a. [UN-1 7.] Not mindful; careless, heedless: a. Const. of.
1382. Wyclif, Ecclus. xxxvii. 6. Be thou not vnmyndeful of hymn in thi werkis.
1500–20. Dunbar, Poems, xiii. 47. Religious men … ar vnmyndfull of thair professioun.
1555. Eden, Decades (Arb.), 56. Owre predicessoures were not vtterlye vnmyndefull of these benefites.
1631. Gouge, God’s Arrows, II. Ep. Ded. Can I then be unmindfull of her?
1663. Bp. Patrick, Parab. Pilgr., xxx. When you find them so unmindful of themselves.
1706. E. Ward, Wooden World Diss. (1708), 16. One so sollicitous about other Men’s Healths, cannot be unmindful of his own.
1760–2. Goldsm., Cit. W., lix. Every person was willing to save himself, unmindful of others.
1821. Shelley, Epipsych., 302. At her silver voice came Death and Life, Unmindful each of their accustomed Strife.
1874. J. Baldw. Brown, Higher Life, p. viii. Unmindful of the large blessing which intellectual culture and political activity bring in their train.
b. With inf. or clause.
1615. Sir W. Mure, Misc. Poems, xiv. 10. Helping wp treassour wnmyndfull quho lent it.
1652. Gaule, Magastrom., 323. He caused Cassius Longinus … to be slain; unmindfull that Chærea (the man that did the deed) was so called.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Past., VIII. 125. She seeks the weedy Pools,… Careless of Night, unmindful to return.
a. 1750. A. Hill, Picture of Love, 173. Unmindful, that of old they veil’d his face.
c. Attrib. or without const. rare.
1594. Shaks., Rich. III., IV. iv. 446. Dull vnmindfull Villaine, Why stay’st thou here!
1598. Florio, Smemorato,… a forgetfull, obliuious, or vnmindfull man.
1608. Beaum. & Fl., Four Plays in One, Wks. 1912, X. 359. Hear me,… And take my wrongs into thy hands, thou justice Done by unmindful man, unmerciful.
1796. Scott, Wild Huntsman, xxxix. His courser rooted to the ground, The quickening spur unmindful bears.
Hence Unmindfulness.
Also unmindfully adv. (1755 Scott, and later Dicts.).
1567. Allen, Def. Priesthood, Pref. Loue of sinne,… and vnmyndfulnes of saluation.
1631. Mabbe, Celestina, xii. 132. Of my much mindfulnesse for this nights meeting, and your much unmindfulnesse and extreme carelesnesse.
a. 1680. Charnock, Attrib. God (1834), I. 507. Why should we forget it? yea, what a shame is our unmindfulness of it.
