Now arch. Forms: α. 6 vysard(e, visarde, viserde, 6–9 visard (8 Sc. vissart). β. 6 vi-, vyzarde, 6–8 vyzard, 7–8 vizzard, 6– vizard. [Altered form of vysar, viser, vizar VISOR by confusion of ending: see -ARD.]
1. A mask; = VISOR sb. 2.
Very common from c. 1560 to c. 1700. Also † case of vizards.
α. 1558. in Feuillerat, Revels Q. Eliz. (1908), 95. i dozen of viserdes with shorte berdes.
1579. Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 38. Not the carued visarde of a lewde woman, but the incarnate vysage of a lasciuious wantonne.
1600. Dekker, Fortunatus, Wks. 1873, I. 104. She [Vice] and others wearing gilded visards.
a. 1668. Lassels, Voy. Italy (1698), I. 93. In Modena are made the best visards for masquerades.
1718. Free-thinker, No. 80. 179. The Fairy applied an enchanted Visard to her Face.
β. 1558. in Feuillerat, Revels Q. Eliz. (1908), 12. Warderobe stuffe, vizardes, heare. Ibid. (1572), 183. For ffoyle for vyzardes & ffawchins.
1588. Kyd, Househ. Phil., Wks. (1901), 256. Artificiall Oyles, and dawbings … for vizards, pageants, and poppets.
1601. B. Jonson, Poetaster, V. iii. Gag him: And put a case of vizards o’re his head.
1655. Stanley, Hist. Philos., III. (1687), 91/2. Some wild young Men … lay in wait for him, attired like furies, with vizards and torches.
1692. Washington, trans. Milton’s Def. Pop., M.’s Wks. 1738, I. 456. He complains that Executioners in Vizards (personati Carnifices) cut off the King’s Head.
1711. Steele, Spect., No. 32, ¶ 3. Wits were privileged to wear what Masks they pleased in all Ages; and … a Vizard had been the constant Crown of their Labours.
1760–72. H. Brooke, Fool of Qual. (1809), III. 151. Let me see what you have got under that vizard of yours.
1821. Scott, Kenilw., xxiv. A little diminutive urchin, wearing a vizard with a couple of sprouting horns.
1851. Thackeray, Eng. Hum., iii. (1858), 115. A gentleman on a grey mare, with a black vizard on his face.
b. transf. or fig.
1621. G. Sandys, Ovid’s Met., IV. (1626), 83. The silent Virgin … modestly had made A visard of her hands.
1632. Lithgow, Trav., III. 81. When the welkin had put aside the vizard of the night.
a. 1680. Butler, Rem. (1759), I. 177. A Beard is but the Vizard of a Face.
1682. Wheler, Journ. Greece, V. 356. It was hard to conjecture what their Natural Complexion was, by reason of the thick Vizard of Paint they had on.
c. 1715. Ramsay, Vision, ii. The Thunder crakt, and Flauchts did rift, Frae the blak vissart of the lift.
1827. Carlyle, Misc. Ess., Richter (1840), I. 18. All Nature is gone forth mumming in the strangest guises. Yet the anarchy is not without its purpose: these vizards are not mere hollow masks.
† c. A mask as used to protect the face or eyes.
1614. Raleigh, Hist. World, I. 176. They vsed to wear a vizard of defence, with one sight in the middle to serue both eyes.
1669. Pepys, Diary, 25 June. I to my office,… to write down my journal … and did it, with the help of my vizard, and tube fixed to it, and do find it mighty manageable, but how helpful to my eyes this trial will show me.
2. fig. or in fig. context. = VISOR sb. 3.
Very common from c. 1560 to c. 1700. The various types of context are illustrated by the different groups of quotations.
(a) 1572. Tindale’s Wks., Sacraments, 442/1. The hypocrites that haue put a visard [ed. c. 1550 visare] on the face of the law.
1586. T. B., La Primaud. Fr. Acad., I. 66. Vice putteth on a vizard, and goeth disguised and covered with goodly shewes that belong onely to vertue.
1653. H. More, Def. Moral Cabbala, iii. heading, That … it is only the halting and hypocrisie of men that generally have put so soure and sad a vizard upon it [i.e., Religion].
a. 1680. Butler, Rem. (1759), I. 71. For those … Wore Vizards of Hypocrisy, to steal And slink away, in Masquerade, to Hell.
1833. G. S. Faber, Recapit. Apostasy, p. x. Popery, whatever vizard the theological Proteus may wear,… is still … a form of recapitulated Roman apostasy.
(b) a. 1555. Philpot, in Strype, Eccl. Mem. (1721), III. App. xlviii. 155. Put off your shameles vyzards, O ye unbelevyng Arrians.
a. 1569. Kingesmyll, Conflict w. Satan (1578), 27. We will bring him to the tryall particularly that we may plucke of his maske and vysarde.
1629. H. Burton, Truth’s Triumph, Pref. We haue assayed to pull off Romes vizard.
1654. R. Whitlock, Ζωοτομια, 93. What are they but the Scum of the people, take off their Visards, and underneath appeare Wicked Jewes,… &c.
1682. Sir T. Browne, Chr. Mor., III. § 20. Men are glad to pull of their Vizards, and resume themselves again.
(c) 1579. Gosson, Sch. Abuse (Arb.), 74. Trueth can neuer be Falsehoods Visarde.
1633. G. Herbert, Temple, Ch. Militant, 185. He took fine vizards to conceal his crimes.
1653. A. Wilson, Jas. I., 70. A sober and fair outside, the true vizard of Hypocrisie.
1680. H. More, Apocal. Apoc., 349. The participation of the promised Spirit of Christ, without which all Religion is but a mere Mask or dead Vizard.
1704. Swift, T. Tub, xi. He would make use of no other vizard than a long prayer.
(d) 1589. R. Harvey, Pl. Perc. (1860), 11. For all that fatherly countenance and graue vizard which sometimes thou vsest to plead the cause of thy Reformation vnder.
1607. R. C[arew], trans. Estienne’s World of Wonders, 67. The impietie that lay masked vnder this vizard.
1656. W. Howard, in Clarendon, Hist. Reb., XV. § 121. Having long since, by peeping a little … under the vizzard of the Impostor, got such glimpses, though but imperfect ones, of his ugly face.
1678. Marvell, Def. J. Howe (Grosart), 141. To outlaw Mr. Howe … from all Protestant protection, is to represent him under a Popish Vizard.
(e) 1567. Jewel, Def. Apol., 4. But who they be, that … with a painted Visarde, or emptie name of the Churche, haue feared al the cattel of the fielde, it is needelesse to speake it.
b. = VISOR sb. 3 b.
1562. Cooper, Answ. Priv. Masse (1850), 170. That by this means your doctrine … might have a face or vizard of antiquity.
1576. Fleming, Panopl. Epist., 316. Those things which put on a pretended shewe and visard of felicitie.
1612. Woodall, Surg. Mate, Pref., Wks. (1653), 10. Whereby every unworthy ignorant impostor (as under a vizzard of hidden skill) made use of the art of Surgery.
1636. Featly, Clavis Myst., xxiv. 314. Heresie and schism have the vizard, but not the face of holinesse.
1684. J. Renwick, in Biogr. Presbyt. (1827), II. 263. Another Sort of Folk cover over their Pride with a Vizard of Humility.
1725. Watts, Logic, Introd. 3. So Knavery puts on the Face of Justice, Hypocrisy and Superstition wear the Vizard of Piety.
1743. E. Erskine, Serm., Wks. (1871), III. 91. It has put on the name and vizard of Presbyterian.
1855. Motley, Dutch Rep., IV. v. (1906), III. 55. The Spaniards seemed to cast off even the vizard of humanity.
† 3. In depreciatory use: A face or countenance suggestive of a mask. Obs.
1568. T. Howell, Arb. Amitie (1879), 58. With hatefull hawtie haunt not, For dainefull vizards daunt not.
1603. Breton, Packet Mad Lett., Wks. (Grosart), II. 12. For my Fan, it keepes me sometimes from the sight of such a vizard as your good face.
a. 1625. Fletcher, Custom of Country, I. i. This little beauty you are pleased to honour Will be so chang’d, so alter’d to an uglinesse To such a vizard, ten to one, I dye too.
† 4. A phantasm or spectre. Obs.–1
a. 1591. H. Smith, Seven Godly Serm., vi. 229. If thou thinkest that it is such a mans bodie which thou seest, look in ye graue … and there thou shalt see the body where it was laid, euen while this visard walkes in thy sight.
† 5. A person wearing a visor or mask; spec. a woman of loose character wearing a mask in public, a prostitute. Obs. (Cf. VIZARD-MASK 2.)
1652. H. Bell, Luther’s Colloq., 283. For the world cannot live without such vizards and shrove-tide-fools.
1660. Trial Regic., 164. Afterwards I saw the Vizards going into a Chamber there.
1676. Etheredge, Man of Mode, I. i. This business of yours Dorimant has been With a Vizard at the Play-house.
1719. D’Urfey, Pills (1872), II. 75. Or if you find me with a vizard prattle Do you the same with any other man.
† 6. = VISOR sb. 1. Obs. rare.
1704. Swift, Batt. Bks., Misc. (1711), 252. The Stranger desir’d a Parley; and lifting up the Vizard of his Helmet, a Face … appeared [etc.].
1768. Sterne, Sent. Journ., Paris. Helmets which had lost their vizards.
† b. Bot. (See quot.) Obs.–1
c. 1789. Encycl. Brit. (ed. 3), III. 446/2. Galea-ringentis, the vizard or upper lip of a ringent corolla.
7. attrib. and Comb., as vizard bead, -maker, -making, -manufacture, -monger, vice; vizard-faced, -masked, -like adjs.
1573. in Feuillerat, Revels Q. Eliz. (1908), 218. The vyzard-maker John Owgle for xiiii Beardes.
1593. Shaks., 3 Hen. VI., I. iv. 117. But that thy Face is Vizard-like, vnchanging, Made impudent with vse of euill deedes.
1615. Brathwait, Strappado (1878), 4. Bacchus cares not for outward signes a rush, Good wine needs not the hanging of a bush. Dost not thou vizzard-fac’t ingratefull Elfe?
1650. B., Discolliminium, 47. My Recreations [are] … Metamorphosing and Vizard-making.
1678. Butler, Hud., III. I. 1012. Strive who shall be … the most genteelly bred At sucking of a Vizard Bead.
1682. Sir T. Browne, Chr. Mor., II. § 7. The old Philosophers and great pretenders unto Virtue, who well declining the gaping Vices of Intemperance, [etc.] … were envious, malicious, contemners,… and stufft with Vizard Vices.
1684. Otway, Atheist, V. i. A Way to revenge my self on that Vizard-monger.
1856. R. A. Vaughan, Mystics (1860), II. 116. [Loyola’s] order … claimed and merited the monopoly of the vizard manufacture.
1899. G. A. Henty, Yule-Tide Yarns, 66. The vizard-masked face of the cavalier being almost invariably bent down over the upturned vizard-masked face of the accompanying dame.
