ˈvaliantness ? Obs.
[f. as prec. + -ness.]
1. The quality or condition of being valiant; valiancy, valour. Also personif.
Very common in the 16th c.
| α 1470–85 Malory Arthur xii. xii. 608, I vnderstande thy valyauntnesse wel. c 1489 Caxton Sonnes of Aymon 16 The whiche..Charlemagne by hys prowesse and valyauntnes had dyscomfyted. 1513 Life Hen. V (1911) 155 The Englishmen..excelled so farr the Frenchmen in there valyantnes, that they remayned conquerors in the fielde. 1540 Morysine Vives' Introd. Wysd. B v, Strengthe and valiantnesse is, to suffise and accomplyshe the exercises of vertu without werynes. 1560 J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 25 Which honor [i.e. knighthood] in times past..was the rewarde of valeauntnes. 1603 Knolles Hist. Turks (1621) 343 Mahomet seeing this valiantnesse of the defendants, openly said [etc.]. 1672 Baxter Bagshaw's Scandals i. 6 They call out for Valiantness in suffering. 1727 P. Walker Life of R. Cameron in Biogr. Presbyt. (1827) I. 237 The Valiantness of the Four⁓score Priests, that withstood Uzziah. |
| β 1508 Dunbar Poems vii. 93 B, in thi name, betaknis batalrus;..W, valyeantnes; S, for strenewite. 1549 Compl. Scotl. Ep. 6 The toune of sauerne baris vytnes of his delegent vailȝeantnes. a 1560 Rolland Crt. Venus iv. 577 Sine Cheualrie come in with vailȝeantnes. |
b. Const.
of (courage, heart, mind, etc.).
| 1534 Whitinton Tullyes Offices i. (1540) 7 By ryght and lawe, whereof forse & valyauntnesse of herte doth ryse. 1539 Taverner Gard. Wysd. i. 4 b, It greued moch this excellent Prynce, that so stronge an herte and valyauntnesse of nature was spent in a matter of leudenesse. 1579 Twyne Phis. agst. Fortune i. xv. 16 The mightinesse of the Citie and Empire, and the valiantnesse of the peoples myndes. 1603 Knolles Hist. Turks (1621) 409 Much inferiour to this great king in wealth and number of men, but not in hautinesse of mind and valiantnesse of courage. 1736 Ainsworth, Magnanimitas, valiantness of heart and courage. |
2. Physical strength; robustness, sturdiness, stalwartness
of (body).
rare.
| 1553 T. Wilson Rhet. 104 In the Iliades are described strengthe and valeantenes of the body. 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. I. 311 Bartholomew Leslie,..quhais..ablenes of mynd, valȝeantnes of body and fercenes of force, king Malcolme meruelet sa mekle. |