Also 4 (captyuide), 4–6 captyuyte, 6–7 captiuitie. [perh. a. F. captivité, ad. L. captīvitas, -tātem, f. captīv-us captive. The OF. was chetiveté: as Littré has captivité only from 15th c., the ME. may have been direct ad. Lat.]
1. The condition of a captive; the state of being held prisoner by an enemy or conqueror; sometimes spec. that of the Jews at Babylon.
c. 1325. E. E. Allit. P., B. 1612. Þat caȝt watz in þe captyuide in cuntre of Iues.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Wicket (1828), 2. They shall fall … into captyvyte manye dayes.
1480. Caxton, Chron. Eng., ccliv. 328. There were many cristen men … put in captyuyte.
1593. Shaks., 3 Hen. VI., IV. v. 13. To set him free from his Captiuitie.
1662. Stillingfl., Orig. Sacr., I. vi. § 8. 102. How durst Ezra … after the Captivity, profane so sacred a thing…?
1794. R. J. Sulivan, View Nat., II. 238. Their several captivities, dispersions, and desolations.
1860. Pusey, Min. Proph., 135. A captivity implies a removal of the inhabitants.
b. of a captive animal.
1774. Goldsm., Nat. Hist., V. 305. A malicious joy in these call-birds to bring the wild ones into the same state of captivity.
2. fig. The servitude or subjection of the reason, will or affections.
1538. Starkey, England, 31. Wyse conseyl may at the lest … restore the wyl out of such captyvyte.
1552. Abp. Hamilton, Catech. (1884), 38. The miserable captivitie of the devil.
1605. Bacon, Adv. Learn., I. IV. § 12. Disciples do owe unto masters … not an absolute resignation or perpetual captivity.
1611. Bible, 2 Cor. x. 5. Bringing into captiuitie euery thought to the obedience of Christ.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., III. xxxii. 196. But by the Captivity of our Understanding, is not meant a Submission of the Intellectuall faculty, to the Opinion of any other man; but of the Will to Obedience, where obedience is due.
1714. Addison, Cato, III. i. (L.). The strong, the brave, the virtuous, the wise Sink in the soft captivity together.
† 3. Those who are in captivity; captives collectively. (A Hebraism.) Obs. To lead captivity captive: a Scriptural phrase used in Judges v. 12, Ps. lxviii. 19 in the sense of ‘lead off one’s captives in triumph’; but often taken (after Eph. iv. 8) in the sense ‘to lead away into captivity those who have held others in bondage.’
1526. Tindale, Eph. iv. 8. He is gone vp an hye, and hath ledde captivitie captive [Wyclif, ledde caitifte caitif].
1597. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., V. lxxviii. § 9. He led captivity captive.
1611. Bible, Judg. v. 12. Leade thy captiutie captiue, thou sonne of Abinoam [1382 Wyclif, Tak thi chaytyues; 1388 thi prisoneris; 1535 Coverd. Catch hem yt catched thee, thou son of Abinoam]. Ibid., Dan. vi. 13. That Daniel which is of the captiuity of the children of Iudah.
1667. Milton, P. L., X. 188. And with ascention bright Captivity led captive through the Aire.
