Fine sb.1. World English Historical Dictionary

Fine sb.1. World English Historical Dictionary Dictionary Biographies Literary Criticism Welcome Terms of Service ⧏ Previous Next ⧐ Contents Slice Contents Key Bibliographic Record Murray’s New English Dictionary. 1901, rev. 2022. Fine sb.1 Forms: 3 fin, 3–6 fyn(e, 3– fine. [ME. fin, a. OF. fin = Pr. fin-s. fi-s, Sp. fin, Pg. fim, It. fine:—L. fīnem, fīnis end.

1   In med. L. and OF. the word has the senses ‘ending of a dispute, settlement, payment by way of composition’; hence the various applications in branch II.]

2   I.  End. (Obs. exc. in phr. in fine.)

3   † 1.  Cessation, end, termination, conclusion, finish. Phr. to bring to fine, set the fine of. Obs.

4 c. 1200.  Trin. Coll. Hom., 258. Pine wiðute fin.

5 1297.  R. Glouc. (Rolls), 8547. Þis stalwarde cristine volc · þis worre broȝte to fine.

6 13[?].  E. E. Allit. P., A. 634.        Why schulde he not her labour alow, Ȝyrd & pay hym at þe fyrst fyne For þe grace of god is gret innoghe?

7 c. 1460.  Pol. Rel. & L. Poems, 73.        Whan þat pyte, whiche long a-slepe doothe tarye, hath sett the fyne of al myn heuynesse.

8 c. 1500.  Lancelot, 1387.        Yow mone thi lyf, yow mone thi vorschip tyne, And eft to deth that neuer shal haf fyne.

9 1560.  Rolland, The Court of Venus, III. 724.        And sa to bring my argument to fine, I can not find [etc.].

10 1601.  Shaks., All’s Well that ends Well, IV. iv. 35.        All’s well that ends well, still the fines the Crowne; What ere the course, the end is the renowne.

11 1664.  Flodden F., i. 2. A lucky fine and end to make.

12 1839.  Bailey, Festus, xxx. (1848), 348.        Open thine arms O death! thou fine of woe And warrantry of bliss!

13   b.  Phrase, In († the) fine; also rarely † a, † at, † of fine): † (a) in the end, at last; (b) to conclude or sum up, finally; also, in short.

14   (a)  1297.  R. Glouc. (1724), 91. Þe noble Constantyn, (þat was kyng here of þis lond, & emperour atte fyn).

15 c. 1450.  Merlin, 286. But in the fyn he mote yeve grounde a litill.

16 c. 1540.  R. Morice, in Lett. Lit. Men (Camden), 24. In fyne he was perceyved to affixe one of the papers apon the dore of the churche.

17 1575.  J. Still, Gamm. Gurton, V. ii., in Hazl., Dodsley, III. 246. My cock is, I thank Christ, safe and well a-fine.

18 1693.  Mem. Ct. Teckely, I. 41 In fine after a Months obstinate defence … the Turks took the Fort by assault.

19   (b)  1401.  Pol. Poems (Rolls), II. 91.        I … can telle wel a fyn what heresie amounteth.

20 1550.  Crowley, Epigr., 915.        Ye must saye as they saye,   Be it wrounge or ryght. In fine, ye must prayse them,   and sette forth theyr fame.

21 1649.  Milton, Eikon., Wks. 1738, I. 408. In fine, he accuses Piety with the want of Loyalty, and Religion with the breach of Allegiance, as if God and he were one Master, whose commands were so often contrary to the commands of God.

22 a. 1704.  T. Brown, A Satyr upon the French King, Wks. 1730, I. 60.        In fine, the Government may do its Will, But I’m afraid my Guts will grumble still.

23 1849.  Ruskin, Seven Lamps, vii. § 8. 195. We have, in fine, attained the power of going fast from one place to another.

24   † c.  The latter part (of time), close. Obs.

25 c. 1400.  The Sowdone of Babyloyne, 304.        Thai slowen many a Sarasyn, x thousande pepul of hem and moo; The daie passed to the fyne, The hethen withdrowe hem tho.

26 1599.  Hakluyt, Voy., II. I. 200. The new Cairo answereth euery yeere in tribute to the grand Signior, 600000 ducates of golde, neat and free of all charges growing on the same, which money is sent to Constantinople, about the fine of September, by the way of Aleppo, alwayes by lande, vnder the custodie of three hundred horsemen, and two hundred Ianizaries footmen.

27 1615.  G. Sandys, Trav., 101. Their Dates do grow like fingers, and are thereof named: not ripe untill the fine of December, which begin to cod about the beginning of February.

28   † 2.  End of life, decease, death. To do, take (one’s) fine: to die. Obs.

29 c. 1250.  Gen. & Ex., 3851.        Her and gund ðor he biried lin, Alle [ðe] olde deden ðor fin.

30 a. 1300.  Floriz & Bl., 441.        Hi beden God ȝiue him vuel fin, Þat so manie flures dude þerin.

31 a. 1300.  Cursor M., 3905 (Cott.).        He was þe chesun of hir fine, Of him sco deid in gesine.     Ibid., 21101 (Cott.). In a cite hight calamine, Of inde flexsli Þer tok he fine.

32 c. 1330.  R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 189. Or I ȝit do my fyn.

33 c. 1330.  Assump. Virg. (Add. MS.), 777.        He wolde haue ben at hure fyne, Ȝif he myȝt haue come bi tyme.

34 1494.  Fabyan, Chron. II. xxxi. 24. I haue here shewed vnto you, the fyne or ende of Brennius.

35 1548.  Hall, Chron., 151 b. Choked and brought to his fatall fine.

36 1556.  Lauder, Tractate, 209.        Geue ȝe Indure vnto ȝour fyne, Ȝe sall nocht mys the sam rewyne.

37   † 3.  The extreme part or limit of anything; a boundary. Also fig. extreme case, extremity. Obs.

38 a. 1300.  Cursor M., 23199 (Gött.).            Þe pitt of hell pine It es suo depe, widuten fine, þat end ne bes þar neuer apon, A stanck for-þi it callis saint iohn.

39 c. 1400.  Rom. Rose, 1558. Of the welle, this is the fyn.

40 1586.  J. Hooker, Girald. Irel., in Holinshed, II. 135/2. Vpon the fines and marches in Ulster.

41 1596.  Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot. (1885), 114. Our king nevir to that fine, at ony tyme to haue beine brocht, that he walde want.

42 1859.  I. Taylor, Logic in Theol., 139. Bring down each to a mean level—a degree or two below the ‘settled fine’ to which each aspires to rise.

43   † 4.  End in view, aim, purpose, object; esp. in phr. to what fine. Hence, the purpose for which a thing exists. Obs.

44 c. 1374.  Chaucer, Troylus, II. 745. To what fine is soche loue, I can not seen. Ibid. (c. 1386), Merch. T., 862. Sche knew eek the fyn of his entent.

45 1413.  Lydg., Pilgr. Sowle, IV. xx. (1483), 65.        To what entent, or to what ende or fyne   Engendred ye, me þat am greved soo?

46 1533.  Bellenden, Livy, I. (1822), 38. To schaw to quhat fine thay war cummin.

47 1562.  Winȝet, Cert. Tractates, iii. Wks. 1888, I. 31. For thair abusing of the samyn to ane vther fine, than He [God] institute tham?

48 1603.  Dekker, etc. Patient Grissell (1841), 42. One fine be now to apparel all these former in some light sarcenet robe of truth.

49   † 5.  Final issue, consequence, result. Obs.

50 1513.  Douglas, Æneis, IV. Proloug, 130.            Ȝit luffis ony to that fyne, quharby Thi self or thaim thow frawart God removis.

51 1549.  Compl. Scot., x. 84. Pirrus kyng of eporite, that past to the oracle of appollo til inquyre of the fyne of the veyris that vas betuix hym and the romanis.

52 1605.  Lond. Prodigal, III. ii. If I cannot then make my way, nature hath done the last for me; and there’s the fine.

53   II.  6. Law. A ‘final agreement’; ‘an amicable composition or agreement of a suit, either actual or fictitious, by leave of the king or his justices’ (Blackstone).

54 [1299.  Act 27 Edw. I., c. 1. Quia Fines in Curia nostra levati finem litibus debent imponere et imponunt, & ideo fines vocantur, maxime cum post duellum & magnam assisam in suo casu ultimum locum & finalem teneant & perpetuum.)

55   b.  spec. The compromise of a fictitious or collusive suit for the possession of lands: formerly in use as a mode of conveyance in cases where the ordinary modes were not available or equally efficacious.

56   The procedure was as follows. The person to whom the land was to be conveyed sued the holder for wrongfully keeping him out of possession; the defendant (hence called the cognizor) acknowledged the right of the plaintiff (or cognizee); the compromise was entered on the records of the court; and the particulars of it were set forth in a document called the foot of the fine (see FOOT). This method of conveyance was resorted to by married women (who could not alienate land by any other process), and as a means of barring an entail. The cognizor was said to acknowledge or levy a fine; sometimes the vb. to levy was used intrans. with fine as the subject. Also to sue a fine.

57 [12[?].  Bracton, De Legibus Angliæ, V. IV. viii. § 3. VI. 70. Item sufficit finis factus in curia domini regis [etc.].

58 1292.  Britton, II. iii. § 14. Par acord del purchaceour et del donour covendra lever fin en nostre court.]

59 1483.  Act 1 Rich. III., c. 7 § 1. Notes and fynes to be levied in the Kinges Court … shold be openly and solempnly radd.

60 1509–10.  Act 1 Hen. VIII., c. 19, Pream. Your said Oratour … levyed severall Fynes of all the foresaid Manours.

61 1602.  Shaks., Ham., V. 1. 114. His Statutes, his Recognizances, his Fines, his double Vouchers, his Recoueries.

62 a. 1626.  Bacon, Max. & Uses Com. Law (1635), 51. A Fine is a reall agreement, beginning thus, Hæc est finalis concordia, &c.

63 1751.  Lady Luxborough, Lett. to Shenstone (1775), 281. A Lawyer … to see me execute a fine, in consequence of my parting with my house in London.

64 1773.  E. Bonhote, Rambles Mr. Frankly (1797), I. 81. He forbade me his house, sued a fine, and cut me off with a shilling.

65 1818.  Cruise, Digest (ed. 2), VI. 138. A fine was levied accordingly.

66   † c.  Hence used gen. for: A contract, agreement.

67 c. 1330.  R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 106. Sir Henry mad þe fyne, and mad þe mariage.

68 1362.  Langl., P. Pl., A. II. 50.        In what manere þat Meede · In Mariage was [I-feffed], To beo fastnet with fals · þe fyn was arered.

69   III.  A composition paid.

70   7.  a. Feudal Law. A fee (as distinguished from the rent) paid by the tenant or vassal to the landlord on some alteration of the tenancy, as on the transfer or alienation of the tenant-right, etc. b. Mod. Law. A sum of money paid by a tenant on the commencement of his tenancy in order that his rent may be small or nominal.

71 c. 1435.  Torrent of Portugal, 1086.        Omage thou shalte none ffyne, But evermore to the and thyne,     ffrely, so God me save.

72 1523.  Fitzherb., Surv., Prol. To cause them to pay more rent or a gretter fyne than they haue ben acustomed to do in tyme past.

73 1625.  Act 1 Chas. I., c. 2 § 1. His Majestie having received divers Fines and sommes of Mony, according to the said Contracts.

74 1710.  Prideaux, Orig. Tithes, ii. 82. Reckoning in their Fines as well as their Rents.

75 1818.  Cruise, Digest (ed. 2), I. 351. Where a fine is certain, the tenant is bound to pay it immediately upon his admittance.

76 1862.  Ld. Brougham, Brit. Const., x. 138. The fines paid by his vassals on succession to or alienation of their fees.

77 1877.  Act 40 & 41 Vict., c. 18 § 4. On every such lease shall be reserved the best rent … that can be reasonably obtained … without taking any fine or other benefit in the nature of a fine.

78   8.  † a. In phr. To make (a) fine: to make one’s peace, settle a matter, obtain exemption from punishment or release from captivity, esp. by means of a money payment. Obs. exc. Hist.

79 1297.  R. Glouc. (1724), 511.        Ȝe þat vil it is to telle · some hii lete honge Bi hor membres an hey · in pines wel stronge Vort hii adde fin imad.

80 c. 1325.  Coer de L., 3347.        That our chyldren may come home hayl, Charges mules and hors, be our counsayl, Off brende gold, and off bawdekyn, For our heyres to make fyn.

81 c. 1325.  English Metrical Homilies, 46.        That es at say, to mak the fin For sin.

82 c. 1330.  R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 15965.        When Penda hadde to Cadwalyn Obliged hym, & mad his fyn.

83 c. 1380.  Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 184. It is liȝttere to make a fyn for moche money þan to purge hym.

84 1422.  J. Yonge, Privytye, 204. And there this McMahons, with dyuers othyr enemys, fynes with hym makid, pees forto haue.

85 1574.  in W. H. Turner, Select Rec. Oxford, 351. Richard Lloyde, taylor, shall make fyne for his contemptuous and approbryos wordes towards George Mondaye, merser.

86 1891.  Northumb. Assize Rolls (Surtees), Preface, p. xxv. The matter in the end appears to be settled by the Swethops making a fine with Dionisia for 20 marks, and with the King for 100s.

87   † b.  A sum of money offered or paid for exemption from punishment or by way of compensation for injury. Obs.

88 [1292.  Britton, I. xii. § 7. Sur peyne de raunceun et de fin.]

89 a. 1300.  Cursor Mundi, 6753 (Trin.).          If þef haue no fyn ny ȝift þat he aȝeyn maþ ȝelde his þift he shal be solde.

90 1628.  Earle, Microcosm., Meere Gull Citizen (Arb.), 94. A harsh scholemaster, to whom he is alleaging still the weakenes of the boy, and payes a fine extraordinary for his mercy.

91   c.  A certain sum of money imposed as the penalty for an offence. † To put to (one’s) fine: to fine.

92 1529.  More, Supplic. Soulys, Wks. 296/2. The v. C. poundes whych he payed for a fyne by the premunire.

93 1542–3.  Act 34–5 Hen. VIII., c. 27 § 84. No persone … for murther or felonie shall be put to his fine, but suffer accordinge to the lawes.

94 1647.  Clarendon, Hist. Reb., I. (1843), 10/1. He was at last condemned in a great fine to a long and strict imprisonment, and never to sit in parliament during his life.

95 1719.  W. Wood, Surv. Trade, 303. Which cannot fail of bringing many more to the Church, than is possible by Fines and Imprisonments, Death or Banishment, or any Penal Laws.

96 1827.  Hallam, Const. Hist. (1876), III. xvii. 327. Fines to the amount of 85,000l., an enormous sum in that kingdom, were imposed on the covenanters.

97 1861.  M. Pattison, Ess. (1889), I. 47. A blow or an abusive expression subjected the offender to a fine.

98   d.  transf. A penalty of any kind. arch. † To pass a fine: fig. to pronounce sentence.

99 1503.  Hawes, The Example of Virtue, v. 59.        For thou by ryght may knowe the certente That deth is fyne of euery synne.

100 1580.  T. Lupton, Sivqila; too Good to be True, 14. To pay the fine of damnation for euer therefore after his death, in Hell fire, where there is payne without pleasure, sorrow without succour, mourning without measure, and miserie without mercie.

101 a. 1680.  Butler, Rem. (1759) I. 141.        Two Self-admirers, that combine Against the World, may pass a Fine Upon all Judgment, Sense, and Wit, And settle it, as they think fit.

102 1697.  Dryden, Æneid, XI. 1222.        Too dear a Fine, ah much lamented Maid, For warring with the Trojans, hast thou paid!

103 1705.  Addison, Italy, 501. Besides the several Fines that are set upon Plays, Games, Balls and Feastings, they have many Customs among them which very much contribute to the keeping up of their ancient Simplicity.

104 1876.  Blackie, Songs Relig. & Life, 195, ‘A Song of St. Socrates.’        We stood for our faith, where our life was the fine, But we never looked sour on a glass of good wine!

105   † 9.  A fee or charge paid for any privilege. Also, probate duty on a will. Obs.

106 [1422.  E. E. Wills (1882), 51. & soluerunt pro fine iiijor nobilia.]

107 1434.  Earl of Oxford, in Ellis, Orig. Lett., Ser. II. I. 110. That the said Shipp, without any fyn or fee to be paid unto you, may have licence, in the worship of God and of Saint James, to make the furst viage unto St. James.

108 1521.  Bury Wills (Camden), 120. Item to Mr. Miles, for the aquitans at thys cownt makyng in Fornham and for ye fyne of ye testament … v s. viij d.

109 c. 1744.  Parl. Bill, in Hanway, Trav. (1762), I. V. lxxi. 323. All persons, subjects of this realm of England, being mere merchants, above the age of twenty-six years, should be admitted into the freedom of the said company, upon paying a fine of fifty pounds.

110   IV.  10. Comb., fine-rolls (= rotuli oblatorum or finium; see quot. 1891); fine-setting vbl. sb., fining, mulcting.

111 1800.  1st Rept. Public Records, 54. The Fine Rolls.

112 1853.  Thomas, Handbk. Publ. Rec., 39. The Fine Rolls of King John.

113 1891.  Scargill-Bird, Guide to Public Records, 35. FINE ROLLS. John to 23 Charles I. The Rolls upon which were entered the sums of money (or other property, such as palfreys, harriers, falcons, &c.) offered to the King by way of oblation or fine for the passing or renewal of charters or grants, and for the enjoyment of lands, offices, wardships, exemptions, liberties, privileges, and other marks of the royal favour, were called Oblata or Fine Rolls. The first of these appellations fell into disuse after the reign of John, the latter only being thenceforward retained.

114 1657.  Burton’s Diary (1828), II. 17. Mr. Bond. This fine-setting is no breach of privilege; but only in terrorem to them that shall presume to come in, not being qualified.

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