Wilfulness

[f. WILFUL a.¹ + -NESS.]

  1.  The quality or character of being wilful; disposition to assert one’s own will against reason, persuasion, etc.; determination to take one’s own way; self-will, perversity, obstinacy, stubbornness.

c. 1200.  Trin. Coll. Hom., 75. Willfulnesse letteð þe mannes shrift, þat þincheð uuel þat man him wile neden his sinnes to forleten and fro þe deuel to gode turnen.

1375.  Barbour, Bruce, XVIII. 176. On this wiss war thai nobill men Throu wilfulness all losit then.

c. 1386.  Chaucer, Knt.’s T., 2199. The contrarie of al this is wilfulnesse.

1412–20.  Lydg., Chron. Troy, I. 3661. Sith sche wrouȝt only of wilfulnes, With-oute conseil or avysenes.

1547.  Act 1 Edw. VI., c. 3 § 11. Yf theie refuse of willfulnes and stubbernes to worke.

1583.  Whitgift, in Strype, Life (1718), App. 67. Your Lordship further semith to burthen me with Wyllfulness…. There ys a Difference betwixt Willfullness and Constancie.

1674.  Owen, Holy Spirit (1693), 238. A Child-like state, accompanied with, (1) Weakness. (2) Instability. And, (3) Wilfulness.

1729.  Butler, Serm., Wks. 1874, II. 76. That obstinacy and wilfulness, which renders men so insensible to the motives of religion.

1838.  Lytton, Alice, II. vi. She could … contradict, with a pretty wilfulness, his most favourite dogmas.

1870.  Lowell, Study Wind., Carlyle (1871), 98. To confound it [sc. Will] with its irritable and purposeless counterfeit Wilfulness.

  b.  (with pl.) An instance of this, a wilful act.

1833.  Coleridge, Table-t., 23 Oct. Whole volumes of Wordsworth’s poems were formerly neglected … solely because of some few wilfulnesses, if I may so call them, of that great man.

1883.  Spurgeon, Illustr. & Medit., 221. The rebellions and wilfulnesses of mankind.

  2.  † a. Purpose, determination, resolution. Obs.

c. 1386.  Chaucer, Melib., ¶ 416. Thou shalt considere if thy myght and thy power may consenten and suffise to thy wilfulnesse and to thy conseillours.

1606.  G. W[oodcocke], Hist. Ivstine, XII. 53. He … had slaine himselfe, had he not beene preuented by his friendes…. He continued certaine daies after in this wilfulnesse to die.

1633.  T. James, Voy., 18. In this wilfulnesse we continued till the 21.

  b.  Intentional character (of an act); the fact of being done on purpose.

1876.  Mozley & Whiteley, Law Dict., s.v. Murder, The deliberateness and wilfulness, or, as we prefer to call it, the intention, which constitutes the crime of murder.

  † 3.  Readiness of will, willingness, inclination.

1398.  Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XVIII. xxxix. (1495), cc v b/1. The wylfulnesse [of a horse] is know yf he is bolde of herte.

1408–9.  trans. Vegetius’ De Re Milit. (MS. Digby 233), lf. 185/1. Newe knyȝtes ben chosen not onlich by strengþe & myȝt of body bote also by lusti wilfulnesse to werre.

  † 4.  Liberty to do what one will; free will or choice; voluntary action. Obs.

c. 1460.  Sir R. Ros, La Belle Dame, 628. Falshode is so full of cursydnesse, That highe worschip may never haue enterprise Where hit rayneth, and hath the wylfulnysse.

1501.  in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm., App. I. 68. [The lands should be redeemable] be dissent or wilfulnes of the said Ihonne or William his fader.

1530.  Palsgr., 289/1. Wylfulnesse, uoluntairete.

1553.  Bradford, Serm. Repentance (1574), C ij b. Such workes as they neede not to do, but of their own voluntarines & wylfulnes (wylfulnes in deede).