Also 4–7 with usual variations, as in CIVIL, and final -e, -ie, -ye. [a. OF. civilité, ad. L. cīvīlitās, -tātem, (1) art of civil government, politics, transl. Gr. πολιτική, (2) courteousness, politeness, (3) (in Vulgate, etc.), citizenship = πολιτεία, (4) in med.L., community, city, ‘civilitas, mansio hominum’ Papias.]
I. Obs. senses, connected with citizenship, and civil polity.
† 1. The status of a citizen; citizenship. Obs.
1382. Wyclif, Acts xxii. 28. I with moche summe gat this ciuylite [1388 fredom, Vulg. civilitatem, orig. πολιτείαν].
c. 1568. Coverdale, Christ’s Cross, i. Wks. II. 232. Your joy is in heaven, where your conversation and civility is.
† 2. A community of citizens collectively. Obs.
1599. Marston, Sco. Villanie, II. vii. 207. Yon sad ciuility Is but an Oxe, that with base drudgery Eates up the land.
† 3. Civil or secular lordship or dominion. Obs.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 385. Þai bissyen hem to be kyngis in her owne, and reioycen hem fulle myche in þat cyuylite or seculerte. Ibid. Þis is þe mooste cyuylite or seculer lordeschipinge þat eny kynge or lorde haþ on his tenauntis.
1530. Proper Dyaloge (1863), 27.
† 4. A civil or secular capacity. Obs.
1549. Latimer, 2nd Serm. bef. Edw. VI. (Arb.), 67. For what an enormitie is this in a christian realme to serue in a ciuilitye, hauynge the profyt of a Prouestshyp and a Deanry, and a Personage.
† 5. Polity, civil organization and government.
1537. Starkey, To Pole, in Strype, Eccl. Mem., I. App. lxxxi. 193. In the joyning of these two lives together … stondeth the chief point of true christian civility. Ibid. (1538), England, 119. The ordur of our law also in the punnyschment of theft … faylyth much from gud cyuylyte.
1594. Mirr. Policie (1599), A. Policie is deriued from the Greeke woord πολιτεῖα, which in our tongue we may tearme Ciuilitie: and that which the Grecians did name Politicke gouernement, the Latines called, the Gouernement of a Commonweale, or Ciuile societie.
1670. Brooks, Wks. (1867), VI. 68. How have the rules of the Persian civility been forgotten in the midst of thee!
b. transf.
1643. Sir T. Browne, Relig. Med., 31. The civility of these little citizens [Bees and Ants] more neatly sets forth the wisdom of their maker.
† 6. Good polity; orderly state (of a country); social order, as distinct from anarchy and disorder.
1538. Starkey, England, 7. To bryng the hole cuntrey to quyetnes and cyuylyte.
1577. trans. Bullinger’s Decades (1592), 107. For the preseruing of publike peace and ciuilitie.
1611. Munday, Briefe Chron., 44. Without civility, and government.
† 7. Conformity to the principles of social order, behavior befitting a citizen; good citizenship.
1537–8. Statutes Irel. an. 28 Hen. VIII. (1621), 129. Trayning of his people … to an honest Christian civilitie and obedience.
1596. Spenser, State Irel., 5. They should have beene reduced to perpetuall civilitie.
1600. Dymmok, Ireland (1843), 6. The cheeffe thinge wantinge in that cuntrye is cyvillitye, and dutyfull obedience of the people to their soveraigne.
1641. Milton, Ch. Govt., II. Introd. (1851), 146. To inbreed and cherish in a great people the seeds of vertu, and publick civility.
1647. Ward, Simp. Cobler (1843), 43. They conforme such as are profligate, into good civility.
1758. Acc. Bks., in Ann. Reg., 459/2. Their civility (that is, their deference to the general laws … and their attention to the common good).
† 8. Civil or secular quality; secularity. Obs.
1647. Lond. Ministers’ Testimony, in Neal, Hist. Purit. (1736), III. 390. An inforced uniformity of religion … confounds the Civil and Religious, and denies the very principles of Christianity and Civility.
1649. Bp. Hall, Cases Consc. (1650), 362. If there were nothing in marriage but meere civility, the Magistrate might be meet to be imployed in this service.
† 9. Theol. Civil righteousness; see CIVIL 15 b.
1619. W. Sclater, Expos. 1 Thess. (1630), 40. Betwixt Ciuility and Sanctification obserue these differences.
1633. Bp. Hall, Hard Texts, N. T., 43. More … by a sacrilegious pretence of religion, than he did before damne himself by an heathenish ciuilitie.
a. 1640. W. Fenner, Sacr. Faithful, ii. (1648), 57. They come out of prophanenesse and enter into Civility, and a formall kind of profession.
II. Senses connected with civilization, culture.
10. ‘The state of being civilized; freedom from barbarity’ (J.); = CIVILIZATION 2. arch.
1549. Coverdale, Erasm. Par. Col. II. 7. Christ is to the … wylde and barbarous, ciuilitie.
1614. Raleigh, Hist. World, II. 305. From them the Greekes, then barbarous, received Civilitie.
1662. Fuller, Worthies (1840), I. 110. Cloth sure is of the same date with civility in this land.
a. 1682. Sir T. Browne, Tracts (1684), 148. Not understood in a petty corner or between a few Mountains, but in parts of early civility.
1691. Ray, Creation, II. (1704), 251. Metals and Minerals … necessary Instruments … of Culture and Civility.
1775. Johnson, Western Isl., Wks. X. 508. The progress of arts and civility.
1823. Lamb, Elia, Ser. I. xvii. (1865), 129. The nineteenth century of the era from which we date our civility.
1856. Emerson, Eng. Traits, Race, Wks. (Bohn), II. 27. The foundations of the new civility were to be laid by the most savage men.
1881. Shorthouse, J. Inglesant, vii. 177. A brutal people destitute of civility.
† 11. Polite or liberal education; training in the ‘humanities,’ good breeding; culture, refinement. arch.
1533. More, Debell. Salem, Wks. 951/1. Me thinketh it somwhat more ciuilytye … a litle merely to mok him, then … seriouslye to preace vpon him.
1568. Grafton, Chron., II. 692. Well and honorably educated, and in all kind of civilitie brought up.
1660. Trial Regic., 101. I am heartily sorry in respect you are Persons of great Civility and … of very good parts.
16[?]. Def. of Univ. Oxford (1690), 33. The Universities are the public nurseries of Religion, Piety, Learning, and Civility.
1756–82. J. Warton, Ess. Pope, I. § 3. 186. Bring civility and learning into France.
1858. De Quincey, Autobiog. Sk., Wks. II. i. 23. Our universities, all so many recurring centres of civility.
† b. A branch of ‘humane’ or polite learning, a department of culture. Obs.
1657. Howell, Londinop., 9. Young Gentlemen do so ply their studies in all kinds of sciences, and other civilities, besides the Law.
1672. Wilkins, Nat. Relig., 184. They [the Romans] had likewise spread their arts and civilities.
12. Behavior proper to the intercourse of civilized people; ordinary courtesy or politeness, as opposed to rudeness of behavior; decent respect, consideration.
1561. T. Norton, trans. Calvin’s Inst., IV. xx. (1634), 733. That among Christians may be a common shew of religion, and among men may be man-like civilitie.
1665. Glanvill, Sceps. Sci., 75. My Civility to this Learned Man obliged me to some Answer.
1716. Lady M. W. Montague, Lett., I. vi. 18. Some … ladies … have … been to see me with great civility.
1751. Johnson, Rambler, No. 165, ¶ 12. I must purchase by civility that regard which I had expected to enforce by insolence.
1843. Prescott, Mexico, VII. v. (1864), 451. A cold civility, which carried no conviction of its sincerity.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., IV. 31. He would not use the common forms of civility.
b. An act or expression of politeness.
1658. Sir T. Browne, Hydriot., Introd. 5. These were not meer Pagan-Civilities.
1660. Ingelo, Bentiv. & Ur., I. (1682), 111. To accept of a Civilty.
1708. Swift, Death Partridge. I … said some other civilities, suitable to the occasion.
1883. G. Lloyd, Ebb & Flow, II. 110. After a few more uneasy civilities on either side.
c. † To do civility (obs.), to show civility.
1649. Jer. Taylor, Gt. Exemp., II. § 10. 2. Jesus being invited, he went to do civility to the persons espoused.
1772. Johnson, in Boswell, xxv. We should have shown his lady more civilities.
† d. Civility-money: that given (to bailiffs, jailers, etc.) in consideration or anticipation of their good-will or good offices; money given as a ‘tip.’
1708. Motteux, Rabelais, IV. xiv. To the Catchpoles and his Bums he ordered four Ducats for Civility Money.
1752. Fielding, Amelia, VIII. x. The bailiff … hoped he would remember the civility-money.
1818. Scott, Hrt. Midl., xxi. No opposition was offered … either by the guards or door-keepers … one of the latter refused a shilling of civility-money, tendered him by the Laird of Dumbiedikes.
† 13. Decency, seemliness: see CIVIL 10. Obs.
1612. Webster, White Devil, I. ii. Civility keeps them tied all day-time, but they are let loose at midnight.
1617. Hieron, Wks., II. 105. Common ciuilitie teacheth vs to choose our way, and not wilfully to runne in the durt.
1672. Cave, Prim. Chr., III. ii. (1673), 275. They denied them the civility and humanity of burial.
