a.; rare in mod. use. Also 7 faceit. [ad. L. facēt-us graceful, pleasing, witty. Cf. OF. facet.]
1. = FACETIOUS, arch.
1603. Holland, Plutarch’s Mor., 662. Pleasant demaunds and facete jests.
1621–51. Burton, Anat. Mel., I. ii. IV. iv. Lodovicus Suessanus a facete companion, disswaded him to the contrary.
1651–3. Jer. Taylor, Serm. for Year (1850), 292. If a facete discourse, and an amicable friendly mirth, can refresh the spirit, and take it off from the vile temptations of peevish, despairing, uncomplying melancholy, it must needs be innocent and commendable.
1691. Wood, Athenæ Oxonienses, I. 259. He [John Case] was a man of an innocent, meek, religious, and a studious Life, of a facete and affable countenance, a lover of Scholars, beloved by them again, and had in high veneration.
1762. Sterne, Tr. Shandy, VI. v. I will have him … cheerful, facete, jovial.
1830. trans. Aristophanes’ The Acharnians, 34 Dic. By Jove! these two hogs are facete ones!
1863. Sala, Capt. Dangerous, II. ix. 310. Such a Ruffian as he undoubtedly was could maintain an appearance of a facete disposition to the last.
b. absol.
1807–8. Syd. Smith, Plymley’s Letters, Wks. (1859), II. 162/1. If he would … consider the facete and the playful to be the basis of his character, he would for that species of man, be universally regarded as a person of a very good understanding.
1828. Blackw. Mag., XXIV., Aug., 257 One or two attempts at raillery and the facete are indeed deplorable.
† 2. After Latin usage: Elegant, graceful, polished. Obs.
a. 1635. Naunton, Fragmenta Regalia (Arb.), 29. Leicester … was much the more facete Courtier. Ibid., 56. He [Buckhurst] was so facete and choice in his phrase and stile.
1662. E. Bagshaw, in Acc. Baxter’s Suspension 45. A man … of so Elegant and Facete a Style.
Hence † Facetely adv. Obs., in a witty or humorous manner, pleasantly. † Faceteness, the quality of being witty or humorous; ‘wit, pleasant representation’ (J.).
1619. N. Brent, trans. Sarpi’s The Historie of the Councel of Trent, i. (1629), 72. That which facetely was spoken by Erasmus, that Luther beeing poore and base, maketh rich, and aduanceth many.
1621. Burton, Anat. Mel., III. ii. II. ii. 558. As Iames Lernutius hath facetely expressed in an elegant Ode.
1636. Featley, Clavis Myst., xxviii. 361. Poole facetely excused the matter.
a. 1656. Hales, Golden Remains (1688), 170. Parables do not only by their plainness open the understanding, but they work upon the affections, and breed delight of hearing, by reason of that faceteness and wittiness which is many times found in them, by which they insinuate themselves, and creep in to us.
