Vista sb.

Also 7–9 visto. [It. (also Sp. and Pg.) vista, f. L. vīs-, ppl. stem of vidēre to see. The form visto exhibits the common tendency to substitute -o for -a in adoptions of Romanic words: cf. -ADO 2.]

  1.  A view or prospect, especially one seen through an avenue of trees or other long and narrow opening.

  α.  1657.  R. Ligon, Barbadoes, 97. This is one of the pleasantest Vistos in the Iland.

1727.  A. Hamilton, New Acc. E. Ind., I. xii. 136. The Churches … standing gradually higher than one another, make the Visto from the Sea admirably pleasant.

1742.  trans. Algarotti on Newton’s Theory, I. 122. A Landskip drawn by Claude Lorrain, or a Visto by Canalleto.

1798.  T. Green, Diary Lover of Lit. (1810), 83. We caught a grand view of it, extending in a long visto, and bounded by the opposite projecting points of Cary Sconce and Hurst Castle.

1817.  J. Scott, Paris Revisit. (ed. 4), 49. It was impossible to look in any direction but along the narrowing visto of canal.

  β.  1686.  Burnet, Trav., 222. On several hands one sees a long Vista of streets.

1711.  Pope, Temple Fame, 263. The Temple ev’ry moment grew, And ampler Vista’s open’d to my view.

1735.  Somerville, Chase, IV. 480. The flow’ry Landskip, and the gilded Dome, And Vistas op’ning to the wearied Eye.

1770.  Goldsm., Des. Vill., 298. But verging to decline, its splendours rise, Its vistas strike, its palaces surprise.

1832.  G. Downes, Lett. Cont. Countries, I. 379. Near the tomb is obtained a splendid vista of Naples in all its glory.

1850.  Kingsley, A. Locke, xi. I stood looking wistfully over the gate … at the inviting vista of the green embroidered path.

1873.  Higginson, Oldport Days, x. 252. A piny dell gave some vista of the broad sea we were leaving.

  2.  A long narrow opening (esp. one made on purpose) in a wood, etc., through which a view may be obtained, or which in itself affords a pleasant prospect; an avenue or glade.

  α.  1671.  R. Bohun, Wind, 29. A Mountaine in Provence which had a Visto thorough it.

1711.  Hermit, 25 Aug., 2/2. A Visto cut thro’ a Hill for which the Workmen have not seen their Money.

1733.  W. Ellis, Chiltern & Vale Farm., 90. An old House that stood at the End of a Visto.

1756.  Toldervy, Hist. 2 Orphans, IV. 214. Humphry employs himself … in hunting … cutting vistoes through the woods, or gardening.

a. 1774.  Goldsm., Hist. Greece, II. 131. A fine park … [with] spacious vistoes, under which those who walked were shaded from the sun-beams.

1809.  Child 36 Fathers (N.Y.), I. 181–2. My eyes … were suddenly attracted by a small visto of trees, which appeared to me well suited to the indulgence of meditation.

  fig.  1790.  Burke, Fr. Rev., 115. In the groves of their academy, at the end of every visto, you see nothing but the gallows.

  β.  1686.  Plot, Staffordsh., 37. The woods lye disperst at due distance, and if any thing large, have lawnes or vista’s cut through them.

1733.  Mrs. Delaney, Life & Corr. (1861), I. 376. Below the house and between the lakes is a little copsewood which is cut into vistas and serpentine walks.

1741.  Richardson, Pamela (1824), I. xiii. 251. He employed hands to cut a vista through a coppice.

1791.  W. Gilpin, Forest Scenery, II. 64. A winding road through a wood has undoubtedly more beauty than a vista.

1827.  D. Johnson, Ind. Field Sports, 75. The tops of the grass are cut away with a sickle so as to form a narrow vista for the passage of an arrow.

1868.  Nettleship, Ess. Browning, I. 36. A many-columned vista of a wood.

1895.  Rider Haggard, Heart of World, xiv. Everywhere stretched vistas that brought to my mind memories of the dimly-lighted nave of the great cathedral of Mexico.

  b.  An open corridor or long passage in or through a large building; an interior portion of a building affording a continuous view.

  α.  1708.  Lond. Gaz., No. 4414/3. Newington House built with Stone after the Italian manner, with a Visto through,… to be let.

c. 1710.  Celia Fiennes, Diary (1888), 112. An abundance of good sizeable roomes leading one out of another in Visto’s through the house, something Like our new way of building.

1735.  W. Stukeley, Mem. (Surtees), II. 36. They have opened a visto from the lodg through the gallery, to the library.

  β.  1726.  Swift, Gulliver, IV. ii. Beyond this Room there were three others, reaching the length of the House, to which you passed through three Doors, opposite to each other, in the manner of a Vista.

1806.  A. Duncan, Nelson’s Funeral, 37. The central aisle … forming in itself the grandest architectural vista in Europe.

1858.  Hawthorne, Fr. & It. Note-bks. (1871), I. 15. The whole [sc. galleries of the Louvre] extended into infinite vistas by mirrors that … multiplied everything for ever.

1876.  Miss Braddon, J. Haggard’s Dau., II. 15. The door at the end of the narrow little passage stood open, and the westward-fronting casement was shining like a jewel at the end of the vista.

  † c.  An opening or passage-way. Obs.-^–1

1737.  A. Hamilton, New Acc. E. Ind., I. xiii. 155. To search well, that there should be no subterraneous Communication … [but] finding no Visto that might be suspected, they ordered the Jougies to remove their great Water Jar.

  3.  fig. A mental view or vision of a far-reaching nature.

1673.  Lady’s Call., II. iii. § 8. It must infinitly more do so … if they please to open a visto into the other world.

1704.  Norris, Ideal World, II. Pref. 3. I pretend only to make a kind of visto into the intelligible world.

1848.  R. J. Wilberforce, Doctr. Incarnation, iii. (1852), 28. Those occasional intimations which open vistas into the mighty depths of God’s counsels.

1876.  Mozley, Univ. Serm., viii. 178. The human heart takes in all the great vistas and reaches of human reason.

1887.  Pall Mall G., 29 Dec., 6/1. The use of reading is to lighten the load of life, and to open vistas of thought which otherwise would be closed to us.

  attrib.  1809.  Malkin, Gil Blas, V. i. ¶ 17. Catching every now and then a vista vision of ten thousand ducats.

  b.  A view or vision, in prospect or retrospect, of an extensive period of time or series of events, experiences, etc.

1742.  Young, Nt. Th., VI. 117. Through the long visto of a thousand years, To stand contemplating our distant selves.

1780.  Burke, Œcon. Reform, Wks. 1906, II. 307. They might see a long, dull, unvaried visto of despair and exclusion, for half a century, before them.

1834.  Marryat, P. Simple, i. A sort of vision of future grandeur passed before me, in the distant vista of which I perceived a coach with four horses and a service of plate.

1839.  Murchison, Silur. Syst., I. Introd. 12. As yet we can gaze but dimly into the obscure vista of these early periods.

1861.  M. Pattison, Ess. (1889), I. 39. Dr. Pauli … to whose strong historical vision a vista of a few centuries is nothing.

1888.  Bryce, Amer. Commw., lxxx. III. 50. They see a long vista of years stretching out before them in which they will have time enough to cure all their faults.

  4.  In vista, in continuous view.

1758.  J. Kennedy, Curios. Wilton House (1786), p. xxxvii. The Rooms lie in Visto as a great Gallery.

1815.  W. H. Ireland, Scribbleomania, Pref. p. viii. Like a monotonous and undeviating route to the traveller, who … beholds the object constantly in vista.

1887.  Ruskin, Præterita, II. 259. The level road with its aisles of poplars in perspective vista.

  Hence Vistal a., of the nature of a vista. Vistaless a., devoid of any vista or prospect.

1860.  Mayne Reid, Wild Huntress, i. The squatter’s clearing … is a mere vistal opening in the woods.

1890.  D. L. Dawson, in Lippincott’s Mag., Feb., 242.