Forms: 6–7 veue (6 vue), vewe (6 veawe), viewe (6 vieue); 6 vieu, veu, vow, 6– view (6 veiw, Sc. wew). [f. the sb. Cf. AVIEW v.]
1. trans. To inspect or examine in a formal or official manner; to survey carefully or professionally; † to review (troops).
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. cccxcvii. 278 b/2. Whan they were nombred and viewed, they thought themselfe able to fight with the greatest prince in all the worlde.
1539. Cromwell, in Merriman, Life & Lett. (1902), II. 237. Furthermore his Maieste woolde that you shuld cause the stretes and Lanes there to be vieued for the pavementes.
1560. Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., 258. Captaynes were sente oute to view the situation of theyr ennemies Campe.
1617. Moryson, Itin., II. 251. In Christmas holidayes his Lordship viewed the toune of Galloway, and judging it a place of great importance [etc.].
1623. Gouge, Serm. Extent God’s Provid., § 15. The Coroner and his Inquest comming to view the bodies, found remaining but 63.
1697. J. Lewis, Mem. Dk. Glocester (1789), 21. About this time, there came Scotch regiments of dragoons to be viewed by the King in Hyde Park.
1714. Fr. Bk. af Rates, 419. Offices … in which all Goods coming from Foreign Parts, or going to Foreign Parts, shall be declared, viewed, visited, and discharged.
1749. Fielding, Tom Jones, VII. xii. The Surgeon,… having viewed the wound,… ordered his Patient instantly to bed.
1793. Smeaton, Edystone L., § 227. We … took the opportunity of viewing the progress of our moorstone works at Lanlivery.
1819. Shelley, Cenci, I. i. 17. I once heard the nephew of the Pope Had sent his architect to view the ground, Meaning to build a villa.
1852. Dickens, Bleak Ho., xi. ‘Well, gentlemen!’ resumes the Coroner,… ‘the first thing to be done is to view the body.’
† b. spec. To inspect or examine (records, accounts, etc.) by way of check or control. Obs.
1534. Henry VIII., in J. Bacon, Liber Regis (1786), p. vi. [They shall] also se and veu such regesters, boks of accoumpt, Ester boks, and all other writings.
c. 1545. in J. S. Leadam, Sel. Cas. Crt. Requests (1898), 88. A commaundement … to vue, serche, & ouersee certayn Courte Rollis.
1554–5. in Feuillerat, Revels Q. Mary (1914), 178. Comissyoners specially appoynted and aucthorised to vewe and take the accompte state and remayne of and within that offyce.
1647. in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm., App. V. 495. The said twelve men … shall view the late booke of Excise.
† c. To survey or explore (a country, coast, etc.). Obs.
1551. Bible, Josh. vii. 2. Then Josua sent men from Jericho to Ai…, saying, get you vp, and vewe the countre.
1607. J. Norden, Surv. Dial., I. 21. Joshua commaunded … that euery tribe should choose out three men, that he might send them thorow the land of Canaan, to view, suruey, and to describe it.
1652. Needham, trans. Selden’s Mare Cl., 189. They permitted none besides Merchants to sail unto the Island without their leav, nor any man at all to view or sound the Ports and Sea Coast.
1745. P. Thomas, Jrnl. Anson’s Voy., 32. The Commodore sent the Trial Sloop to view the Island.
1796. Morse, Amer. Geog., I. 143. John Davis … viewed that and the more northern coasts.
2. To look at (something) more or less attentively; to scrutinize; to observe closely.
Cf. examples of view and re-view s.v. REVIEW v. 2.
1548. Udall, etc., Erasm. Par. Luke xxiv. 199. Vieu and beholde you my handes.
1563. B. Googe, Eglogs, etc. (Arb.), 115. When I had vewd these wrytten lines and markde the Storye well, I ioyed muche. Ibid. (1577), Heresbach’s Husb., I. (1586), 7 b. Let vs walke aboute, that I may viewe your house tyll dinner be redy.
a. 1593. Marlowe & Nashe, Dido, II. i. 73. Illio. Looke where she comes: Æneas, viewe her well. Æn. Well may I view her, but she sees not me.
1632. Lithgow, Trav., IX. 390. [He] sent a Guide with me … to view the Mountayne more strictly…. Hauing viewed and reuiewed this [etc.].
1673. Ray, Journ. Low C., 27. A Museum well stored with natural and artificial Rarities, which we viewed.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., III. 36. I, to the Temple will conduct the Crew: The Sacrifice and Sacrificers view.
1718. Lady M. W. Montagu, Lett. to Abbé Conti, 31 July. The women flocked in to see me, and we were equally entertained with viewing one another.
1748. Anson’s Voy., III. x. 405. The Chinese contented themselves with viewing it [the conflagration].
1791. Mrs. Radcliffe, Rom. Forest, ii. She stood for some time viewing the shadowy scene.
1835. T. Mitchell, Acharn. of Aristoph., 428, note. The writings of one who had viewed the manners of Greece with no incurious eye.
1892. Photogr. Ann., II. 875. They … give no false impression when viewed in the developing tray.
absol. 1818. Shelley, Hymn Minerva, 18. Pallas from her immortal shoulders threw The arms divine; wise Jove rejoiced to view.
1827. Pollok, Course T., I. vi. Thus viewing, one they saw, on hasty wing, Directing towards heaven his course.
b. To see or behold; to catch sight of.
c. 1586. C’tess Pembroke, Psalms CXIX. G ii. I quake to view how people vile Doe from thy doctryne swerve.
1634. Sir T. Herbert, Trav., 51. Where a little from us, wee viewed a Blacke Tent, and going thither found three old Arabians.
1660. F. Brooke, trans. Le Blanc’s Trav., 331. One plainly views the Isle, and go to the place you find nothing.
1706. Estcourt, Fair Example, V. i. Whims. Look up and view me then. Sym. That’s a Jest indeed, when ’tis so dark I can’t see my own Hand.
1773. Life N. Froude, 27. I … was not a little surprized to view such an extent of Sky and Water.
1810. Sporting Mag., XXXV. 152. The fox was viewed several times by the horsemen.
1848. Thackeray, Van. Fair, lxiv. The alternations of splendour and misery which these people undergo are very queer to view.
1887. Field, 31 Dec., 981/3. Mr. Godson viewed our hunted fox sneaking away.
† c. To admit to an interview. Obs.
1676. Dryden, Aurengz., III. i. 1435. I’ll view this Captive Queen; to let her see, Pray’rs and Complaints are lost on such as me.
d. Hunting. With away: To see (a fox) break cover; to give notice of (the fox as doing so) by hallooing.
1853. Whyte-Melville, D. Grand, x. Excitement … not diminished by my ‘viewing away’ a magnificent old fox.
1856. ‘Stonehenge,’ Brit. Rural Sports, 127/2. The first whip is sent on to the point where the fox is most likely to break, in order to view him away, and save time, by hallooing.
3. To survey mentally; to pass under mental review or examination; to consider.
1591. Savile, Tacitus, Agricola, 255. When I view and consider the cause of this warre, and our present necessity.
1634. Sir T. Herbert, Trav., 33. Hee had well viewed her seuerall forces.
1657. Sparrow, Bk. Com. Prayer (1661), 50. These … have been viewed and allowed by the … Church for many ages past.
1679. Penn, Addr. Prot., II. ii. 65. If we will yet rise higher in our enquiry and view the Mischiefs of Earlier Times.
a. 1704. T. Brown, Satire Antients, Wks. 1730, I. 22. When we view him to the bottom, we find in him all the Gods together.
a. 1768. Secker, Serm., 1 Thess. v. 21–2 (1770), I. 16. Viewing Things on every Side … is grievous Labour to Indolence and Impatience.
1845. M. Pattison, Ess. (1889), I. 13. Bede viewed the world only from the retirement of his cell.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), IV. 12. All knowledge may be viewed either abstracted from the mind, or in relation to the mind.
1875. Helps, Soc. Press., v. 65. He … has viewed the matter in hand more gravely.
b. Const. with (pleasure, etc.).
1746. Francis, trans. Horace, Epist., I. viii. 14. Whate’er may hurt me, I with Joy pursue; Whate’er may do me good, with Horror view.
1758. S. Hayward, Serm., xvii. 509. The soul … views his various perfections … with pleasure.
1769. Robertson, Chas. V., III. ¶ 38. To view all the constable’s actions with a mean and unbecoming jealousy.
c. To regard or consider in a certain light.
1765. Museum Rust., IV. 110. If you, gentlemen, view this matter in that important light I do.
1779. Mirror, No. 28. He seems to have viewed the unhappy people of that country merely as the instruments … to furnish himself and his countrymen with … wealth.
1832. Lewis, Use & Ab. Pol. Terms, x. 84. A third manner of viewing mixed governments.
1861. Paley, Aeschylus (ed. 2), Agam., 1548, note. So far from regarding the murder of her husband as a crime, she views it simply as a just retaliation.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), I. 32. Wisdom, viewed in this new light merely as a knowledge of knowledge and ignorance.
4. intr. To look or see into something. rare–1.
1711. Swift, Exam., No. 27, ¶ 11. Mr. Harley [is] sagacious to view into the remotest consequences of things.
Hence Viewed, Viewing ppl. adjs.
1577. Grange, Golden Aphrod., F ij b. For my vewyng eyes haue seene your paynting penne.
1882. Society, 4 Nov., 5/1. The hounds ran on the line of a viewed fox.
