Forbear v.

Pa. t. -bore, pa. pple. -borne. Forms: see FOR pref.¹ and BEAR v.; in pa. t. also rarely 5 forbored, 6 -beared. [OE. forberan (= OHG. far-, -fer-, forberan, MHG. verbern to restrain, abstain, Goth. frabairan to endure, support) see FOR- pref.¹ and BEAR v.]

  † 1.  trans. To bear, endure, submit to. Obs.

c. 1000.  Ælfric, Hom., in Grein-Wülcker, Prosa, III. 72.

c. 1386.  Chaucer, Merch. T., 937.

1570.  E. Elviden, Newyeres Gift, 304.

1585.  T. Washington, trans. Nicholay’s Voy. Turkie, IV. i. 114 b. Hunting to be a true exercise of thinges requisite for the discipline of warres, as being an argument & occasion to vse men to ryse betimes to forbeare heate and cold, hunger and thyrst, and to trauaile and run a long while.

  † 2.  To bear with, have patience with, put up with, tolerate. Obs. (but cf. sense 8).

c. 897.  K. Ælfred, Gregory’s Past., xxi. 151. Ðeah hit mon cuðlice wite, hit is to forberanne.

c. 1000.  Ags. Gosp., Matt. xvii. 17. Hu lange for-bere ic eow? bringeð hine to me hider.

c. 1175.  Lamb. Hom., 95. He … forbere monna hufelnesse þurh his liðnesse.

a. 1225.  Ancr. R., 218. Unðeawes, þet he er uorber ase he ham nout nuste.

1340.  Ayenb., 148. Þanne þe guode man and þe wyse bereþ and uorbereþ alneway þe foles and þe fieble.

1413.  Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton, 1483), III. vi. 54. The plente of his Grace, that hath the forborne.

1526–34.  Tindale, Rev. ii. 2. Thou cannest not forbeare them which are evyll.

1624.  Capt. Smith, Virginia, III. ix. 79. The cause I haue forborne your insolencies, is the promise I made you (before the God I serue) to be your friend, till you giue me iust cause to be your enemy.

1742.  Young, Nt. Th., ii. 606.

  † 3.  To bear up against, control (emotion or desire). Also refl. to control one’s feelings. Obs.

Beowulf, 1877 (Gr.). Þæt he þone breostwylm forberan ne mehte.

a. 1000.  Guthlac, 775 (Gr.).

c. 1230.  Hali Meid., 17. Onont ti fleschliche wil & ti licomes lust þat tu forberes her.

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 24427 (Cott.).

c. 1430.  Syr Gener. (Roxb.), 5005.

  † b.  absol. or intr. for refl.

c. 888.  K. Ælfred, Boeth., xxxvi. § 1. Hwa mæȝ forbæran þæt he þæt ne siofiȝe.

c. 1175.  Lamb. Hom., 15. Ne beo þu nefre ene wrað þer fore, ah forber for drihtenes luue.

1297.  R. Glouc. (1724), 526. The king ne miȝte tho uorbere, that he ne wep atte laste.

c. 1300.  Beket, 72.

  † 4.  To endure the absence or privation of; to dispense with, do without, spare (a person or thing). Obs.

c. 900.  trans. Bæda’s Hist., I. xvi. [xxvii.] (1890), 70. Forþon seo æftere cneoris, þe we forecwædon, alle gemete is to forbeorenne & to forlætenne.

c. 1330.  Assump. Virg. (BM. MS.), 59.

1469.  Paston Lett., No. 607, II. 348. Y^t lytyll [money] y^t I myght forbere of myne owne, I haue delyu^ryd to Dawbeney for howsold. Ibid. (1477), No. 787, III. 175. If Syme myght be forborn it wer well done that he war at Norwyche on Wednysday in the mornyng at markett.

1562.  Bulleyn, Bk. Simples, 30 a. He is the beste bonde slave in the common wealthe, and least can be forborne.

1667.  Milton, P. L., IX. 745.

  † b.  To give up, part with or from, lose. Obs.

13[?].  Coer de L., 419.

c. 1430.  Syr Gener. (Roxb.), 145.

1430.  Lydgate, Chronicle of Troy, I. vi.

1590.  Spenser, F. Q., II. i. 53. Whenas my wombe her burdein would forbeare.

  † c.  To avoid, shun; to keep away from or keep from interfering with; to leave alone. Obs.

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 14560 (Cott.).

c. 1386.  Chaucer, Knt’s T., 27.

c. 1470.  Henry the Minstrel, Wallace, I. 259. Scho … Forbure the gate for wachis that war thar.

1581.  Savile, Tacitus’ Hist., I. ii. Offices of honour likewise either to beare them, or forbeare them [was a capitall crime].

1598.  Yong, Diana, 220. Daughters forbeare vs a little, or else go walke vp and downe there, for I will not have you beare witnes to the loue that I have to impart to Parisiles.

1607.  Topsell, Four-f. Beasts 755. The beast it selfe liueth euermore in shadowy places, forbearing the sun except she be hunted, and catcheth small birds in secret.

1628.  Ford, The Lover’s Melancholy, III. ii. Tham. Forbeare the roome.

1673.  Temple, Observ. United Prov., Wks. 1731, I. 17. The People in the Country forbear the Market, so as not so much as Bread or Meat is to be bought in the Town.

  5.  To abstain or refrain from (some action or procedure); to cease, desist from.

c. 1200.  Trin. Coll. Hom., 39. Muneȝeð hem ofte unðewes to forberen and gode þeawes to folȝen.

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 3454 (Cott.).

c. 1425.  Seven Sag. (P.) 354.

1552.  Abp. Hamilton, Catech. (1884), 30. Forbeare the eting of swynis flesche.

1655.  Sir E. Nicholas, in The Nicholas Papers (Camden), II. 223. I liked so well their reasons, that I forebore pressing them further.

1722.  De Foe, Plague (1756), 51. All publick Assemblies at other Burials are to be forborn during the Continuance of this Visitation.

1810.  Scott, Lady of L., II. xxxiv. Madman, forbear your frantic jar!

1867.  Whittier, Our Master, iv. The strife of tongues forbear.

  6.  absol. and intr. To abstain, refrain. Const. to (also † but) with inf., also from, † for, † of.

c. 1375.  XI Pains Hell (Vernon), 110, in O. E. Misc., 226. To heere godus wordus þei han for-born.

c. 1400.  Rom. Rose, 4751.

c. 1449.  Pecock, Repr., I. xiv. 78. Therfore y must here therof abstene and forber.

1529.  More, Dyaloge, IV. Wks. 286/1. And in this wyse went we to supper, and on the morow forbare I to speake with hym til nere diner time.

1598.  Grenewey, Tacitus’ Ann., III. v. (1622), 72. L. Sulla the Dictator, the former lawes either abolished or changed: after he had added many unto them; forbare somtime for making any more.

1658.  W. Burton, Comment. Itin. Antoninus, 8. I cannot forbear but transcribe all of it hither.

1676.  Hobbes, Iliad, I. 400.

a. 1745.  Swift, Hen. I., Lett. 1768, IV. 278. To prevent their usual stratagem of retreating to their woods and mountains, and other fastnesses, he ordered the woods to be cut down, beset all their places of security, and hunting them like wild beasts, made so terrible a slaughter, that at length observing them to fling down their arms, and beg for quarter, he commanded his soldiers to forbear.

1751.  Johnson, Rambler, No. 159, 24 Sept., ¶ 6. Few have repented of having forborne to speak.

1787.  A. Hilditch, Rosa de Montmorien, I. xi. 140. They conversed best part of the night on the mysterious conduct of de Beaufort, whom Strickland could not forbear of accusing of unwarrantable caprice or duplicity.

1841.  Elphinstone, Hist. Ind., II. 315. He was not free from ambition; but as the countries he invaded had been formerly subject to Delhi, he would have incurred more blame than praise among his contemporaries if he had forborne from attempting to recover them.

1878.  B. Taylor, Deukalion, I. iv. Forbear! The knowledge must be mine alone.

1879.  M. Arnold, Falkland, Mixed Ess., 234. The lovers of Hampden cannot forbear to extol him at Falkland’s expense.

  † b.  Naut. (See quots.) Obs.

1627.  Capt. Smith, Sea Grammar, vi. 27. Forbeare is to hold still any oare you are commanded, or on the broad, or whole side.

1727–90.  Bailey, Forbear [Sea Term], a Word of Command in a Ship’s Boat.

  7.  trans. To refrain from using, uttering, mentioning, etc.; to withhold, keep back. † Formerly const. from, to, or dative.

1297.  R. Glouc. (Rolls), 1355. As þe truage to rome · þat non vorbore nere.

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 693 (Gött.).

c. 1430.  Lydg., Chichev. & Byc., in Dodsley, O. Pl., XII. 334.

1580.  Tusser, Husb., xiii. (1744), 36.

1590.  Marlowe, Edw. II., V. v.

a. 1619.  Fotherby, Atheom., I. ii. § 2 (1622), 11. Wee are forced to forbeare the strongest of our Authorities.

1676.  Hobbes, Iliad, I. 205.

1709.  Hearne, Collect., 4 April. Charlet could not forbear his Venom.

1725.  Pope, Odyss., I. 437.

1808.  Southey, in Lett. (1856), II. 115. You may repent a sarcasm,—you never can repent having forborne one.

1884.  Ruskin, Pleasures Eng., 16, note. Gibbon, in his 37th chapter, makes Ulphilas also an Arian, but might have forborne, with grace, his own definition of orthodoxy.

  b.  refl. To restrain oneself, refrain. rare.

1535.  Coverdale, Esther (Apocr.) xvi. 12. He coude not forbeare him self from his pryde.

1611.  Bible, 2 Chron. xxxv. 21. Forbeare thee from medling with God, who is with mee, that hee destroy thee not.

1852.  Miss Yonge, Cameos, I. vi. 42. ‘Yet,’ said Gyrtha, ‘if it be so, forbear thyself to fight. Either willingly or under force, thou art sworn to Duke William.’

1865.  Merivale, Rom. Emp. (1865), VIII. lxviii. 369–70. I have now reached the point at which the narrative of my great predecessor Gibbon commences, and much as I regret that the crisis should be unfolded to the English reader by one who, unhappy in his school and in his masters, in his moral views and spiritual training, approached it, with all his mighty powers, under a cloud of ignoble prejudices, I forbear myself from entering the lists in which he has long stalked alone and unchallenged.

  8.  To abstain from injuring, punishing, or giving way to resentment against (a person or thing); to spare, show mercy or indulgence to. Now rare. Cf. sense 2, to which this closely approaches.

1154.  O. E. Chron., an. 1137. Ouer sithon ne for-baren hi nouther circe ne cyrceiærd.

c. 1275.  Serm. (Cott.), in O. E. Misc., 188.

1393.  Langl., P. Pl., C. IV. 430. He … For-bar hym and hus beste bestes.

c. 1470.  Henry the Minstrel, Wallace, I. 169.

1513.  More, in Grafton, Chron. (1568), II. 765. His maister gave him in charge not to forbeare his rest.

a. 1533.  Ld. Berners, Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546), Q v b. The quycke fire doth not forbeare the wod be it wette or drye.

1606.  Bryskett, Civ. Life, 27. I craue to be forborne in this your request, since any discourse, that I might make thus on the sudden in such a subject, would be but simple, and little to your satisfactions.

1618.  Raleigh, in Four C. Eng. Lett., 37. I forbare all partes of the Spanish Indies, wherin I might have taken twentye of their townes on the sea cost.

1665.  Sir T. Roe’s Voy. E. Ind., 438. That scruple they make in forbearing the lives of the Creatures made for men’s use, shews how that they have their dwelling in the dark.

1745.  De Foe’s Eng. Tradesm. (1841), I. xiv. 125. He knows the circumstances of the debtors, and how best to manage them; he knows whom he may best push at, and whom best forbear.

1855.  Milman, Lat. Chr. (1864), V. IX. vii. 357. It was manifestly the divine judgement, that those who had so long been forborne in mercy, and had been so often admonished not only by former Popes, but by Innocent himself, to return to the unity of the Church, and to send succours to the Holy Land, should forfeit both their place and their territory to those who were in the unity of the Church, and sworn to deliver the sepulchre of Christ.

1887.  Bowen, Virg. Eclog., x. 50.

  † b.  Const. of (a thing). Obs.

c. 1275.  The Passion of our Lord, 158, in O. E. Misc., 41.

1529.  More, A Dialoge of Comfort against Tribulacion, II. Wks. 1194/1. He woulde praye God to forbeare him of the remenaunt.

  c.  intr. (or absol.) To be patient or forbearing; to show forbearance. Const. with.

  The proverbial phrase to bear and forbear, now taken in this sense, was orig. trans.: see quot. 1340 in sense 2.

1591.  Shaks., Two Gent., V. iv. 27. Loue, lend me patience to forbeare a while.

1683.  Apol. Prot. France, v. 66. He forbore beyond all Patience. Whilst he had hopes by other means to advantage the Churches: he sought not to do it by force of Arms, till he had been made the Instrument and Mediator of the last Peace, upon very hard terms.

1725.  Pope, Odyss., II. 247.

1782.  Cowper, Mutual Forbearance, 37.

1826.  E. Irving, Babylon, II. 363. He forebore with Austria, in order to unite himself with the ancient line of the Cæsars.

1842.  Tennyson, Two Voices, 217.

1852.  Mrs. Stowe, Uncle Tom’s C., xv. Though she regarded Augustine as very much of a heathen, yet she loved him, laughed at his jokes, and forbore with his failings, to an extent which those who knew him thought perfectly incredible.

  9.  trans. To refrain from enforcing, pressing, or demanding; not to urge, press, insist on, or exact. Sometimes with double obj. Now rare. † Also intr. with of.

1570.  Abp. Parker, Corresp. (1853), 374. I see them in such extreme poverty, that, of pure conscience, I am driven to forbear of my ancient rights to ease them of their burthens, for the better maintenance of Christ’s holy religion.

1583.  Whitgift, Lett., in Fuller, Ch. Hist., IX. v. § 9. Desiring your Lordships to take this my answer in good part, and to forbear my comming thither in respect of this advantage that may be taken thereof by these wayward persons, I beseech Almighty God long to prosper you.

1633.  Ford, ’Tis Pity, III. ii. Since you are a nobleman, and one I would not wish should spend his youth in hopes, let me advise you here to forbear your suit.

1643.  Prynne, Sov. Power Parl., II. 20. Giving expresse sentencetThat all the Acts of Oxenford, should from thenceforth be utterly forborne and annulled.

1649.  Evelyn, Mem. (1857), III. 49. I shall write very abruptly to you, as also to my lady, for which I desire you to forbear my reasons, till the next return.

1756.  Johnson, Life K. of Prussia, Wks. (1787), IV. 542. That acquiescence supposes also some reason, perhaps now unknown, for which the claim was forborn.

1858.  Carlyle, Fredk. Gt. (1865), I. III. v. 170. And the Corpus-Christi idolatries were forborne the Margraf and his company this time.

  b.  esp. To abstain from enforcing the payment of (money) after it has become due. Now rare.

1570.  Act 13 Eliz., c. 8 § 5. Any Money so to be lent or forborn.

1664.  W. Haig, in J. Russell, Haigs, x. (1881), 273. Because I know thou cannot answer money at present, I can have a friend here that will do it upon reasonable terms, and will forbear it a year and a half, and some more, if thou requires it.

1674.  Jeake, A Compleat Body of Arithmetick (1696), 577. If an Annuity be forborn, the Paiments increase as well as the Interest.

1827.  Hutton, Course Math., I. 129. The money lent, or forborn, is called the Principal.

1845.  Stephen, Comm. Laws Eng. (1874), II. 161. He is set free from all debts and liabilities whatever which are proveable under the bankruptcy—save only such as were incurred or forborne by means of fraud [etc.].

  absol.  1856.  Bouvier, Law Dict., s.v. When the creditor agrees to forbear with his debtor, this is sufficient consideration to support an assumpsit made by the debtor.