† richesse Obs.
Forms: 3 richeis(s)e, 4 richeyse, 4–5 richese (5 -eese); 3 rich-, 4 rychesce; 3–7 richesse (4 richch-, 4–5 ricch-), 4–6 rychesse (4 ryhch-, rychch-); 3–7 richess (5 richas, 5–6 Sc. riches).
[a. OF. richeise, -esce, -ece, -esse, f. riche rich: see -ess2.]
1. Wealth; opulence.
| c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 51 Hie..hadden þe fulle of wurldes richeisse. c 1230 Hali Meid. 31 Þu seides þruppe, þat ter walde wakenen..richesce & worldes weole. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 409 Brut & corineus..astored hom aboute mid richesse & chateus. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 2196 Anor..was ful curteyse, & well couþe demeyne richeyse. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. ii. 17 Hire arraye me rauysshed, suche ricchesse saw I neuere. c 1412 Hoccleve De Reg. Princ. 1316 Than schal men see, how in þis world, I gesse, Richesse is pouert, and pouert richesse. 1460 J. Capgrave Chron. (Rolls) 164 The Jewis..with her usure encresed hemselve to grete richesse. 1509 Hawes Joyf. Med. 11 Gadrynge grete rychesse of this his regyon. 1555 Eden Decades (Arb.) 54 The Phenician marchauntes..got great rychesse therby. 1609 Holland Amm. Marcell. xiv. ix. 67 The Germanes..got away their wives,..together with their corne and barbarous richesse. 1687 Rycaut Hist. Turks II. 97 England's Richess depends absolutely on her Foreign Trade. |
| personif. ? a 1366 Chaucer Rom. Rose 1033 Bisyde Beaute yede Richesse, An high lady of greet noblesse. 1508 Dunbar Gold. Targe 176 Wnto the pres persewit Hie Degree,..Richesse, Fredomm, and eke Nobilitee. 1590 Spenser F.Q. ii. vii. 24 Betwixt them both was but a litle stride, That did the house of Richesse from hell-mouth divide. |
| transf. c 1400 Love Bonavent. Mirr. xxix. (1908) 149 Gostly richesse of vertues and conforte of the holy goost. 1590 Spenser F.Q. ii. ii. 41 In her the richesse of all heavenly grace In chiefe degree are heaped up on hye. |
b. The choice or flower
of anything.
| c 1392 Chaucer Compl. Venus 12 For grace haþe wolde so ferfoorthe him avaunce, Þat of knighthoode he is parfyt Rychchesse. |
2. In plural form.
Cf. riches.
| a 1225 Ancr. R. 168 Þu leauedest to oðre men alle richesses. a 1300 E.E. Psalter xxxvi. 16 Better is litel to right, with wele, Over richesses of sinful fele. 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) IV. 55 To ȝilde up..al þe gold and selver and oþere richesses. c 1449 Pecock Repr. iii. iv. 295 Men that trusten in ricchessis. ? 1485 Caxton St. Winefryde 2, I am a kynges sone whiche haue plente of rychesses. c 1532 G. Du Wes Introd. Fr. in Palsgr. 1050 Dyverse other maner of love, as of richesses. 1601 Dolman La Primaud. Fr. Acad. (1618) iii. 666 All the beauties and richesses of the Vniuers. 1677 Gale Crt. Gentiles iv. 199 To be furnished with Richesses and other necessaries. |
| transf. 1382 Wyclif Eph. iii. 16 That he ȝyue to ȝou, vp the richessis of his glorie, vertu for to be strengthid. 1539 Tonstall Serm. Palm Sund. (1823) 95–6 So for these ii. rychesses, the one the rychesse of faythe, the other the rychesse of good workes, we shoulde chiefly studye. |
3. An alleged name for a number of martens.
Quot. 1486 is the original source of all later references.
| 1486 Bk. St. Albans f vi, A Riches of Martronys. 1575 Turberv. Venerie 235 Trystram addeth, a Richesse of Marternes. 1598 J. Manwood Lawes Forest iv. (1615) 44 The Foresters doe call a companie of Marternes, a Richesse of Marternes. 1610 J. Guillim Heraldry iii. xiv. (1660) 167 Skilfull Forresters and good Woodmen Do use to say, a Riches of Marternes. a 1700 B. E. Dict. Cant. Crew, Richess, (of Marterns) a Company. 1801 Strutt Sports & Past. i. i. 17. |