v. [f. FORE- pref. + LAY v.] 1. trans. To lie in wait for, waylay. Obs. exc. dial.
1548. Hall, Chron., Hen. IV., Introd. 9. He was forelayed and taken and brought to the Duke, which sent hym secretly to the Towre of London.
1603. Holland, Plutarch’s Mor., 667. For feare (quoth he) that I be forlaied by the way, and rifled by him, who enjoined me to carrie a talent of silver at my backe.
1700. Dryden, Palamon & Arcite, I. 492.
| A Serpent shoots his Sting at unaware; | |
| An ambush’d Thief forelays a Traveller. |
1887. Kentish Gloss., Fore-lay, to waylay.
† b. To lie in ambush about or near (a place).
1563. Golding, Cæsar (1565), 80 b. Hys enemye might both raunge abroad at pleasure and also forlay the wayes, & yet leaue sufficient defence in hys camp besydes.
1611. Speed, Hist. Gt. Brit., VI. lii. (1632), 180. Eugenium and Arbogastes his [Theodosius’] opposites had forelaid the country, and hemmed him about in such a strait, that no victuals could bee brought vnto his Campe.
1683. Brit. Spec., 106. They had forelaid the Passages by land.
c. fig. To lay obstacles in the way of; to plot or take action against; to embarrass, frustrate, hinder, interfere with. Now rare.
1571. Golding, Calvin on Ps. v. 11. The Lord … forlayeth their craftynesse.
1611. Drayton, Poly-olb., iv. 58.
| Then Ebwith, and with her slides Srowy; which forelay | |
| Her progresse, and for Vske keepe entrance to the Sea. |
1612–5. Bp. Hall, Contempl., O. T., XX. ix. How cunningly doth he forelay their confidence, which was only left them, in the Almighty.
1697. Dryden, Virgil, XI. 781.
| With chosen Foot his Passage to forelay, | |
| And place an Ambush in the winding way. |
1832. John Bree, Saint Herbert’s Isle, II. v.
| As though she would her own sweet peace forelay, | |
| Nor wished th’ insidious canker’s silent steps to stay. |
2. To lay down or plan beforehand; to pre-arrange; with both material and immaterial objs. Obs. exc. dial.
1605. Daniel, Trag. Philotas, III. iii., Wks. (1718), 350.
| That what Way ever the Suspected take, | |
| Still Envy will most cunningly forelay | |
| The Ambush of their Ruin, or will make | |
| Their Humours of themselves to take that Way. |
a. 1619. F. Davison, Poet. Rhapsody (1826), II. 361.
| My harmless feet can walk no way, | |
| But privy snares my foes fore-lay. |
1643. [Angier], Lanc. Vall. Achor, 1. The wise God (resolved to raise a double glorious work in this forlorne Countrie of ruine to the evil, and of rest to the good) forelaid a double foundation, of sin in the enemy, and humiliation in his people.
a. 1716. South, Serm. (1744), XI. 252. He [God] resembles an excellent artificer, who in all his works of art has forelaid in his mind a perfect model of his intended fabric, before ever he sets the first hand to it.
1815. Mr. John Decastro, I. 28. Thus the ground was forelaid for great rejoicings when Mr. Decastro’s foot should slip.
1876. in Whitby Gloss.
Hence Forelaid ppl. a.; Forelaying vbl. sb.
1600. Holland, Livy, V. xxviii. (1609), 199. In the morning betimes the day light shewed them that followed apace on every side, that there was no feare of ambushments and forelayings.
1640. Ld. J. Digby, Sp., in Ho. Com., 9 Nov., 8. I levell at no man with a forelayd designe, let the faults and those well proved leade us to the men.
1643. Sir T. Browne, Relig. Med., I. § 16. God is like a skilful Geometrician, who, when more easily and with one stroak of his Compass he might describe or divide a right line, had yet rather do this in a circle or longer way, according to the constituted and fore-laid principles of his Art.
1815. Mr. John Decastro, I. 141. Thus far by way of protasis to the matter, that is to say, the forelaying of the ground: the epitasis thereof, that is to say the bustle, comes next.
