Pl. stories. Forms: 3–7 storie, 4 Sc. stoury, 4–5 store, 4–6 stori, 5–7 storye, 5 stoory, 4– story. Pl. 4 storis, storijs, -yss(e, 4–5 storys, -yies, stor(r)ius, 4–7 storyes, 6 storeis, storyis, 4– stories. [a. AF. estorie (OF. estoire, later in semi-learned form histoire):—L. historia: see HISTORY, Cf. It. and med.L. storia.]
I. † 1. A narrative, true or presumed to be true, relating to important events and celebrated persons of a more or less remote past; a historical relation or anecdote. Obs.
In early use the most frequent application was to passages of Bible history and legends of saints. In quot. 1303, although the possessive denotes authorship, the sb. prob. retains the general sense.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 154. Me schal, leoue sustren, tellen ou þeos storie [v.r. storien] uor hit were to long to writen ham here.
a. 1300. Havelok, 1641. Þat sholen ye forthward ful wel leren [MS. heren], Yif þat ye wile þe storie heren.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 3410. Now es god at vnder tak Þe store tell of ysaac.
1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 11452. She chese þat vertu, oure lady, So seyþ magnificat, here owne storye [Fr. En Magnificat qe ele feseit].
1320–30. Horn Ch., 4. Stories ye may lere Of our elders that were Whilom in this land.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Sel. Wks., I. 71. A storye of Joon Baptiste.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Prol., 709. He was in chirche a noble ecclesiaste, Wel koude he rede a lesson or a storie But alderbest he song an Offertorie.
c. 1400. Maundev. (Roxb.), ii. 6. As þe story of Noe beres witness.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 5. Whan they here the precher … reherse ony fygures or storyes of the lawe of Moyses.
1559. Mirr. Mag., Richard Earl of Camb., Introd. By that this was ended, I had found out the storie of Richard earle of Cambridge.
1621. Burton, Anat. Mel., III. iii. III. (1624), 480. Paulus Æmilius … hath a Tragicall story of Chilpericus the first his death.
a. 1628. Preston, Breastpl. Love (1631), 152. David had many great infirmities, as we see in the whole story, the whole relation of his life.
1642. Jer. Taylor, Episc. (1647), 25. So they being sent forth by the holy Ghost, departed into Seleucia. This is the story, now let us make our best on’t.
† b. Clerk of the Stories: Petrus Comestor, the author of the Historia Scholastica. Also Master in or of the Stories: see MASTER sb. 12 b.
1362. Langl., P. Pl., B. VII. 73. Catoun kenneth men þus and þe clerke of þe stories.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), I. 65. Þe Maister of the stories sayth. [1450 Harl. transl., ibid., After the Maister in storyes.]
† c. A historical incident. Obs.
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., II. xiii. 225. Euereither of these stories were doon eer eny lawe was ȝouun to the Iewis.
† 2. A historical work, a book of history. Obs.
13[?]. Coer de L., 4852. And as I fynde in hys story, He seygh come St. George, the knyght, Upon a stede good and lyght.
1338. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 51. A thousand was þe date & sex & þritty, Whan Knoute kyng died, so sais þe story.
1340–70. Alex. & Dind., 467. We raiken to oure romancus & reden þe storrius Þat oure eldrene on erþe or þis time wroute.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), I. 297. Herodotus þe writer of stories. Ibid., II. 7. This Britayne is acounted an holy lond bothe in oure stories and also in stories of Grees.
c. 1440. Generydes, 3481. Generides his swarde toke in his hande, Claryet it hight, the store tellith me so.
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., III. xii. 351. Ech fundamental storie speking of this said voice seith and storieth, that [etc.].
1574. Whitgift, Def. Aunsw., II. 98. And yet in lawfull matters, not expressed in the Scriptures, I know not to whome we should resorte to know the vse and antiquitie of them, but to the Councels, stories, and doctors.
1634. Peacham, Compl. Gentl., xv. (1906), 186. Ordericus Vitalis the Monke, in his Normane Story saith.
1684–5. South, Serm. (1715), I. 304. Examples of this, we have both in Holy Writ, and also in other Stories.
1708. Chamberlayne, St. Gt. Brit., I. III. x. (1743), 220. Records of this Nation, without which no Story of the Nation can be written or proved.
1756. Amory, Buncle (1825), I. i. 17. When I had done with antient history, I sat down to the best modern stories I could get, and read of distant nations.
† 3. In generalized sense: Historical writing or records; history as a branch of knowledge, or as opposed to fiction. Also, the events recorded or proper to be recorded by historians: = HISTORY sb. 4 c. Obs.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 7038. In grece þan regned Preamus As ald stori telles vs.
13[?]. K. Alis., 670 (Laud MS.). Þis is nouȝth romaunce of skof, Ac storye ymade of maistres wyse.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), II. 345. Verrey storie [L. vera historia] seiþ þat Saturnus þe fader and Iupiter þe sone hadde tweie kingdomes [etc.].
c. 1430. Lydg., Min. Poems (Percy Soc.), 85. The chieldren of Seth in story ye may se, Flowryng in vertu by longe successiouns.
1568. Abp. Parker, Lett., 4 July, Corr. (1853), 328. In story it is reported that the prince of the realm by right is not Dominus Hiberniæ, but Rex Hiberniæ.
1570–6. Lambarde, Peramb. Kent (1826), 89. I will shewe you out of Beda and others the content and storie of this Ile.
1611. Bible, Transl. Pref., ¶ 1. As many as know story, or haue any experience.
1612. Selden, Illustr. Drayton’s Poly-olb., XI. 379. As Robert of Glocester, according to truth of Story hath it.
a. 1626. Bacon, Sp. Speaker’s Excuse, Wks. 1778, II. 242. This is no part of a panegyric, but merely story.
1644. Milton, Areop. (Arb.), 54. Who is so unread or so uncatechis’d in story, that hath not heard of many sects refusing hooks as a hindrance.
1647. Ward, Simple Cobler (1843), 2. Those that are acquainted with Story know.
1666. Dryden, Ann. Mirab., Pref., ¶ 1. The destruction being so swift … as nothing can parallel in Story.
1692. Prior, Ode Imit. Hor., xii. ’Tis no Poet’s Thought, no flight of Youth, But solid Story, and severest Truth.
1728. Morgan, Algiers, I. iv. 93. Have we not any Instances in Story of some such-like Deportment practised by politer and more refined Nations?
1768. H. Walpole, Hist. Doubts, 20. With every intention of vindicating Richard, he does but authenticate his crimes, by searching in other story for parallel instances of what he calls policy.
4. A recital of events that have or are alleged to have happened; a series of events that are or might be narrated.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, I. 1. Storys to rede ar delitabill, Suppos that thai be nocht bot fabill: Than suld storyss that suthfast wer,… Hawe doubill plesance in heryng.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 419. Ouyd, Þat feynit in his fablis & other fele stories.
1594. Shaks., Rich. III., IV. iii. 8. Dighton and Forrest, whom I did suborne To do this peece of ruthfull Butchery,… Wept like to Children, in their deaths sad Story.
1602. trans. Guarini’s Pastor Fido, V. 1. N 3 b. But twilbe too Too troublesome to tell the storie of my life.
1653. Ld. Vaux, trans. Godeau’s St. Paul, 44. But to understand this better, tis necessary we take the course of this Story a little higher.
1667. Milton, P. L., VII. 51. He with his consorted Eve The storie heard attentive.
1725. Pope, Odyss., XXIII. 324. Intent he hears Penelope disclose A mournful story of domestic woes.
1796. H. Hunter, trans. St.-Pierre’s Stud. Nat. (1799), II. 247. I shall give this story in the simplicity of style of the old Translator of Pliny.
1843. Prescott, Mexico, VI. viii. (1864), 407. The whole story has the air of fable, rather than of history!
1862. Miss Braddon, Lady Audley, xxxvii. He told the story of George’s disappearance, and of his own doubts and fears.
1883. Tylor, in Encycl. Brit., XV. 199/1. Among the magi the interpretation of dreams was practised, as appears from the story of the birth of Cyrus.
b. transf.
1611. Beaum. & Fl., Philaster, III. i. How that foolish man, That reads the story of a womans face, And dies believing it, is lost for ever.
1828. Duppa, Trav. Italy, etc. 3. His [Raffaello’s] great and commanding excellence is in … the art of telling a story with such appropriate feeling and expression, as no other artist ever yet approached.
1849. Ruskin, Seven Lamps, vi. § 7. 169. Better the rudest work that tells a story or records a fact, than the richest without meaning.
† c. Purport, meaning conveyed. Obs.
1340–70. Alex. & Dind., 609. Ȝe ne vndurstonde nouht þat stounde þe storie of þis wordus, Þat god hereþ no gome but for his goode dedus, & for no bestene blod.
1399. Langl., Rich. Redeles, Prol. 82. Þe story is of non estate þat stryuen with her lustus, But þo þat ffolwyn her fflessh.
d. With possessive: A person’s account of the events of his life or some portion of it.
1604. Shaks., Oth., I. iii. 165. She … bad me, if I had a Friend that lou’d her, I should but teach him how to tell my Story, And that would wooe her.
1663. Tuke, Adv. Five Hours, I. 4. Let’s tell our Stories, that we soon shall see, Which of us two excells in Misery.
1667. Milton, P. L., VIII. 522. Thus have I told thee all my State, and brought My Storie to the sum of earthly bliss Which I enjoy.
1797. [Frere & Canning], Knife-grinder, in Anti-Jacobin, No. 2. 15/2. As soon as you have told your Pitiful story.
1818. Scott, Hrt. Midl., xlvi. ‘Ye maun gang up wi’ me to the Lodge, Effie,’ said Jeanie, ‘and tell me a’ your story.’
1894. B. Thomson, South Sea Yarns, 81. And then she told him her whole story.
e. With possessive or followed by of: The series of events in the life of a person or the past existence of a thing, country, institution, etc., considered as narrated or as a subject for narration.
Originally = HISTORY 4 b; but in modern use (from association with sense 5) implying that the course of events referred to has the kind of interest which it is the aim of fiction to create. (So often in titles of books.)
a. 1700. Evelyn, Diary, 6 Sept. 1676. The famous beauty and errant lady the Dutchesse of Mazarine (all the world knows her storie).
1711. Swift, Cond. Allies, 65. The Prudence, Courage and Firmness of Her Majesty … would, if the Particulars were truly related, make a very shining Part in Her Story.
1712. Addison, Hymn, in Spect., No. 465. The Moon … nightly … Repeats the Story of her Birth.
1734. trans. Rollin’s Anc. Hist. (1827), II. III. 161. Several other Kings of Babylon with whose story we are entirely unacquainted.
1878. Herford (title), The Story of Religion in England.
1885. L. Oliphant, Sympneumata, 135. The story of woman upon earth has been different from the beginning to that of man.
1888. E. Clodd (title), The Story of Creation.
1898. ‘H. S. Merriman,’ Roden’s Corner, i. 10. Many objects in the room had a story, had been in the daily use of hands long since vanished.
1910. J. McCabe, Prehist. Man, i. 14. If we take the entire story of the stratified rocks to extend to over 55 million years.
5. A narrative of real or, more usually, fictitious events, designed for the entertainment of the hearer or reader; a series of traditional or imaginary incidents forming the matter of such a narrative; a tale.
Often applied more or less spec. to a tale told to children, a nursery tale, and to a tale handed down by popular oral tradition, a folk-tale (the two classes partly coincide). When denoting a literary composition, the word is sometimes applied to a long work of fiction, a romance or novel, esp. when considered with reference to its series of incidents (cf. c), but more commonly to a short tale or novelette.
1500–20. Dunbar, Poems, lvii. 7. Sum singis, sum dancis, sum tellis storeis.
1597. J. King, Jonas (1618), 355. Now wee haue Arcadia, and the Faery Queene, and Orlando Furioso, with such like friuolous stories.
1605[?]. Drayton, Poems Lyr. & Past., Eglog vi. F 1. Summers longst day shall sheepheards not suffice to sit and tell full storyes of thy prayse.
1632. Milton, L’Allegro, 101. With stories told of many a feat, How Faery Mab the junkets eat.
1692. S. Shaw, Diff. Humours Men, 30. I doubt you would be laught at as bad as the Crow in the Story.
1866. Freeman, Hist. Ess., Ser. I. (1871), 9. A romance without a shadow of truth may be exquisitely beautiful as a story.
1867. Max Müller, Chips (1880), II. xxii. 213. Stories become extinct like dodos and megatheria.
1886. Morning Post, 8 Sept., 2/7. [Bk. review.] It is a brilliant story, full of dramatic interest, which will be avidly read.
b. In generalized sense: Traditional, poetic, or romantic legend or history.
1794. Mrs. Radcliffe, Myst. Udolpho, xxxv. She almost fancied herself approaching a castle, such as is often celebrated in early story, where the knights look out from the battlements on some champion below.
1796. Watson, Apol. Bible, 40. They are sensible that the gospel miracles are so different, in all their circumstances, from those related in pagan story.
1802. Wordsw., To the Small Celandine, 6. Long as there are violets, They will have a place in story.
1816. Scott, Bl. Dwarf, ii. Old Martin Elliot of the Preakin-tower, noted in Border story and song.
a. 1839. Praed, Poems (1864), II. 11. Or die in fight, to live in story.
1855. Lynch, Rivulet, LXXXII. i. Breathe on us for the passing day The powers of ancient story.
c. Succession of incidents, ‘plot’ (of a novel, poem or drama).
1715. Parnell, Pope’s Iliad, I. Ess. Homer, 38. While his Works were suffer’d to lie in an unconnected manner, the Chain of Story was not always perceiv’d, so that they lost much of their Force and Beauty by being read disorderly.
1772. Johnson, in Boswell (1904), I. 455. Why, Sir, if you were to read Richardson for the story, your impatience would be so much fretted that you would hang yourself.
1779. Mirror, No. 31. The great error … into which novel-writers commonly fall, is, that they attend more to the story and to the circumstances they relate, than to giving new and just views of the character of the person they present.
1868. D. Cook, Nts. at the Play (1883), I. 88. Sundry bursts of patriotic oratory … close the second act effectively, but otherwise help the story in no way. Ibid. (1877), II. 159. The story set forth by the play.
1897. Strand Mag., Dec., 634/2. As the life of the body is the blood, so the life of the novel is the ‘story.’
1902. A. Dobson, S. Richardson, iv. 94. In Grandison … the movement of the story for the most part advances no more than a rocking-horse.
d. An incident, real or fictitious, related in conversation or in written discourse in order to amuse or interest, or to illustrate some remark made; an anecdote. Good story: often, an amusing anecdote.
a. 1679. J. Ward, Diary (1839), 129. I have heard a merrie storie of a certain scholar, that [etc.].
1771. Junius Lett., lxvii. 331. The following story will serve to illustrate the character of this respectable family.
1779. Mirror, No. 5. He is as much a pedant as his quondam tutor, who … tells stories out of Herodotus.
1781. Cowper, Conversat., 203. A story, in which native humour reigns, Is often useful, always entertains.
1858. Hawthorne, Fr. & Ital. Note-bks. (1871), I. 126. I capped his story by telling him how [etc.].
1888. Bryce, Amer. Commw., cxi. III. 597. A deliberate and slow delivery … has the advantage of making a story or jest tell with more effect.
¶ e. Used for: A subject of story. Also, a theme for mirth, a dupe.
1603. Shaks., Meas. for M., I. iv. 30. Sir, make me not your storie.
1703. Rowe, Ulysses, IV. i. ’Till I had been a Story to Posterity.
1756. C. Smart, trans. Horace, Epist., I. xiii. (1826), II. 229. Rather than … turn your paternal name of Asina into a jest, and make yourself a common story [L. et fabula fias].
6. An allegation, statement; an account or representation of a matter; a particular person’s representation of the facts in a case. Phrase, the story goes that...: it is reported. To be all in one story, to be in the same story: (of a number of persons) to agree in their account of a matter (usually implying collusion).
1601. Shaks., All’s Well, V. iii. 229. The story then goes false, you threw it him Out of a Casement.
1653. W. Ramesey, Astrol. Restored, 28. Inventing and affirming detracting and most abusive speeches and stories.
1661. Pr. Rupert, in 11th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm., App. V. 7. The stori is this, the Elector Pallatin hath ben pleased to write to a Prive Consellor of this court [Vienna] in these terms [etc.].
a. 1670. [S. Collins], Pres. St. Russia (1671), 41. But as the story goes, she fail’d of her promise.
1686. trans. Chardin’s Trav. Persia, 159. I kept constant to this story, not knowing any better way to conceal my self.
1700. N. Rous, in Jrnl. Friends’ Hist. Soc. (1912), IX. 184. I find Brother Dykes continues in his old story.
1760–72. H. Brooke, Fool of Qual. (1809), I. 24. I find all the world in the same story.
1770. Goldsm., Des. Vill., 210. And e’en the story ran that he could gauge.
1775. Sheridan, Duenna, II. iii. I find they are all in a story.
1823. Lockhart, Sp. Ball., Escape of Gayferos, x. And of Gayferos’ slaughter a cunning story [they] made.
1833. Greville, Mem. (1874), II. 340. He [Lyndhurst] told me his story, which differs very little from that which Arbuthnot had told me at Downham.
1838. Dickens, O. Twist, xvii. They’re all in one story, Mrs. Mann. That out-dacious Oliver has demogalized them all!
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., xviii. IV. 234. The Queen … had been informed that stories deeply affecting the character of the navy were in circulation.
1865. Livingstone, Zambesi, v. 126. A Chief … remarked that parties had come before, with as plausible a story as ours.
1898. J. K. Fowler, Rec. Old Times, 114. The story goes that the following colloquy took place.
1905. Times Lit. Suppl., 14 July, 223/3. Dr. Murray has a slightly different story [of the origin of pasquinade].
† b. A mere tale, a baseless report. Obs.
1662. J. Davies, trans. Olearius’ Voy. Ambass., 93. Were it granted that this is but a story, as it seems to be no other.
1665. Glanvill, Scepsis Sci., x. 53. And it may be more than a Story, that Nero derived much of his cruelty from the Nurse that suckled him.
1685. Jas. II., in Lond. Gaz., No. 2006/3. But that is not the onely Story has been made of Me.
1692. Luttrell, Brief Rel. (1857), II. 376. Merchant letters are silent herein, so hoped to be a story.
1705. E. Ward, Hud. Rediv., III. iv. 27. Tell ’em, the Church declines in Glory, They cry, they hope ’tis all a Story.
1796. Watson, Apol. Bible, 74. Is it a story, that our first parents fell from a paradisiacal state?
† c. To make a story: to cause a scandal. Obs.
1652. Dorothy Osborne, Lett. to Sir W. Temple (1888), 29. He has made a story with a new mistress that is worth your knowing.
d. Phrases. The whole story: the full account of the matter, all that there is to be said. † To be out of the story: to misunderstand the state of things. (That is) another story: a matter requiring different treatment.
1668. Temple, Lett. to Ld. Halifax, Wks. 1731, II. 89. There is the whole Story; that you may see how much you are either biass’d, or mistaken in all the rest you say of it.
1778. Arminian Mag., I. 194. Alas, Sir, you are as much out of the Story now as ever.
1865. Ruskin, Sesame, i. § 33. If the scientific man comes for a bone or a crust to us, that is another story.
e. U.S. A narrative or descriptive article in a newspaper; the subject or material for this.
1892. Harper’s Weekly, 9 Jan., 42/3. When one reporter is given the whole of a ‘story,’ his instructions always leave him more or less discretion, but when several men are assigned to different parts of one ‘story,’ each one has instructions which must be followed to the letter.
1898. J. L. Williams, in Scribner’s Mag., May, 572/1. ‘Where’s your story?’ asked the city editor.
‘There wasn’t any story to write,’ replied the new reporter,… ‘finally the [peace] meeting broke up in a free fight; so I came back, sir.’
1902. Eliz. L. Banks, Newspaper Girl, 95. A girl artist and I were told by our editor to go out and get up a true story on ‘The Hottest Day among the New York Poor.’
7. colloq. Euphemism for: A lie. Hence (in vulgar use, esp. among children) you story! = ‘you story-teller,’ ‘liar.’
a. 1697. Aubrey, Lives, Sir H. Blount (1898), I. 110. Two young gentlemen that heard Sir H. tell this sham so gravely … told him they wonderd he was not ashamed to tell … storys as, &c.
1740. Richardson, Pamela, II. 272. I believe, Woman, said she, thou tellest me a Story.
1763. Bickerstaff, Love in Village, III. ix. You strike me, because you have been telling his worship stories.
1770. Wesley, Jrnl., 21 March. You were always good Children, and never told stories.
1834. Dickens, Sk. Boz, Steam Excurs. The unfortunate little victim was accordingly led below, after receiving sundry thumps on the head from both his parents, for having the wickedness to tell a story.
1854. Miss Baker, Northampt. Gloss., Story, a softened term for a lie.
1869. Routledge’s Ev. Boy’s Ann., 561. Saying, as the little girls in the streets do, ‘Oh, you story!’
1880. Mrs. Lynn Linton, Rebel of Family, II. ix. 201. Now, Eva,… I know all about you, so do not begin to deny and tell stories.
1884. Life & Lett. Bayard Taylor, I. 11. The boy … went home, telling his mother that there was no school,—the first and only ‘story,’ she says, that he ever told her.
1893. W. S. Gilbert, Utopia, II. Oh, you shocking story!
1901. W. Pett Ridge, Lond. Only, ii. 38–9. ‘Least bit bandy, surely?’ remarked her sister.
‘Oh, you story!’ exclaimed Rhoda, with indignation. ‘His legs are as straight as straight.’
† II. 8. A painting or sculpture representing a historical subject. Hence, any work of pictorial or sculptural art containing figures. Obs. [So med.L. historia, storia (Du Cange), OF. histoire (Godef.).]
1388. Wyclif, 1 Kings vii. 24. Tweyne ordris of grauyngis conteynynge summe stories [1382 Two ordris of storye grauyngis: Vulg. duo ordines sculpturarum striatarum (? misread storiatarum)].
c. 1400. Maundev. (Roxb.), xxi. 94. In þase platez er storys of kynges and knyghtes and batales.
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., II. ii. 139. In the sidis of the same ymage he made stories in ymagerie … as it is open iije. Reg. vije. c.
c. 1470. Harding, Chron. XLI. iv. He died so, and in his temple fayre Entoumbed was, with stories all about.
1533. Coron. Q. Anne, in Bibl. Curiosa (1884), 29. The standarde whiche was costly and sumptuously garnisshed with gold and asure with armes and stories.
1563. B. Googe, Eglogs, etc. (Arb.), 114. The walles were raysed hye And all engraued with Storyes fayre of costlye Imagrye.
1577. Harrison, England, II. v. [II. i.] 76 b, in Holinshed. As for our Churches themselues … all Images,… and monumentes of Idolatry, are remooued,… onely the storyes in glasse windowes excepted.
1610. Holland, Camden’s Brit. (1637), 548. In the walles whereof are engraven the stories of Christs Passion and other things.
a. 1700. Evelyn, Diary, 8 May 1654. I also call’d at Mr. Ducie’s, who has indeede a rare collection of the best masters, and one of the largest stories of H. Holbein. Ibid., 20 July. The dining-roome … richly gilded and painted with story by De Creete.
† b. Subject (of a painting or sculpture). Obs.
a. 1700. Evelyn, Diary, 3 Jan. 1666. There are some mezzo-relievos as big as the life, the storie is of the Heathen Gods.
III. 9. attrib. and Comb., as in story-group, -maker, -monger, -plot, -reader, -weaving, -wright, -writing. Also story-book, a book containing stories, esp. children’s stories; also occas. a novel or romance; † story-dresser, one who gives a novel form to history; † story-faith, historical faith (see HISTORICAL a. 2); † story’s man (stories man), the authority for a story; † story-painter, a historical painter; story-paper, a journal that contains works of fiction; † story-work, historical painting or sculpture (see sense 8); story-writer, † (a) an official chronicler, historiographer; (b) a historian; (c) a writer of stories or tales; † story-wrought a., adorned with ‘story-work.’ Also † (in) story-wise adv. (a) historically; (b) in the manner of ‘story’ or historical painting or sculpture. Also STORY-TELLER, -TELLING.
1711. Swift, Harrison’s Tatler, No. 5, ¶ 2. My Maid left on the Table … one of her *Story Books (as she calls them) which I … found full of strange Impertinences,… Of poor Servants that came to be Ladies [etc.].
1790. Cowper, Lett., 23 March. The Odyssey, which is one of the most amusing story-books in the world.
1818. Scott, Hrt. Midl., xxxix. The Duke in person with laced coat, gold-headed cane, star and garter, all, as the story-book says, very grand.
1848. Thackeray, Van. Fair, xlv. Her simple little fancies shrank away tremulously, as fairies in the story-books before a superior bad angel.
1883. Miss M. Betham-Edwards, Disarmed, xi. Can things come right for us, as they do in story-books?
1908. A. Kinross, Joan of Garioch, xlv. 298. The silent horsemen all about me were figures from a story-book of old romance.
1592. Nashe, Pierce Penilesse, 20. Any *Storie dresser … that sets a new English nap on an olde Latine Apothegs.
1621. Burton, Anat. Mel., Democr. to Rdr. (1624), 7. Our Poets steale from Homer,… Divines vse Austins wordes verbatim still, and our story dressers doe as much.
1531. Tindale, Expos. 1 John iv. (1538), 65. We beleue not only wyth *story fayth, as men beleue old cronicles, but we beleue [etc.].
1904. Jessie Weston, in Romania, XXXIII. 342. Remnants of a once popular and widely-spread *story-group connected with the deeds of Gawain and his kin.
1422. Yonge, trans. Secreta Secret., 162. Dares … that was att the Segee of the nobill Cite of Troy, and therof the *stori-makere.
1913. R. C. Maclagan, Our Ancestors, xxiv. 285. It is no wonder that the story-makers should ascribe its use in royal ceremonial as taking place in Ireland.
a. 1661. Fuller, Worthies, Huntingdon. (1662), 49. Mr. Parker (I tell you my story and my *stories-man) an industrious Antiquary, collecteth out of the Records of the Church of Ely, that [etc.].
1668. R. L’Estrange, Vis. Quev., vii. 315. Where are the *Story-Mongers? The Masters of the Faculty of Lying? That Report more than they Hear [etc.].
1634. Peacham, Compl. Gentl., xii. (1906), 110. I call Reubens to witnesse, (the best *story-painter of these times).
1888. R. L. Stevenson, Beggars, ii. He had a vulgar taste in letters; scarce flying higher than the *story papers.
1890. Hartland, Science of Fairy Tales, i. (1891), 2. The outlines of a *story-plot among savage races are wilder and more unconfined.
1903. A. Lang, in Folk-Lore, XIV June, 154. Now I have also insisted that captured slaves, and alien wives (under exogamy), and mariners drifted to unknown coasts, and commerce in all ages, must have diffused story-plots.
1844. Dickens, Chimes, i. It is desirable that a story-teller and a *story-reader should establish a mutual understanding as soon as possible.
1889. Spectator, 9 Nov., 640/2. Never raising him above his true level, which was that of an artist in *story-weaving.
1565. Calfhill, Answ. Treat. Crosse, Pref. 6 b. At the firste, Images among Christen men, were only kept in priuate houses: paynted or grauen in *story wise.
1571. Golding, Calvin on Ps. xviii. 8. 58. Yit dooth not David report theis things in story-wyse; but [etc.].
1572. Roscarrocke, in Bossewell, Armorie, Pref. Verses. All the walls with imagery, were grauen storie wise.
1608. Hieron, Defence, I. 46. I might put him in mind, that some learned men observe Mathew not to alleadge that testimony; but to report storie wise, how the Scribes did alleadge it to Herod.
1601. Holland, Pliny, XVI. xxxiii. I. 479. Thereof [of Cypress] are drawne many vinets and borders about *storie-workes in colours.
1611. Cotgr., Historier,… to flourish, or beautifie Wainscot or Tapistrie with Histories, or Storie-worke.
1659. Torriano, s.v. Storie, To beautifie with storie-work, historiare.
1903. Christabel Coleridge, Life C. M. Yonge, vi. 163. Miss Dyson had generous insight enough to know that her friend was a far better *story-wright than herself.
1483. Cath. Angl., 366/2. A *Story wryter (writter A.), historiagraphus.
1535. Coverdale, 1 Esdras ii. 25. Then wrote the kynge to Rathimus the story wryter [LXX. τῷ γράφοντι τὰ προσπίπτοντα].
1552. Huloet, Story writer, historiographus.
1621. Bp. Mountagu, Diatribæ, 407. The particular remembrances of such use … either neuer were in being, for want of Story-writers in barbarous times … or [etc.].
1905. A. R. Wallace, My Life, II. 135. Frank Stockton, perhaps the most thoroughly original of modern story-writers.
1552. Huloet, *Story wrytyng, historiographia.
1606. Sylvester, Du Bartas, II. iv. II. Magnif., 267. Her wide-side Robes of Tissue passing price, All *story-wrought with bloudy Victories.
