▪ I. surcease, n. arch.
(sɜːˈsiːs)
Also 7 -ceasse, -cesse.
[f. next.]
The action, or an act, of bringing or coming to an end; (a) cessation, stop; esp. (a) temporary cessation, suspension, or intermission. a. Const. of or genitive.
In mod. use often with a reminiscence of quot. 1605.
| 1586 A. Day Eng. Secretorie ii. (1625) 25 My request is for the surcease of all this iarre. 1590 Nashe 1st Pt. Pasquil's Apol. A 4, Seeking with my hart a surcease of Armes. 1605 Shakes. Macb. i. vii. 4 If th' Assassination Could trammell vp the Consequence, and catch With his surcease, Successe. 1653 H. Cogan tr. Pinto's Trav. xlix. (1663) 193 By this surcease of Trade the Custom-houses.. fell much in their Revenue. 1709 Mrs. Manley Secret Mem. (1720) IV. 237 Nothing but Death can make that Man desist, who sustains almost its Pangs without a Surcease of Diligence. a 1768 Erskine Inst. Law Scot. iv. iii. §24 Creditors sometimes grant voluntarily a surcease of personal execution in behalf of their debtor, which is commonly called a supersedere. 1816 Scott Antiq. xv, The crafty pony availed himself of this surcease of discipline to twitch the rein out of Davie's hands. 1845 Poe Raven 10 Vainly I had sought to borrow From my books surcease of sorrow. 1855 Motley Dutch Rep. ii. vi. (1866) 254 They requested her Highness to order a general surcease of the Inquisition. 1916 J. Buchan Hist. War xciii. XIII. 53 It was carried on in all weathers..with no surcease of keenness. |
b. Const. from.
| 1597 Hooker Eccl. Pol. v. lxxi. §8 Surcease from labour is necessarie. 1600 W. Watson Decacordon (1602) 349 A surcease from all state medles. 1643 Baker Chron. (1679) 194/1 The Duke of York..commands a surcease from further hostility. 1879 Sala Paris Herself Again II. xviii, Private schools for boys give four days' surcease from lessons. |
c. Without construction.
| a 1593 Marlowe Ovid's Elegies ii. xiv, Fruites ripe will fall, let springing things increase, Life is no light price of a small surcease. 1601 in Farr S. P. Eliz. (1845) II. 430 O endlesse ioy without surcease. 1712 in Maclaurin Argts. & Decis. (1774) 50 After a long surcease, he renewed the cause. 1873 Longfellow Wayside Inn, Monk of Casal-Maggiore 137 All the while he talked without surcease. 1881 Daily Tel. 25 Mar. 5/4 There is no surcease in the torrent of Princes..who continue to pour into the capital. |
▪ II. surcease, v. arch.
(sɜːˈsiːs)
Forms: α. 5 sursese, 5–6 sursease, 6 surseace. β. 5 surceese, (sourcesse), 5–6 surcese, -cesse, 6 -ces, -ceas, -ceace, 6–7 -ceasse, 8 -cess, 5– surcease.
[f. OF. sursis, fem. sursise (cf. AF. sursise n., omission), pa. pple. of surseoir to refrain, delay, suspend:—L. supersedēre to supersede. The spelling was at an early date assimilated to cease (cesse, ceasse).]
1. intr. To leave off, desist, stop, cease from some action (finally or temporarily). (Cf. supersede 2 b.) a. const. † of, from.
| 1428 Lett. Marg. Anjou & Bp. Beckington (Camden) 40 Men sayen hit hadde be muche better for me to have surcesed of my service long or this. 1429 Rolls of Parlt. IV. 342/2 The Tresorer.., may have in commaundement by Writt, to sursese of any proces made. 1433 Ibid. 425/2 That the seide Collectours..sursease of eny levie to make. c 1510 More Picus Wks. 14/1 Wherfore he counseiled Picus to surceace of study. 1538 Cromwell in Merriman Life & Lett. (1902) II. 159 The kinges pleasure is that..you do Surcese and cause the partie to surces frome any further sute. 1549 Bk. Com. Prayer, Ord. Deacons, The Bisshoppe shal surcease from ordering that person. 1597 Hooker Eccl. Pol. v. xlvii. §4 Vnder that pretense to surcease from prayers as bootles or fruitles offices. 1615 R. Brathwait Strappado (1878) 165 Silke-wormes..Who do surcesse from labour now and then. 1667 Milton P.L. vi. 258 The great Arch-Angel from his warlike toile Surceas'd. 1812 Cary Dante, Purg. xxv. 131 Nor from the task..Surcease they. 1853–8 Hawthorne Engl. Note-bks. (1879) II. 104, I..thereupon surceased from my labors. |
b. without construction (spec. to discontinue legal proceedings).
| 1456 Paston Lett. I. 390, I shal be his servaunt and youres unto such tyme as ye woll comande me to sursese and leve of. 1479 Ibid. III. 257 My Lord of Ely desyred myn oncle as well as you to surcease. 1544 Cranmer Let. in Misc. Writ. (Parker Soc.) 411 For the better expedition of the matter, I have sent to the dean of the arches, commanding him to surcease therein. 1586 A. Day Engl. Secretorie i. (1625) 13 Wishing vnto you and yours as much happinesse as myselfe am clogged with carefulnes, I surcease. 1596 Spenser F.Q. iv. ii. 19 In stead of praying them surcease, They did much more their cruelty encrease. 1637–50 Row Hist. Kirk (Wodrow Soc.) 440, I might relate many others,..but I surceasse. a 1652 Brome Covent Gard. Weeded iv. i, Hector..held up his brazen lance, In signal that both armies should surcease. 1671 F. Phillips Reg. Necess. 114 To stay and Surcease and no further prosecute or proceed against the Complainant. 1859 Singleton Virgil x. 1260 Surcease. I now am coming, doomed to die. |
c. const. inf.
| 1535 Cromwell in Merriman Life & Lett. (1902) I. 420 His graces pleasure is that ye shall surcease any farther to yntermedle with the..landes belongyng to the Busshopriche of Hereford. 1542 Udall Erasm. Apoph. 231 b, Onlesse thei would surceasse so to abuse hym. 1553 T. Wilson Rhet. (1580) 193, I will surcesse to talk any further of this matter. 1615 R. Brathwait Strappado, etc. (1878) 254 Beasts to their caues resort, surcease to prey. 1671 Milton Samson 404 She surceas'd not day nor night To storm me over⁓watch't, and wearied out. 1708 J. Philips Cyder i. 364 Prevent the Morning Star Assiduous, nor with the Western Sun Surcease to work. 1802 Struthers Poor Man's Sabbath ix, Till yonder orbs surcease t' admeasure nights and days. 1863 W. K. Kelly Curios. Indo-European Tradit. i. 7 They could never surcease to feel the liveliest interest in those wonderful meteoric changes. |
† d. transf. To forbear, omit (to do something).
| 1542 Udall Erasm. Apoph. Pref., & so forth of the other writers whiche I surcease by name to speake of. 1577 Harrison England ii. xiii. [xvii.] (1877) i. 291, I might take occasion to tell of the..voiages made into strange countries by Englishmen..but..I surcease to speake of them. 1610 Healey St. Aug. Citie of God (1620) 246 Tertullian..wrote much: which being recorded I surcease to recount. |
2. To come to an end, be discontinued; to cease.
| 1439 in Antiq. Repertory (1780) III. 274 That all manere of processe..in the mesne tyme surcese. a 1513 Fabyan Chron. vi. clxxi. (1811) 167 He..seased that Kyngdom, and ioyned it to his owne of West Saxons, by whiche reason the Kyngdome of Mercia surseased. 1533–4 Act 25 Hen. VIII, c. 21 §2 All suche pensiones censes porcions and peter⁓pense,..shall frome hense forthe clerely surcesse and never more be levyed. 1600 Hakluyt Voy. (1810) III. 36 It may..bee thought that this course of the sea doth sometime surcease..because it is not discerned all along the Coast of America. a 1633 T. Taylor God's Judgem. i. i. xv. (1642) 48 That the cause being taken away, the effect also might surcease. 1675 E. Wilson Spadacr. Dunelm. 15 These [sc. Rain or Snow] surceasing the Springs also become dry. c 1750 Shenstone Ruin'd Abbey 238 Nor yet surceas'd with John's disastrous fate Pontific fury! 1860 Motley Netherl. vi. I. 322 Intrigues and practices..would of necessity surcease. 1898 Hardy Wessex Poems 146 When I surcease, Through whom alone lives she, Ceases my Love. |
3. trans. To desist from, discontinue; to give up, abandon (a course of action, etc.); also, to refrain from. (Cf. supersede 2.)
| 1464–9 Plumpton Corr. (Camden) 25 To cause the said Thomas & Richard to surcease & leave theire said threatnings. 1493 Ibid. 105, I caused them to surcease ther purposse unto the tyme I had wrytten to you, & known your mynd. 1544 in Sel. Cases Crt. Requests (Selden Soc.) 97 Olyuer shall withdrawe & surseace all maner his suettes and accions. 1577–87 Holinshed Chron. III. 813/2 That it might please him to surcease his cruell kind of warre, in burning of townes and villages. 1590 Spenser F.Q. iii. iv. 31 The waues..their rage surceast. 1607 Dekker Hist. Sir T. Wyat Wks. 1873 III. 99 Surcease your armes, discharge your Souldiers. 1621 Burton Anat. Mel. Democr. to Rdr. 49 [If he] prosecute his cause, he is consumed, if he surcease his suite he looseth all. a 1648 Ld. Herbert Hen. VIII (1683) 40 It was resolved to surcease the War for this Year, Winter now beginning to enter. 1658 W. Burton Itin. Anton. 140 For my part I surcease all farther enquiry. 1720 Pope Iliad xxiii. 970 Greece..Bade share the honours and surcease the strife. a 1774 Tucker Lt. Nat. (1834) II. 514 Did he surcease the common civilities..would he have better leisure to perform more important services? 1820 Scott Abbot xiv, The hobby-horse surceased his capering. 1897 F. Thompson New Poems 219 [She] had surceased her tyranny. |
† b. To give up, resign (a position or office).
[Cf. quot. c 1435 s.v. surceasing vbl. n. 1.]
| 1552 Lit. Rem. Edw. VI (Roxb.) II. 432 The chauncellour of th' augmentation was willed to surcease his commission, geven him the third yeare of our raigne. |
† 4. To put a stop to, bring to an end, cause to cease; to stay (legal proceedings.). Obs.
| c 1435 in Kingsford Chron. Lond. (1905) 48 For as much as the Kyng was changid all plees in euery place weren surcesed. 1490 Act. 4 Hen. VII, c. 20, No relesse..be..available or effectuell to lette or to surceace the seid accion. 1594 Spenser Amoretti xi, All paine hath end,..but mine no price nor prayer may surcease. 1594 Kyd Cornelia i. 220 If gentle Peace Discend not soone, our sorrowes to surcease, Latium..will be destroyd. 1692 tr. Sallust 72 'Tis death not torment that surceases all our Miseries. 1695 Temple Hist. Eng. (1699) 174 The abrogating or surceasing the Judiciary Power, exercised by the Bishops. |
† b. To cause to desist from some action. rare—1.
| 1791 Cowper Iliad xv. 311 Ajax me..hath with a stone Surceas'd from fight, smiting me on the breast. |
† 5. To put off, defer; to delay till the end of, overpass (the time for doing something). Obs. rare.
| 1531 Dial. on Laws Eng. ii. xxxvi. 74 When the ordinarie hathe surcessed his tyme he hathe loste his power. 1560 [see surceasing vbl. n. 3]. a 1693 Urquhart's Rabelais iii. xl. 332, I defer, protract,..surcease,..and shift off, the Time of giving a Definitive Sentence. |