• Prætense

    Full definition of prætense

    Noun

    prætense

    (plural prætenses)
    1. Archaic spelling of pretense
      • 1661 CE, Chancellor Hyde, in Life and Administration of Edward, Longman, Orme, Brown, Green, and Longmans; Volume III, Chapter LXII, page #123:… all which I say only to you, at least that these propositions may aryse from them rather then be pressed by us, and that the Kinge may be cleerely informed from your Lordship what is offred and expected ther, before you conclude any thinge positively ; and you will finde the difficulty the greater, because (though you may sweare no rebellion that shall aryse ther, on what grounde or prætense soever, will finde lesse countenance from our master then from any Pr. in Europe) you will observe in many treaties, if not in all, some articles in favour of the Protestants ; and if any thinge should be soe expresse in the Articles, that might obliege the Kinge to do any thinge against them, it would make an ill noyse, to the Kings præjudice, without any other advantage to the Kinge of France then of that præjudice.
      • 1671 CE, John Milton, “” in The Poetical Works of John Milton, volume 4 (ed. Henry John Todd; pub. 1801), page 505:The queen hears of it; takes occaÅ¿ion to paÅ¿Å¿e wher he is, on purpoÅ¿e, that, under prætense of reconÅ¿iling to him, or Å¿eeking to draw a kind retractation from him of the cenÅ¿ure on the marriage; to which end Å¿he Å¿ends a courtier before, to Å¿ound whether he might be perÅ¿uaded to mitigate his Å¿entence; which not finding, Å¿he herÅ¿elf craftily aÅ¿Å¿ays; and, on his conÅ¿tancie, Å¿ounds an accuÅ¿ation to Herod of a contumacious affront, on Å¿uch a day, before many peers; præpares the king to Å¿ome paÅ¿Å¿ion, and at laÅ¿t, by her daughter’s dancing, effects it.
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