▪ I. misˈrule, n.
[mis-1 4.]
† 1. Disorderly conduct or living; misconduct; ill-conducted or irregular life; excess. Obs.
In quot. 1406 app. intended to be taken as two words (see mis a.) rendering OF. male regle.
| c 1400 Destr. Troy 7952 Thow might meruell the mykell of my misrewle, But þat wottes..Þat þere longes no loue..To hym þat dressis for my dethe. 1406 Hoccleve La Male Regle 90 My freendes seiden vn-to me ful ofte, My mis reule me cause wolde a fit. 1484 Caxton Fables of æsop iii. xi, The cryme and mysrewle of his sone. 1494 [see misdemeanour1 1 b]. 1570 Levins Manip. 95/43 Misrewle, excessus, luxus. 1613 Purchas Pilgrimage (1614) 749, I haue seen houses as full of such prostitutes, as the schooles in France are full of children. They there vse much misrule, riot and wantonnes. |
2. Bad rule or government (of a state, etc.); misgovernment; the action of misruling or condition of being misruled; hence (often), a state of disorder, anarchy, or rebellion.
| 1399 Langl. Rich. Redeles iv. 3 Where was euere ony cristen kynge..Þat helde swiche an household..As Richard is þis rewme þoru myserule of oþer? 1450 Rolls of Parlt. V. 206/1 The Abbot and Convent..is in gret disolacion..by the mysreule and dilapidacion of divers Abbottes. 1541 A. Kerr in Hamilton Papers I. 142 This mysrewill and breik upoun the Bordouris. 1657–8 in Burton's Diary (1828) II. 365 Misrule is better than no rule; and an ill government..is better than none. 1667 Milton P.L. vii. 271 And the loud misrule Of Chaos farr remov'd. 1725 Pope Odyss. i. 139 The heav'n born maid Enormous riot and misrule survey'd. 1777 Robertson Hist. Amer. vi. (1851) I. 650 The authority of government had been almost forgotten during the long prevalence of anarchy and mis-rule. 1828 Scott F.M. Perth xix, As the town is in misrule, we two, Harry, will carry her home. 1841 Gen. Abbott in C. R. Low Jrnl. ii. (1879) 195 There is such misrule here, that the country never can be quiet; people are sent out for the express purpose of getting up rows. |
3. Lord (also Abbot, Master) of Misrule: one chosen to preside over the Christmas games and revels in a great man's house. Obs. exc. Hist.
See Brand Popular Antiquities (1813) I. 387 seqq; R.T. Hampson Medii Aevi Kalendarium (1841) I. 116, 117.
| 1491 in Excerpta Historica (1831) 88 To Ringley, lorde of mysrewle, upon a prest, {pstlg}5. 1492 Ibid. 92 To Ringley, abbot of mysreule, {pstlg}5. 1571 [see lord n. 14 a]. 1577–87 Holinshed Chron. III. 1067/2 On mondaie the fourth of Januarie, the said lord of merie disports came by water to London,..where he was receiued by Wause lord of misrule to John Mainard one of the shiriffes of London. 1633 R. Evelyn in Archæol. (1817) XVIII. 333, I giue free leave to Owen Flood my Trumpeter, gent. to be Lo{supd} of Misrule of all good Orders during the twelve dayes. 1654 H. L'Estrange Chas. I, 72 That Christmas the Temple Sparks had enstalled a Lieutenant, a thing we country folk call a Lord of Misrule. 1664 H. More Myst. Iniq. 323 Their Master of Misrule at Christmas. [1820 Scott Abbot xiv, A hall, a hall! for the venerable Father Howleglas, the learned Monk of Misrule, and the Right Reverend Abbot of Unreason!] |
b. transf. and fig.
| 1591 Lyly Endym. v. ii, Loue is a Lorde of misrule, and keepeth Christmas in my corps. 1623 Webster Duchess Malfi iii. ii, Ant. I must lie here. Duch. Must! you are a lord of mis-rule. Ant. Indeed, my rule is only in the night. 1660 South Serm. (1727) IV. i. 63 Their great Master of Misrule Oliver [Cromwell]. 1822 W. Irving Braceb. Hall xxvi. 227 Slingsby..who is not merely lord of misrule in his school, but master of the revels to the village. 1850 Hawthorne Scarlet Let. viii. (1852) 99 There used to be a swarm of these small apparitions, in holiday time; and we called them children of the Lord of Misrule. 1898 K. Grahame Golden Age 15, I [sc. the wind] am the strong capricious one, the lord of misrule. |
† c. show of misrule (? nonce-use): festivities such as those presided over by a Lord of Misrule.
| 1555 W. Watreman Fardle Facions ii. viii. 182 Thei [sc. Brachmanes] couette no sightes, nor shewes of misrule: no disguisinges nor entreludes. |
▪ II. misˈrule, v.
[mis-1 1.]
† 1. trans. To manage or control badly. Also refl.
| 13.. in Hampole's Wks. (1896) I. 172 Þe foule fende þat mone gostle men begils þorou preway pontz of pryde þat misrewle þere witte. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. ix. 59 Moche wo worth þat man þat mys-reuleth his Inwitte. 1390 Gower Conf. III. 170 Wher such thing falleth overal That eny king himself misreule. c 1460 G. Ashby Dicta Philos. 19 Suche folk as misreule theire spendyng. 1530 Palsgr. 638/1 If you mysrule your selfe, you maye..catche some disease. |
2. To rule or govern (a country, etc.) badly.
| 1390 Gower Conf. III. 346 If he misreule that kingdom. 1462–3 Pol. Poems (Rolls) II. 268 Engeland..Whiche hathe be mysrewled ȝerys sertayne. 1567 Gude & Godlie B. (S.T.S.) 197 Preistis..Misreule the realm and court no moir. 1810 G. Chalmers Caledonia II. ii. v. 200 The Duke of Albany misruled his kingdom. 1883 Pall Mall G. 12 Sept. 10/1 He pleaded guilty to being a disturber so long as Ireland was misruled by England. |
Hence misˈruling vbl. n. and ppl. a.
| c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 214 For here synne & mysreulynge of hem self. 1839 Ld. Brougham For. Relat. Gt. Brit. Wks. 1857 VIII. 126 Like the knell of death to the hopes of the misruling few. 1927 Daily Tel. 25 Oct. 8/5 If in refereeing I give a flagrant legal mis-ruling..the Rugby Union can send for me and say what they think about me and my mis-ruling. |