Also 4–7 temper. [Before 1600 mostly spelt temper, and app. originating in TEMPER v., as used in reference to clay. The trans. use to temper clay appears to have become absol. to temper, and then intr. to temper in clay; hence fig. to temper or tamper in or with any business or matter. Tamper, which appears in reference to clay in 1573, was prob. a dial. or workmen’s pronunciation, which became at length established, so as to differentiate this vb. from TEMPER.
For a development of sense very similar to that shown in temper and tamper, cf. MEDDLE v.]
I. † 1. a. intr. To work in clay, etc., so as to mix it thoroughly. b. trans. To temper (clay). Obs.
1573. Tusser, Husb. (1878), 37. A fork and a hooke, to be tampring in claie, A lath hammer, trowel, a hod, or a traie.
1766. Compl. Farmer, s.v. Spiky-roller, Where … the clay grows dry, and will not admit of being duly tampered for use without great pains in breaking it.
II. 2. intr. To work or busy oneself for some end; to machinate, scheme, plot. Const. in some practice, for something, to do something.
α. 1596. Drayton, Leg., iv. 289. Here first to worke my busie brayne was set,… To temper in so dangerous assayes.
1611. Speed, Hist. Gt. Brit., VIII. vii. § 17. 404. Howsoeuer Edward and he had tempered for the Kingdome.
β. 1613. Fletcher, etc., Captain, IV. ii. You have been tampring any time these three days, Thus to disgrace me.
a. 1661. Fuller, Worthies, Yorks. (1662), II. 191. Tampering, too soon and too openly, to derive the Crown in his wives right to himself.
1674. Essex Papers (Camden), I. 196. Yt I might discover whether Ormond was tampering, wth ye assistance of Duke, to give Essex his place.
1678. Butler, Hud., III. II. 269. Others tamper’d For Fleetwood, Desborough, and Lambert.
1709. Strype, Ann. Ref., I. xxxii. 328. The provost of Paris, being here in London, was especially tampering in treasonous practices against the Queen.
1736. Chandler, Hist. Persec., 355. He tamper’d … to introduce some ceremonies bordering upon superstition.
1768. H. Walpole, Hist. Doubts, 77. The queen dowager tampered in this plot.
1823. Scott, Peveril, vii. Voushall … [not] tamper … amongst my servants, with impunity.
3. intr. To try to deal or enter into clandestine dealings with (a person), about or in order to some design; often with the connotation of meddling or interfering improperly with a person.
α. 1567. Harman, Caveat, 70. For often hee hath bene tempering with me [a woman], and yet haue I sharpely sayde him naye.
1584. R. Scot, Discov. Witchcr., II. ii. (1886), 16. If they should first be committed to prison the divell would temper with them and informe them what to doo.
1599. Sandys, Europæ Spec. (1632), 108. After that the Pope was once againe admitted, and had libertie to temper with his partie at pleasure.
1603. Knolles, Hist. Turks (1621), 71. Shortly after he began also to temper with Guy, perswading him to resigne unto him that little right.
β. 1649. Milton, Eikon., iii. 23. Tampering both with the English and the Scotch army to come up against the Parlament.
1683. Kennett, trans. Erasm. on Folly, 65. Another had been tampering with his neighbours wife.
1741. Richardson, Pamela (1824), I. 58. When he withdrew, I began to tamper with the farmer and his wife. Ibid. (1748), Clarissa (1811), III. vii. 60. Joseph,… by tampering with Will, got all my secrets.
1790. Beatson, Nav. & Mil. Mem., II. 2. A small squadron … was detached after them, who found them busy in tampering with the natives.
1840. Dickens, Barn. Rudge, xxxii. She has been tampered with, and most treacherously deceived.
1852. Miss Yonge, Cameos, II. ii. 17. He was trafficking with her enemies and tampering with her friends.
1870. Disraeli, Lothair, ix. Their secret organisation is tampering with the people and tampering with the priests.
4. intr. To have to do or interfere with improperly; to meddle with (a thing).
α. 1601. Holland, Pliny, II. 220. Hee would needs be handling and tempering with the weapons of his said guest.
β. 1636. Divine Tragedie lately Acted, 12. [He] spied a Gun over the chimney … and fell a tampearing with it, and first levelled at the mayds.
1655. Fuller, Ch. Hist., I. ii. § 11. Humane Policy seldome proves prosperous, when tampering with Divine Worship.
1684. Bunyan, Pilgr., II. 85. This Boy has been tampering with something that lies in his Maw undigisted.
1789. W. Buchan, Dom. Med., x. (1790), 119. There is no passion with which people are so ready to tamper as love.
1826. Scott, Jrnl., 29 Dec. The son … tampers with phrenology.
1868. Farrar, Silence & V., ii. (1875), 40. What was first tampered with, then yielded to, then persisted in, is next justified.
† b. spec. To meddle with medically. Obs.
1655. Culpepper, Riverius, Printer to Rdr. Not that every Fool should turn Physition, or that every Reader should tamper with him or her self.
1677. G. Mountagu in Buccleuch MSS. (Hist. MSS. Comm.), I. 326. I beseech you tamper not too much, nor let blood too much this cold season.
1706–7. Farquhar, Beaux’ Strat., IV. i. I have been a tampering here a little with one of your Patients.
1784. Cowper, Task, V. 668. Vain tamp’ring has but foster’d his disease.
5. intr. To meddle or interfere with (a thing) so as to misuse, alter, corrupt, or pervert it.
α. 1593. Shaks., 3 Hen. VI., IV. vi. 29. Your Grace … may seeme as wise as vertuous, By spying and auoiding Fortunes malice, For few men rightly temper with the Starres.
1641. ‘Smectymnuus,’ Answ., Post. (1653), 89. Peckam Archbishop of Can. in a Synod was tempering with the Kings liberties.
β. 1610. Cooke, Pope Joan, 38. Some paltry fellow hath bene tampering with his writings.
1722. De Foe, Moll Flanders (1840), 302. To have her up for tampering with the evidence.
1769. Sir W. Draper, in Junius Lett., xxvi. (1820), 122. It is highly unbecoming the dignity of peers to tamper with boroughs.
1860. All Year Round, No. 65. 354. His pistols, which Marcel had previously tampered with, miss fire.
1862. Maurice, Mor. & Met. Philos., IV. vii. § 80. 413. Those had in his judgment tampered with truth.
1888. Bryce, Amer. Commw., V. lxxxviii. 379. A large number of persons accused of … tampering with ballot boxes.
b. trans. To put off or do away with by tampering or clandestine dealing. rare.
1817. Keatinge, Trav., II. 217. No putting off trials … until prosecutions are wearied off, or tampered off.
† 6. trans. To bias, affect, influence, sway (a person, his mind, passions, etc.); to disaffect. Obs.
? for tamper with, or = TEMPER v. 6.
1687. R. L’Estrange, Answ. Diss., 43. The Worst Way of Tampering Peoples Minds, and Spiriting away their Hearts from their Sovereign. Ibid. (1692), Josephus, Antiq., XIV. xx. (1733), 381. If he could but steal him away into Judæa, the Jews might be tamper’d to a Revolt.
Hence Tampered (also tampered-with), Tampering ppl. adjs.
1681. Dryden, Abs. & Achit., I. 809. The tampering world is subject to this curse, To physic their disease into a worse.
1856. Mrs. Browning, Aur. Leigh, IV. 474. And kept her safe from tampering hands.
1869. Daily News, 30 Aug. You have allowed yourself to be tampered with…. You appear before us as a tampered witness.
1895. G. Tyrrell, in Month, Nov., 361. The tampered-with fragments in the Christian Fathers.
