Forms: 4–6 spiritualte(e, 5 -allte, speritwalte, spyryt-, 6 spyritualte; 5 spyryt-, spirituelte(e; 4–7 spiritualtie, 5– spiritualty (6 -tye). [ad. OF. espirit-, esperituaulté, spiritualté, etc.: see SPIRITUAL a. and cf. SPIRITUALITY.]
† 1. The quality or state of being spiritual; spiritual character; = SPIRITUALITY 3. Obs.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. V. 148. Þus þei speken of spirituale þat eyther despiseth other, Til þei be bothe beggers and by my spiritualte libben.
c. 1420. Aunturs of Arth., xx. These ar the gracius giftus of the Holi Gost, That enspires iche sprete…. Off this spirituallte speke we no more.
1421. 26 Pol. Poems, xviii. 8. In brennyng contemplacion, Þe hiȝest lyf of spiritualte.
a. 1500[?]. Chester Pl., IX. 166. In tokening of thy dignitie and that office of Spiritualty, receave … deuoutly myne offring.
† b. = HOLINESS sb. 2. Obs.–1
1613–8. Daniel, Coll. Hist. Eng. (1621), 168. The King of France whom he had excommunicated…, shortly after so wrought, as his Spiritualty was surprized at Anagne.
2. † a. = SPIRITUALITY 2. Obs.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 276. So þat alle clerkis lyue clenly on spiritualte, as crist & his apostlis deden.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), VII. 335. Kyng William … rulede boþe temperalte and spiritualte [L. secularia et ecclesiastica] at his owne wille.
c. 1400. Maundev. (Roxb.), iii. 10. He es þare lorde bathe of temperaltee and of spiritualtee.
1700. [see TEMPORALTY 1].
1709. Strype, Ann. Ref., I. xxv. 245. Keeper of the spiritualty of the city and diocese of Bristol.
b. pl. = SPIRITUALITY 2 b. Now Hist.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 369. Siþ þai han now þe more part of þe temporal lordeschips, and wiþ þat þe spiritualtees and þe greete mouable tresouris of þe rewme.
1531–2. Act 23 Hen. VIII., c. 20 § 2. Bysshopes … shall … entyerly have and enjoye all the spiritualties and temporalties … in … beneficiall maner.
1570. Act 13 Eliz., c. 12 § 1. The Bysshop or Gardian of the Spyritualties of some one Diocesse where he hath … Ecclesiastical Lyving.
1607. Cowell, Interpr., s.v. Gardeyn, The guardeyn of the spiritualties, may be either Guardeyn in lawe,… or guardian by delegation.
1726. Ayliffe, Parergon, 125. Of Common Right, the Dean and Chapter are Guardians of the Spiritualties, during the Vacancy of a Bishoprick.
1763. Burn, Eccles. Law (1767), I. 202. Spiritualties of bishopricks in the time of vacation.
1835. Tomlins, Law Dict., s.v. Guardian.
1912. Eng. Hist. Rev., XXVII. Oct., 768. We obtain, in the first place, a complete list of the valuable rights which they possessed, of the temporalties and spiritualties belonging to a parish church.
3. The body of spiritul or ecclesiastical persons; the spiritual estate of the realm; the clergy; = SPIRITUALITY 1.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 3100. Ho tentit not in Tempull to no tall prayers,… Ne speche of no spiritualtie, with speciall ne other.
c. 1450. Lovelich, Grail, xlviii. 218. Axeth hem … what maner of men that they welen be, Owther wedded men, owther speritwalte.
1482. Caxton, Polychronicon, VIII. xi. 405. As for the temporalytees beynge in the handes of the spirituelte.
1529. More, Dyaloge, III. Wks. 225/1. So dare I boldly say that the spiritualtie of Englande … is in learning and honest liuing well able to matche … the spiritualtie of anye nacion christen.
1579. Fenton, Guicciard., III. (1599), 143. The diuision being no lesse amongst the spiritualtie then the layetie.
1641. Milton, Ch. Discipl., II. 86. The boistrous and contradictional hand of a temporall, earthly and corporeal Spiritualty.
1699. Burnet, 39 Art., xxxvii. 384. The Synods … were for the greatest part mixt Assemblies, in which the Temporalty and the Spiritualty sate together.
1849. W. Fitzgerald, trans. Whitaker’s Disput., 248. He says all, not merely the learned, or the bishops, or the spiritualty.
1856. Froude, Hist. Eng. (1858), I. iii. 248. The spiritually defended themselves by prescription and usage.
1878. Stubbs, Const. Hist., III. xix. 290. We may regard the spiritualty of England, the clergy or clerical estate, as a body completely organised.
† b. A body or set of ecclesiastics or clergy. Obs.
1513. Life Hen. V. (1911), 184. And all the saide spiritualtie, singinge the offices accustomed in like case, conueyed the saide corps [etc.].
1545. Joye, Exp. Dan., v. I v. Then the kynge cried commanding his spiritualtye, his wyse men, enchaunters,… to be brought unto him.
1624. Bedell, Lett., iii. 68. We learne that no earthly power, no Magistrate is a spirituall man, vnlesse hee bee one of the Popes spiritualtie.
1653. Milton, Hirelings, Pref. A spiritualtie of men devoted to their temporal gain.
† 4. pl. Ecclesiastical ground or precincts. Obs.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, XVII. xxiii. 724. Bors lete bery hym by his syster and by Galahad in the spyrytueltees.
