Forms: 5–6 baratour, 5–8 barretor, 5 baratoure, -atowre, -atur, -itur, -iter, barratoure, 6 baratter, -ater, -ator, -ettour, -etour, barratur, 6–7 barretour, 6–8 -eter, 7–8 -etter, 7–9 -ettor, 6– barrator, -er. [a. AF. *baratour = OF. barateor, -eeur (= It. barattatore, Pr. baratador) fraudulent dealer, cheat, trickster, f. barat: see BARRAT v. Notwithstanding the derivation of the form from OF., the sense of ‘fighter, quarreller’ (see BARRAT sb. 3) is much more prominent in this word; the most usual sense, III, intimately blends the two ideas.]
I. [from AF. baratour.] One who deals fraudulently in his business or office.
1. A person who buys or sells ecclesiastical preferment, a simoniac or simonist (obs.); one who buys or sells offices of state.
1427. Acts Jas. I. (Scot.), § 106 (1597). The King forbiddis, that onie of his lieges send onie expenses till ony barratour, that is now out-with the Realme.
1867. Longf., Dante’s Inf., XXI. 41, note. A Barrator, in Dante’s use of the word, is … one who sells justice, office, or employment. Benvenuto says … Bontura was an arch-barrator.
2. A judge who takes bribes.
1864. Webster cites Burrill.
1867. [see prec.]
1884. J. Sibbald, Dante’s Inf., XXII. 52, note. The barrators took toll of the administration of justice.
3. A ship’s master who commits BARRATRY (3).
1847. in Craig.
II. [from BARRAT sb. 3, ON. barátta.]
† 4. One who fights; esp. a hired bully. Obs.
a. 1400. Sir Perc., 263. Kay the bolde baratour.
1460. Capgrave, Chron., 264. The Kyng … sent into Chestirschire for baretores … that thei schuld com and have the kepying of his body.
1577. Holinshed, Chron., II. 538. Such barretors as used to take monie to beat any man, and againe would not sticke to take monie of him whom they had so beaten, to beat him that first hired them to beat the other.
1583. Stanyhurst, Æneis, I. (Arb.), 33. Hee sees with baretours Troy wals inuironed.
† 5. A quarrelsome person; one given to brawling and riot; a rowdy. Obs.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 23. Baratowre, pugnax, rixosus, jurgosus.
a. 1450. Knt. de la Tour, xxxvii. 53. Theues, usureres, bariters, ouerthwarteres.
1502. Arnold, Chron., 90. Yf ther be ony comon ryator, barratur, or ony comon nyght walker wythout light.
1662. Fuller, Worthies, II. 199. Wild Barretters who delight in brawls and blows.
1714. Scroggs, Courts-leet, 9. All common Barretors, Scolds, and other Breakers of the Peace.
fig. (of winds). 1583. Stanyhurst, Æneis, I. (Arb.), 22. Dare ye loa, curst baretours … Too raise such raks iaks on seas?
III. (Combining II. and I.)
6. Law and gen. One who vexatiously raises, or incites to, litigation; a mover or maintainer of law-suits; one who from maliciousness, or for the sake of gain, raises discord between neighbors.
The action of a barrator consists, says Coke (On Litt., 368) ‘(1) in disturbance of the Peace; (2) in taking or keeping of possessions of Lands in controversie, not only by force, but also by subtiltie and a deceit, and most commonly in suppression of truth and right; (3) by false inuentions, and sowing of calumniations, rumors, and reports, etc.’
c. 1430. Lydg., Bochas, I. xii. (1554), 26 a. Simples which that cannot vary May neuer accord with a baratour.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 115. Debate maker, or baratour, incentor.
1591. Lambarde, Archeion (1635), 188. No Sheriffe or Steward … shall suffer any Barettor, or maintainer of Quarrels, in their Countrie Courts, or other Courts.
1642. Fuller, Holy & Prof. St., II. xiii. 183. A Barreter is a horseleach that onely sucks the corrupted bloud of the law. He trades onely in tricks and quirks.
1770. Langhorne, Plutarch (1879), II. 800/1. Those public barreters, who … make it their business to form impeachments.
1809. Tomlins, Law Dict., s.v., A common solicitor, who solicits suits, is a common barretor.
1855. Macaulay, Fredk. Gt., 80. The true wisdom of the great powers was to attack, not each other, but this common barrator.
† 7. transf. of things. Obs.
1624. Bp. Mountagu, Gagg, 146. ‘Mine’ and ‘thine’ are the common barretters of the world.
1691. Tryon, Wisdom’s Dict., 89. Intemperance … is the Common Barreter that disquiets private Families.
