also 5 accusasiowne, accusacion. [a. Fr. accusation ad. L. accūsātiōnem, n. of action, f. accusā-re to ACCUSE.]
1. The act of accusing or fact of being accused; arraignment.
1430. Lydgate, Chron. Troy, III. xxv. His clauses for to rede That resowned in conclusiowne Onely of malyce to accusasiowne.
1483. Caxton, G. de la Tour, f v b. Mardocheus was accused of the accusacion of Amon and was nothynge gylty.
1599. Shaks., Much Ado, II. ii. 55. Be thou constant in the accusation, and my cunning shall not shame me.
1611. Bible, Luke xix. 8. If I haue taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him foure fold.
1667. Milton, P. L., IX. 1190. Thus they in mutual accusation spent The fruitless hours.
1794. Burke, Sp. agst. Hastings, Wks. XV. 13. A man who is under the accusation of his country is under a very great misfortune.
1859. Tennyson, Enid, 83. Then like a shadow past the people’s talk And accusation of uxoriousness Across her mind.
2. The charge of an offence or crime, or the declaration containing it; an indictment.
c. 1425. Wyntown, Cron., IX. Prol. 46. At a court I mon appeir Fell accusationis þare til here.
a. 1450. Chester Plays (1847), II. 44. Men of thyn owne nacion Shewen for thy damnacion With manye accusacion And all this daie have.
1603. Shaks., Meas. for M., II. iv. 157. My vouch against you, and my place i’ th State Will so your accusation ouer-weigh.
1759. Robertson, Hist. Scotl., I. II. 152. An accusation so improbable gained but little credit.
1855. Milman, Lat. Christ. (1864), II. III. vii. 136. He is not content with repelling the accusation as false and alien to his humane disposition.
1862. A. Trollope, Orley Farm, lviii. 421 (ed. 4). To this accusation I will not plead.
