| 释义 |
▪ I. votary, n.|ˈvəʊtərɪ|
Also 7–8 vot'ry.
[f. L. vōt-, ppl. stem of vovēre to vow + -ary1.]
I.
1. One who is bound by vows to a religious life; a monk or nun.
1546Bale (title) The first two partes of the Actes or unchast examples of Englysh votaryes. 1560J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 90 b, The controversie was..especially for the Masse, and Votaries, for herein woulde the Catholikes nothyng at all relent. 1594West 2nd Pt. Symbol. §17 Persons civilly dead, as monks, fryers, canons, professed nuns, and such other superstitiouse votaries. 1607Merry Devil Edmonton v. ii. 166 Sirra, ride strait to Chesson Nunry,..the house, I know, By this time misses their yong votary. 1654Earl of Monmouth tr. Bentivoglio's Wars Flanders 89 The hereticks..growing more outragious then ordinarily against Ecclesiasticks, and especially against Votaries. 1662Owen Animadv. Fiat Lux v. Wks. 1855 XIV. 68 Monasteries of votaries under special and peculiar vows and rules. 1705Addison Italy 494 The Abuse of Indulgencies, the Folly and Impertinence of Votaries, and in short the Superstition..of the Roman Catholick Religion. 1856R. A. Vaughan Mystics (1860) I. 16 So Christianity, corrupted by Gentile philosophy, has in like manner its privileged and its inferior order of votaries.
b. One who has made, or is bound by, a special vow.
1588Shakes. L.L.L. ii. i. 37 Who are the Votaries my louing Lords, that are vow-fellowes with this vertuous Duke? a1596Sir T. More iii. ii. (orig. draft), The votarie that will not cut his haire, Vntill the expiration of his vow. 1643Trapp Comm. Gen. xxviii. 20 [And Jacob vowed a vow] The first holy votary that ever we read of. 1872Spurgeon Treas. Dav. Ps. lxvi. 14 God in answer to his vow removed the distress, and now the votary desires to make good his promise.
2. One who is devoted to a particular religion, or to some form of worship or religious observance; a devotee.
1704Locke Toleration iv. Wks. 1727 III. 464 Nor is there among the many absurd Religions of the World, almost any one that does not find Votaries to lay down their Lives for it. 1754Sherlock Disc. (1759) I. i. 16 No other Religion can give any Security of Life and Happiness to its Votaries. 1777R. Watson Philip II, viii. I. 296 That method of justifying iniquity, of which the votaries of the Romish church have so often availed themselves. 1794Paley Evid. i. i. (1817) 32 The ancient religion of a country has always many votaries. 1847Emerson Repr. Men, Swedenborg Wks. (Bohn) I. 334, I think of him as of some transmigrating votary of Indian legend. 1860― Cond. Life, Worship ibid. II. 395 The religion cannot rise above the state of the votary.
b. A devout worshipper. (Cf. next.)
1823Praed Poems (1864) II. 291 A happier votary at a holier fane. 1842Barham Ingol. Leg. Ser. ii. Lay St. Cuthbert, In fact, when the votaries came there to pray All said there was nought to compare with it. 1863Kinglake Crimea I. 41 In order to keep these convents up, the priests imagined the plan of causing the votary to pay according to his means at every shrine which he embraced.
3. A devoted or zealous worshipper of God, Christ, one of the saints, etc.
a1700Ken Sion Poet. Wks. 1721 IV. 388 True Christ-like Love all other Loves exceeds, By which to save a soul Christ's Vot'ry bleeds. ― On the Temptation Poet. Wks. 1721 I. 92 Jesus Satan of his Force bereft, And Conquest easy to his Vot'rys left. 1742Young Nt. Th. iii. 53 In propitious dreams (For dreams are thine) transfuse it thro' the breast Of thy first votary. 1779J. Moore View Soc. Fr. (1789) II. xcv. 421 A supposed connection between the characters of the Saints and the votaries. 1825Scott Betrothed xxvii, The Virgin of the Garde Doloureuse, that never failed a votary. 1840Barham Ingol. Leg. Ser. i. St. Odille, I don't see, as a Saint, how she well could do less Than to get such a votary out of her mess. 1869Freeman Norm. Conq. (1875) III. xiv. 360 Harold implored the help of the relic whose sworn votary he was.
b. Used with reference to ancient or heathen deities, partly in fig. use.
a1690Prior To Earl of Dorset i, Hear, Goddess, hear thy Votary. The meanest of thy Sons inspire. 1726Pope Odyss. xvii. 288 Daughters of Jove!.. your votary restore: Oh be some God his convoy to our shore! 1766[Anstey] Bath Guide iii. 14 Come the Nymph of various Mien, Vot'ry true of Beauty's Queen. 1778R. Lowth Transl. Isaiah Notes (1812) 340 Nor can they [the idols] answer, or deliver their votaries, when they cry unto them. 1877L. Morris Epic Hades iii. 242, I did not envy any goddess of all The Olympian company her votaries. 1878Browning Poets Croisic xxxi, Silence and solitude Befit the votary of the Muse.
II.
4. One who is devoted or passionately addicted to some particular pursuit, occupation, study, aim, etc.
1591Shakes. Two Gent. iii. ii. 58 We know (on Valentines report) You are already loues firme votary. 1738Gray Propertius i. 2 Before the Goddess' shrine we too, love's vot'ries bend. 1764Reid Inquiry i. §8 If philosophy befools her Votaries,..let her be sent back to the infernal regions. 1771Beattie Minstr. i. ix, The boundless store Of charms which Nature to her votary yields! 1806H. K. White Lett. (1837) 319, I am..a rejected votary at the shrine of Health. 1830Herschel Study Nat. Phil. i. i. 14 One of the great sources of delight which the study of natural science imparts to its votaries. 1873Hamerton Intell. Life vi. iv. 218 Science requires a certain inward heat and heroism in her votaries.
b. Const. to (now rare) or of.
(a)1591Shakes. Two Gent. i. i. 52 But wherefore waste I time to counsaile thee That art a votary to fond desire? 1594Selimus D j, I haue liu'd Almost a votarie to wantonnesse. 1742Lond. & Country Brew. i. (ed. 4) 79, I cannot be a Votary to this practice. 1811Shelley St. Irvyne iii, He became..even a more devoted votary to gambling than before.
(b)1595Spenser Col. Clout 766 They..do themselues for want of other worke, Vaine votaries of laesie loue professe. 1690Temple Ess., Heroic Virtue Wks. 1720 I. 233 The usual Acceptation takes Profit and Pleasure for two different Things, and..calls the Followers or Votaries of them by several Names of busy and of idle Men. 1732Berkeley Alciphr. i. §5 Are you then in earnest a votary of truth? 1766Fordyce Serm. Yng. Wm. I. iii. 90 Is it surprising to see the daughters of such become very early the votaries of Folly? 1783Cowper Valediction 71 Vot'ries of bus'ness and of pleasure prove Faithless alike in friendship and in love. 1801Hamilton Wks. (1886) VII. 218 The patriotic votaries of whiskey in Pennsylvania and Virginia. 1825Macaulay Ess., Milton (1851) I. 21 That an enthusiastic votary of liberty should accept office under a military usurper seems..extraordinary. 1869Freeman Norm. Conq. (1875) III. xi. 40 Ground from which the votaries of devotion and art and history are bidden to turn away.
5. A devoted adherent or admirer of some person, institution, etc.
1647Clarendon Hist. Reb. vi. §36 It was not safe for any to live at their Houses, who were taken notice of as no Votaries to the Parliament. 1678Butler Hud. iii. i. 183, I come to prove How much I've suffer'd for your Love, Which (like your Votary) to win, I have not spar'd my tatter'd skin. 1682Villiers (Dk. Buckhm.) Chances v. iii, I shall not be asham'd to own my self a Votary to all your Commands. 1713Steele Guard. No. 18 ⁋4 One of the most successful Stratagems whereby Mahomet became formidable, was the assurance that Impostor gave his votaries, that [etc.]. 1817Chalmers Life in Churchyard Chippes 46 He endeavoured to cultivate the patronage of Essex, even after it had ceased to be of any value to his votaries. 1868Freeman Norm. Conq. II. x. 464 The same virtues gained him a still nobler and more powerful votary; he became, as we have seen, the special friend of Earl Harold.
▪ II. † ˈvotary, a. Obs.
[Cf. prec.]
1. Of persons: Consecrated by a vow; devoted to a religious life.
1564Brief Exam. B iv b, The salarie..consecrated..to theyr holy votaries virgins. 1611Speed Theat. Gt. Brit. xix. (1614) 27/2 Elie, had in account for the repute and holinesse of votary-nunnes there residing. 1656Artif. Handsom. 122 Having designed her daughter to be a votary virgin.
b. Of mode of life: Subject to vows.
1642(title), The English Nunne, being a Dialogue, wherein the Author endeavoureth to draw young and unmarried Catholike Gentlewomen to embrace a Votary and Religious Life.
2. Of the nature of a vow.
1582Stanyhurst æneis iv. (Arb.) 95 Had not I fore⁓snaffled my mynde by votarye promise,..Haplye this oane faulty trespas might bring me toe bending. 1607–12Bacon Ess., Custom & Educ. (Arb.) 368 Onely Supersticion is now so well advaunced that..votarie resolucion is made equipollent to Custome. |