Also 3–6 -cion, -cioun, etc. [a. OF. contemplation, -cion, -ciun (12th c. in Littré), ad. L. contemplātiōn-em, n. of action from contemplāre to CONTEMPLATE.]
1. The action of beholding, or looking at with attention and thought.
1480. Robt. Devyll, 32. Hys mother gave hym to the feende of hell In the houre of hys fyrst contemplacyon.
1577. trans. Bullinger’s Decades (1592), 48. The contemplation or beholding of the Serpent lift up.
1664. Power, Exp. Philos., I. 4. Aristomachus … in his fifty years contemplation of those Laborious Insects.
1858. J. G. Holland, Titcomb’s Lett., ix. 85. I account a pure, beautiful, intelligent, and well-bred woman, the most attractive object of vision and contemplation in the world.
2. The action of contemplating or mentally viewing; the action of thinking about a thing continuously; attentive consideration, study. Const. of (also † upon).
c. 1340. Hampole, Prose Tr. (1866), 9. Thay may noghte flye to lufe and contemplacyone of God.
1520. Chron. of Eng., II. 13/1. A contemplacyon of spyrytuall thynges.
1600. Shaks., A. Y. L., IV. i. 18. The sundrie contemplation of my trauells.
1660. Barrow, Euclid, Pref. The noble Contemplation of the five Regular Bodies.
1752. Johnson, Rambler, No. 208, ¶ 14. The Mind of the reader is carried away from the contemplation of his own Manners.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), I. 231. He seemed to be lost in the contemplation of something great.
b. Without reference to a particular object: Continued thinking, meditation, musing.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XX. 272. Lerne logyk and lawe and eke contemplacioun.
1588. Shaks., L. L. L., IV. iii. 321. When would you … In leaden contemplation haue found out Such fiery Numbers?
1597. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., V. lxviii. § 6. A matter partly of contemplation partly of action.
1653. Walton, Angler, i. 17. The very sitting by the Rivers side … will invite the Angler to Contemplation.
1856. Emerson, Eng. Traits, Ability, Wks. (Bohn), II. 35. They [the English] are impatient of genius, or of minds addicted to contemplation.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., I. xi. 72. In a state of deep contemplation beside a crevasse.
c. with a and pl.; sometimes, a meditation expressed in writing.
1506. (title) Rychard Rolle … in his Contemplacyons of the Drede and Loue of God.
1615. Crooke, Body of Man, 37. Then men first began to fall from those abstruse and transcendent contemplations.
1653. Walton, Angler, 17. Offering to thee a short contemplation, first of Rivers, and then of Fish. Ibid., 19. Out of that holy Poet Mr. George Herbert his Divine Contemplation on Gods providence.
1709. Steele, Tatler, No. 90, ¶ 5. [This] threw me into a deep Contemplation. I began to reflect, [etc.].
1866. (title) Contemplations on the Redeemer’s Grace and Glory.
3. spec. Religious musing, devout meditation. (The earliest sense; very common down to 17th c.)
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 142. Mid contemplaciun, þet is, mid heih & mid holi bonen bi nihte touward heouene.
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter, xvii. 13. Lifted fra þe erth in til contemplacioun.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Sompn. T., 185. Eli … In mount Oreb, er he had any speche, With highe God … He fastid, and was in contemplacioun.
1481. Caxton, Myrr., II. xiv. 98. There he was alle the nyght in contemplacion and prayer.
1594. Shaks., Rich. III., III. vii. 94. When holy and deuout Religious men Are at their Beades … So sweet is zealous Contemplation.
1717. Lady M. W. Montague, Lett., II. xlvi. 37. They never raise their eyes, and seem devoted to Contemplation.
1856. R. A. Vaughan, Mystics (1860), I. 63. In days like these [A.D. 260] … the inducements to a life of contemplation are more than ever strong.
b. personified.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. x. 46. An aged holy man … His name was hevenly Contemplation.
1632. Milton, Penseroso, 54. Him that yon soars on golden wing … The Cherub Contemplation.
1751. Gray, Ode on Spring, iv. Contemplation’s sober eye.
a. 1806. K. White, Addr. Contempl., 51. Oh Contemplation! I do love To indulge thy solemn musings.
4. ellipt. Matter for contemplation; something to be contemplated or meditated upon.
1725. Strype, Ann. Ref., Pref. [How] these blessed things … were brought to pass, is another contemplation.
1759. Johnson, Rasselas, xliv. Everything must supply you with contemplation.
1836. H. Coleridge, North. Worthies, Introd. Ess. (1852), 20. The motion of the heavens is a sublime contemplation.
† 5. The action of regarding or having respect to (a request, etc.); regard, consideration. Obs.
1450. Margt. of Anjou, in Four C. Eng. Lett., 8. By contemplacion of this oure praier.
1466. Edw. IV., in Paston Lett., II. 282. We desire and pray yow that for our sake and contemplation ye will be friendly … unto him.
1536. in Strype, Eccl. Mem., I. I. App. lxxvii. 185. Yee shal pray that Christ … at the contemplation of our prayers, may take them to the fruition of his glory.
† b. Request, petition. Obs.
c. 1460. Fortescue, Abs. & Lim. Mon., xvii. Wich is hyghnes hath yeuen them at þe contemplacion off þer maisters, and ffor no reward off any seruice þat thai haue done.
1461–83. Liber Niger Edw. IV., in Ord. Roy. Househ., 19. By his lettres of contemplation to gette such benyfece.
1533–4. Act 25 Hen. VIII., c. 12. At the humble suite and contemplacion of his … well beloued wife.
1536. Petition, in Strype, Eccl. Mem., I. xxxv. 256. If at your contemplation we cannot obtain grace of the said pension.
6. The action of taking into account, thinking of, or regarding; consideration, regard; view.
1673. S. C., Art of Complaisance, viii. 73. Let fear of Calumny, move you to a little Complaisance to these, as the contemplation of interest to others.
1765. Blackstone, Comm., I. 129. Life … begins in contemplation of law as soon as an infant is able to stir in the mother’s womb.
1789. Bentham, Princ. Legisl., xvii. § 6. Any given punishment so as it does but come into contemplation.
1819. J. Marshall, Const. Opin. (1839), 197. A corporation is an artificial being … existing only in contemplation of law.
7. Prospect, expectation; purpose, intention. In contemplation: in view (as a contingency looked for, or as an end aimed at). Cf. CONTEMPLATE 4.
1659. Hammond, On Ps. lxxii. 347. The Seventy Second Psalm was composed in contemplation of Solomon’s succeeding David.
1777. Johnson, Lett. Mrs. Thrale, 13 Aug. I dined yesterday with the Corporation, and talked against a workhouse which they have in contemplation—there’s the word now.
1813. Sir R. Wilson, Priv. Diary, II. 202. Daily informed of passing events, projects in contemplation, [etc.].
1868. F. Hall, Benares, 15. They were never executed in contemplation of circumspect perusal.
