Also 7–8 vot’ry. [f. L. vōt-, ppl. stem of vovēre to vow + -ARY1.]
I. 1. One who is bound by vows to a religious life; a monk or nun.
1546. Bale (title), The first two partes of the Actes or unchast examples of Englysh votaryes.
1560. Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., 90 b. The controversie was … especially for the Masse, and Votaries, for herein woulde the Catholikes nothyng at all relent.
1594. West, 2nd Pt. Symbol., § 17. Persons civilly dead, as monks, fryers, canons, professed nuns, and such other superstitiouse votaries.
1607. Merry Devil Edmonton, V. ii. 166. Sirra, ride strait to Chesson Nunry,… the house, I know, By this time misses their yong votary.
1654. Earl Monm., trans. Bentivoglio’s Wars Flanders, 89. The hereticks … growing more outragious then ordinarily against Ecclesiasticks, and especially against Votaries.
1662. Owen, Animadv. Fiat Lux, v. Wks. 1855, XIV. 68. Monasteries of votaries under special and peculiar vows and rules.
1705. Addison, Italy, 494. The Abuse of Indulgencies, the Folly And Impertinence of Votaries, and in short the Superstition … of the Roman Catholick Religion.
1856. R. A. Vaughan, Mystics (1860), I. 16. So Christianity, corrupted by Gentile philosophy, has in like manner its privileged and its inferior order of votaries.
b. One who has made, or is bound by, a special vow.
1588. Shaks., L. L. L., II. i. 37. Who are the Votaries my louing Lords, that are vow-fellowes with this vertuous Duke?
a. 1596. Sir T. More, III. ii. (orig. draft). The votarie that will not cut his haire, Vntill the expiration of his vow.
1643. Trapp, Comm. Gen. xxviii. 20. And Jacob vowed a vow] The first holy votary that ever we read of.
1872. Spurgeon, Treas. Dav., Ps. lxvi. 14. God in answer to his vow removed the distress, and now the votary desires to make good his promise.
2. One who is devoted to a particular religion, or to some form of worship or religious observance; a devotee.
1704. Locke, Toleration, iv. Wks. 1727, III. 464. Nor is there among the many absurd Religions of the World, almost any one that does not find Votaries to lay down their Lives for it.
1754. Sherlock, Disc. (1759), I. i. 16. No other Religion can give any Security of Life and Happiness to its Votaries.
1777. R. Watson, Philip II., VIII. I. 296. That method of justifying iniquity, of which the votaries of the Romish church have so often availed themselves.
1794. Paley, Evid., I. i. (1817), 32. The ancient religion of a country has always many votaries.
1847. Emerson, Repr. Men, Swedenborg, Wks. (Bohn), I. 334. I think of him as of some transmigrating votary of Indian legend. Ibid. (1860), Cond. Life, Worship, ibid. II. 395. The religion cannot rise above the state of the votary.
b. A devout worshipper. (Cf. next.)
1823. Praed, Poems (1864), II. 291. A happier votary at a holier fane.
1842. Barham, Ingol. Leg., Ser. II. Lay St. Cuthbert. In fact, when the votaries came there to pray All said there was nought to compare with it.
1863. Kinglake, Crimea, I. 41. In order to keep these convents up, the priests imagined the plan of causing the votary to pay according to his means at every shrine which he embraced.
3. A devoted or zealous worshipper of God, Christ, one of the saints, etc.
a. 1700. Ken, Sion, Poet. Wks. 1721, IV. 388. True Christ-like Love all other Loves exceeds, By which to save a soul Christ’s Vot’ry bleeds. Ibid., On the Temptation, Poet. Wks. 1721, I. 92. Jesus Satan of his Force bereft, And Conquest easy to his Vot’rys left.
1742. Young, Nt. Th., III. 53. In propitious dreams (For dreams are thine) transfuse it thro’ the breast Of thy first votary.
1779. J. Moore, View Soc. Fr. (1789), II. xcv. 421. A supposed connection between the characters of the Saints and the votaries.
1825. Scott, Betrothed, xxvii. The Virgin of the Garde Doloureuse, that never failed a votary.
1840. Barham, Ingol. Leg., Ser. I. St. Odille. I don’t see, as a Saint, how she well could do less Than to get such a votary out of her mess.
1869. Freeman, Norm. Conq. (1875), III. xiv. 360. Harold implored the help of the relic whose sworn votary he was.
b. Used with reference to ancient or heathen deities, partly in fig. use.
a. 1690[?]. Prior, To Earl of Dorset, i. Hear, Goddess, hear thy Votary. The meanest of thy Sons inspire.
1726. Pope, Odyss., XVII. 288. Daughters of Jove!… your votary restore: Oh be some God his convoy to our shore!
1766. [Anstey], Bath Guide, iii. 14. Come the Nymph of various Mien, Vot’ry true of Beauty’s Queen.
1778. Bp. Lowth, Transl. Isaiah, Notes (1812), 340. Nor can they [the idols] answer, or deliver their votaries, when they cry unto them.
1877. L. Morris, Epic Hades, III. 242. I did not envy any goddess of all The Olympian company her votaries.
1878. Browning, Poets Croisic, xxxi. Silence and solitude Befit the votary of the Muse.
II. 4. One who is devoted or passionately addicted to some particular pursuit, occupation, study, aim, etc.
1591. Shaks., Two Gentl., III. ii. 58. We know (on Valentines report) You are already loues firme votary.
1738. Gray, Propertius, I. 2. Before the Goddess’ shrine we too, love’s vot’ries bend.
1764. Reid, Inquiry, i. § 8. If philosophy befools her Votaries, let her be sent back to the infernal regions.
1771. Beattie, Minstr., I. ix. The boundless store Of charms which Nature to her votary yields!
1806. H. K. White, Lett. (1837), 322. I am … a rejected votary at the shrine of Health.
1830. Herschel, Study Nat. Phil., I. i. 14. One of the great sources of delight which the study of natural science imparts to its votaries.
1873. Hamerton, Intell. Life, VI. iv. 218. Science requires a certain inward heat and heroism in her votaries.
b. Const. to (now rare) or of.
(a) 1591. Shaks., Two Gentl., I. i. 52. But wherefore waste I time to counsaile thee That art a votary to fond desire?
1594. Selimus, D j. I haue liu’d Almost a votarie to wantonnesse.
1742. Lond. & Country Brew., I. (ed. 4), 79. I cannot be a Votary to this practice.
1811. Shelley, St. Irvyne, iii. He became … even a more devoted votary to gambling than before.
(b) 1595. Spenser, Col. Clout, 766. They … do themselues for want of other worke, Vaine votaries of laesie loue professe.
1690. Temple, Ess., Heroic Virtue, Wks. 1720, I. 233. The usual Acceptation takes Profit and Pleasure for two different Things, and … calls the Followers or Votaries of them by several Names of busy and of idle Men.
1732. Berkeley, Alciphr., I. § 5. Are you then in earnest a votary of truth?
1766. Fordyce, Serm. Yng. Wm., I. iii. 90. Is it surprising to see the daughters of such become very early the votaries of Folly?
1783. Cowper, Valediction, 71. Vot’ries of bus’ness and of pleasure prove Faithless alike in friendship and in love.
1801. Hamilton, Wks. (1886), VII. 218. The patriotic votaries of whiskey in Pennsylvania and Virginia.
1825. Macaulay, Ess., Milton (1851), I. 21. That an enthusiastic votary of liberty should accept office under a military usurper seems … extraordinary.
1869. Freeman, Norm. Conq. (1875), III. xi. 40. Ground from which the votaries of devotion and art and history are bidden to turn away.
5. A devoted adherent or admirer of some person, institution, etc.
1647. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., VI. § 36. It was not safe for any to live at their Houses, who were taken notice of as no Votaries to the Parliament.
1678. Butler, Hud., III. i. 183. I come to prove How much I’ve suffer’d for your Love, Which (like your Votary) to win, I have not spar’d my tatter’d skin.
1682. Villiers (Dk. Buckhm.), Chances, V. iii. I shall not be asham’d to own my self a Votary to all your Commands.
1713. Steele, Guard., No. 18, ¶ 4. One of the most successful Stratagems whereby Mahomet became formidable, was the assurance that Impostor gave his votaries, that [etc.].
1817. Chalmers, Life, in Churchyard, Chippes, 46. He endeavoured to cultivate the patronage of Essex, even after it had ceased to be of any value to his votaries.
1868. Freeman, Norm. Conq., II. x. 464. The same virtues gained him a still nobler and more powerful votary; he became, as we have seen, the special friend of Earl Harold.
