Now rare. [f. FRAIL a. + -NESS.] The quality of being frail; liability to be broken or destroyed, fragility; lack of permanence; weakness, physical or mental; moral weakness, inability to resist temptation.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 25337 (Cott. Galba). Thurgh frelnes of oure fless.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Boeth., IV. pr. ii. 87 (Camb. MS.). Yif thou knowe clerly the frelenesse of yuel, the stidefastnesse of good is knowen.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Sel. Wks., III. 405. As philosoferes seyn, hardenesse and sofftenesse [of bre(a)d], freelnesse and towghnesse, with soche qualytees, may nowþer qualite ne quantite sogetten.
1447. Bokenham, Seyntys (Roxb.), 195.
| In a uergyn pure | |
| The freelnesse took of oure nature. |
c. 1450. Cov. Myst. (Shaks. Soc.), 108. Ǹe must consyder the frelnes of mankende.
1509. Barclay, Shyp of Folys (1570), 236. Let hir [fortune] passe and hir fraylenes defye.
1535. Coverdale, Rom. xv. 1. We that are stronge ought to beare ye fraylnesse of them which are weake, and not to stonde in oure awne consaytes.
1545. Richmond Wills (Surtees), 55. Consyderyng and knawyng the mutabilitie and unstablenes of this transytory warlde, and that after mannes fraylnes of condycons deyth to every creatour is certan.
1687. J. Norris, Misc., Of Courage, 166. There is nothing among all the frailnesses and uncertaintys of this sublunary world so tottering and unstable, as the vertue of a Coward.
1871. Browning, Balaustion, 160. Pity for the frailness found in flesh.
1882. C. A. Davis, in Spurgeon, Treas. Dav., Ps. cxix. 81–8. In the depression arising from mortal frailness, and from unjust persecution, the word of God is the source of joy and comfort.
