v. Also 6 subourne, Sc. suburn, 6–7 subborn, suborne. [ad. L. subornāre, f. sub- SUB- 24 + ornāre to equip, etc. Cf. F. suborner (13th c.), It. subornare, Sp. sobornar, Pg. subornar.]
1. trans. To bribe, induce or procure (a person) by underhand or unlawful means to commit a misdeed. Usually const. to do a thing; also † to an act, † against a person or thing; when used absol. often = to draw away from allegiance, corrupt the loyalty of.
1534. Act 26 Hen. VIII., c. 4 § 1. Kynsfolkes to suche offendours have resorted to the same Jurours, and have suborned them to aquyte dyvers murderers.
1555. Eden, Decades (Arb.), 71. This Katherine … being suborned therto eyther by the kinge or his brothers promises.
1584. R. Scot, Discov. Witchcr., II. ii. 17. There must be subborned some craftie spie.
1590. Shaks., Com. Err., IV. iv. 85. Thou hast subborn’d the Goldsmith to arrest mee.
1654. trans. Scudery’s Curia Pol., 121. Seeing that Amurath hath invaded the Kingdom of his Allie, surprized his Townes, suborned his Subjects.
1663. S. Patrick, Parab. Pilgrim, xxxvii. (1687), 491. He that hath thought there is a gain in friendship beside it self; may well be suborn’d against the same by the … offers of a greater gain.
1783. W. Thomson, Watson’s Philip III., v. 376. Different persons were suborned to cut off the duke by assassination.
1793. A. Murphy, Tacitus (1811), I. p. xxxv. Freedmen were suborned against their patrons.
1852. Thackeray, Esmond, III. xiii. Had she not … suborned servants, dismissed others, so that she might communicate with him?
1863. Kinglake, Crimea, I. 232. The President … saw that the man could be suborned. He admitted him into the plot, [etc.].
1911. Act 1 & 2 Geo. V., c. 6 § 7. Every person who … attempts to … suborn another person to commit an offence against this Act.
fig. 1604. T. Wright, Passions, II. i. 49. Vehement passions … undermine the iudgement, and suborne it to give sentence in favour of them.
1645. Milton, Tetrach., Introd., Wks. 1851, IV. 140. It is not reason … that … suborns the common credence of men to yeeld so easily.
2. spec. To bribe or unlawfully procure (a person) to make accusations or give evidence; to induce to give false testimony or to commit perjury. Also, to procure (evidence) by such unlawful means. (Cf. SUBORNATION 2 b).
1557. N. T. (Geneva), Acts vi. 11. Then they suborned men, which sayd, We haue heard him speake blasphemous wordes.
1565. Cooper, Thesaurus, s.v. Submitto, To suborne or priuily to sende accusers to appeache one. Ibid., Subijcere testes, to subourne false witnesses.
1603. Shaks., Meas. for M., V. i. 106. Ye knowst not what thou speak’st, Or else thou art suborn’d against his honor In hatefull practise.
1639. Saltmarshe, Policy, 198. Wicked men suborne false witnesses when they are convicted.
a. 1680. Butler, Rem. (1759), I. 303. Upon single Perjuries suborned by themselves they condemned Men unheard.
1711. Addison, Spect., No. 171, ¶ 9. A Witness, suborn’d by some of Mariamne’s Enemies, who accused her to the King of a Design to poison him.
1736. Fielding, Pasquin, I. i. 9. I would as soon suborn an Evidence at an Assize, as a Vote at an Election.
1777. Sheridan, Sch. Scandal, V. iii. I am so confounded, to find that Lady Sneerwell could be guilty of suborning Mr. Snake in this manner, to impose on us all.
1785. Reid, Intell. Powers, I. ii. 46. If it can be shown that he is suborned,… his testimony loses all its credit.
1864. Kingsley, Rom. & Teut., v. (1875), 131. The Gothic courtiers … suborned branded scoundrels to swear away his life.
1874. Green, Short Hist., ix. § 5. 645. The arrest of Shaftesbury on a charge of suborning false witnesses to the Plot.
1877. Conder, Basis Faith, viii. 353. It is a kind of evidence which cannot be suborned.
b. To procure the performance or execution of (a thing) by bribery or other corrupt means.
1817. Jas. Mill, Brit. India, II. V. viii. 670. The letters which were written in the name of the Nabob,… were in fact suborned by the Governor-General.
1858. J. Martineau, Stud. Christ., 84. The public murder which they have privately suborned.
† 3. To prepare, provide, or procure, esp. in a secret, stealthy or underhand manner. Obs.
1540–1. Elyot, Image Gov., 93 [89]. Where they be not therto sufficient, they wyll suborne some false quarrell to make a commotion.
1579–80. North, Plutarch, Lucullus (1595), 565. He beganne … to suborne the bands called Fimbrians, and to stirre them vp against Lucullus.
1615. Chapman, Odyss., X. 422. In a golden boule She then subornd a potion.
1667. Milton, P. L., IX. 361. Since Reason not impossibly may meet Some specious object by the Foe subornd.
1676. Dryden, State Innoc., V. i. And those who, by Despair, suborn their Death. Ibid. (1700), Cymon & Iph., 552. Then entring unexpected will we seize Our destin’d Prey,… And hast’ning to the Seas suborn our Flight.
a. 1721. Prior, Truth & Falseh., 33, Wks. 1907, II. 132. The Fraudful Dame,… False sighs suborns, and artful tears.
† 4. To furnish, equip, adorn. Obs.
1596. Spenser, State Irel., Wks. (Globe), 641/1. Evill thinges being decked and suborned with the gay attyre of goodly woordes.
1605. Bacon, Adv. Learn., II. xx. § 3. Not to write at leasure that which men may read at leasure, but really to instruct and suborne action and active live.
† 5. To give support to, aid, assist. Obs.
1568. Grafton, Chron., II. 610. This Capteine [Jack Cade] not only suborned by teachers, but also enforced by priuie Scholemaisters, assembled together a great company of tall personages.
c. 1611. Chapman, Iliad, VIII. 114. Let their brightnesse glase the skies, that night may not suborne The Greekes escape.
† 6. To introduce or bring to one’s aid with a sinister motive. Obs.
a. 1619. Fotherby, Atheom., I. ix. § 1 (1622), 59. He [sc. Euripides] suborned, in his Tragœdie, the person of Sisyphus, to expresse all his vngodlinesse.
1649. Milton, Eikon., xxvi. 210. Nor is he onely content to suborne Divine Justice in his censure of what is past, but he assumes the person of Christ himself to prognosticate … what he wishes would come.
1677. Lett., in J. Smith, Mem. Wool, etc. (1757), I. lix. 215. Some Western Clothiers finding, so early, and upon other Reasons than are now suborned, that Trade decaying.
† 7. [SUB- 26.] To commission (another) in one’s place. Obs. rare.
1560. Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., 335. After they vnderstode, that it was not possible for them to go vnto al places, whiche had nede of remedy, of necessitie they suborned others [orig. necessario summisisse alios].
Hence Suborning vbl. sb. and ppl. a.
1578. Whetstone, 2nd Pt. Promos & Cass., II. iv. Against Vsurie, brybrie, and barrating, Suborning, extorcion, and boulstring.
1594. Nashe, Unfort. Trav., L 2 b. Other superuising espialls to plie, follow, and spurre forward those suborning incensers.
1611. Cotgr., Subornation, a subornation, or suborning.
1705. Stanhope, Paraphr., I. 72. The bribed Soldiers, and suborning Scribes, who by false Reports endeavoured to … destroy the Credit of that Resurrection.
