? Obs. [f. as prec. + -NESS.]
1. The quality or condition of being valiant; valiancy, valor. Also personif.
Very common in the 16th c.
α. 1470–85. Malory, Arthur, XII. xii. 608. I vnderstande thy valyauntnesse wel.
c. 1489. Caxton, Sonnes of Aymon, 16. The whiche … Charlemagne by hys prowesse and valyauntnes had dyscomfyted.
1513. Life Henry V. (1911), 155. The Englishmen … excelled so farr the Frenchmen in there valyantnes, that they remayned conquerors in the fielde.
1540. Morysine, Vives’ Introd. Wysd., B v. Strengthe and valiantnesse is, to suffise and accomplyshe the exercises of vertu without werynes.
1560. Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., 25. Which honor [i.e., knighthood] in times past … was the rewarde of valeauntnes.
1603. Knolles, Hist. Turks (1621), 343. Mahomet seeing this valiantnesse of the defendants, openly said [etc.].
1672. Baxter, Bagshaw’s Scandals, i. 6. They call out for Valiantness in suffering.
1727. P. Walker, Life of R. Cameron, in Biogr. Presbyt. (1827), I. 237. The Valiantness of the Fourscore Priests, that withstood Uzziah.
β. 1508. Dunbar, Poems, vii. 93. B, in thi name, betaknis batalrus;… W, valyeantnes; S, for strenewite.
1549. Compl. Scotl., Ep. 6. The toune of sauerne baris vytnes of his delegent vailȝeantnes.
a. 1560. Rolland, Crt. Venus, IV. 577. Sine Cheualrie come in with vailȝeantnes.
b. Const. of (courage, heart, mind, etc.).
1534. Whitinton, Tullyes Offices, I. (1540), 7. By ryght and lawe, whereof forse & valyauntnesse of herte doth ryse.
1539. Taverner, Gard. Wysd., I. 4 b. It greued moch this excellent Prynce, that so stronge an herte and valyauntnesse of nature was spent in a matter of leudenesse.
1579. Twyne, Phis. agst. Fortune, I. xv. 16. The mightinesse of the Citie and Empire, and the valiantnesse of the peoples myndes.
1603. Knolles, Hist. Turks (1621), 409. Much inferiour to this great king in wealth and number of men, but not in hautinesse of mind and valiantnesse of courage.
1736. Ainsworth, Magnanimitas, valiantness of heart and courage.
2. Physical strength; robustness, sturdiness, stalwartness of (body). rare.
1553. T. Wilson, Rhet., 104. In the Iliades are described strengthe and valeantenes of the body.
1596. Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot., I. 311. Bartholomew Leslie,… quhais … ablenes of mynd, valȝeantnes of body and fercenes of force, king Malcolme meruelet sa mekle.
