[a. F. fortitude, ad. L. fortitūdo, f. fortis strong: see FORT a.]
† 1. Physical or structural strength. Obs.
1553. Eden, Treat. Newe Ind. (Arb.), 15. The Elephant is a beast very docile and apte to be taught, and little inferiour from humaine sense, excellinge all other beastes in fortitude and strength.
1591. Shaks., 1 Hen. VI., II. i. 17.
| Dispairing of his owne armes fortitude, | |
| To ioyne with Witches, and the helpe of Hell. |
1703. T. N., City & C. Purchaser, 50. The well Working, and Bonding of Brick-work (or as some Workmen call it, breaking of Joint,) conduces very much to its Fortitude.
2. Moral strength or courage. Now only in passive sense: Unyielding courage in the endurance of pain or adversity. (One of the cardinal virtues.)
[c. 1386. Chaucer, Pars T., ¶ 654. Agayns this horrible sinne of Accidie, and the branches of the same, ther is a vertu that is called Fortitudo or Strengthe.]
1500–20. Dunbar, Poems, lxviii. 77.
| Aganis vycis seure enarming me, | |
| With fortitude, prowdence, and temperance, thir thre. |
1609. Bible (Douay), Zech. xiii. Comm. The Apostles fleing God recalled them, and strengthened them with fortitude.
1713. Steele, Englishman, No. 22, 24 Nov., 144. If all Ages and Countries, as well Barbarous as Polite, have agreed, that Fortitude is the peculiar Excellence of Man, shall one of Sense under Pain so far forget himself, as to say that his Nature is unable to bear that from which it derives its peculiar Dignity?
1754. Mrs. Delany, Lett., 10 Nov. The Duchess of Queensbury bears her calamity with great fortitude.
1818. Hazlitt, Eng. Poets, ii. (1870), 27. Fortitude does not appear at any time to have been the distinguishing virtue of poets.
1848. Dickens, Dombey, vi. (C. D. ed.), 40. If she could bear the disappointments of other people with tolerable fortitude, could not abide to disappoint herself.
3. Astrol. A position or circumstance which heightens the influence of a planet; a dignity.
1547. Boorde, Astronamye, Contents in Introd. Knowl. (1870), Forewords, 23. The iii[i]. capytle doth shew of the fortitudes of the planetes, and what influens they doth geue to vs.
1695. Congreve, Love for Love, II. i. Sure the Moon is in all her Fortitudes.
