sb. Obs. Also 5 valur, wallure, 6 valuer, va(i)lewer. [app. an alteration of OF. valur or valeur VALOUR, after forms in -URE.]
1. a. Worthiness or merit; = VALOUR 1 a.
1422. Yonge, trans. Secreta Secret., 139. What glory or what valure the may be-tyde.
c. 1440. Ipomydon, 284. She saw also by his norture, He was a man of grete valure.
c. 1481. Caxton, Dialogues, 4. Be swyft and redy Hymn or hem first to grete, Yf he be or they be men of valure.
1577. Stanyhurst, Descr. Ireland, vii. in Holinshed. I doubt not, but hys fame and renowme in learnyng, shall be aunswerable to his desert and valure in writyng.
1592. Wyrley, Armorie, 65. As to the gaser well it might appeere That all the Vallewer in the world was heere.
b. Physical strength or ability; power, might. rare.
1574. Hellowes, Gueuara’s Fam. Ep. (1577), 3. Of our selues we are so weake, and our abilitie so small, our valure so litle, and haue so few things, that … of our selues we haue not what to giue.
1605. Willet, Hexapla Gen., 440. Causing the Cananites to feare his force and valure.
c. Courage, bravery; = VALOR 1 c.
Common c. 1580–1610.
1577–82. Breton, Flourish upon Fancy, Wks. (Grosart), I. 18/2. Thy valure is but vauntes, thy weapons are but wordes.
1585. T. Washington, trans. Nicholay’s Voy., IV. xii. 125. The Arabians … beleue that in valure & hardines they doe surpasse al the other nations.
1606. Chapman, Gent. Usher, I. i. This is your old valure, nephew, that will fight sleeping as well as waking.
1640–1. Kirkcudbr. War-Comm. Min. Bk. (1855), 50. Barrones and gentilmen of good soirt … by quhas valure the kingdome hath ever been defendit.
2. Worth, importance, efficacy. Freq. in the phr. of no valure.
(a) c. 1400. Pilgr. Sowle, I. xxiv. (1859), 29. This excusacyon is of no valure.
1509. Fisher, 7 Penit. Ps., xxxviii. Wks. (1876), 81. Good hope,… without the whiche euery thynge that we do is of no valure.
1594. Carew, Huarte’s Exam. Wits, v. (1596), 61. We call memory a reasonable power, because without it the vnderstanding and the imaginatiue are of no valure.
(b) 1456. Sir G. Haye, Law Arms (S.T.S.), 214. For ellis war it litill of valure the privilege that the Emperour has gevin to the haly kirk.
a. 1533. Ld. Berners, Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546), B vj b. Wordes, whiche were not mete,… rude, and least of valure.
1577. Harrison, England, II. vi. (1877), II. 149. These [wines] are not least of all accompted of, bicause of their strength and valure.
1596. Bell, Surv. Popery, III. ix. 397. The naturall valure only of good words. Ibid. The valure and just estimation of eternal life.
3. = VALUE sb. 2.
1453. Rolls of Parlt., V. 269/1. Decreas of the pris and valure of the wolles.
c. 1489. Caxton, Sonnes of Aymon, xvi. 374. And whan Reynawde saw that that gyfte was so riche he was glad of it, bycause of ye grete valure of it.
1523. Act 14 & 15 Hen. VIII., c 2. [They] shall … put to such markes to every of the same wares … upon payne of forfeyture the double valure of the same wares.
1568. Grafton, Chron., II. 387. Swearing vnto him that he would prouyde other for him, that should amount to as good a valure.
1588. J. Mellis, Briefe Instr., E j. Putting the valure of them, how much they be, after the common price in ready money.
b. In the phr. of (great, etc.) valure.
1485. Caxton, Paris & V. (1868), 7. A shelde of crystalle of grete valure.
1491–2. Sarum Church-w. Acc. (Swayne), 41. Smalle peces of clene golde of litelle valure.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. cccxx. 495. He reputed this aduenture of more valure than v. hundred thousande frankes.
1553. Eden, Treat. New Ind. (Arb.), 14. Hys horse is iudged to be of such valure if you respect ye price, as is one of our cities.
1599. Hakluyt, Voy., II. 234. There they put all their goods of any valure.
4. = VALUE sb. 4. Const. of (so much).
c. 1480. Childe of Bristowe, in Hazl., E. P. P., I. 124. Alle that for me thu dos pray, helpeth me not … the valure of a pese.
1485. Caxton, Chas. Gt., 110. I doubte the not the valure of an olde dede hounde.
1518. Star Chamber Cases (Selden Soc.), II. 138. Robert edward wyll spende … to the valuer of twenty markys to helpe them with all.
1534. More, Comf. agst. Trib., II. Wks. 1184/1. He neuer vsed to passe vpon himselfe the valure of six pence at a meale.
5. = VALUE sb. 7 b.
1597. Morley, Introd. Mus., Pref. With what toyle and wearinesse I was enforced to compare the parts for trying out the valure of some notes.
Hence † Valure v. trans., = VALUE v. 2. Obs. Also † Valureless a., valueless. Obs. † Valurous a., valuable (cf. VALOROUS a. 3). Obs.
1487. Act 3 Hen. VII., c. 7 § 1. The nature, weight, content, or valure of all maner other merchandises used to be weyed or valured.
1563. Foxe, A. & M., 1028/2. The sentence thereof might not be founde fautye and valureles by me.
1586. Marlowe, 1st Pt. Tamburl., I. ii. Thy Garments shall be … Enchast with precious iuelles of mine owne: More rich and valurous than Zenocrates.
