[Either from CONTENT v. or a., or perh. ad. It. contento ‘contentment, content’ (in Florio, 1598): cf. also Sp., Pg. contento contentment, liking.)
1. Satisfaction, pleasure; a contented condition. (Now esp. as a habitual frame of mind.)
1579. Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 82. That the mariage should immediatly be consummated, which wrought such a content in Philautus.
1602. Marston, Ant. & Mel., Induct. Wks. 1856, I. 5. So impregnably fortrest with his own content that no envious thought could ever invade his spirit.
1668. Pepys, Diary, 14 May. ‘The Country Captain,’ a very dull play that did give us no content.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., IV. 308. In Concord and Content The Commons live, by no Divisions rent.
1734. Pope, Ess. Man, IV. 1. O Happiness! our Being’s end and aim! Good, pleasure, ease, content, whate’er thy name!
1842. Tennyson, Walking to Mail, 79. With meditative grunts of much content.
b. Heart’s content: now in phrase, to one’s heart’s content, to one’s full inward satisfaction.
(Shakespeare has word-plays on CONTENT sb.1 5.)
1593. Shaks., 2 Hen. VI., I. i. 35. Her grace in Speech, Makes me from Wondring, fall to Weeping ioyes, Such is the Fulnesse of my hearts content. Ibid. (1596), Merch. V., III. iv. 42. I wish your Ladiship all hearts content.
1632. J. Hayward, trans. Biondi’s Eromena, 110. Eromena … lived now at her owne hearts sweet content.
1697. Dampier, Voy. (1698), I. 192. Thus they were all disposed of to their hearts content.
1832. Ht. Martineau, Hill & Valley, i. 14. Mr. Wallace praised the garden … to the heart’s content of its owner.
1890. Froude, Ld. Beaconsfield, iv. 61. The Protestant Somersetshire yeomen no doubt cheered him to his heart’s content.
† c. with pl. Obs.
1593. Shaks., Rich. II., V. ii. 38. But heauen hath a hand in these euents To whose high will we bound our calme contents.
1612. Woodall, Surg. Mate, Pref. Wks. (1653), 9. The authour hath … continued their servart (to their contents) for full twentie foure years alreadie.
1633. Ford, Broken Ht., I. i. To see thee match’d, As may become thy choice, and our contents.
† 2. Acceptance of conditions or circumstances, acquiescence. To take upon content: to accept without question or examination. Obs.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., I. v. 18. By a content and acquiescence in every species of truth, we embrace the shadow thereof.
1692. Contriv. Blackhead & Young, II., in Harl. Misc. (1745), VIII. 204. Robert, seeing the money come so freely, would have taken it upon content; the servant would not pay it, except he would tell it over.
1697. Collier, Ess. Mor. Subj., II. (1709), 165. They often take their Improvement upon Content, without examining how they came by it.
1709. Pope, Ess. Crit., 308. The sense they humbly take upon content.
1752. Johnson, Rambler, No. 204, ¶ 1. To the sons of presumption, humility and fear; and to the daughters of sorrow, content and acquiescence.
† 3. A source or material condition of satisfaction, a ‘satisfaction’; pl. pleasures, delights. Obs.
a. 1593. Marlowe, Dido, I. i. 28. Sit on my knee, and call for thy content.
1625. Gill, Sacr. Philos., XII. 181. To deny himselfe many pleasures and contents in this present life.
a. 1639. W. Whateley, Prototypes, I. xix. (1640), 235. It will be a content at death, to thinke one hath not wasted his life for nothing.
a. 1716. South, Serm. (1744), X. 224. The contents and comforts of life, dearer than life itself, are torn from him.
† 4. Satisfaction or compensation for anything done. Obs.
a. 1654. Selden, Table-t. (Arb.), 42. Tell me what this is, I will give you any content for your pains.
† 5. (See quot. 1700.) Obs. [prob. belongs here.]
a. 1700. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, Content, a thick Liquor, made up in Rolls in imitation of Chocolate, sold in some Coffee-houses.
c. 1710. in J. Ashton, Soc. Life Reign Q. Anne (1882), I. 291. Hot and Cold liquor, as Sack, Whitewine, Claret, Coffee, Tea, Content, etc.
