sb. Forms: α. 4– vassalage 7 -adge, -edge, 8 vasalage), 5–7 vassallage, 5 vassol-, 6 vassailage; 4–5, 7 vasselage (4 vassh-, 5 vess-), 4, 7 vessellage (6 vasell-), 5 vaisselage; 6 Sc. vaslage, -lege. β. 5 wasselage; Sc. 5 wassolage, waslage, 5–6 wassalage, 6 -edge, wassallage, wassilaige. [a. OF. vassal(l)age, vas(s)elage, vessalaige, etc. (F. vasselage), f. vassal VASSAL sb. So Prov. vassal-, vasselatge, Sp. vasallage, Pg. vassallagem, It. vassallagio, med.L. vassallagium.]
1. Action befitting a good vassal or a man of courage and spirit; prowess in battle, warfare or other difficult enterprise. Obs. exc. arch.
α. 1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 4610. Whan he wendyþ to þe tournament She … byt hym do for hys lemman Yn vasshelage alle þat be kan. Ibid. (1338), Chron. (1810), 188. Gentille of norture, & noble of lynage, Was non þat bare armure, þat did suilk vassalage.
c. 1380. Sir Ferumb., 1671. Riȝt as he wil let it be do, for þat is vassalage.
c. 1400. Laud Troy Bk., 12873. Kyng Sarpedoun Was in his tyme a stalworth man, A noble knyȝt of vasselage.
1456. Sir G. Haye, Law Arms (S.T.S.), 54. To count all the vasselage that thare was done on ayther syde, it war mervaile to here.
c. 1477. Caxton, Jason, 34 b. Our defendour … whiche hath only in him self more of vaisselage than is in alle Esclauonye.
1508. Dunbar, Poems, vii. 10. Welcum … incomparable knight, The fame of armys, and floure of vassalage.
1565. in Ellis, Orig. Lett., Ser. I. II. 204. And maynie made knightes that never showde anye greate token of their vasellage.
1567. Satir. Poems Reform., iv. 141. Deianira hir husband Hercules … Brocht to mischeif, for all his vassalage.
1825. Scott, Betrothed, xxi. Were I to choose some knight of name,… he would be setting about to do deeds of vassalage upon the Welsh.
ironical. c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W., 1667 (Hypsipyle). And of Iason this is the vassellage That in hise dayis nas ther non i-founde So fals a louere goinge on the grounde.
β. 1375. Barbour, Bruce, I. 290. He had a sone … Þat wes þan bot a litill page; Bot syne he wes off gret waslage. Ibid., X. 268. He knew his worthy wassalage.
c. 1500. Lancelot, 2708. Thar schew the lord sir ywan his curage, His manhed, & his noble wassolage.
c. 1550. Rolland, Crt. Venus, I. 171. He … in the Net of wanhoip had bene tane, Quhilk causit him want baith welth & wassallage.
a. 1578. Lindesay (Pitscottie), Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.), I. 153. He was of tender aige and could not wse no wassaledge nor feit of weiris.
† b. A brave or chivalrous act; a noble or gallant exploit. Obs.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 12331. Me þynkeþ hit were no vasselage, Þre til on; hit were outrage!
1426. Lydg., De Guil. Pilgr., 10606. Record off folkys that be sage, Sclaundere ys no vasselage.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, I. 158. Thus he conteynde in till hys tendyr age; In armys syne did mony hie waslage.
c. 1475. Rauf Coilȝear, 887. For that war na wassalage, sum men wald say.
a. 1578. Lindesay (Pitscottie), Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.), II. 118. Ane gret navie … landit in orknay and thocht to haue done sum wassallage thair.
a. 1670. Spalding, Troub. Chas. I. (1840), I. 23. The Erll of Morray … rejoisit michtellie at this vassalage done be his men. Ibid., 182. The barronis … left the houss, thinking it no vassalage to stay whill thay war slayne.
transf. 1570. Satir. Poems Reform., xiii. 132. His Fatheris murther also ȝe cleirly knew, Myschantly hangit, ane wickit vassalage.
† c. Pre-eminence, supremacy. Obs.–1
c. 1430. Lydg., Min. Poems (Percy Soc.), 176. Is noon so greet encress Off world tresour, as for to live in pees, Which among vertues hath the vasselage.
2. The state or condition of a vassal; subordination, homage or allegiance characteristic of, or resembling that of, a vassal.
1594. Nashe, Terrors of Night, Wks. (Grosart), III. 266. Much more may I acknowledge all redundant prostrate vassailage to the royall descended Familie of the Careys.
1605. Camden, Rem., 4. Acknowledging no superiours, in no vassalage to Emperour or Pope.
1655. Fuller, Ch. Hist., IV. 182. He was a worthy man in his generation, had not his vassalage to the Pope ingaged him in cruelty against the poor professors of the truth.
1667. Milton, P. L., II. 252. Let us not then pursue … our state Of splendid vassalage.
1709. Steele, Tatler, No. 46, ¶ 2. The only Part of Great Britain where the Tenure of Vassalage is still in being.
1756. Nugent, Gr. Tour, Germany, II. 15. The peasants are all in a state of vassalage to the nobility.
1774. Pennant, Tour Scot. in 1772, 294. Tyranny more often than protection was the attendance on their vassalage.
1807. G. Chalmers, Caledonia, I. III. iv. 347. They acknowledged their vassalage … by receiving rulers, from the Scandian peninsula.
1844. H. H. Wilson, Brit. India, II. 461. That they had no right … to reduce to vassalage the native Princes, who had always been treated … as independent.
1869. Freeman, Norm. Conq. (1876), III. xiii. 312. William’s vassalage for England will be still more nominal than his vassilage for Normandy.
attrib. 1791. Paine, Rights of Man, 82. Submission is wholly a vassalage term, repugnant to the dignity of Freedom.
b. In semi-personified use.
1606. Shaks., Tr. & Cr., III. ii. 40. Like vassalage at vnawares encountring The eye of Maiestie.
1616. J. Lane, Contn. Sqr.’s T., IX. 410. For trewe kinges this inscribe of soveraigntie, that vassalage backe startes at maiestie.
c. In the phrase to hold (lands) in vassalage.
1747. Carte, Hist. Eng., I. 195. Who being tired with beating Cerdic consented at last that he should hold a great part of the west of him in vassalage.
1761. Hume, Hist. Eng., I. ix. 186. The prince … offered … to hold his kingdom in vassalage under the Crown of England.
1791. Newte, Tour Eng. & Scot., 284. Several good families held their estates in vassalage of feudal Chiefs.
3. Subjection, subordination, servitude; service. Freq. const. to. a. To a person or persons.
1595. T. P. Goodwine, Blanchardyn, II. Ded. [A] most worthy Patrone; to whose vasselage … bountifull rewardes haue bound me during life, in all obseruancie.
1604. T. Wright, Passions, V. § 4. 231. Man is bound both by nature, grace, gratitude, vassaladge … to loue, honour, and blesse thee.
1622. Wither, Philarete (1633), K j b. Who, beforetime held in scorne, To yeeld Vassalage, or Duty, Though unto the Queen of Beauty.
1793. Burke, Obs. Conduct Minority, Wks. 1842, I. 626. This insolent claim of superiority on their part, and of a sort of vassalage to them on that of other members.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., i. I. 1. How our country, from a state of ignominious vassalage, rapidly rose to the place of umpire among European powers.
1878. N. Amer. Rev., CXXVII. 100. The revelation it makes of the condition of the solid South; its continued vassalage to the reckless and dangerous class.
b. To some influence, esp. of a detrimental kind.
1612. T. Taylor, Comm. Titus, ii. 14. It must worke in vs a … watchfulnes against all sinn, which bringeth such vassaledge vpon vs.
1665. Glanvill, Def. Van. Dogm., 13. An attempt to redeem the free-born spirits of Men, from an unworthy vassallage to so stigmatiz’d an Authority.
1742. Blair, Grave, 598. Human Nature groans Beneath a Vassalage so vile and cruel.
1767. Dr. Dodd, Poems, 8. Princes … unfortunately great, Born to the pompous vassalage of state.
1833. Lytton, Godolphin, 24. All round bore the seal of vassalage to Time.
1849. Coleridge, Shaks. Notes (1875), 126. The subservience and vassalage of strength and animal courage to intellect and policy.
1871. Lowell, Pope, Pr. Wks. 1890, IV. 11. English literature … showed the marks … of an artistic vassalage to France.
4. † a. The authority of a superior in relation to a vassal. Obs.
1630. R. Johnson’s Kingd. & Commw., 140. Lots, Sales, Homages, rights of Vassalage, Forrests, Ponds, Rivers.
1670. Devout Commun. (1688), 81. How many slaves under the vassallage of an enemy fire better than thou!
1681. H. Nevile, Plato Rediv., 37. This Vassallage over the People, which the Peers of France had, being abolisht.
b. An estate or fief held by a vassal.
1855. Milman, Lat. Chr., IX. viii. IV. 190. The Countship of Foix, with six territorial vassalages.
5. A body or assemblage of vassals.
1807. Wordsw., White Doe, II. 30. But now the inly-working North Was ripe to send its thousands forth, A potent vassalage, to fight In Percy’s and in Neville’s right.
1826. Blackw. Mag., XX. 416. The assembled vassalage were all still as death.
1849. Jas. Grant, Kirkaldy of Gr., xx. 230. Kirkaldy, whose garrison was probably recruited from his own vassalage.
Hence † Vassalage v., = VASSAL v. Obs.
1648. Royalist’s Defence, 38. Refusing to acknowledge it His duty to bee governed by them His Subjects, and … to vassalage unto those Rebels Himselfe, His Royall Posterity, and all the rest of the people.
1662. R. Mathew, Unl. Alch., 59. What man labouring to full his desire, is not ten times further off by being vassalag’d more thereunto?
