a. Also 7 fairspoke. a. Of persons: Gifted with fair speech; courteous, pleasant; smooth-tongued.
1460. Capgrave, Chron. (Rolls), 81. He [Valentinian] was trew of condicion, fayre of visage, sotille of witte, fayre-spokyn; but he spak but seldam.
1530. Palsgr., 312/1. Fayre spoken … bien en laugaige.
1597. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., V. (1617), 266. Arius a Priest in the Church of Alexandria, a suttle-witted, and a marvellous fair-spoken man, but discontented, that one should be placed before him in honor, whose superior he thought himself in desert, became through envy and stomack, prone unto contradiction, and hold to broach at the length, that Heresie wherein the Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, contained.
1647. Hammond, Serm., Christian’s Oblig. Peace (1649), 7. Fair-spoken sword-men … whose words are softer than butter.
1665. Dryden, Ind. Emperor, II. i.
| Kalib, ascend, my fair-spoke Servant rise, | |
| And sooth my Heart with pleasing Prophecies. |
1828. Landor, Imag. Conv., III. 473. He was so good-natured and fairspoken both to high and low, that—God forgive me!—but I think him as worthy as the best of saints.
b. Of words: Bland, civil.
1649. Milton, Eikon., Preface. But if these his faire spok’n words shall be heer fairely confronted and laid parallel to his own farr differing deeds, manifest and visible to the whole Nation, then surely we may look on them who notwithstanding shall persist to give to bare words more credit then to op’n deeds.
