v. [f. FORE- pref. + WHITE.] trans. To write before or beforehand.
1634. Ford P. Warbeck, II. iii.
| Flow to a full sea! time alone debates | |
| Quarrels forewritten in the book of fates. |
1872. Longf., Div. Trag., I. Marriage in Cana.
| What is to be | |
| Hath been fore-written in the thought divine | |
| From the beginning. |
Hence Fore-written (-of) ppl. a. Also Forewrit, something written before, a title; † Forewriter, one who writes, or has written, beforehand.
c. 1460. J. Russell, Bk. Nurture, 1243.
| As for ryme or reson, þe forewryter was not to blame, | |
| For as he founde hit aforne hym, so wrote he þe same. |
1560–78. Bk. Discipl. Ch. Scot. (1621), 37. We think it expedient, that either your honours, by yourselves, nominate so many as may serve the fore-written provinces; or that ye give commission to such men as ye suppose the fear of God to be in, to do the same.
1570. Levins, Manip., 149/28. Ye Forewrit, titulus, prescriptum.
1578. J. Banister, The Historie of Man, I. 13. By the probable assertions of the best forewriters, that from all other Bones (to the partes of mans body appertinent) the teeth do playnly differ iij. manner of wayes.
1599. Nashe, Lenten Stuffe, Wks. (Grosart), V. 214. The forewritten-of Bishop of Norwich, seeing the numbrous increase of soules of both kindes that there had framd their nests.
1649. Bp. Hall, Cases Consc., III. (1654), 207. Such, as must have their grounds from fore-written truths.
1839. Bailey, Festus (1848), 47/1.
| Yon guilty orb of hesitating light | |
| Slow looming, there, on its dark path, goes up | |
| At the forewritten hour, as do all worlds | |
| To God, to judgment. |
