swainn.

a1150 Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Laud) ann. 1128 Se eorl wearð gewunded at an gefiht fram anne swein.

c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1978) l. 14253 Ælc sloh adun-riht weore he swein [c1300 Otho sweyn] weore he cniht.

c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1978) l. 9559 Næs þer nan swa wracche swein þat he nes a wel god þein.

c1330 (?c1300) Guy of Warwick (Auch.) l. 234 Þai sett hem to mete anon, Erl, baroun, sweyn & grom.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 6279 King ne knight, suier ne suain [Fairf. 14 squayne, Gött. suayn, Trin. Cambr. sweyn].

c1425 Wyntoun Cron. ix. vii. 904 For ellis alsweil may be slayne A mychty man, as may a swayne.

1487 (a1380) J. Barbour Bruce (St. John's Cambr.) v. 235 Quhill I liff, and may haf mycht To lede a ȝheman or a swane.

a1500 (?c1400) Sir Triamour (Cambr.) (1937) l. 546 Knyghtys, squyers and swayne.

1575 G. Gascoigne Fruites of Warre cx, in Posies sig. Iv In regiment..Where officers..Shall be abusde by euery page and swayne.

c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 1750 Forð wende þe king Leir nauede he bute enne swein [c1300 Otho sweine].

c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Reeve's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 107 Hym bihoues serue hym self þ^t has na swayn.

c1430 Hymns Virg. (1867) 44 Worschipe me here, & bicome my swayn, And y schal ȝeue þee al this.

1568 Newe Comedie Iacob & Esau v. ii. sig. F.iij The elder must nowe serue the yonger as his swayne.

1570 P. Levens Manipulus Vocabulorum sig. Qiii^v/1 A Squayne, assecla.

1579 E. Spenser Shepheardes Cal. Sept. 42 The shepheards swayne you cannot well ken, But it be by his pryde, from other men.

1623 H. Cockeram Eng. Dict. Swaine, a seruant.

c1386 G. Chaucer Sir Thopas 13 Sire Thopas wax a doghty swayn.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Gött.) l. 18987 Of mi gast i sal a streme To suayn [Trin. Cambr. mon] and womman giue alsua. [Cf. Joel ii. 29.]

c1400 (?c1380) Cleanness l. 1509 Swyfte swaynes ful swyþe swepen þertylle.

c1400 Laud Troy Bk. 15265 How sche myght venge hir on that swayn That hadde hir two sones sclayn.

c1440 York Myst. xvii. 207 Nowe shall þei..tell me of þat litill swayne [sc. the child Jesus].

?1507 W. Dunbar Tua Mariit Wemen (Rouen) in Poems (1998) I. 47 Thus beswik I that swane with my sueit wordis.

1579 E. Spenser Shepheardes Cal. Mar. 79 With that sprong forth a naked swayne [sc. Cupid].

1633 P. Fletcher Purple Island xii. lxv. 175 By a mighty Swain he [sc. the Dragon] soon was led Unto a thousand thousand torturings.

1579 S. Gosson Apol. Schoole of Abuse in Ephemerides Phialo f. 83^v Giue them whippes in their handes, and sende them like swaynes to plough and carte.

1590 E. Spenser Faerie Queene iii. vi. sig. Hh2^v The gentle Shepheard swaynes, which sat Keeping their fleecy flockes.

1594 T. Kyd tr. R. Garnier Cornelia iii. ii. 39 Lyke morall Esops mysled Country swaine.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Winter's Tale (1623) iv. iv. 9 Your high selfe..you haue obscur'd With a Swaines wearing. View more context for this quotation

1663 S. Patrick Parable of Pilgrim (1687) xxix. 341 Those Swains with their Sheephooks in their hands.

1746 T. Smollett Tears Scotl. 13 Thy swains are famish'd on the rocks, Where once they fed their wanton flocks.

1770 O. Goldsmith Deserted Village 2 Where health and plenty cheered the labouring swain.

1809 T. Campbell Gertrude of Wyoming i. ii The happy Shepherd Swains had nought to do But feed their flocks.

1840 W. M. Thackeray Paris Sketch Bk. I. 268 The occasional visit..served..to remind the rural swains of the existence of a republic in France.

1892 Tennyson in Ld. Tennyson Mem. (1897) II. xxii. 402 I asked my way..of a Yorkshire ‘swain’.

c1592 Faire Em sig. B3^v In deede my Manuile hath some cause to doubt, When such a Swaine is riuall in his loue.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Two Gentlemen of Verona (1623) iv. ii. 39 Who is Siluia? what is she? That all our Swaines commend her? View more context for this quotation

1672 J. Playford Introd. Skill Musick (ed. 6) i. 67 Will Cloris cast her Sun-bright Eye upon so mean a Swain as I?

1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Pastorals iii, in tr. Virgil Wks. 14 To the dear Mistress of my Love-sick Mind, Her Swain a pretty Present has design'd.

1706 J. Addison Rosamond ii. ii To be slain By a barbarous swain That laughs at your pain.

1794 R. B. Sheridan Duenna (new ed.) i. 27 So! my swain yonder has done admiring himself.

1822 W. Irving Bracebridge Hall iv. 38 Should any faithless swain persist in his inconstancy.

1864 F. Locker Housemaid viii If her Sunday-swain is one Who's fond of strolling.

1881 ‘Rita’ My Lady Coquette iii She gives such smiles, and looks, and attentions to her devoted swains.

a1610 J. Manwood Treat. Lawes Forest (1615) xxiii. 217 This word Swaine, in the Saxons speech is a Bookeland man, which at this day is taken for a Charterar or a freeholder: and so the Swanimote is in English, a Court within the Forest, whereunto all the freeholders doe owe suit and seruice.

1768 W. Blackstone Comm. Laws Eng. iii. vi. 72 The court of sweinmote is to be holden before the verderors, as judges,..the sweins or freeholders within the forest composing the jury.

1880 Whitworth in Antiquary Feb. 94/1 Swanimote, Swaynmote, Swynmote, &c., or meeting of the Forest Swains.

1358 Catal. Anc. Deeds A. 9847 (1902) IV. 469 [Black loaves called] swaynloves.

a1652 R. Brome Love-sick Court iv. ii. 145 in Five New Playes (1659) The chief Swain heads of Thessaly.

1842 Dumfries Herald Oct. More swain-like than king-like.

1840 Lady C. M. C. Bury Hist. Flirt xi He is impatient to swain it with some new face.

a1652 R. Brome Love-sick Court v. iii. 165 in Five New Playes (1659) That swain-ess was my self.

1840 F. Trollope Michael Armstrong i. 17 His general manner to ladies had a good deal of what in female slang is called swaining.