Forms: 4–7 laude, 6–7 lawd(e, 6– laud. [a. OF. laude, ad. L. laud-em, laus praise.]
1. Praise, high commendation. Also † in laud of, honour and laud, laud and glory (honour, thanks); † to give laud. Now rare exc. in hymns.
c. 1384. Chaucer, H. Fame, III. 232. Pursevantes and herauldes That crien ryche folkes laudes. Ibid. (c. 1386), Prioress’ T., 8. In laude … Of thee … To telle a storie I wol do my labour. Ibid., Friar’s T., 55. He was, if I shal yeven him his laude, A theef, and eek a somnour, and a baude.
a. 1470. Tiptoft, Cæsar, iv. (1530), 5. That the enterpryce myght be to the lawd and profyte of his legion.
1494. Fabyan, Chron., V. cxviii. 94. To hym that laude & thankys shulde be geuen vnto.
1509. Hawes, Past. Pleas., XXXVI. (Percy Soc.), 187. To the laude and glory Of wyse dame Pallas it was so edified.
1552. Lyndesay, Monarche, 4125. Onely to God be laude and glore.
1593. Q. Eliz., Boeth., III. pr. vi. 53. They that falsely be praised, needs must they blush at their own laude.
1622. Bacon, Hen. VII., 106. For which this Assembly and all Christians are to render laud and thankes unto God.
1640. Gent, Knave in Gr., II. i. E b. So well, as Æsop could discharge his scene, whereby he won most laud.
1725. Pope, Odyss., XIV. 442. Great laud and praise were mine … for spotless faith divine.
1819. T. Jefferson, Autobiog., App., Wks. 1859, I. 117. We willingly cede to her the laud of having … been … ‘the cradle of sound principles.’
1849. Longf., Kavanagh, xvii. Prose Wks. 1886, II. 346. Sibylline leaves … in laud and exaltation of her modest relative.
1858. Neale, Bernard de M. (1865), 27. His laud and benediction Thy ransomed people raise.
1879. Dixon, Windsor, II. xxiv. 250. His chief employment being the laud of his dead love.
b. A cause or subject for praise. rare.
1562. Rolland, Crt. Venus, II. 351. It was na laude, nor ȝit Humanitie On sic ane wicht to schaw thame villanous.
1890. J. H. Stirling, Gifford Lect., xiv. 278. That is not a fault: that is rather a laud.
† c. ? Praiseworthiness. Obs.
1576. Gascoigne, Compl. Philomene (Arb.), 94. And by the lawde of his pretence His lewdnesse was acquit.
2. pl. The first of the day-hours of the Church, the Psalms of which always end with Pss. cxlviii–cl, sung as one psalm and technically called laudes.
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter lxii. 1. Þis salme is ay songen in þe lauds.
a. 1400. Prymer (1891), 88. Here begynneth laudes.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., xiii. 180. Sir, this same day at morne I thaym left in the corne, When they rang lawdys.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 251. Meditacyons at the laudes, vnto the ende of matyns, diuided accordyng to euery psalme.
a. 1711. Ken, Hymns Festiv., Poet. Wks. 1721, I. 20. The Evening Lamb … Was by the hallow’d Fire but half-consum’d, When Mary rose to Lauds.
1805. Scott, Last Minstrel, I. xxxi. Now midnight lauds were in Melrose sung.
1843. M. Pattison, Diary, in Mem. (1885), 190. At 6 went to Matins, which with Lauds and Prime take about an hour and a half.
transf. 1509. Hawes, Past. Pleas., XXXIII. (Percy Soc.), 169. The lytle byrdes swetely dyd syng Laudes to their maker early in the mornyng.
1577. Vallans, T. Two Swannes, in Leland’s Itin. (1759), V. p. viii. The merrie Nightingale … Ringes out all night the never ceasing laudes Of God.
1659. Hammond, On Ps. lix. 16 Paraphr. 300. To make this the matter of my daily morning lauds.
3. A hymn or ascription of praise.
1530. Palsgr., 237/2. Laude a prayse, laude.
1604. Shaks., Ham., IV. vii. 178 (2nd Qo.). Which time she chaunted snatches of old laudes.
1657. Sparrow, Bk. Com. Prayer, 247. So was it of old ordained … that the Lauds or Praises should be said … immediately after the Gospel.
1737. Waterland, Eucharist, 49. The Christians offered up Spiritual Sacrifices, Prayers and Lauds.
1877. Symonds, Renaiss. Italy, II. 320. An author of devotional lauds [= It. laude] and mystery plays.
