Also 7 varlotarie. [f. VARLET + -RY.] Varlets collectively; a number or crowd of attendants or menials.
1606. Shaks., Ant. & Cl., V. ii. 56. Shall they hoyst me vp, And shew me to the showting Varlotarie Of censuring Rome?
1757. Dyer, Fleece, III. 461. Those Whose virtues taught the varletry of towns To useful toil to turn the pilfering hand.
1789. J. White, Earl Strongbow, II. 20. The retainers … now hurried to the barbican…. I wheeled round however, and with Gridalbin made a hideous carnage of this varletry.
1840. Browning, Sordello, VI. 402. Gay swarms of varletry that come and go, Pages to dice with.
1891. Farrar, Darkn. & Dawn, xlv. It was only the clientage and varletry of Octavia who had dared to assume the people’s name.
