Obs. rare. Also 4 spense. [Substituted for SPENCER sb.1, after prec.] A steward.

1

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 28740. For quat [need] es þat spense [v.r. spenser] mai be Nithing þar þe lauerd es fre.

2

c. 1325.  Metr. Hom., 165. Hir spense [v.r. spensar] knew hir fleysleye.

3

a. 1568.  Henryson’s Twa Myss, xix. in Bannatyne MS. (Hunter. Cl.), 963. The spense come in, with keis in his hand.

4

1644.  Digby, Nat. Soul, ii. § 3. 367. In the scripture we meete with these wordes, the judge of vniustice, the spence of wickednesse, the man of sinne,… which in our phrase of speaking, do signify an vniust iudge, a wicked spence, and a sinnefull … man.

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