Also 6 Bartelmewe, -tylmew, -tilmew, 7 -tholmew, thlomew; and, after F. Barthélemy, 7– Bartlemy, 7 Bartelemy, 8 Bart’lemy. [partly ad. L. Bartholomæus, Gr. Βαρθολομαῖος; partly a. F. Barthélemy.]
a. Name of one of the twelve apostles, the festival in whose honor is held on the 24th of August (Bartholomew-day, -tide). b. On this day, in 1572, took place the great massacre of the Protestants in France. c. On the same day, in 1662, the penalties of the English Act of Uniformity (Bartholomew Act) came into force. d. At the same time of year, a fair was held annually from 1133 to 1855, at West Smithfield (Bartholomew Fair); whence the name was applied to articles sold at it, e.g., Bartholomew-baby or -puppet (a doll), -beef, -boar-pig, -ware; see also quot. 1777.
a. 1552–3. Inv. Ch. Goods Staffordsh., 61. ij challeses were stolne owte of the churche abowt Bartelmewe tyde.
c. 1626. Dick of Devon, IV. i. in Old Pl. (1883), II. 59. What a buzzing you make, as if you were a fly at Bartholomew-tyde at a Butcher’s stall.
1678. Trial Coleman, 80. Where was you the last Bartholomew day?
1854. Thackeray, Newcomes, I. 253. It being the Bartlemytide vacation.
b. 1588. E. Aggas, trans. Caueat for France, 12. Whereupon euen in the most rigorous times, and after the bloodie Bartholmew it [printed is] was reiected both by the masters of Sorbonne and the courtes of paliament of this realme.
1646. Buck, Rich. III., 63. A glimpse like that Bartholmew in France in our time; all such slaughters from thence call’d Bartelemies … in a perpetuall Stigma of that Butchery.
c. 1711. B. Sacheverell, Sachev. agst. Sachev., 15. Being silenc’d by the Bartholomew-Act, he retir’d to Stalbridge.
d. 1597. Shaks., 2 Hen. IV., II. iv. 250. Thou whorson little tydie Bartholmew Bore-pigge.
1614. B. Jonson, Bartholomew Fair, I. vi. (N.). For the very calling it a Bartholomew pig, and to eat it so, is a spice of idolatry.
c. 1645. Howell, Lett. (1650), I. 2. Freighted with mere Bartholomew ware, with trite and trivial phrases only.
1660. Hexham, Dutch Dict., Geroockt vleesch, smoaked meate, or Bartholomew beefe.
1668. R. L’Estrange, Vis. Quev. (1708), 30. Rolling their Eyes (like a Bartlemy-Puppet, without so much as moving the Head).
1670. Brooks, Wks. (1867), VI. 51. Men … were dressed up like fantastical antics, and women like Bartholomew-babies.
1711. Shaftesb., Charac. (1737), I. 28. A choice droll or puppet-show at Bart’lemy-fair.
1777. Howard, Prisons Eng. (1780), 177. There are four floors [in the Fleet] … besides the cellar-floor, called Bartholomew-Fair.
