Also 6 sukces, 6–7 succes(se, suckses, (7 sucksess, 8 -cess). [ad. L. successus, f. succēdĕre (success-) to SUCCEED. Cf. F. succès, It., Pg. successo, Sp. suceso.]
† 1. That which happens in the sequel; the termination (favorable or otherwise) of affairs; the issue, upshot, result. Obs.
1537. Starkey, Lett. to Pole, in Strype, Eccl. Mem. (1721), I. App. lxxxi. 194. That you should al worldly respects set aside & al dangerous success which might succede of the same.
1548. W. Thomas, Lett. to Hen. VIII., ibid. II. App. X. 77. Neither do I trust mine authors so much as not to mistrust contrary successes, both to their rules & their examples.
1555. Eden, Decades, III. x. (Arb.), 182. Whose prosperous begynnynges ended with vnfortunate successe.
1561. Norton & Sackv., Gorboduc, 1543. One sort that saw the dangerous successe Of stubborne standing in rebellious warre.
1563. Homilies, Agst. Idolatry, III. Mm iij. Ye haue harde … out of hystories Ecclesiasticall, the begynnyng, proceadyng, and successe of Idolatry by Images.
1601. Shaks., All’s Well, III. vi. 86. I know not what the successe wil be my Lord, but the attempt I vow.
1642. J. M[arsh], Argt. conc. Militia, 12. Who shall live to see an end of that rebellion and what the successe of it will be?
1667. Milton, P. L., II. 9. Insatiate to pursue Vain Warr with Heav’n, and by success untaught.
1668. Marvell, Corr., Wks. (Grosart), II. 249. The successe of Wednesday’s debate … was a question to desire his Majesty to call before him some persons.
1733. Neal, Hist. Purit., II. 329. The success of this war will fall within the compass of the next year.
† b. An event. Obs.
1588. Parke, trans. Mendoza’s Hist. China, 324. The company which went with him were very fewe to make resistance against such successes as might happen.
1658. Earl Monm., trans. Paruta’s Wars Cyprus, 78. Troubled at the loss of Nicossia and at the other successes, which fell out … quite contrary to … hopes.
1753. L. M., Accompl. Wom., I. 12. To read … so many different successes, wherein we feel our Passions moved according to the Adventures treated of.
† c. The result (of an experiment), the effect (of a medicine). Obs.
1606. Bryskett, Civ. Life, 6. M. Smith the Apothecary was come … to vnderstand what successe the physick he had prepared for me did take.
1684. R. Waller, Nat. Exper., 55. This Experiment was often repeated, always with the same success.
1756. in Med. Observ. (1776), I. 390. So intent on trying … the success of the sublimate in the cure of the Lues Venerea.
† d. In the success: eventually. Obs.
a. 1676. Hale, Prim. Orig. Man. (1677), 144. Their Predictions … flattered both Cæsar and Pompey with long Lives … both which fell out in the success, to both extremely contrary.
1738. Gentl. Mag., VIII. 152/1. An Attempt which would never answer in the Success.
2. The fortune (good or bad) befalling anyone in a particular situation or affair. Usually with qualifying adj. Good success = sense 3; ill success: failure, misadventure, misfortune. arch.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Hen. VII., 39. Although thei had knowlege what good successe Perkyn had enjoyed in al his former attemptes.
1577. Hanmer, Anc. Eccles. Hist. (1619), 495. After that the assault of Adaarmanes tooke no prosperous successe at Antioch.
1579. Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 104. Philautus hauing intellygence of Euphues his successe, and the falsehoode of Lucilla.
1596. Raleigh, Discov. Guiana, 17. The hard successe which all these & other Spaniards found in attempting the same. Ibid., 28. Berreo … looked for no other successe than his predecessors in this enterprize.
1619. in Foster, Eng. Factories India (1906), 74. I am sorrye to heare of John Younges disaster etc., yett am in good hope of better sucksess.
1671. Milton, P. R., IV. 1. Perplex’d and troubl’d at his bad success.
a. 1700. Evelyn, Diary, 26 Nov. 1657. After a sermon and prayers for good successe.
1704. N. Blundell, Diary (1895), 25. I went to wish good Suckcess to Mr. Molineux of Croxtath ere he went a Courting.
1764. Goldsm., Hist. Eng. in Lett. (1772), II. 208. The bad success of his admirals at sea.
1823. Southey, Hist. Penins. War, I. 470. With so little accuracy do the French relate the circumstances of their ill success.
1839. Fr. A. Kemble, Resid. in Georgia (1863), 126. I was recalled to a most ludicrous perception of my ill success.
† b. In particularized use. Obs.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. v. 25. The … good successes, which their foes ensew.
1607. Shaks., Cor., I. vi. 7. The Roman Gods, Leade their successes, as we wish our owne.
1612. Drayton, Poly-olb., x. 14, note. After diuers unfortunat successes in warre.
1661. Pepys, Diary, 25 Sept. Sir W. Pen told me that I need not fear any reflection upon my Lord for their ill successe at Argier…. My Lord Crewe,… I see,… is afraid my Lord’s reputacon will a little suffer in common talk by this late successe.
1764. Goldsm., Hist. Eng. in Lett., II. 225. The reduction of this … fortress served to interrupt the prosperous successes of the English company.
3. (= the older good success.) The prosperous achievement of something attempted; the attainment of an object according to one’s desire: now often with particular reference to the attainment of wealth or position.
a. 1586. Sidney, Ps. XXX. vii. While I my race did runne, Full of successe, fond I did say, That I should never be undone.
1592. Kyd, Sp. Trag., III. iii. 3. Giue but successe to mine attempting spirit.
1617. Moryson, Itin., II. 49. The Rebels being swolne to the height of pride … by continual Successe in their actions.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., III. 760. A Drench of Wine has with Success been us’d.
1713. Addison, Cato, I. ii. ’Tis not in mortals to Command success, But we’ll do more, Sempronius; we’ll Deserve it.
1765. Blackstone, Comm., I. iii. 198. A title the most remote and unaccountable that was ever set up, and which nothing could have given success to.
1827. Scott, Highl. Widow, ii. His success in fishing and the chase was able to add something to her subsistence.
1848. Thackeray, Van. Fair, xiv. It was George who had interrupted the success of her first love-passage.
1863. Geo. Eliot, Romola, xix. That argument of success which is always powerful with men of the world.
1885. O. W. Holmes, Emerson, xi. 260. ‘Success’ in its vulgar sense,—the gaining of money and position,—is not to be reached by following the rules of an instructor.
1895. Law Times, XCIX. 476/2. It requires the talents of a Boileau, Molière, or La Fontaine to play the part of a flâneur with any success.
proverb. 1868. Helps, Realmah, v. Nothing succeeds like success. [Cf. F. Rien ne réussit comme le succès.]
b. An instance of this; a successful undertaking or achievement.
1666. Dryden, Ann. Mirab., ccx. Swell’d with our late Successes on the Foe.
1740. Cibber, Apol. (1756), I. 50. Before her time our ancestors had many successful contests with their sovereigns…: yet what did those successes amount to?
1857. Dufferin, Lett. High Lat., vii. 133. To convert a questionable success into an undoubted triumph.
1880. Daily News, 19 Oct., 4/7. The dustbin absorbs scores of … poems that win a ‘success of esteem.’
1891. Spectator, 2 May, 615/1. The mass comprehends nothing except a visible success.
c. transf. One who or a thing that succeeds or is successful.
1882. L. C. Lillie, Prudence, 63–4. To be a success in this circle … is to contribute to the beauty, the brilliancy, the magnetism, or the effect of the hour.
1884. Daily News, 27 Feb., 4/8. Should Mr. Peel prove as great a success in the Speaker’s chair as he proved in oratory before he entered it [etc.].
1885. ‘Mrs. Alexander,’ Valerie’s Fate, v. Mrs. Hartwell’s dance was a great success.
† 4. Succession or sequence in time or occurrence. In success of time: in course or process of time. Obs.
1546. Gardiner, Declar. Joye, 85. The sonne sheweth her selfe in the mornynge, in whome there is encrease by successe tyll the sonne come to the highest at noone.
1547. Baldwin, Mor. Philos. (1564), 18. The successe of thinges to come.
1549–62. Sternhold & H., Ps. xix. 2. The wondrous workes of God appeare, By euery dayes successe.
1553. Eden, Treat. Newe Ind. (Arb.), 41. In successe of time, foure of the greatest Ilandes embrased the Christian faith.
1611. Munday (title), A briefe Chronicle of the Successe of Times from the Creation of the World to this Instant.
1611. Speed, Hist. Gt. Brit., IX. xv. (1623), 780. This King, of whose life by order and successe of Storie wee are now to write.
1626. C. Potter, trans. Sarpi’s Hist. Quarrels, 338. This difficultie found Padauin in the successe of his iourney [così andaua difficoltando il suo camino].
1656. Heylin, Surv. France, 282. I shall draw down the successe of their affairs from the beginning of the Reformation.
1690. C. Nesse, Hist. & Myst. O. & N. Test., I. 103. An house … will contract new … filth in success of time.
† b. An instance of this; a succession. Obs.
1610. Guillim, Heraldry, II. vii. (1660), 81. Causing a success of surging billowes.
a. 1676. Hale, Prim. Orig. Man. (1677), 37. Otherwise we must of necessity make all successes in the World purely natural and necessary.
† c. Subsequent history. Obs.
1555. Eden, Decades, III. VII. (Arb.), 166. As generally to lerne thoriginall & successe of thynges: And particularlye to reherse the noble factes of their … auncestours.
1681. H. More, Expos. Dan., App. i. 250. Can a man believe that the Original or Success of that people was ἀχειροποἰητόν τι?
† 5. Succession as of heirs, rulers, etc. Obs.
1587. Golding, De Mornay, Ep. Ded. to K. Hen. After a long successe of these Herauldes, came the Sauiour.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., II. x. 45. Then all the sonnes of these fiue brethren raynd By dew successe.
1597. Shaks., 2 Hen. IV., IV. ii. 47. And so, successe of Mischiefe shall be borne, And Heire from Heire shall hold this Quarrell vp. Ibid. (1611), Wint. T., I. ii. 394. Our Parents Noble Names, In whose successe we are gentle.
