▪ I. † pistle, n. Obs.
Forms: 1 pistol, 2–6 pistel, 4 pistol, pystol, 4–5 pystil(l, 4–6 pistell(e, pistil, -ill(e, pystyl, -yll(e, 4–7 pistle, 5 pistul, -yl(l, 5–6 (8 Sc.) pystle, pystel(l.
[OE. pistol, aphetic form of epistol, ad. L. epistola epistle.]
1. A communication in writing, a letter; a literary work, or a dedication, in the form of a letter: = epistle n. 1, 1 b, 1 c.
| c 1000 ælfric Saints' Lives iii. 382 Ða awrat se earming mid hise aᵹenra hande..þone pistol. 1382 Wyclif Dan. iii. 97 In to eche lond he [the king] sente a pistle. 1395 Purvey Remonstrance (1851) 4 This article is taught bi seynt Jerom in hise pistlis. 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 202/1 Saynt Leo wrote a pistle to fabyane bisshop of constantynople ayenst euticium and nestorium. 1529 More Dyaloge ii. Wks. 178/2 A pistle of Plinye wrytten to the Emperoure Trayane. 1595 Eng. Tripe-wife (1881) 145 Your Pamphlet lackes both a Pistle and a Patrone. 1787 Burns Let. to W. Nichol 1 June, I was gaun to write you a lang pystle. |
2. spec. An apostolic letter, forming part of the New Testament: = epistle n. 2.
| c 1000 ælfric De Vet. et de Nov. Test. (Grein) 14 Iacob se rihtwisa awrat anne pistol. c 1200 Vices & Virtues 31 San(c)tus Paulus us takð on his pisteles. 1303 R. Brunne Handl. Synne 7122 Se now what seynt Poule seys Yn a pystyl. c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 101 As gospillis & pistles witnessen. 1551 Crowley Pleas. & Payne 215 And in Iohns Pistle these wordis be. |
3. Eccl. An extract from an apostolic letter (or, as in quot. a 1450, from some other Scriptural book) read in the Eucharistic office: = epistle n. 3.
| c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 89 Hit is ireht on þes pistles redinge [cf. c 1000 ælfric Hom. (Th.) I. 314 Hit is ᵹereht on ðyssere pistol-rædinge]. c 1400 Wyclif's Bible IV. 683 (heading) Here bigynneth a rule, that tellith in whiche chapitris of the bible ȝe mai fynde the lessouns, pistlis, and gospels, that ben rad in the chirche al the ȝeer. Ibid. 686 note a, Pistil Jerem. [so passim]. a 1450 Knt. de la Tour (1868) 106 The princes of xij lynages, wherof the pistelle upon the feest of Alhalwynne makithe mencion. 1450–1530 Myrr. our Ladye 126 The pystel that is redde in the masse. 1590 H. Barrow in Conferences i. 8 The Papists..haue the same Creedes,..Pistles, Gospels. |
b. Hence, the title ‘Pistle of (Sweet) Susane’: Daniel xiii in the Vulgate, containing the story of Susanna, being the Lesson or Epistle of the Mass for the Saturday of the third week in Lent.
But it is probable that here ‘pistle’ was subsequently taken as = legend or story.
| 1380–1400 B.M. Addit. MS. 22283 (heading) Here by⁓gynneþ a pistil of Susan. Ibid. l. 363 Þis ferlys bi-fel In þe days of Danyel, Þe pistel witnesseþ wel Of þat profete. c 1425 Wyntoun Cron. (MS. Cott.) 4312 (Laing 4326), He [Hucheoun] made a gret Gest of Arthure, And þe Awntyr of Gawane, Þe Pistil als of Suet Susane. |
4. A (spoken) story or discourse.
Most of the examples appear to be after Chaucer.
| c 1386 Chaucer Wife's T. 165 Tho rowned she a pistel in his ere. c 1422 Hoccleve Min. Poems (1892) 221 He a pistle rowned in hire ere. 1479 J. Paston in P. Lett. III. 257 When I was with myn oncle, I had a longe pystyll of hym, that [etc.]. ? a 1550 Freiris of Berwik 184 in Dunbar's Poems (S.T.S.) 291 Scho rownis than ane pistill in his eir. |
5. attrib. and Comb., as pistle-book, pistle-making, pistle-penner, pistle-reader, pistle-reading; pistle-cloth, a cloth covering or wrapper for the books of the epistles.
| c 1000 Canons of ælfric §21 in Thorpe Laws II. 350 Saltere & pistol-boc & godspell-boc & mæsse-boc. c 1000 ælfric Hom. (Th.) I. 294 Lucas se Godspellere us manode on ðisre pistol-readinge, þus cweðende [etc.]. ― De Consuet. Monach. in Anglia XIII. 406 Sacerd diacon & pistel rædere. 1434 Inv. St. Mary's, Scarborough in Archæologia LI. 66 Cum uno alio libro vocato le pistelboke. 1559 Will of Thome (Somerset Ho.), To y⊇ cherche to-whordes a pystyll book. 1589 Hay any Work A iij b, I haue as good a gift in pistle making, as you haue at priemeero. 1589 Pappe w. Hatchet D ij, I am worth twentie Pistle-penners. |
Hence † ˈpistle v. trans. (nonce-wd.), to write an epistle upon, assail with an epistle, satirize.
| 1589 Pappe w. Hatchet 28 Take heed, he will pistle thee. |
▪ II. pistle, pistlett
obs. ff. pistol, pistolet.