Also 6–7 Vaticane. [a. F. Vatican (= It., Sp., Pg. Vaticano), or ad. L. Vāticān-us (sc. collis, mons): see def.]
1. (With initial capital, and now always with the.) The palace of the Pope built upon the Vatican Hill in Rome.
Also, in recent use, the papal authorities or the system which they represent; the papal power; the Papacy.
1555. Eden, Decades (Arb.), 100. As wee are accustomed to goo on Pylgramege to Rome or Vaticane.
1607. B. Barnes, Divils Charter, II. i. E 1. Heere leaue we Charles with pompous ceremonies, Feasting within the Vaticane at Rome.
1611. Bible, Transl. Pref., ¶ 13. The Latine edition … printed in the Printing-house of Vatican.
a. 1700. Evelyn, Diary, 18 Jan. 1645. I went to see the Pope’s Palace, the Vatican, where he for the most part keeps his Court.
1777. R. Watson, Philip II., II. (1839), 29. He expressed his dread that ere long the Vatican itself would be in the hands of the enemy.
1779. J. Jay, in Sparks, Corr. Amer. Rev. (1853), II. 284. There is as much intrigue in this State-House as in the Vatican.
1866. Gladstone, in Lett. Ch. & Relig. (1911), II. 395. I repaired to the Vatican in household uniform.
1909. J. McCabe, Decay Ch. Rome, vi. 128. England is regarded as substantially won for the Vatican.
b. Used with reference to the artistic or literary treasures preserved here; the Vatican galleries or library.
1600. Holland, Livy, App. 1386. The statue of Laocoon … now at this day … is to be seene at the Vaticane.
1610. Bolton, Elem. Armories, 54. Such a librarie as … they had rather tosse then to bee Deipnosophists in Athenæus, or glowe-wormes in the Medicæan, or Vatican, the most renowned armaries of bookes in all the world.
1642. Sir T. Browne, Relig. Med., 46. I … could with patience behold the urne and ashes of the Vatican, could I, with a few others, recover the perished leaves of Solomon.
1694. J. Norris, Curs. Refl. Locke’s Hom. Underst., 43. I … would not part with his Book for half a Vatican.
1756–7. trans. Keysler’s Trav. (1760), IV. 34. This picture resembles that which is to be seen in the Vatican at Rome.
1796. H. Hunter, trans. St.-Pierre’s Stud. Nat. (1799), I. 70. The man of the woods … has, certainly, a very imperfect resemblance to the Apollo of the Vatican.
1841. W. Spalding, Italy & It. Isl., I. 166. Of these two copies [of a statue] one … is in the Vatican.
fig. 1649. G. Daniel, Trinarch., Hen. IV., cclxv. A Well-bought Treasure from his Vatican; Whose Volumes Numberless Nature doth Summe In one Compendious Abstract; Well-bound Man!
1854. Thoreau, Walden, iii. (1886), 102. When the vaticans shall be filled with Vedas and Zendavestas and Bibles.
1868. M. Arnold, in Life Ld. Coleridge (1904), II. vi. 160. Suppose you look in your stately Vatican of a library and see if you have not half a dozen copies.
2. attrib. or as adj. Of or pertaining to the Vatican or its library.
Vatican Council, the council of 1869–70 which proclaimed the infallibility of the Pope.
1638. R. Baker, trans. Balzac’s Lett. (vol. III.), 208. You found not these excellent qualities in the Vatican Library.
a. 1700. Evelyn, Diary, 18 Jan. 1645. By these we descended into the Vatican Gardens.
1705. Addison, Italy, 102. The old Vatican Terence has at the Head of every Scene the Figures of all the Persons.
1797. Encycl. Brit. (ed. 3), XVII. 150/2. The Vatican manuscript contained originally the whole Greek Bible.
1825. in Ushaw Mag., Dec. (1913), 265. I lately got a beautiful edition of the LXX,… printed from the Vatican copy.
1845. Graves, Roman Law, in Encycl. Metrop., II. 768. The Vatican fragments were taken by Mai from a manuscript of the Collationes of Cassianus in the Vatican Library.
1878. N. Amer. Rev., CXXVII. 325. The Fathers of the Vatican Council expound the doctrine of the church in these words.
1886. Encycl. Brit., XX. 835/2. The Vatican palace also appears to have originated in a house which existed in the time of Constantine.
Hence Vaticanal, Vaticanic, Vaticanical adjs.
1899. Westm. Gaz., 27 June, 3/3. Several Catholic parishes elected priests who refused to accept the new *Vaticanal dogma.
1870. in Times, 22 Sept., 5/5. Having returned to our respective dioceses from the Holy Œcumenical *Vaticanic Council, we … deem it our pastoral duty to address to you, cherished in the Lord, a few words of explanation and advice.
1898. E. P. Evans, Evol. Ethics, iv. 160. In the spirit of the Vaticanic dictum.
1908. Contemp. Rev., March, Lit. Suppl. 10. He has announced with *Vaticanical authority that [etc.].
