reservednessn.

1606 S. Daniel Funerall Poeme Earle of Devonshyre sig. B2^v Milde, affable, and easie of accesse He was, but with a due reseruednes.

1624 W. Bedell Copies Certaine Lett. iii. 71 It is a wise reseruednesse in them, not to intermedle with that wherein they might easily fault.

1676 G. Towerson Explic. Decalogue 396 They shall..at all times use..that reservedness and modesty in their outward deportment.

1711 J. Addison Spectator No. 57. ¶6 A Woman is too sincere to..act with that Caution and Reservedness which are requisite in our Sex.

1728 Remarks in tr. B. L. de Muralt Customs & Char. Eng. & French Nations (ed. 2) 9 The Reservedness which the English always prudently observe, is a Bar to their making Advances to Strangers, and to certain Politenesses which they might otherwise shew.

1753 S. Richardson Hist. Sir Charles Grandison II. ix. 121 Sir Charles's reservedness..may not let them know the secrets of his heart in this particular.

1811 J. Austen Sense & Sensibility I. xviii. 223 The reservedness of his manner towards her contradicted one moment what a more animated look had intimated the preceding one. View more context for this quotation

1871 M. Arnold in Cornhill Mag. July 46 Is this reservedness of affirmation about God less worthy of him, than the..licence of affirmation of our dogmatists?

1943 Mod. Lang. Rev. 38 319 A fighting critic can be at the same time of a most tender reservedness in all matters of his innermost convictions.

2002 Chicago Daily Herald 13 June (Sports section) 8 There's no reservedness in New York. It's hard to be private when you're living with 18 million people.