Obs. Forms: α. 3–4, 6 spitel (5 -ele), 4–6 -ell; 4 spytel, 5 -elle, spytyl, 5–6 -ylle; 5 spetel, 6 -ylle; 5–6 spittell, 6 -el, Sc. spittaill, spyttell, -yll(e, spettell, -ylle. β. 6 spyttle, 6–7 spitle, 6–9 spittle. γ. 7 spitol, -oll. See also SPITAL. [ME. spitel, spittel, etc., = MLG. spittel, spettel, MHG. spittel, spittol (G. spittel), ultimately representing an aphetic form of HOSPITAL, modified on the analogy of native words in -el. Forms with more original ending appear in OHG. spitâl (spitaul; G. spital), MLG. spittâl, spettâl, MDu. spit(t)-, spetael, MDa. spital, spedal, MSw. spital(e, spetal(e, Icel. spítal, -ali. The common source of these is app. Italian or Levantine: cf. It. spedale, dial. spitale, mod.Gr. σπιτάλι; also med.L. spitalerius (1342 in Du Cange), med.Gr. σπιταλιώτης (c. 1350).]
1. A house or place for the reception of the indigent or diseased; a charitable foundation for this purpose, esp. one chiefly occupied by persons of a low class or afflicted with foul diseases; a lazar-house. (Now written SPITAL.)
α. a. 1225. [see 4].
c. 1315. [see 5 a].
1388. Wyclif, 1 Kings ii. 34, marg. Rabi Salomon seith, that he made in desert a spitele for pore men.
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 6505. Whanne I see beggers quakyng,… Lete bere hem to the spitel anoon.
c. 1425. St. Mary of Oignies, II. ii. in Anglia, VIII. 152. Houses of mesels, þat are callid spitellis.
a. 1529. Skelton, Col. Cloute, 1186. At … Saynt Mary Spyttell, They set not by vs a whystell.
1556. Chron. Gr. Friars (Camden), 43. At sent Mary spettell, the iij. dayes in Ester weke, preched the vicar of Stepney one Jerome.
β. 1571–92. [see b].
1601. B. Jonson, Ev. Man in Hum., II. iii. May they lie and starue in some miserable spittle.
1698. Fryer, Acc. E. India & P., 150. We descended from this … to the Spittle, where we found the Poor faring well from their Benefactors.
1748. Thomson, Cast. Indol., I. lxxvi. She felt, or fancy’d … All the diseases which the spittles know.
1839. Stonehouse, Isle of Axholme, 129. Burton Lazars … being the chief of all the spittles and lazar houses in England.
b. Distinguished from hospital, as being of a lower class than this.
1571. Grindal, Articles, B iv b. Whether your Hospitals, Spittles, and almose houses be well and godly vsed according to the foundation and auncient ordinances of the same.
1577. trans. Bullinger’s Decades (1592), 156. There is mention made … of Hospitals for olde men, or spittles for beggars.
1592. Nobody & Someb., in Simpson, Sch. Shaks. (1878), I. 289. He … for widdowes buildes Almes-houses, Spittles, and large Hospitals.
1621. Burton, Anat. Mel., III. i. III. i. 524. Put vp a supplication to him in the name of … an hospitall, a spittle, a prison.
a. 1641. Bp. Mountagu, Acts & Mon. (1642), 385. They were fitter, if any were alive, for some Spittle or Hospitall, then for any service that they were able to do for Herod.
1702. Guide for Constables, 98. Alms-houses, hospital, school or spittle.
c. transf. (See quot.)
1665. Voy. E. India, 437. The Banians … have Spittles (as they say) on purpose to recover lame Birds and Beasts.
2. Phr. To rob the spittle, to make gain or profit in a particularly mean or dastardly manner.
1632. Quarles, Div. Fancies, I. xciv. Of all men, Vs’rers are not least accurst; They robb the Spittle; pinch th’ Afflicted worst.
1679. Alsop, Melius Inq., I. ii. 100. To what end steal from the Reformed Churches? which had been merely to rob the Spittle.
1708. O. Dykes, Mor. Refl. Eng. Prov., xix. 79. I am not to … ruin a Family, or rob the Spittle, to redress his Grievances.
3. fig. A foul receptacle or collection. Const. of.
1624. Heywood, Gunaik., IX. 438. Making their corrupt bodies no better than Sinkes of Sinnes, and Spittles of Diseases.
1642. Fuller, Holy & Prof. St., III. xv. 192. Their souls have been the Chappells of sanctity, whose bodies have been the Spitolls of deformity.
1652. Benlowes, Theoph., X. x. Gluttons who make themselves spittles of each disease.
4. attrib. and Comb., as spittle-beggar, -door, -evil (= leprosy), founder, -holiness, -luck, -mare, etc.
1611. Cotgr., Vn gueux de l’ostiere, a rogue, vagabond, or *Spittle begger.
1647. N. Ward, Simp. Cobler, 20. The least Error, if grown sturdy and pressed, shall set open the *Spittle-door of all the squint-ey’d, wry-necked, and brasen-faced Errors that are or ever were of that litter.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 148. Moiseses hond,… so sone he hefde wiðdrawen hire ut of his boseme, bisemede oðe *spitel-vuel, & þuhte leprus.
1599. Chapman, Hum. dayes Myrth, Plays, 1873, I. 76. Yron and steele, vncharitable stuffe, good *spittle-founders, enemies to whole skinnes.
c. 1548. in Hazl., E. P. P., IV. 13. Ye are much bounde to God for suche a *spittell holines.
1545. Ascham, Toxoph. (Arb.), 53. Blynde Fortune, stumbling chaunce, *spittle lucke.
1650. B., Discolliminium, 44. He gives me a leane lame *spittle Mare.
1612. Daborne, Chr. turn’d Turke, 933. Insatiat goat, thou thinkst our wiues are such, As are your holy sisters,… Your *spittle nuns.
1599. Nashe, Lenten Stuffe, Wks. (Grosart), V. 247. They woulde not moue or stir one foote till they had disclaimd and abiurd their bedred *spittle-positions.
1599. B. Jonson, Cynthia’s Rev., II. v. Bawds and blinde Doctors, Paritors, and *spittle Proctors.
1632. Massinger & Field, Fatal Dowry, III. i. I will rather choose a *spittle sinner Carted an age before.
1542. Udall, Erasm. Apoph., 96 b. All ye rable of other like *spittle vilaines.
1596. Lodge, Wits Miserie, N j b. He is secretary to the *spittle whores.
5. Special Combs.: a. Spittle-house, = sense 1.
c. 1315. Shoreham, I. 1828. Bote þe syke in-to a spytel hous Entry, þer beþ museles.
14[?]. Lat.-Eng. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 596. Misothonium, a Spytylhous.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 469. Spytylle howse, leprosorium.
c. 1480. Henryson, Test. Cres., 391. He … Delyuerit hir in at the Spittaill hous.
1530. Palsgr., 274. Spyttle house, laderye.
1558. Act 1 Eliz., c. 21 § 30. Any Hospitall, Measondue or Spittel House … for the Sustentacion and Relief of pore People.
1600. Nashe, Summer’s Last Will, G ij. As it is the Spittle-houses guise, Ouer the gate to write their founders names.
1607. Shaks., Timon, IV. iii. 39. Shee, whom the Spittle-house … Would cast the gorge at.
b. Spittle-man, an inmate of a spital.
1593. G. Harvey, Pierce’s Super., 185. Is it not impossible, for Humanity to be a spittle-man,… History a bankrowt?
1607. J. Davies (Heref.), Summa Totalis (Grosart), 26/1. Good Preachers, that liue ill (like Spittlemen) Are perfect in the way they neuer went.
1653. H. Cogan, trans. Pinto’s Trav., xxxi. 122. They … go up and down the streets with certain Clappers, like our Spittle men.
c. Spittle sermon, one of the sermons preached on Easter Monday and Tuesday from a special pulpit at St. Mary Spital outside of Bishopsgate (afterwards at St. Bride’s and finally at Christ Church in the City).
For later references see SPITAL 1 b.
a. 1596. Sir T. More, I. i. 113. You knowe the spittle sermons begin the next weeke.
a. 1637. B. Jonson, Underwoods, lx. The lady may’ress pass’d in through the town, Unto the Spittle sermon.
