Obs. [f. SUPPORT v. + -ANCE.]
1. Assistance, backing; = SUPPORT sb. 1, 1 c.
c. 1490. Plumpton Corr. (Camden), 74. I … desire … that in such things as my … beloved Cosin, Mary Gascougne, hath to doe with you,… that ye will give unto hir ayde and supportance.
1596. Spenser, State Irel., Wks. (Globe), 668/2. He is like to make a fowle stirre there, though of himselfe of noe power, yet through supportaunce of some others.
1601. Shaks., Twel. N., III. iv. 329. He will fight with you for’s oath sake:… therefore draw for the supportance of his vowe, he protests he will not hurt you.
1608. Heywood, Lucrece, Wks. 1874, V. 204. We are of our selfe Without supportance, we all fate defie, Aidlesse.
1625. Bp. Mountagu, App. Cæsar., 11. Those two Townes and States, next unto God, have stood by supportance of the Crowne of England.
1631. Gouge, God’s Arrows, iii. § 44. 264. Christ … returned to prayer againe and againe, and found sufficient supportance.
1638. G. Sandys, Paraphr. Div. Poems, Ps. cix. That they may know … how I by Divine Supportance stand.
transf. 1589. Greene, Menaphon (Arb.), 63. [Thou] that earst while wert honoured in euery mans eye through the supportance of thy beautie.
2. Maintenance, sustenance; = SUPPORT sb. 3.
1593. Nashe, Christ’s T. (1613), 67. She was constrained (for her liues supportance) … to kill him and roast him.
1595. Wills & Inv. N. C. (Surtees, 1860), 280. To the releaffe and supportance of such as she shall fynd to be vertuusly disposed.
1615. G. Sandys, Trav., 108. For the supportance of his owne estate.
1631. Heywood, London’s Jus Hon., Wks. 1874, IV. 274. By these types and symboles of Honour … all other inferiour Magistracies … receive both being and supportance.
1644. Jessop, Angel of Ephesus, 31. As if the Church did give supportance and stabilitie to the truth.
1659. Lady Alimony, II. vi. Th’ Court … for supportance, Allots us Alimony.
1830. W. Taylor, Hist. Surv. Germ. Poetry, III. 19. Orphan of father betimes, on her I was thrown for supportance.
3. The action of supporting, propping or holding up; = SUPPORT sb. 4.
1593. Shaks., Rich. II., III. iv. 32. Giue some supportance to the bending twigges.
1604. Tooker, Fabrique Ch., vi. 116. Chap. 6. Of supportance and keeping the fabrique of the church vpright.
1631. Gouge, God’s Arrows, iii. § 48. 273. This … supportance of Moses hands in regard of his bodily weaknesse.
1664. Power, Exp. Philos., I. 5. The other four legs … by which she [sc. the fly] layes hold on the rugosities … of all bodies she walks over, even to the supportance of her self, though with her back downwards.
1804. W. Taylor, in Ann. Rev., II. 351. To estimate our well being by the weight of our burdens and place, like caryatids, our perfection in our supportance.
† b. fig. Applied to the relation of a subject to an attribute: cf. SUPPORT sb. 7 b, v. 8 c. Obs.
1656. Jeanes, Mixt. Schol. Div., 83. The supportance of the flesh in, and union with the person of the word.
4. That which supports (in various senses).
1597. Middleton, Wisd. Solomon, ix. 4. My crowne doth want supportance for to beare.
1610. Holland, Camden’s Brit., I. 427. A twofold supportance that it had on either side to uphold … the lofty top.
1617. Collins, Def. Bp. Ely, I. i. 17. As Peter of the Churche, so these words of Peter, a semblable supportance.
1631. Massinger, Believe as You List, II. ii. The tribute Rome receives from Asia, is Her chief supportance.
1638. Ford, Fancies, I. iii. Name and honour: What are they? a mere sound without supportance.
1830. W. Taylor, Hist. Surv. Germ. Poetry, I. 313. So Boreas,… The blooming hop, and its supportance, flings.
