v. Forms: 4 condecendre, 5 -desend, 5–6 -dyssend, -dissend, 6 -descent, (6 -ducend), 6–7 -decend, -discend(e, 7 -dicend, 4–6 -descende, 6– condescend. Pa. pple. -ed; in 6 also condiscent. [ad. F. condescend-re, ad. L. condēscend-ĕre (in Cassiodorus) to stoop, condescend, f. con- together + dēscendĕre to DESCEND: in med.L. to be complaisant or compliant, to accede to any one’s opinion, etc.; in Fr. also to come down from one’s rights or claims, to yield consent, acquiesce. In the Ayenbite the Fr. infinitive was taken as a whole: cf. render, tender vb.]
I. To come down voluntarily.
† 1. lit. To come down, go down, descend. Obs.
c. 1485. Digby Myst. (1882), II. 172. Ffor to breke down the chyrchys thus I condescende.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, III. ii. 44. Condiscend in our myndis [animis illabere nostris] and schaw this plane.
1657. Tomlinson, Renou’s Disp., 112. They scarce condescend to the places about the Liver.
1686. W. De Britaine, Hum. Prud., xv. 65. The Kite, which flyeth high in the Air, yet vouchsafes to condescend to Carrion upon the ground.
2. fig. To come or bend down, so far as a particular action is concerned, from one’s position of dignity or pride; to stoop voluntarily and graciously; to deign: a. to do something.
c. 1430. Lydg., Min. Poems, To Dk. of Glouc. Right myghty prince … Condescende leyser for to take To se th’ entent of this litel bille.
1509. Hawes, Past. Pleas., II. xii. To nouryshe slouthe he may not condiscende.
1696. Tate & Brady, Ps. lxxvi. 2. In Sion condescends to dwell.
1734–5. in Swift’s Lett. (1766), II. 211. I desire you will condescend to make my compliments to Dr. Delaney.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., IV. 315. The Cavaliers condescended to take a lesson in the art of taxation from the Roundheads.
1860. Mrs. Carlyle, Lett., III. 19. The dressmakers … won’t condescend to make anything but with their own materials.
b. to a course or action. Cf. to stoop to.
1549. Latimer, Ploughers (Arb.), 31. I … haue obeyed him [the Devil] a little to much in condesce[n]tinge to some follies.
1661. Bramhall, Just Vind., v. 89. Saint Peter out of modesty might condescend and submit to that to which he was not obliged in duty.
1867. Smiles, Huguenots Eng., x. (1880), 165. [They] condescended to the meanest employments, for the purpose of disarming suspicion.
1883. Froude, Short Stud., IV. iii. 272. Origen was too high a man to condescend to wilful misrepresentation.
† c. (In bad sense) To lower oneself, stoop.
1640. Sir H. Grimstone, Laud, in Neal, Hist. Purit., II. He had condescended so low as to deal in Tobacco.
3. ‘To depart from the privileges of superiority by a voluntary submission; to sink willingly to equal terms with inferiours’ (J.); to be condescending in one’s relations with others.
(The meaning of the translators in quot. 1611 is not clear.)
1611. Bible, Rom. xii. 16. Minde not high things, but condescend to men of low estate.
1824. Byron, Juan, XVI. xcv. Adeline was … watching, witching, condescending To the consumers of fish, fowl, and game, And dignity with courtesy so blending.
1863. Mrs. C. Clarke, Shaks. Char., xiv. 359. Like a true lout, he does not see that they have condescended to him, but he instantly rushes on to their level.
1863. P. S. Worsley, Poems, 10. The god, condescending to his child.
II. To make concessions; to comply, consent, concur, agree. [Earlier than I. in mod. langs.]
† 4. To yield or deferentially give way; to show oneself deferential, compliant, or complaisant; to accommodate oneself to. a. refl. (The earliest instance.) Obs.
1340. Ayenb., 157. Ich me ssel … a-yens ham paye and condecendre ine dede and ine speche ham uor to wynne to god.
† b. intr. Obs. (blending finally with 2 b.)
1429. Rolls of Parl., IV. 343. Olesse … the resones of that other partie cause hem to condescende forthwith unto hem, the matter shal dwelle in deliberation.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 58 b. To gyue reuerence to euery persone, and to condescende to theyr wylles in thynges lawfull and honest.
1563–87. Foxe, A. & M. (1684), I. 198/2. He [Pope Hildebrand] bound [them] by their oaths, that at no time, nor for any cause they should condescend unto the king.
1609. Holland, Amm. Marcell., XXIX. v. 373. Theodosius gave eare and condiscended to [paruit] his words.
1671. Milton, Samson, 1337. Can they think … that my mind ever Will condescend to such absurd commands?
1677. in T. W. Marsh, Early Friends Surrey & Sus., 104. Wee … doe so far condescend as to grant him till the next monthly meeting then to be present.
1794. Godwin, Cal. Williams, 73. He was resolved to condescend no further to the whims of a person.
† 5. To give one’s consent, to accede or agree to (a proposal, request, measure, etc.); to acquiesce.
† a. refl. [Cf. OF. se condescendre.] Obs.
1489. Caxton, Faytes of A., I. xix. 61. Thou oughtist the sooner to condescende thy self to a trayctee.
† b. intr. Const. to a thing. Obs.
1475. Caxton, Jason, 66. The lady condescended … to his departing.
1579. Fenton, Guicciard. (1618), 244. Which request being condescended vnto by Gonsaluo.
1580. Sidney, Arcadia (1622), 33. Inuiting them to the hunting of a goodly Stagge … They condiscended.
1649. Milton, Eikon., iv. (1851), 359. The king … having both call’d this Parlament unwillingly, and as unwillingly … condescended to their several acts.
1737. Whiston, Josephus’ Antiq., I. xxi. To which desire he condescended.
1745. Eliza Heywood, Female Spect. (1748), III. 229. They have … pleasure in condescending to whatever they perceive to be the inclination of each other.
† c. Const. to do a thing. Obs.
1579. Fenton, Guicciard. (1618), 244. Valentinois condescended to giue to the Pope the assignement of the Castle of Cesena.
1595. T. Maynarde, Drake’s Voy. (Hakluyt Soc.), 23. Which made me condescend to leave the Indies, with all her treasure.
1676. W. Hubbard, Happiness of People, Pref. For their sakes … I have condescended to make it Legible.
† d. with that and obj.-clause. Obs.
1557. North, trans. Gueuara’s Diall Pr., 97 a/1. It shold not be iust … that Rome shuld condescende, that any woman … receyue shame.
1563–87. Foxe, A. & M. (1684), I. 195/1. With these reasons of Lanfranke, Thomas gave over, condescending that the first of his Province should begin at Humber.
1632. Hayward, trans. Biondi’s Eromena, 95. When the Chirurgians condescend that you may (without danger) get up.
1717. Col. Rec. Penn., III. 36. The Governour at last Condescended, that the said Commissions be Issued.
† 6. trans. To concede, vouchsafe (a thing); to deign to give or grant. Obs.
1599. Sandys, Europæ Spec. (1632). 196. Some of the later Popes condescend to them of Bavaria the Cup in the Sacrament.
1704. Hearne, Duct. Hist. (1714), I. 185. That Nation which the Almighty was pleased to Honour so far as to condescend his Presence and Revelation to.
1774. T. Jefferson, Autobiog., Wks. 1859, I. 130. No answers having yet been condescended to any of these [applications].
† 7. intr. To assent to (a statement, opinion, etc.).
1548. Gest, Pr. Masse, 122. To this the Catho[li]ques condiscende as most certayn.
1617. Markham, Caval., I. 60. To that opinion I must needs condiscend.
† 8. To come to an agreement; to agree or determine with, or together. † a. to do (a thing). Obs.
1494. Fabyan, II. xxx. 23. Both brethrene … condescended and agreed to lede their both hosts into Gallia.
1549. Compl. Scot., xii. 102. Thai condiscendit to cheis the leyst of tua euillis.
1568. Grafton, Chron., II. 793. The nobles and commons … have fully condiscended and utterly determined to make humble petition.
1597. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., V. lxxix. § 9. They easily condescended to think it … fit that God [etc.].
† b. that and obj.-clause. Obs.
a. 1552. Leland, Brit. Coll. (1774), II. 469. This Edwarde Baillol condescendid with Edwarde King of England … that [etc.].
1610. in J. J. Raven, Ch. Bells Camb. (1881), 69. The parishioners … did … condicend and agree that the bell-frame should be repayred.
1623. Whitbourne, Newfoundland, 58. They did all condescend and order … that no subject to your Majesty should commit any more such abuses.
† c. upon, on, or to (an action, measure, etc.); often with indirect pass. Mostly Sc. or north.
1509. Barclay, Shyp of Folys (1570), 140. Then must they to some agreement condiscende.
1549. Coverdale, Erasm. Par. Rom., Argt. Whiche pointes were for a tyme onely condescended vpon.
1565. Allen, in Fulke’s Two Treatises (1577), 425. The Patriarche … fully condescendinge with the Romane Church vpon the trueth of purgatory.
1619. Dalton, Country Just., cxxiii. (1630), 375. Justices of Peace did condiscend upon certain articles.
a. 1649. Drumm. of Hawth., Jas. V., Wks. 90. The governour assembled the three estates at Edinburgh, which together condescended to the raising of an army.
1652. N. Riding Rec., V. 107. That the Clarke of the Peace enter this ensueing agreement … it being fully condiscended unto att this Sessions.
1678. A. Lovell, trans. La Fontaine’s Mil. Duties Caval., 138. The Ingineers having … with him condescended on the way by which the line of Circumvallation is to be carried.
† d. absol. To enter into an agreement; to conspire. Obs.
1568. Grafton, Chron., II. 685. To condiscende or take parte against the house of Yorke.
† 9. To be condescended: to be agreed. Obs.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Merch. T., 361. And whan that he on hir was condescendid, Him thought his chois mighte nought be amendid.
c. 1430. Lydg., Bochas, IX. xx. (1554), 204 b. The sayd brethren wer fully condiscended Upon this point.
c. 1470. Harding, Chron. CCXVII. iv. They were by appoyntment Accorded well, and clerely condiscent.
1522. Skelton, Why nat to Courte, 1020. Thriftles and gracelesse, Together are bended, And so condescended, That [etc.].
1592. West, Symbol., I. § 103. The said parties to these present Indentures bin condiscended and agreed in manner … folowing.
† 10. trans. To agree upon, consent to. Chiefly in pass. (with it). Obs.
1477. Paston Lett., No. 786, III. 174. Som deme that ther shall be condyssendyd, that iff E. P. come to London that hys costs shall be payed ffor.
1532. in W. H. Turner, Select. Rec. Oxford, 109. It is condiscended by the hole Counsayll, that the fyshemongers shall have all the stondyngs.
1587. Fleming, Contn. Holinshed, III. 1421/1. All the contributions which are agreed and condescended.
1594. West, Symbol., II. Chancerie, § 119. Which said order and arbiterment, he the said R. together with your said Orator did willinglie agree and condiscend.
1663. Spalding, Troub. Chas. I. (1829), 77. It was condescended among his friends, that twenty-four gentlemen … should weekly attend.
† 11. intr. To agree, harmonize, or concur.
1501. Douglas, Pal. Hon., I. xlv. Thay [singers] condiscend sa weill in ane accord.
1549. Compl. Scot., xi. 98. Thai al beand ane be ane examinit condiscendit in ane ansuer. Ibid., xx. 186.
1560. Rolland, Crt. Venus, I. 729. Aganis quhome … We condiscend all heir in vnioun.
1571. Sempill Ballates, 130. Thocht on ane course we can nocht condescend.
III. To settle or fix upon a particular point.
† 12. intr. To settle down to, come definitely to (a point in narration, etc.). Obs.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Sqr.’s T., 399. I sholde to the knotte [of my tale] condescende.
1490. Caxton, Eneydos, xvi. 66. He abode longe … wythoute to sette his purpose to condescende to ony parte of that he wald do.
1528. Gardiner, in Strype, Eccl. Mem., I. App. xxiv. 62. His hoo[liness] … doth desire them with spede to condescend to oon opinion or other.
† 13. To come to particulars. Obs.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Melib., ¶ 268. Ȝe han wel and couenably taught me as in general [etc.]… But now wold I fayn ȝe wolde condescende as in especial & telleþ me, etc.
b. esp. To condescend upon: to pitch or fix upon, specify, particularize, mention particularly or by name. Sc.; but condescend upon particulars has recently appeared in Eng. newspapers.
1549. Compl. Scot., xx. (1872), 178. I can nocht condiscend in special on na man that hes committit ony trason.
1634. Canne, Necess. Separ. (1849), 95. The prophet … condescended upon no time, lest he should have been convinced of a lie.
1706. Sibbald, Hist. Picts, in Misc. Scot., I. 90. Spottiswood condescendeth on the year of Christ 370, when Hergustus was king of the Picts.
1717. Wodrow Corr. (1843), II. 300. I know not well how to condescend on particulars.
1807. Headrick, Arran, 134. No one could condescend on any specific harm these animals had done.
1887. Times, 18 March. When he condescends upon particulars, he certainly has some damaging facts to produce.
1888. Pall Mall G., 4 Aug., 1/1. We are not going to condescend upon particulars.
c. with clause (with or without upon).
1696. in Aubrey, Misc. (1721), 199. Thus his Sight could not inform him whether the Arrow should be shot in him alive or dead, neither could he condescend whether near or afar off.
1754. Erskine, Princ. Sc. Law (1809), 294. When the witnesses were not specially designed in a deed, or perhaps not so much as named, the party founding on it was … allowed to condescend who the witnesses were.
† d. (?) trans. To specify particularly. Obs.
1510. Will of Wall (Somerset Ho.). I condescende, ordayn, and make [A and B] myn executors.
