arch. Forms: 4–7 bayard, 5 beyard, 5–7 bayarde, 6 bayart, baierd, baiarde, 6–7 baiard, bayerd. [a. OF. baiard, -art, bayard bay-colored, f. bai: see BAY a.1 and -ARD.]
1. Bay colored; absol. a bay horse.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron., 272. Sir Edward … Opon his stede bayard first he wan þe dike.
1464. Mann. & Househ. Exp., 184. I bowete of Roberd Bernard the Konstabelschepe of Bramborou, and he ad of me ther fore my bayard Kreseuer.
1623. Minsheu, Sp. Gram., 6, Bays, which is vsed in good authors for Bay coloured or Bayard.
1868. D. Evans, 4 Bks. Wales, I. 520. Saddle thou the bayard with the long bound.
2. Proper name of the bright-bay-colored magic steed given by Charlemagne to Renaud (or Rinaldo), one of the four sons of Aimon, famous in medieval romance; whence a. Formerly used as a kind of mock-heroic allusive name for any horse; cf. the occasional use of Rosinante, Bucephalus, Pegasus.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, I. 218. As proud Bayard gynnyth for to skippe Out of the wey.
c. 1400. Beryn, 3184. A man to seruesabill Ledith offt beyard from his own stabill.
c. 1489. Caxton, Four Sonnes Aymon, i. (1884), 31. Thenne mounted Reynawde on horsebacke vpon Bayarde.
1575. Churchyard, Chippes (1817), 147. But he that holdes … the horses rain, When steede bolts out, calles bayard back again.
b. Bayard’s bun: a kind of bread given to horses. Bayard of ten toes: the human feet, ‘shanks’ mare, nag, or pony’; also called horse of ten toes.
c. 1520. Skelton, Agst. Comely Coystrowne, 8. A swete sugar loaf and sowre bayardys bun.
1616. Breton, Good & Badde, 35. The walke of the wofull and his Horse, Bayard of ten-toes.
c. Alluded to in many phrases and proverbial sayings, the origin of which was in later times forgotten, and ‘Bayard’ taken as the type of blindness or blind recklessness.
c. 1325. E. E. Allit. P., B. 886. Þay blustered as blynde as bayard watz euer.
1393. Gower, Conf., III. 44. But as Bayard the blinde stede … He goth there no man will him bidde.
1401. Pol. Poems (1859), II. 53. Thou, as blynde Bayarde, berkest at the mone.
1532. More, Confut. Tindale, Wks. 500/1. Bee bolde vpon it lyke blynde bayarde.
1609. Breton, Poste w. Packet. Who is so blind as Bold Bayarde.
1625. Gonsalvio’s Sp. Inquis., 168. As blind & yet as bold as Bayard.
c. 1630. Jackson, Creed, IV. iv. Wks. III. 33. As … boldly as blind bayard rusheth into the battle.
1674. N. Fairfax, Bulk & Selv., 157. Bayard must ever be as bold as blind.
3. Hence: One blind to the light of knowledge, who has the self-confidence of ignorance.
a. 1529. Skelton, Agst. Garnesche, Wks. I. 123. Bolde bayarde, ye are to blynde.
1579. Tomson, Calvin’s Serm. Tim., 65/2. Them that shall walke negligently, and like blinde bayardes.
1645. Milton, Colast., Wks. (1851), 368. Being a bayard, who never had the soul to know, what conversing means.
a. 1677. Barrow, Serm. (1686), III. 487. The bold and blind Bayards (who usually out of self-conceit are so exceedingly confident of their election and salvation).
