a. (sb.) [f. mod.L. sublūnāris: cf. LUNARY.] A. adj.
1. Existing or situated beneath the moon; lying between the orbit of the moon and that of the earth; hence, subject to the moon’s influence.
1613. Purchas, Pilgrimage (1614), 512. Patritius doth not onely auerre this, but that the Sea is as a sublunarie Planet.
1621. Burton, Anat. Mel., I. ii. I. ii. (1638), 46. Of these sublunary Devils … Psellus makes six kindes, fiery, aëriall, terrestriall, watery, and subterranean Devils.
a. 1649. Crashaw, Carmen Deo Nostro, Poems (1904), 283. Starrs much too fair and pure to wait upon The false smiles of a sublunary sun.
1692. Ray, Disc. (1732), 302. The sublunary Aereal Heavens.
1757. Young, Last Day, i. 81. Ye sublunary worlds, awake, awake!
1848. Mrs. Jameson, Sacr. & Leg. Art (1850), 168. The Four Doctors are in the centre of what may be called the sublunary part of the picture.
1850. S. Dobell, Roman, i. Oh that bright realm of sublunary heaven.
b. Inferior, subordinate (to). Obs.
1616. Donne, Serm. (Prov. xxii. 11), III. 337. Endymion loved the Moon. The sphear of our loves is sublunary, upon things naturally inferior to our selves.
1631. Brathwait, Whimzies, Metall-man, 60. The arch-artist in this minerall is the alchymist; for the rest are all sublunarie unto him, hee only mercurie sublimate unto them.
2. Of or belonging to this world; earthly, terrestrial.
1592. Greene, Groat’s Wit, Ep. Ded. A witte that runnes in this sublunarie maze and takes but Nature for its original.
1615. W. Lawson, Country Housew. Garden (1626), 24. Euery thing sublunary is cursed for mans sake.
1632. B. Jonson, Magn. Lady, III. i. From all the points o’ the Compasse, (That’s all the parts of the sublunary Globe).
1650. J. Hall, Paradoxes, 38. The uncertainty of all sublunary things.
a. 1676. Hale, Prim. Orig. Man., 83. Sublunary Bodies … are … subject to alteration and corruption.
1713. Swift, Apollo Outwitted, Wks. 1755, III. II. 109. Stroling Gods, whose usual trade is … To pick up sublunary ladies.
1782. Cowper, Lett. to Jos. Hill, Nov. My eyes are, in general, better than I remember them to have been since I first opened them upon this sublunary stage.
1815. Scott, Guy M., xlvi. The housekeeper … usually waylaid him on his return, to remind him of his sublunary wants.
1841. Brewster, Martyrs Sci., V. (1856), 83. Like all sublunary blessings it was of short duration.
1873. Burton, Hist. Scot., VI. lxv. 3. For this too we may find a motive cause among sublunary human influences.
† 3. Characteristic of this world and its affairs; mundane; material, gross; temporal, ephemeral.
1639. Habington, Castara, II. (Arb.), 92. Tis no dull Sublunary flame Burnes in her heart and mine.
1643. Milton, Divorce, I. ix. Wks. 1851, IV. 46. To remedy a sublunary and bestiall burning, which frugall diet without mariage would easily chast’n.
1648. Bp. Hall, Breathings Devout Soul, 3. Can ye hope to finde rest in any of these sublunary contentments?
1742. Young, Nt. Th., VI. 206. And toil we still for sublunary pay?
1759. Johnson, Rasselas, xlvi. He began gradually to delight in sublunary pleasures.
1814. Scott, Wav., xi. The Baron was exalted by wine, wrath, and scorn, above all sublunary considerations.
† B. sb. A sublunary thing or creature; chiefly pl. Obs.
1641. R. Harris, Abners Funerall, 8. We may say of all these Sublunaries, what Salomon saith of one particular; They are not.
1671. J. Webster, Metallogr., xii. 178. The mercurial part of it [sc. gold] … cannot be changed … by no sublunary except its compeer.
1720. Humourist, Ded. p. xxiv. [To] publish to us Sublunaries, for a small Gain, all the Secrets of your Honour’s Privy-Council.
1748. Richardson, Clarissa (1811), III. 310. Something extraordinary was to be done to keep her with us sublunaries.
