Forms: 6 virginalles, -ynal(le)s, 6–7 virginall(s, 6– virginal(s, 7–8 virginelles. [App. of the same formation as VIRGINAL a., but the reason for the name is obscure.]
1. A keyed musical instrument (common in England in the 16th and 17th centuries), resembling a spinet, but set in a box or case without legs.
a. In plural form, applied to a single instrument.
1530. Palsgr., 711/1. Set my virgynalles, entonnez mes espinettes.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Hen. VIII., 8. Exercisyng hym self dayly in … plaiyng at the recorders, flute, virginals, and in setting of songes.
1591. Florio, 2nd Fruites, 129. He plaies also upon the cittarn, virginals, violine and flute.
1601. B. Jonson, Ev. Man in Hum. (Q.), II. iii. 161. I can compare him to nothing more happely, then a Barbers virginals; for euery one may play vpon him.
1660. Pepys, Diary, 8 Dec. Her daughter played after dinner upon the virginals.
1662. Playford, Skill Mus., I. i. 4. But Lessons for the Organ, Virginals, or Harp, two staves of six lines together are required.
1710. J. Chein, in E. Dunbar, Soc. Life (1865), 15. I can … play on the Treble and Gambo, Viol, Virginelles and Manicords.
1786. Lounger (1787), II. 192. I could play pretty well on the Virginals at home.
1823. Roscoe, trans. Sismondi’s Lit. Eur. (1846), I. v. 128. The claricord was a sort of spinet resembling the virginals.
1841. Barham, Ingol. Leg., Ser. II. Nell Cook. And fine upon the virginals is that gay Lady’s touch.
1873. Dixon, Two Queens, XII. iii. II. 298. Himself a player on the virginals and organ.
b. A pair of virginals, in the same sense. (Cf. PAR sb.1 6.)
1542. Test. Ebor. (Surtees), VI. 159. A paire of virginals.
1545. Lanc. Wills (Chetham Soc.), II. 67. My best paire of virginalls.
1630. Dekker, 2nd Pt. Honest Wh., H iv. No, for she’s like a paire of Virginals, Alwaies with Iackes at her taile.
1666. Pepys, Diary, 2 Sept. Hardly one lighter or boat in three that had the goods of a house in, but there was a pair of Virginalls in it.
1684. Bunyan, Pilgr., II. 93. The Dining-Room, where stood a pair of excellent virginals.
1755. J. Collier (Tim Bobbin), Lett., Wks. (1775), 277. You know I have a pair of rusty old Virginals in a Corner of the School, which have about eight Strings left out of forty-five.
c. As a singular, with plural denoting more than one instrument.
The plural use (a) prob. preceded the singular.
(a) 1566. Sternhold & Hopkins, Ps. cl. 14. Praise him with Tymbrell and with flute, orgaines and virginals.
1598. Sylvester, Du Bartas, I. i. Handycrafts, 567. Wiery Cymbals, Rebecks sinnews twin’d, Sweet Virginals, and Cornets curled winde.
1630. R. Johnson’s Kingd. & Commw., 187. Those [teeth] that are left, leaping in their heads, like Iacks in Virginals.
1644. Digby, Nat. Bodies, vii. (1658), 57. Artificial musical instruments (as organs and virginals that playd by themselves).
1694. Patent Specif. (1856), No. 337. 1. Harpsichords, virginalls or the like.
1833. Ht. Martineau, Three Ages, i. 7. Large and airy study … ornamented with books, manuscripts, maps, viols, virginals, and other musical instruments.
(b) 1570. Levins, Manip., 15. Virginall, cymbala.
1597. Breton, Wit’s Trenchmour, Wks. (Grosart), II. 14/1. Let me euer loue musicke, though I cannot tune a virginall.
1625. Gill, Sacr. Philos., II. 188. In an Organ or Virginall, all manner of tunes, all concords, and discords are, which are possible to bee made or conceived by any Musician.
1667. Pepys, Diary, 23 Jan. He and I did see the organ, but I do not like it, it being but a bauble, with a virginal joining to it.
1694. Phil. Trans., XVIII. 73. He shews the best way how to have an Organ or Virginal tuned.
1709. Addison, Tatler, No. 157, ¶ 8. That ancient serious Matron-like Instrument the Virginal.
1789. Burney, Hist. Mus., III. i. 5, note. The Virginal is a keyed instrument of one string, jack, and quill, to each note, like a spinet.
1843. Penny Cycl., XXVI. 360/2. The compass of the virginal was from the second added line below the base to the second added line above the treble—or four octaves.
1889. Brinsmead, Hist. Pianoforte, 91. The instrument which gradually superseded the clavichord in England was the virginal.
transf. 1593. Harvey, New Lett., Wks. (Grosart), I. 266. Is not the Verse of M. Spencer in his braue Faery Queene, the Virginall of the diuinest Muses, and gentlest Graces?
2. attrib. and Comb., as virginal book, jack (JACK sb.1 14), -maker, master, music, music-book, string, wire.
1663. Pepys, Diary, 16 March. Thence home by coach, buying at the Temple the printed *virginall-book for her.
1604. *Virginal jack [see JACK sb.1 14].
1622. F. Markham, Bk. War, IV. vii. 146. Men should not like virginall Iacks be skipping up here and there, and in every corner.
c. 1638. G. Plattes, in Worlidge, Syst. Agric. (1669), iv. § 6. 44. These may be made to play up and down like Virginal Jacks.
1551. Acts Privy Counc. (1891), III. 306. Robert Gundet of Westminster, *virginall maker.
c. 1580. Munday, View Sundry Examples (Shaks. Soc.), 93. A Virginal maker that came to look Ravens quils found the man slain.
1640. in Sir C. Sharp, Chron. Mirab. (1841), 44. Thomas Forcer, *Virginall master.
1874. Ouseley, Musical Form, 48. It was very commonly employed three hundred years ago for *virginal music.
1889. Brinsmead, Hist. Pianoforte, 93. Queen Elizabeth must … have performed music that would be considered exceedingly difficult even now, if she really played the pieces that are in her *virginal music-book.
1626. Bacon, Sylva, § 13. The sound of a *Virginall String, as soone as the Quill of the Jack falleth from it, stoppeth.
1743. Emerson, Fluxions, 265. I took a virginal String 29 … Inches long.
1662. Ireland, Stat. at Large (1765), II. 418. *Virginal and ghittern wire, the pound, 4l.
1698. Phil. Trans., XX. 433. It was a piece of small Virginal Wire.
1812. J. Smyth, Pract. of Customs (1821), 279. 1 Cask, 63 lbs. Brass Virginal Wire.
Hence † Virginal v. intr., to tap with the fingers as on a virginal. Obs.–1
1611. Shaks., Wint. T., I. ii. 124. To be padling Palmes, and pinching Fingers,… Still Virginalling Vpon his Palme?
