Obs. exc. Sc. Forms: (? 4 frauh[t]), 4–5 frauȝte, Sc. frawcht, 5–6 Sc. fraucht, (5, 7 fraght), 5– fraught. [prob. a. MDu. or MLG. vracht (also vrecht: see FREIGHT sb.) freight, cargo, charge for transport; commonly identified with OHG. frêht str. fem., earnings:—OTeut. *fra-aihti-z, f. *fra-, FOR- pref.1 + *aihti- (= OE. ǽht acquisition, property: see AUGHT), f. root aig-; see OWE, OWN.

1

  The irregular vocalism of the Du. word is supposed to point to adoption from Frisian. From Du. or Fris. the word has passed into all Teut. langs., Ger. fracht, Da. fragt, Sw. frakt; the parallel form vrecht has given rise to the Rom. forms: see FREIGHT.]

2

  † 1.  The hire of a boat for the transportation of a freight or cargo; the money paid for this; the carriage or transportation of goods, usually by water: = FREIGHT sb. 1. Obs.

3

c. 1375.  Sc. Leg. Saints, Egipciane, 482.

        Sad he: ‘ȝn, gyf þou has macht
to pay þame þi schip fraucht.’
‘frawcht haf I nane, bruthyr der.’

4

c. 1440.  Gesta Rom., xxiv. 90 (Harl. MS.). My fader had not to pay to þe maister of the ship for the fraught.

5

1443.  in Willis and Clark, Cambridge (1886), I. 388. For fraught of … iij tonne fro London vn to the College at xvj d. the tonne.

6

1535.  Stewart, Cron. Scot., III. 343. In mid water at thame he askit fraucht.

7

1560.  Rolland, The Court of Venus, II. 684. Bot I knew not gif he payit fraucht or fie.

8

1655.  Gurnall, Chr. in Arm., xxii. § 1 (1669), 311/1. This is as if the Mariners, who are allowed by the Merchant some small adventure for themselves, should fill the ship, and leave no stowage for his goods that pays the fraught.

9

1662.  Ann Keith, in J. Russell, Haigs (1881), App. 472. For his fraught be sea, 13s.

10

  fig.  1637.  Rutherford, Lett., lxxxiv. (1863), I. 215. Glad may their souls be that are safe over the frith, Christ having paid the fraught.

11

Proverb.

12

1721.  J. Kelly, Scot. Prov., 318. Tarry Breeks pays no Fraught. People of a Trade assist one another mutually.

13

  † 2.  The cargo or lading of a ship: = FREIGHT sb. 2. Obs.

14

[c. 1330.  R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 74.

        Sir Adinoth þei slouh, & alle þat þei mot hent.
Whan þei had frauh [? read frauht] inouh, ageyn tille Ireland went.]

15

a. 1400.  Sir Beues, 507 (MS. E).

        Marchaundes þai fonde wondyr fale
And solde hym for mechel frauȝte [MS. A. auȝte].

16

c. 1400.  Destr. Troy, 5384. Þan fild þai with fraght all þere fuerse shippes.

17

c. 1470.  Hardyng, Chron., CIII. viii.

                    He had not to his fraught,
But fewe persones were lefte alyue vnslayne.

18

c. 1592.  Marlowe, Jew of Malta, I. i.

        And bid the merchants and my men despatch,
And come ashore, and see the fraught discharg’d.

19

1624.  Capt. Smith, Virginia, III. iv. 54. The fraught of this Ship being concluded to be Cedar, by the diligence of the Master, and Captaine Smith, she was quickly reladed.

20

1685.  Dryden, Thren. August., xiii.

        The Bark that all our Blessings brought,
Charg’d with thy Self and James, a doubly Royal fraught.

21

  fig.  c. 1430.  Hymns Virg. (1867), 76.

        Ful of synne is my secke;
  To þe preest y wole schewe þat frauȝte,
Mi schip is chargid.

22

1642.  Milton, An Apology against Smectymnuus (1851), 266. To reade good Authors, or cause them to be read, till the attention bee weary, or memory have his full fraught.

            Ibid. (1671), Samson, 1073. His habit carries peace, his brow defiance….
His fraught we soon shall know, he now arrives.

23

  3.  transf. A burden, load; also fig. A fraught of water: ‘two pailfuls’ (Jam.). Obs. exc. Sc.

24

c. 1450.  Cov. Myst. (Shaks. Soc.), 137.

        And as me semyth as be here fraught,
  ‘ffayr chylde, lullay,’ sone must she syng.

25

1598.  Florio, Soma … a fraught or charge that a beast doth carie.

26

1614.  C. Brooke, Ghost Rich. III., xii.

        Trauell brought sweate, and groanes; shee long’d to see,
Her burth’nous fraught; at last she brought forth me.

27

1640.  G. Sandys, Christ’s Passion, IV. 343.

        The Crosses now discharged of their fraught,
The People fled; not with one look or thought.

28

1773.  J. Ross, Fratricide (MS.), II. 315. Having disburden’d of its fraught his breast.

29

1775.  S. J. Pratt, Liberal Opinions (1783), I. 41.

        All load this bosom with a fraught, so sore,
Scarce can I cater for the daily food!
Where’er I search—my husband search’d before—
And soon—my nest, will hold—an orphan brood!

30

a. 1810.  Tannahill, Coggie, Poems (1846), 141.

        Then, O revere the coggie, sirs!
The poor man’s patron coggie!
It warsels care, it fights life’s fraughts,
And lifts him frae the boggie.

31

1891.  Barrie, Little Minister, III. 21. So rough that to carry a fraught of water to the manse without spilling was to be superlatively good at one thing.

32

  4.  Comb., as fraught money; fraught-free adj.

33

1570.  Levins, Manip., 10/34. Fraught money, naulum.

34

1637.  Rutherford, Lett., 17 Sept. (1891), 516. Devils, and men, and crosses, are our debtors, death and all storms are our debtors, to blow our poor tossed bark over the water fraught-free, and to set the travellers on their own known ground.

35