Forms: 3–4 treison, 5–6 treyson; 3–5 (Sc. –6) trayson, -one, 4 (Sc. –6) -oun, 6 Sc. -oune; 4 (Sc. 6) traison, 4–6 -oun; 3–5 tresun, -oun, 3–7 -on, 4–5 -une, -oune, -one, 5 -own; 4 tressun, 5 -on, 5–6 -one, 6 Sc. -oun; 5– treason, (5 -oune, 5–7 -oun, Sc. 5–6 trason, 6 -oun, -oune, 7 treassoune). [a. AFr. treysoun, tresun, treson, -oun, = OF. traïson (11th c.), in mod.F. trahison = Pr. traicio, Cat. traició, Sp. traición, Pg. traição:—L. trāditiōn-em, n. of action from L. trādĕre, OF. traïr, F. trahir to deliver up, betray: see TRAY v.2, TRAISE v.]
1. The action of betraying; betrayal of the trust undertaken by or reposed in any one; breach of faith, treacherous action, treachery.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 56. Dauid … dude … treison and monsleiht on his treowe kniht Vrie, hire louerd.
a. 1240. Wohunge, in Cott. Hom., 279. Barabas a þeof þat wið tresun … hafde a mon cwelled.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 2337. Vor hii … in trayson were cointe Þat hii ssolde þen king sle.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 3882 (Cott.). Qui has þou don me sli tresum?
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter, ix. 29. Whas mouth is ful of weriynge & bitternes & treson.
13[?]. K. Alis., 1362 (Bodl. MS.). And he þat þe traisoun dede Was fore hakked in þat stede.
c. 1400. Song Roland, 176. For men dred tresson wher they it finden, And thought on tresson þer trist was neuer.
c. 1400. Maundev. (Roxb.), xi. 43. He had done treyson, when he slogh Vry.
a. 1450. Knt. de la Tour, lxxiv. (1906), 96. It is treson whanne a man trustithe in her [his wife] and she discouered his counsaile.
1596. Shaks., Merch. V., III. ii. 27. Vpon the racke Bassanio, then confesse What treason there is mingled with your loue.
1611. Sir W. Mure, Misc. Poems, i. 15. By subtil slight, or treassoune, To siege, and sack the Rampier of my ressoun.
1825. Scott, Talism., i. From whom I should demand security, did I not know that treason seldom dwells with courage.
2. Law.
In old English law treason was either High Treason, an offence against the king’s majesty or the safety of the commonwealth, or Petit or Petty Treason, an offence committed against a subject. Petit Treason is now punished only as murder, and High Treason is usually styled simply treason. Many acts of High Treason are now treated as Treason felony.
[1292. Britton, I. ix. § 1. Tresun est en chescun damage qe hom fet a escient ou procure de fere a cely a qi hom se fet ami. Et poet estre treysoun graunt et petit.]
a. High Treason or Treason proper: Violation by a subject of his allegiance to his sovereign or to the state.
Defined 1350–1 by Act 25 Edw. III., Stat. 5, c. 2, as compassing or imagining the king’s death, or that of his wife or eldest son, violating the wife of the king or of the heir apparent, or the king’s eldest daughter being unmarried, levying war in the king’s dominions, adhering to the king’s enemies in his dominions, or aiding them in or out of the realm, or killing the chancellor or the judges in the execution of their offices. In 1795 the offence was extended to actual or contemplated use of force to make the king change his counsels, or to intimidate either or both of the Houses of Parliament. But see treason-felony 4 b.
[1292. Britton, I. ix. § 2. Graunt tresoun est a compasser nostre mort, ou de nous desheriter de noster reaume, ou de fauser noster seal, ou de contrefere nostre monee ou de retoundre.]
1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 10258. Yn no þyng wote y more tresun, Þan brynge þy lorde to hys felun.
1473. Warkw., Chron. (Camden), 5. The Lorde Hungerforde was… behedede for hye treasoune.
1593. Shaks., Rich. II., III. iii. 93. Tell Bullingbrooke … That euery stride he makes vpon my Land, Is dangerous Treason.
a. 1612. Harington, Epigr., IV. 5. Treason doth never prosper, what’s the reason? For if it prosper, none dare call it Treason.
1660. Trial Regic., 31. To stand Mute in High-Treason, is all one, as to Confess the Fact.
1781. Gibbon, Decl. & F., xvii. II. 60. A fatal maxim … that in the case of treason, which included every offence that the subtlety of lawyers could derive from an hostile intention towards the prince or republic, all privileges were suspended.
1824. Scott, Wav., xli. The charge brought against you of aiding and abetting high treason.
1902. Westm. Gaz., 12 June, 10/1. At present there is only one species of treason—that known as high treason, by way of contradistinction to petty treason.
1907. Verney Mem., I. 34. Sir Robert Whittingham was attainted of treason.
1911. W. B. Odgers & Odgers, Comm. Law Eng., I. 145. Writing treasonable words is, no doubt a more deliberate act than merely uttering them. But … if the writings be not published, they do not constitute an overt act of treason.
b. Petit or petty treason, treason against a subject; spec. the murder of one to whom the murderer owes allegiance, as of a master by his servant, a husband by his wife, etc. Now only Hist.
[1351–2. Rolls of Parlt., II. 239/1. Il y ad autre manere de Treison, c’est assaver quant un Servant tue son Mestre.] Ibid. (1496), VI. 513/1. An Acte to make some Offences Petty Treason.
1580. G. Harvey, Lett. to Spenser, iv. Wks. (Grosart), I. 103. Reputing it Petty Treason to reuolt therefro.
1625. Massinger, New Way, III. ii. How! strike a Justice of Peace! ’Tis petty treason.
1763. Brit. Mag., IV. 273. Mary Head,… who was convicted at Chester assizes of petit treason, in killing her husband … was burnt.
1777. Chron., in Ann. Reg., 183/2. Joseph Armstrong was tried for petty treason, in poisoning his master’s lady.
1828. Act 9 Geo. IV., c. 31 § 2. Every Offence, which before the Commencement of this Act would have amounted to Petit Treason, shall be deemed to be Murder only.
c. Constructive treason, action which though not actually or overtly coming under any of the acts specified in the Statute of Treason, was declared by law to be treason and punishable as such. Misprision of treason: see MISPRISION.
a. 1714, 1769. [see CONSTRUCTIVE a. 4 b].
1882. Lecky, Eng. in 18th C., xiii. III. 522. The charge [against Lord George Gordon] was what is termed by lawyers ‘constructive treason.’ It rested upon the assertion that the agitation which he had created and led was the originating cause of the outrages that had taken place.
d. In exclamatory use (in sense 1 or 2 a). Cf. TRAY interj.
1388. Wyclif, 2 Chron. xxiii. 13. Sche to-rente hir clothis, and seide, Tresouns! tresouns! [1539 Bible (Great), treason, treason].
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, IV. iii. 121. They herd a grete noyse and many cryed treson, treson. Alass, said kynge Arthur, we ben bitrayed.
a. 1491. J. Ross, Hist. Reg. Angl. (1716), 218. Sæpius se proditum clamans & dicens, Treson, Treson, Treson.
1593. Shaks., Rich. II., V. ii. 72. Treason, foule Treason, Villaine, Traitor, Slaue. Ibid. (1602), Ham., V. ii. 334. Ham. Then venome to thy worke. (Hurts the King.) All. Treason, treason.
† 3. With a and pl. An act of treason, in prec. senses; also, a species of treason. Also fig.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 7128. In casteles he sette garnysons ffor þe drede of oþer traysons. Ibid. (c. 1330), Chron. (1810), 172. His traitour ert þou now, þou did him a tresoun.
1474. Caxton, Chesse, III. iii. (1883), 95. In assemblyng the peple thus to gyder they make moo traysons in the cytees than they make good alyances.
1593. Shaks., Rich. II., III. ii. 51. His Treasons will sit blushing in his face.
1605. M. Sutcliffe, Brief Exam., 2. Manifold rebellions and treasons against their princes.
a. 1709. Atkyns, Parl. & Pol. Tracts (1734), 23. By this means Men will be discouraged from discovering Treasons.
1708. Termes de la Ley, 450. Petit Treason is a Treason of a lower degree; as if a Servant kill his Master, a Wife her Husband.
4. attrib. and Comb., as treason-charge, court, -law, -monger, -plot, -tavern, -worker; treason-canting, -hatching, -haunted, -hearted adjs.
1682. Dryden’s Medall, To Author 26. All their *Treason-canting Priests.
1900. Echo, 9 Jan., 2/7. I … was then discharged on the high *treason charge.
1900. Daily News, 12 Nov., 5/2. At to-day’s sitting of the *Treason Court, Mr. Schroeder … was released on bail.
1659. Burton’s Diary (1828), III. 437. Her custom was … to come into the dining-room to him in her *treason-gown, (as I called it,) I telling him, that when she had that gown on, he should allow her to say anything.
1745. Ayre, Life Pope, II. 85. The sacred Character of a lurking, *treason-hatching Jesuit.
1871. J. Hay, Pike County Ball. (1880), 110. Its stealthy echoes pour Through *treason-haunted regions.
1865. Lancaster Gaz., 14 Dec., 2/1. Were we afraid of the Copperheads?—afraid of the thin-blooded, *treason-hearted sneaks, who, during the grand struggle remained in the rear whining and snapping at the noble men who were fighting the battles of the country?
1810. Edin. Rev., XVI. 105. The principles of *treason-law.
1746. M. Hughes, Jrnl. Late Reb., 5. Among all these *Treason-mongers, old Gordon, the Laird of Glenbucket is a notable Instance of Loyalty.
1839. Ld. Brougham, Statesm. Geo. III., Gibbs, 127. A rabble-leader or a treason-monger, a libeller or a blasphemer.
1640. Yorke, Union Hon., 174. That bloody and damnable *treason-plot.
1681. Dryden, Abs. & Achit., II. 459. Og from a *treason-tavern rolling home.
1553. in Howell’s St. Trials (1809), I. 788. Then shall there be men loving themselves, covetous, proud, disobedient to parents, *treason-workers.
b. Treason-felony, an offence, formerly included among acts of treason, which by subsequent legislation has been removed from these, and is not punishable with death. So treason-felon, one convicted of treason-felony.
Defined (though not so named) by the Crown and Government Security Act, 11 & 12 Vict., c. 12 (1848) by which treasons not directed at the person of the Sovereign were mitigated to felonies, punishable with penal servitude for life, or for a term of not less than five years.
1865. Annual Register, 252. The Attorney General said that the Act of Parliament respecting treason-felony created several offences and these were of three descriptions.
1865. Times, 29 Nov., 10/2. Counsel for the prisoner was taken by surprise in finding bills for treason-felony instead of high-treason sent up to the grand jury.
1881. R. F. Littledale, in Academy, 29 Jan., 75. The experiences of a treason-felon.
1892. Daily News, 26 Feb., 3/1. Out of the 23 treason-felony prisoners confined in British prisons during the last ten years, one had become insane.
