ppl. a.
1. † a. Having a good bodily ‘temperament’ or constitution. Obs.
1422. Yonge, trans. Secreta Secret., 220. Rede coloure tokenyth complexcion wel temperit.
1625. K. Long, trans. Barclay’s Argenis, III. xi. 189. His wel-tempered veynes.
c. 1655. A. Sydney, in 19th Cent. (1884), Jan., 63. Their love … like a strong well-tempered stomach, either drawes nourishment out of whatsoever it receaves or casts it up.
a. 1716. South, Serm. (1842), IV. 270. He sends them into the world with a well-tempered and rightly-disposed body.
b. Having a well-balanced mental temperament (obs.). In later use, good-tempered.
a. 1586. Sidney, Arcadia, I. iii. (1912), 19. [Arcadia is noted for] the well tempered minds of the people.
1595. Spenser, Amoretti, lxxxiv. Modest thoughts breathd from wel tempred sprites.
1633. P. Fletcher, Pisc. Eclog., VI. xx. Thy wel-temper’d soul.
1657. J. Gauden, in J. Watts, Scribe, etc., To Rdr. 3. One of the most learned, judicious, grave, and well tempered Divines in this County of Essex.
1691. Maydman, Nav. Spec., 199. Therefore, I wish him to furnish himself with a well-tempered Disposition, To be as Wise as a Serpent, and as Harmless as a Dove.
1710. Norris, Chr. Prud., viii. 347. Christian Wisdom … depends not so much upon great parts, as a willing and well-temper’d Mind.
1773. Goldsm., Stoops to Conquer, II. Yet she appears to me a pretty well-tempered girl.
1852. Grote, Greece, II. lxxi. IX. 193. A discreet and well-tempered officer.
1883. G. H. Boughton, in Harper’s Mag., March, 538/2. Crowds were walking in the middle of the roadway—merry and well-tempered.
transf. 1790. G. Walker, Serm., II. xxv. 216. Christianity is a mild, pleasant, and well-tempered religion.
† 2. Of climate or season: Temperate. Obs.
1598. Sylvester, Du Bartas, II. ii. III. Colonies, 65. Well-tempered Sumater Sub-equinoctiall.
1601. Mary Magd. Lament., vi. (Grosart), 123. A calme and bright well-tempred day.
a. 1628. F. Greville, Sidney, ii. (1652), 30. That well-tempered, though over-zealous, and superstitious Region of Italy.
3. a. Of steel: Brought to the right degree of hardness and elasticity.
1597. C. Middleton, Chinon (1925), 18. His well tempered sword.
c. 1662. in Verney Mem. (1907), II. 263. A well-tempered Turkish or Persian Scymeterre.
1697. Dryden, Æneis, XI. 734. His Back and Breast, Well temper’d Steel and scaly Brass invest.
1807. Syd. Smith, Lett. Catholics, i. Wks. 1859, II. 136/2. No power in Europe, but yourselves, has ever thought … of asking whether a bayonet is Catholic, or Presbyterian, or Lutheran; but whether it is sharp and well-tempered.
1815. J. Smith, Panorama Sci. & Art, II. 735. The pallet-knife, is mostly a thin well-tempered blade of steel.
fig. 1662. Gauden, in Hooker’s Wks., Ep to King A 3 b. Agreeable to right Reason and true Religion (which makes this well-tempered Peice a file capable to break the teeth of any that venture to bite it).
1726–46. Thomson, Winter, 676. That wit … which with Attic point And kind well-tempered satire, smoothly keen, Steals through the soul, and without pain corrects.
b. Of clay or mortar: Well mixed or compounded.
1746. Francis, trans. Horace, Epist., II. ii. 9. Like Clay, well-temper’d with informing Skill, He may be moulded to what Shape you will.
1833. Wauldby Farm. Rep., 120, in Libr. Usef. Knowl., Husb., III. On this lime a bed of well-tempered clay is directly laid.
1860. Ruskin, Unto this Last, ii. § 28. The builder who lays good bricks in well-tempered mortar.
4. Mus. Tuned in equal temperament.
Only in renderings of G. das wohltemperirte Klavier, the title of Bach’s double set of 48 Preludes and Fugues in all the keys. Cf. TEMPERED 1 e.
1884. Clara Bell & Fuller-Maitland, trans. Spitta, Bach, II. 6, note. The Well-tempered Clavier.
1889. Grove’s Dict. Mus., IV. 482. The well-tempered Clavichord.
