purenessn.

a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add.) f. 186^v Clerenes of liȝte is proporciened to purnesse [L. puritati] of ayre.

a1500 (c1477) T. Norton Ordinal of Alchemy (BL Add.) (1975) 2032 (MED) Camfere, rosis & thingis colde Haue soote odours, yet..hete virtually incloside is the skylle, with purenes of substance, whi thei so smylle.

1528 T. Paynell tr. Arnaldus de Villa Nova in Joannes de Mediolano Regimen Sanitatis Salerni sig. O ij b Many fynnes and skales betoken the purenes of the fyshes substance.

1595 M. Drayton Endimion & Phoebe sig. B3^v A dainty smock of Cipresse, fine and thin, Or'e cast with curls next to her Lilly skin; Throgh which the purenes of the same did show.

1675 R. Vaughan Disc. Coin & Coinage iii. 14 A proof of the pureness of the Metal.

1690 W. Temple Ess. Anc. & Mod. Learning in Wks. (1757) I. 157 Great Pureness of Air, and Equality of Climate.

1735 J. Barrow Dict. Polygraphicum I. at Enamel You may discover the pureness of the water in pouring it out of one vessel into the other.

1774 O. Goldsmith Hist. Earth I. xiv. 211 It [sc. the Ganges] is not only esteemed by the Indians for the depth, and pureness of its stream, but for a supposed sanctity which they believe to be in its waters.

1831 L. E. Landon Improvisatrice 155 The floor was marble, white as the snow, Ere its pureness is stained by its fall below.

1879 Times 15 Sept. 10/4 The speaker explained..the method now followed in London for testing the pureness of milk.

1922 Times 21 Feb. 13/6 There is no doubt that chills in a ship, in spite of the vaunted pureness of air, are very frequent.

2002 Bangor (Maine) Daily News (Nexis) 23 Sept. a5 Gold jewelry can be purchased in a variety of pureness levels.

a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add.) f. 128^v Ester day is..time of clennes and of purenes [L. puritatis] and of ioyful refeccioun.

a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add.) f. 168 Þis mount hatte mons synay..mount of purenesse [L. puritatis] and clennesse..for noon myȝt come to þe mount but þilke þat weren clene in body and in sowle.

a1439 J. Lydgate Fall of Princes (Bodl. 263) ii. 2193 O Fair Dido..Thi famous bounte to put in remembraunce, Thou slouh thi~selff off innocent peurnesse, Lest thi seurnesse wer hangid in ballaunce.

?a1475 Ludus Coventriae (1922) 52 (MED) Gracyous god..teche us all þi plesans, in purenesse put us þat nevyr not fall.

1526 Bible (Tyndale) 2 Cor. i. f. iij^v With godly purenes.

1591 E. Spenser Daphnaïda xxx She in purenesse heauen it self did pas.

1607 R. Parker Scholasticall Disc. against Antichrist i. ii. 78 Holy purenes from all communion with vncleane Gentiles.

1644 J. Milton Doctr. Divorce (ed. 2) 45 Inflicting death..for the mark of circumstantial purenes omitted.

1708 H. Dodwell Nat. Mortality Humane Souls 149 To manage all Disputes..with..Pureness from Humane Passions.

1783 H. B. Dudley Magic Picture ii. iii. 35 It were in him, Madam, A sin unpardonable, to distrust such pureness.

a1861 A. H. Clough Dipsychus i. ii, in Lett. & Remains (1865) 156 And thou, clear heaven, Look pureness back into me.

1874 S. H. Tyng Office & Duty Christian Pastor 102 It was the commanding power of undeniable holiness, disinterestedness, tenderness, pureness, and love.

1904 J. Rhoades Little Flowers St. Francis of Assisi xiv. 112 Holy poverty, the which we kept With pureness and obedience to the end.

1999 Daily News (N.Y.) (Nexis) 19 Dec. 115 What can be more brilliant than to see daily wisdom and intelligence through the eyes of the innocence and pureness of children?

c1500 in Grose's Antiquarian Repertory (1809) IV. 408 Purenes in the margent makithe a trew monacorde.

1593 Queen Elizabeth I tr. Boethius De Consolatione Philosophiæ in Queen Elizabeth's Englishings (1899) pr. v. 115 That is not opinion, but an included purenes of the hyest knoledge that is shut in no lymites.

a1613 E. Brerewood Enq. Langs. & Relig. (1614) ii. 8 At this day, the Greeke tongue is very much decayed, not onely as touching the largnesse, and vulgarnesse of it, but also in the purenesse and elegancy of the language.

1695 Ld. Preston tr. Boethius Of Consol. Philos. v. 240 His knowledg..remaineth in the Pureness & Simplicity of its Presence.

1791 P. Russell Treat. Plague Pref. It might justly be deemed arrogance, in a man who..has been compelled..to the practice of languages very different in idiom from his own, to pretend to exemplary pureness, or elegance in writing.

1841 Times 6 May 4/5 Mr. Wilson..sang with his accustomed correct taste and beautiful simplicity and pureness.

1983 S. Conran Lace (BNC) 399 Kate suffered a violent reaction against pureness of line and innate structure of an object.

2006 FD Wire (Nexis) 3 May Some manufacturers, to maintain the pureness of their distribution channel, will not sell direct,..the only way you can deal is through a wholesaler.