puppetryn.

1572 J. Bridges in tr. R. Gwalther Hundred, Threescore & Fiftene Homelyes vppon Actes Apostles To Rdr. sig. a.4^v For (say they) the laye people had bookes good ynough for them set open in euerye Church, meaning their carued and painted Puppetrie, and woulde suffer them to reade vppon none other.

1614 F. Bacon Charge touching Duels 34 I have also a sute to your Lordships all in general, that..for true honors sake..against this fond and false disguise or puppetrey of honor, I may..be assisted from your Lordships.

c1660 J. Evelyn Diary anno 1644 (1955) II. 290 The pupetry in the Church of the Minerva, representing the nativity.

1796 S. T. Coleridge Relig. Musings in Poems Var. Subj. 156 Whoe'er Turn with mild sorrow from the victor's car And the low puppetry of thrones, to muse On that blest triumph.

1815 C. Lloyd tr. V. Alfieri Polinices ii. iv in Trag. Vittorio Alfieri I. 83 It is not my object..T'affect resemblance to th'immortal gods; The puppetry of super-human greatness..Is not my object.

1872 A. C. Swinburne in Fortn. Rev. Sept. 265 Preconcerted pathos and puppetry of passion done to order.

1970 Times 3 Oct. 17/7 I don't believe in the puppetry and pantomime of life.

2000 J. L. Styan Drama 29 The actors might behave like puppets, even mechanically copying one another for an echo and mirror effect. This sort of puppetry is easily seen in..Waiting for Godot.

1598 J. Marston Scourge of Villanie iii. viii. sig. G6^v Now doth the body ledde with sencelesse will..Raue, talke idlie, as't were some deitie Adoring female painted puppetry.

1639 J. Ford Ladies Triall ii. sig. D^v With this language (Bould man of armes) shall win upon her, doubt not Beyond all silken puppetry.

1610 J. Healey tr. St. Augustine Citie of God iv. ii. 157 The true God did vouchsafe them [sc. the Romans] that increase of their Empire,..when their owne puppetries [L. hii quos deos putant] neuer did them a peny-worth of good.

1613 G. Chapman Reuenge Bussy D'Ambois i. sig. C1^v Nay, we must now haue nothing brought on Stages, But puppetry, and pide ridiculous Antickes.

1651 N. Biggs Matæotechnia Medicinæ Praxeωs §252 The pageantries and puppetries of Bartholmew Faire.

1678 T. Tenison Of Idolatry xiv. 388 Impious Art, which maketh the lifeless Image..by help of Wiers, and other instruments of Puppetry, to bend, to frown, to roll the eyes.

1845 Times 24 Feb. 5/2 The son is quite an idiot..and he must therefore be a mere tool in the hands of his father and the Minister... Our Government..will accordingly interfere..to put an end to the puppetry of the present state of things.

1857 Chambers's Jrnl. 7 124 Italy, the native land..of modern puppetry, must..at a very early period have sent her puppet-players abroad.

1926 Virginia Law Rev. 12 369 We may read of Franklin's rum receipts, Jefferson's liberal views regarding the oldest profession, Lincoln's political puppetry..and what not in the lives of the Fathers.

1977 Westworld (Vancouver, Brit. Columbia) Jan.–Feb. 27/1 The ancient art of puppetry is booming.

1992 Edinb. & Lothians Post 11 Apr. 12/5 Her favourite type of puppetry is Japanese Black Theatre.

1822 C. Lamb in London Mag. Apr. 308/1 What was it to you if that half-reality, the husband, was over-reached by the puppetry—or the thin thing..was persuaded it was dying of a plethory?

1885 G. Meredith Diana of Crossways I. i. 26 A great modern writer..groaned over his puppetry, that he dared not animate them..with the fires of positive brain-stuff.

1898 Westm. Gaz. 29 Sept. 3/1 Fully furnished with the stage properties and puppetry of a Highland romance, but..singularly destitute of romantic atmosphere and colour.

1955 Eng. Jrnl. 44 389/2 When we water down reading to the mediocre for the sake of comprehension, morality is all too often diluted to bathos and character reduced to puppetry.

1993 Uni. Toronto Q. (Nexis) 63 i. 48 The characters are so extremely odd that the barefaced puppetry screens out the possibilities of empathy.