[f. WIELD v. + -ING1.] The action of the verb WIELD, in various senses.
† 1. Government, power, command; possession, keeping: see WIELD v. B. 1, 2. Obs.
c. 1205. Lay., 19011. Þa hædden heo … Vðer þene king wið inne heore walding [c. 1275 weldyng].
c. 1325. Metr. Hom., 1. Al es loken in thi welding. Thou ert Lauerd … That al ophaldes.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Melib., ¶ 644. Ye haue hem in youre myght and in youre weeldynge.
c. 1440. York Myst., i. 39. And haue al welth in ȝoure weledyng.
c. 1460. Play Sacram., 35. In þe dukedom of Oryon moche have I in weldyng.
c. 1485. Digby Myst., III. 59. Thys castell … is at my wylddyng.
2. Control, (power of) using, management, etc.: see WIELD v. B. 4, 5.
a. 1425. Cursor M., 13781 (Trin.). His lymmes had he so forgone Þat of hem weldyng had he none.
1551. Robinson, trans. More’s Utopia, II. iv. (1895), 140. Their garmentes … [are] no let to the mouynge and weldynge of the bodie.
1581. A. Hall, Iliad, VII. 125. Areithous that bare the great and massie club, And … got such praise by force and weelding good.
1820. Lamb, Elia, Ser. I. South-sea House. He was … equal to the wielding of any of the most intricate accounts.
1836. Keble, in Lyra Apost. (1849), 223. Behold your armoury!—sword and lightning shaft,… And in your wielding left!
1880. Tennyson, Brunanburh, xi. The wielding of weapons.
