. Mary Segreta, and terminated our visitation at that of the Holy Sepulchre. 1866Rogers Agric. & Prices I. xxvii. 654 As they possessed estates in widely distant places, it was an object to them that they should have easy and convenient means of visitation.
transf.1821Scott Kenilw. xxix, Lambourne, on whom his last draught, joined to repeated visitations of the pitcher upon former occasions began to make some innovation.
b. poet. The object of a visit. rare—1.
1667Milton P.L. xi. 275 O flours,..My early visitation, and my last At Eev'n, which I bred up with tender hand.
c. The action, on the part of animals, of resorting to a particular place at certain seasons, or of exceptionally appearing in places which are not their usual habitat.
1774Goldsm. Nat. Hist. (1776) VI. 330 Along the coasts of Norway,..these animals are found punctual in their visitations.
3. a. The action or practice of visiting sick or distressed persons as a work of charity or pastoral duty.
c1430Lydg. Min. Poems (E.E.T.S.) 79 Whan Abackuk..Broughte potage in to Babyloun,..Affter figure this mater to conveye, How almesse-dede and vysytacyoun Gretly avaylleth to sowlys whan they deye. 1474Caxton Chesse iii. v. (1883) 120 And as to them that ben seke contynuell visitacion of them. 1548–9(Mar.) Bk. Com. Prayer, Offices 18 The Order for the visitacion of the sicke. 1583in Wodrow Soc. Misc. (1844) 460 As tuitching the Visitatioun of the seik, he declairit he was..glad to wissie the puirest creatour. 1777Brand Pop. Antiq. 379 In performing..the Service appropriated to the Visitation of the Sick with one of these Men (who died a few Days after). 1795Paley Clergym. Comp. Pref., The offices of Public and Private Baptism, though no ways relating to the visitation of the Sick, are retained. 1862Chambers's Encycl. III. 180 The Church of England..retains private confession in the rubric for visitation of the sick. 1886T. L. Kington-Oliphant New English I. 160 An office for the Visitation of the sick, which dates from about 1390.
b. The action of pastoral visiting on the part of a clergyman.
1546Yorks. Chantry Surv. (Surtees) 253 The curate beinge of visitacion in the one parte of his paroch, cannot com to the church by the space of ij dayes. 1818Scott Rob Roy iii, Country parsons, jogging homewards after a visitation. 1911T. B. Kilpatrick N. Test. Evangelism iii. ii. §2. 167 The Work of Visitation. Every minister knows that this may be the most profitable part of his pastoral duty... The work of visitation can never be stereotyped.
4. a. the Visitation (of our Lady), the visit paid by the Virgin Mary to Elizabeth, recorded in Luke i. 39 ff.; hence ellipt., the day on which this is commemorated, July 2; also, a picture representing the event.
1498Coventry Leet Bk. 588 This ȝere the Chaptur of blak monkes was kept at Couentre aboute þe visitacion of our Lady. 1547Boorde Introd. Knowl. xiv. (1870) 161, I haue seen snowe in somer on saynct Peters day and the Vysytacion of our Ladye. 1611Cotgr. s.v., The feast of the Visitation of our Ladie. a1700Evelyn Diary 10 Nov. 1644, There are in it divers good pictures, as the Assumption..; the Crucifix; the Visitation of Elizabeth. 1753Chambers' Cycl. Suppl. s.v., The Visitation of the Virgin Mary is a feast instituted first by pope Urban IV. in the year 1389. 1880F. Meyrick in Dict. Chr. Antiq. II. 1140/1 Among the black-letter or second-class festivals [in the Anglican calendar] occur:—1. The Visitation, July 2nd. 1880tr. Woltmann & Woermann's Hist. Paint. I. 420 The Visitation..in which..the expression of Elizabeth surprises by its individuality.
b. the (order of the) Visitation, the Visitandine order of nuns.
1701in Cath. Rec. Soc. Publ. VII. 94 We were at the Nuns of the Visitation, St. Frances de Sales' Festivall. 1745A. Butler Lives Saints (1845) VIII. 277 He [St. Francis of Sales] then mentioned his project of forming a new establishment of a congregation of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary. 1864Newman Apol. iv. (1904) 143/1 There was a lady, now a nun of the Visitation, to whom at this time I wrote the following letters. 1899A. Shield in Dublin Rev. July 64 To visit the Nuns of the Visitation in their convent at Chaillot, founded by Queen Henrietta Maria.
5. a. The action of making a friendly or formal call or calls; social intercourse of this nature; visiting.
a1586Sidney Arcadia iii. xviii. (1912) 463 He..so much abhorred all visitation or honour,..that he besought his two noble friends to carrie him away to a castle not far of. 1588Parke tr. Mendoza's Hist. China 190 Many of the Gentlemen of the cittie did go vnto the Spaniards to visite them..in the which visitation they spent all the whole day. 1605Journ. of Earl of Nottingham 50 Sunday, Munday and Tuesday were..spent onely in visitation and matters of complement with one or other. 1631May tr. Barclay's Mirr. Mindes ii. 81 Because there was acquaintance betweene the two families, this youth was brought by way of visitation to the Ladies lodging. 1643Baker Chron., Edw. III, 169 The King of Scots came for businesse and visitation. 1819Crabbe T. of Hall ix, How much she grieved to lose the given day In dissipation wild, in visitation gay. 1899Allbutt's Syst. Med. VIII. 411 Family visitation [of the insane] should be prohibited.
b. An instance of such visiting; a visit.
1581G. Pettie Guazzo's Civ. Conv. iii. (1586) 157 b, The chaunces of these visitations in deede are so often, and so many, that they spend six daies of the week in them. 1588Parke tr. Mendoza's Hist. China 176 He..was more familiar than at his first visitation. 1617Moryson Itin. iii. 17 Men of best quality will easily beleeve, that their name is knowne among strangers, and they take these visitations for honours done them. 1629Wadsworth Pilgr. viii. 83 Which Letters and visitations I entertained vntill my Mother had paid my debts. 1642G. Eglisham Forerunner of Revenge 14 Hee knowing Buckinghams visitation to proceed of dissimulation, requested your petitioner..to finde the meanes to get him away quickly. 1786A. M. Bennett Juvenile Indiscr. I. 180 As he attended Mr. Orthodox to the door, to press his early visitation next morning. 1798S. & Ht. Lee Canterb. T. II. 509 Feasts and visitations occupied the Duke. a1817Jane Austen Watsons (1879) 337 In the occurrences of the visitation..she heard Mr. Howard spoken of as the preacher. 1877Black Green Past. ii, Her father hearing that she contemplated some charitable visitation of the kind had strictly forbidden it.
c. A prolonged visit, or one which is disagreeable to the recipient.
1819Metropolis I. 231 She now went on a visitation (for her visits are far beyond the common length) to Lord ―.
d. A gathering at the home of a deceased person before the funeral takes place; a wake. U.S.
1974Amer. Speech 1971 XLVI. 70 Another interesting Boston area universal was the use, even among Protestants, of wake for what is elsewhere in the state often called a visitation. 1976N. Thornburg Cutter & Bone iii. 75 ‘The goddamn funeral,’ he explained. ‘Or what do they call it the day before—visitation?’ 1983Chicago Sun-Times 27 Sept. 18 An acquaintance in the life insurance business showed up at the visitation and proceeded to solicit business... What kind of a person would latch onto an opportunity to solicit business at a wake?
II.
6. The action, on the part of God or some supernatural power, of coming to, or exercising power over, a person or people for some end: a. In order to encourage, comfort, or aid.
c1340Hampole Prose Tr. 19 If he..halde it a specyalle vesytacyon of oure Lorde, and thynke it mare þan it es. c1430Lydg. Min. Poems (Percy Soc.) 72 Whan God of his grete visitacioun, List out of this worlde for hym to sende. c1450Mirk's Festial 41 Syr, ȝe mowe blesse þe tyme þat ȝe wer borne, forto haue suche vysitacion, as I now haue herde. a1513Fabyan Chron. (1811) 306 Now drawe ye therfore holefull water of lore of my wellys, & that wt ioy, for y⊇ tyme of your vysytacyon is comyn. 1597Hooker Eccl. Pol. v. xxiii, For which cause we see that the most comfortable visitations, which God hath sent men from above have [etc.]. 1643Caryl Expos. Job I. 636 Mercies are visitations; when God comes in kindness and love to do us good, he visiteth us. 1667Milton P.L. ix. 22 My Celestial Patroness, who deignes Her nightly visitation unimplor'd. a1741T. Chalkley Wks. (1766) 86 The merciful Visitations of that High and Lofty One who inhabits Eternity! 1814Wordsw. Excurs. i. 212 In such high hour Of visitation from the living God, Thought was not. 1841Myers Cath. Th. iii. §9. 34 In such a high hour of religious visitation and in this etherial region..the Divine Spirit may mingle with the Human.
b. In order to test, try, examine, or judge.
1382Wyclif Luke xix. 44 And thei schulen not leeue in thee a stoon on a stoon, for thou hast not knowe the tyme of thi visitacioun. 1382― 1 Pet. v. 6 Therfor be ȝe mekid vndir the miȝty hond of God, that he reise ȝou in the day of visitacioun. a1450Mankind 281 in Macro Plays 11 Lyke as þe smyth trieth ern in þe feer, So was he triede by Godis vysytacyon. 1526Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 134 b, It maketh hym..glad to receyue the visitacion of our lorde what so euer it be. 1551Abp. Hamilton Catech. 24 b, For na vther cause..bot yat thai wald nocht knaw the tyme of thair uisitatioun. 1560Bible (Genev.) Isaiah x. 3 What wil ye do now in the daie of visitation, & of destruction. 1645Caryl Expos. Job I. 636 Jerusalem is threatned to be searcht with candles, and that was the time of Jerusalems visitation. 1801Southey Thalaba i. xxvii, In the Day of Visitation, In the fearful hour of Judgement, God will remember thee!
c. So as to afflict with sickness or other trouble, esp. by way of punishment for wrong-doing.
c1380Wyclif Sel. Wks. III. 207 And in alle þingis bewar of grucchyng aȝens God and his visitacion, in gret labour and long, and gret sikenesse, and oþer adversities. 1421Hoccleve Complaint 382 My sycknesse, which came of god[de]s visytacion. 1439Rolls of Parlt. V. 33/1 That notorie sekenesse or impediment by Gods visitation. 1455Ibid. 313/2 John Banham Squier,..which is blynde by Goddes visitation. 1485Coventry Leet Bk. 524 And any Casualtes of disease by Godes visitacion com vnto the Recourder. a1529Skelton Magnyf. 2016 Pray to God your sorowes to asswage: It is foly to grudge agaynst his vysytacyon. 1603(title), Certaine Prayers..most necessary to be vsed at this time in the present Visitation of Gods heauy hand for our manifold sinnes. 1635Life & Pranks of Long Meg of Westminster (Hindley II) 45 'Tis the visitation of the Lord for the great sins you have committed. 1645Caryl Expos. Job I. 636 If God in affliction visit us,..let us answer his visitation of us with our visitation of him. 1820John Bull 31 Dec. 24/2 A verdict of ‘died by the visitation of God’ was recorded. 1898J. Arch Story of Life xiii. 312 A visitation of the Almighty..upon a luxurious and dissipated aristocracy.
d. A similar action on the part of an evil power or disembodied spirit.
1844Dickens Christmas Carol ii. 14 The ghost had warned him of a visitation when the bell tolled one. 1861Geo. Eliot Silas M. i. 7 He observed that, to him, this trance looked more like a visitation of Satan than a proof of divine favour.
7. A heavy affliction, blow, or trial, regarded as an instance of divine dispensation; retributive punishment operating by this means.
a1450Mankind 721 (Brandl), Yt were to me solace, þe cruell vysytacyone of deth. 1567Trial Treas. (1850) 37 Enter God's Visitation. I am God's minister, called Visitation... Sometime I bring sickness; sometime perturbation. c1585Faire Em. v. i, Put case I had beene blinde, and could not see—As often times such visitations falles That pleaseth God. 1639Bury Wills (Camden) 172 My late wives kinsman..at the late heavy visitacion did take great paines about me in the time of my trouble. 1642Earl of Eglinton Let. in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm. App. I. 52, I am sorrowfull from my heart for your lordships great losse and heavie visitatioun. 1706Phillips (ed. Kersey), Visitation ,..the great Sickness with which the People of this Kingdom were sorely afflicted during..1665 and 1666. 1798S. & Ht. Lee Canterb. T. II. 544 [I] now can account for the severe visitation on me, and mine. 1806Med. Jrnl. XV. 287 You boast an intimate knowledge of the decrees of Heaven, and shew what is ordained for the visitation of man. 1865Seeley Ecce Homo vi. (1866) 55 Jehovah was considered..as punishing by providential visitations and by mysterious pains inflicted on the dead. 1885Dunckley in Manch. Weekly Times 21 Feb. 5/5 War is here regarded..as a punitive visitation, as a form of retribution for our sins.
8. The fact of some violent or destructive agency or force coming or falling upon a people, country, etc.
1535Coverdale Prov. xix. 23 The feare of the Lorde preserueth the life, yee it geueth plenteousnes, without the visitacion of any plage. 1593Shakes. 2 Hen. IV, iii. i. 21 In the visitation of the Windes, Who take the Ruffian Billowes by the top. 1757Chesterfield Lett. cclxxxix, The Austrians always leave behind them pretty lasting monuments of their visits, or rather visitations. 1833Lyell Princ. Geol. iii. viii. (1835) III. 116 In Arabia and India, and other countries, their [sc. locusts] visitations have been periodically experienced. 1838Arnold Hist. Rome I. 187 The period..was marked by the visitations of pestilence, as well as those of war. 1844Kinglake Eothen xv, Thanks to Ibrahim Pasha's terrible visitation the men of the tribe were wholly unarmed.
9. The fact of some immaterial power or influence acting or operating on the mind.
1791E. Inchbald Simple Story I. Pref. p. iii, In justice to their heavenly inspirations, I believe they have never yet favoured me with one visitation. 1819Shelley Ye Gentle Visitations 1 Ye gentle visitations of calm thought. 1841Emerson Ess. Ser. i. Love (1901) 100 But be our experience..what it may, no man ever forgot the visitations of that power to his heart and brain. 1866Geo. Eliot F. Holt xiv, His voice was what his uncle's might have been if it had been modulated by delicate health and a visitation of self-doubt. 1873Black Pr. Thule xvi, Or was he moved by some visitation of compunction?
III. 10. attrib. (chiefly in special senses), as visitation acquaintance, visitation book, visitation court, visitation day, visitation dinner, visitation fee, visitation nun, visitation office, visitation sermon, visitation work.
1822Galt Sir A. Wylie xc, Mary would fain hae had me to cultivate a *visitation-acquaintance with him.
1768Blackstone Comm. III. 105 Their original *visitation⁓books, compiled when progresses were solemnly and regularly made into every part of the kingdom, to enquire into the state of families,..are allowed to be good evidence of pedigrees. 1870F. R. Wilson Ch. Lindisf. 80 The visitation books show us the old edifice once more.
1841(title), Report of the *Visitation Court of the Archbishop of York.
1708J. Chamberlayne St. Gt. Brit. (1710) 292 This day still continues to be the *Visitation-day, when the Curators..do inspect the Library and call over all the Books. 1900Daily News 27 June 6/5 Chocolate is the time-honoured beverage on visitation day at Greenwich Observatory.
1848Thackeray Van. Fair xi, There was not..a ball, nor an election, nor a *visitation dinner..but he found means to attend it. 1850J. H. Newman Diffic. Anglic. i. ii. (1891) I. 61 Was it a subject..discussed and denounced..in episcopal charges and at visitation dinners?
1791J. Woodforde Diary 6 Dec. (1927) III. 316 Recd. of Ditto, my last *Visitation Fee, 0.2.6. 1880Wyclif's Wks. 249 marg., Visitation fees.
a1700*Vistitation nun [see Blue Nun s.v. blue a. 13]. 1899Dublin Rev. Oct. 273 Three visitation nuns from the monastery of Chaillot, near Paris.
1795Paley Clergym. Comp. v, Prayers for a sick Child. (*Visitation office.)
1676Glanvill Ess. Philos. & Relig. Pref. a 3, The Fifth [Essay] of the Agreement of Reasons and Religion, was at first a *Visitation Sermon. 1782C. Simeon in W. Carus Life (1847) 28 There is a Visitation Sermon preached every month at my own parish⁓church at Reading.
1747Bp. Sherlock Let. 27 Aug., in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm. App. I. 297 As the *visitation work is divided between me and the Bp. of L. we have got thro' it with great ease.
Hence visiˈtational, of or pertaining to a visitation. † visiˈtationer, one who performs, or takes part in, a visitation.
1670Eachard Cont. Clergy 91 A money-renouncing clergy, that can abstain from seeing a penny a month together, unless it be when the collectors and visitationers come. 1791Gentl. Mag. 20/2 Without impairing the utility or expediency of visitational charges. |