Chapter I · Chapter 1

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading To which is subjoined a KEY.

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

a record or narrative description of past events

From this reading Now, though you do not say expressly, you could wish to hear any more about it, yet I see plain enough that I have raised your Curiosity; and therefore, from the same Motive, that I slightly mentioned it at all in my last Letter, I will, in this, give you a full and very circumstantial Account of the whole Affair.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

(of mail) marked with a destination

From this reading Addressed To _____ ________, Esq; of York.

a vaguely specified concern

From this reading Now, though you do not say expressly, you could wish to hear any more about it, yet I see plain enough that I have raised your Curiosity; and therefore, from the same Motive, that I slightly mentioned it at all in my last Letter, I will, in this, give you a full and very circumstantial Account of the whole Affair.

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

in the past

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading Now, though you do not say expressly, you could wish to hear any more about it, yet I see plain enough that I have raised your Curiosity; and therefore, from the same Motive, that I slightly mentioned it at all in my last Letter, I will, in this, give you a full and very circumstantial Account of the whole Affair.

surrounded by; in the company of

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading Now, though you do not say expressly, you could wish to hear any more about it, yet I see plain enough that I have raised your Curiosity; and therefore, from the same Motive, that I slightly mentioned it at all in my last Letter, I will, in this, give you a full and very circumstantial Account of the whole Affair.

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Now, though you do not say expressly, you could wish to hear any more about it, yet I see plain enough that I have raised your Curiosity; and therefore, from the same Motive, that I slightly mentioned it at all in my last Letter, I will, in this, give you a full and very circumstantial Account of the whole Affair.

an agreement between parties (usually arrived at after discussion) fixing obligations of each

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

enter or assume a certain state or condition

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

the event consisting of the start of something

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

the action or reaction of something (as a machine or substance) under specified circumstances

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

an old word for “between”

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

(used in the plural) trousers ending above the knee

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

a degree on the centigrade scale of temperature

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

fully detailed and specific about particulars

From this reading Now, though you do not say expressly, you could wish to hear any more about it, yet I see plain enough that I have raised your Curiosity; and therefore, from the same Motive, that I slightly mentioned it at all in my last Letter, I will, in this, give you a full and very circumstantial Account of the whole Affair.

have the idea for

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

permission to do something

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

very opposed in nature or character or purpose

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

past form of “convert” — change from one system to another or to a new plan or policy

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

a state in which you want to learn more about something

From this reading Now, though you do not say expressly, you could wish to hear any more about it, yet I see plain enough that I have raised your Curiosity; and therefore, from the same Motive, that I slightly mentioned it at all in my last Letter, I will, in this, give you a full and very circumstantial Account of the whole Affair.

act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading Now, though you do not say expressly, you could wish to hear any more about it, yet I see plain enough that I have raised your Curiosity; and therefore, from the same Motive, that I slightly mentioned it at all in my last Letter, I will, in this, give you a full and very circumstantial Account of the whole Affair.

the form of “do” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

one or the other of two

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading Now, though you do not say expressly, you could wish to hear any more about it, yet I see plain enough that I have raised your Curiosity; and therefore, from the same Motive, that I slightly mentioned it at all in my last Letter, I will, in this, give you a full and very circumstantial Account of the whole Affair.

a title of respect for a member of the English gentry ranking just below a knight; placed after the name

From this reading Addressed To _____ ________, Esq; of York.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

with specific intentions; for the express purpose

From this reading Now, though you do not say expressly, you could wish to hear any more about it, yet I see plain enough that I have raised your Curiosity; and therefore, from the same Motive, that I slightly mentioned it at all in my last Letter, I will, in this, give you a full and very circumstantial Account of the whole Affair.

a boy or man

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

-ing form of “fend” — try to manage without help

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Now, though you do not say expressly, you could wish to hear any more about it, yet I see plain enough that I have raised your Curiosity; and therefore, from the same Motive, that I slightly mentioned it at all in my last Letter, I will, in this, give you a full and very circumstantial Account of the whole Affair.

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading Now, though you do not say expressly, you could wish to hear any more about it, yet I see plain enough that I have raised your Curiosity; and therefore, from the same Motive, that I slightly mentioned it at all in my last Letter, I will, in this, give you a full and very circumstantial Account of the whole Affair.

cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading Now, though you do not say expressly, you could wish to hear any more about it, yet I see plain enough that I have raised your Curiosity; and therefore, from the same Motive, that I slightly mentioned it at all in my last Letter, I will, in this, give you a full and very circumstantial Account of the whole Affair.

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

perceive (sound) via the auditory sense

From this reading Now, though you do not say expressly, you could wish to hear any more about it, yet I see plain enough that I have raised your Curiosity; and therefore, from the same Motive, that I slightly mentioned it at all in my last Letter, I will, in this, give you a full and very circumstantial Account of the whole Affair.

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

where you live at a particular time

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

in a humble manner

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading To which is subjoined a KEY.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

a tight sleeveless and collarless jacket (often made of leather) worn by men in former times

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

a room or building equipped with one or more toilets

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

metal device shaped in such a way that when it is inserted into the appropriate lock the lock's mechanism can be rotated

From this reading To which is subjoined a KEY.

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

immediately past

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

a written message addressed to a person or organization

From this reading Now, though you do not say expressly, you could wish to hear any more about it, yet I see plain enough that I have raised your Curiosity; and therefore, from the same Motive, that I slightly mentioned it at all in my last Letter, I will, in this, give you a full and very circumstantial Account of the whole Affair.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

an artist of consummate skill

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

concerned with worldly rather than spiritual interests

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

past form of “mention” — make reference to

From this reading Now, though you do not say expressly, you could wish to hear any more about it, yet I see plain enough that I have raised your Curiosity; and therefore, from the same Motive, that I slightly mentioned it at all in my last Letter, I will, in this, give you a full and very circumstantial Account of the whole Affair.

inflected form of “mislead” — lead someone in the wrong direction or give someone wrong directions

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

used to form the superlative

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

the psychological feature that arouses an organism to action toward a desired goal; the reason for the action; that which gives purpose and direction to behavior

From this reading Now, though you do not say expressly, you could wish to hear any more about it, yet I see plain enough that I have raised your Curiosity; and therefore, from the same Motive, that I slightly mentioned it at all in my last Letter, I will, in this, give you a full and very circumstantial Account of the whole Affair.

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

and not; used after a negative to add a second negative

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Now, though you do not say expressly, you could wish to hear any more about it, yet I see plain enough that I have raised your Curiosity; and therefore, from the same Motive, that I slightly mentioned it at all in my last Letter, I will, in this, give you a full and very circumstantial Account of the whole Affair.

not one thing; not anything

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading Now, though you do not say expressly, you could wish to hear any more about it, yet I see plain enough that I have raised your Curiosity; and therefore, from the same Motive, that I slightly mentioned it at all in my last Letter, I will, in this, give you a full and very circumstantial Account of the whole Affair.

an event that occurs at a critical time

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

something you have to do

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Addressed To _____ ________, Esq; of York.

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

the one or ones belonging to us

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

a local church community

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

a person authorized to conduct religious worship

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment

From this reading Now, though you do not say expressly, you could wish to hear any more about it, yet I see plain enough that I have raised your Curiosity; and therefore, from the same Motive, that I slightly mentioned it at all in my last Letter, I will, in this, give you a full and very circumstantial Account of the whole Affair.

expressing sorrow

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

a geometric element that has position but no extension

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

involving or characteristic of politics or parties or politicians

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

make a promise or commitment

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

-ing form of “prove” — be shown or be found to be

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

a loud and disturbing noise

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

located or moved above the surround or above the normal position

From this reading Now, though you do not say expressly, you could wish to hear any more about it, yet I see plain enough that I have raised your Curiosity; and therefore, from the same Motive, that I slightly mentioned it at all in my last Letter, I will, in this, give you a full and very circumstantial Account of the whole Affair.

represented accurately or precisely

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

a widely distributed system consisting of all the cells able to ingest bacteria or colloidal particles etc, except for certain white blood cells

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

regard with feelings of respect and reverence; consider hallowed or exalted or be in awe of

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

precisely, exactly

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

move upward

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

a relationship between two lovers

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

Identical; not different.

From this reading Now, though you do not say expressly, you could wish to hear any more about it, yet I see plain enough that I have raised your Curiosity; and therefore, from the same Motive, that I slightly mentioned it at all in my last Letter, I will, in this, give you a full and very circumstantial Account of the whole Affair.

express in words

From this reading Now, though you do not say expressly, you could wish to hear any more about it, yet I see plain enough that I have raised your Curiosity; and therefore, from the same Motive, that I slightly mentioned it at all in my last Letter, I will, in this, give you a full and very circumstantial Account of the whole Affair.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading Now, though you do not say expressly, you could wish to hear any more about it, yet I see plain enough that I have raised your Curiosity; and therefore, from the same Motive, that I slightly mentioned it at all in my last Letter, I will, in this, give you a full and very circumstantial Account of the whole Affair.

third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

serve a purpose, role, or function

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

United States poet (1928-1974)

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

characterized by insincerity or deceit; evasive

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

to a small degree or extent

From this reading Now, though you do not say expressly, you could wish to hear any more about it, yet I see plain enough that I have raised your Curiosity; and therefore, from the same Motive, that I slightly mentioned it at all in my last Letter, I will, in this, give you a full and very circumstantial Account of the whole Affair.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

a thing, without saying which

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

a quarrel about petty points

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading To which is subjoined a KEY.

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

carry out

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

for that reason; as a result

From this reading Now, though you do not say expressly, you could wish to hear any more about it, yet I see plain enough that I have raised your Curiosity; and therefore, from the same Motive, that I slightly mentioned it at all in my last Letter, I will, in this, give you a full and very circumstantial Account of the whole Affair.

a special situation

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

in spite of the fact that

From this reading Now, though you do not say expressly, you could wish to hear any more about it, yet I see plain enough that I have raised your Curiosity; and therefore, from the same Motive, that I slightly mentioned it at all in my last Letter, I will, in this, give you a full and very circumstantial Account of the whole Affair.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Addressed To _____ ________, Esq; of York.

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

the quality of a person's voice

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

remove the edges from and cut down to the desired size

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

consistent with fact or reality; not false

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

know and comprehend the nature or meaning of

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

a formal word for “on”

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

a state of commotion and noise and confusion

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

precisely as stated

From this reading Now, though you do not say expressly, you could wish to hear any more about it, yet I see plain enough that I have raised your Curiosity; and therefore, from the same Motive, that I slightly mentioned it at all in my last Letter, I will, in this, give you a full and very circumstantial Account of the whole Affair.

a community of people smaller than a town

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

feel or have a desire for; want strongly

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

having or producing a comfortable and agreeable degree of heat or imparting or maintaining heat

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

used to ask for information about something

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading To which is subjoined a KEY.

which person or people

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete

From this reading Now, though you do not say expressly, you could wish to hear any more about it, yet I see plain enough that I have raised your Curiosity; and therefore, from the same Motive, that I slightly mentioned it at all in my last Letter, I will, in this, give you a full and very circumstantial Account of the whole Affair.

a married woman; a man's partner in marriage

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading Now, though you do not say expressly, you could wish to hear any more about it, yet I see plain enough that I have raised your Curiosity; and therefore, from the same Motive, that I slightly mentioned it at all in my last Letter, I will, in this, give you a full and very circumstantial Account of the whole Affair.

the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

hope for; have a wish

From this reading Now, though you do not say expressly, you could wish to hear any more about it, yet I see plain enough that I have raised your Curiosity; and therefore, from the same Motive, that I slightly mentioned it at all in my last Letter, I will, in this, give you a full and very circumstantial Account of the whole Affair.

a unit of language that native speakers can identify

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

lacking in usefulness or value

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading But, before I begin, I must first set you right in one very material Point, in which I have misled you, as to the true Cause of all this Uproar amongst us;—which does not take its Rise, as I then told you, from the Affair of the _Breeches;_—but, on the contrary, the whole Affair of the _Breeches_ has taken its Rise from it:—To understand which, you must know, that the first Beginning of the Squabble was not between _John_ the Parish-Clerk and _Trim_ the Sexton, but betwixt the Parson of the Parish and the said Master Trim, about an old _Watch-Coat_, which had many Years hung up in the Church, which _Trim_ had set his Heart upon; and nothing would serve _Trim_ but he must take it home, in order to have it converted into a _warm Under-Petticoat_ for his Wife, and a _Jerkin_ for himself, against Winter; which, in a plaintive Tone, he most humbly begg’d his Reverence would consent to.

produce a literary work

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

a late time of life

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

but in spite of that

From this reading Now, though you do not say expressly, you could wish to hear any more about it, yet I see plain enough that I have raised your Curiosity; and therefore, from the same Motive, that I slightly mentioned it at all in my last Letter, I will, in this, give you a full and very circumstantial Account of the whole Affair.

the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose

From this reading Addressed To _____ ________, Esq; of York.

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading _Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat Res_ A POLITICAL ROMANCE, &C. In my last, for want of something better to write about, I told you what a World of Fending and Proving we have had of late, in this little Village of ours, about an _old-cast-Pair-of-black-Plush-Breeches_, which _John_, our Parish-Clerk, about ten Years ago, it seems, had made a Promise of to one _Trim_, who is our Sexton and Dog-Whipper.—To this you write me Word, that you have had more than either one or two Occasions to know a good deal of the shifty Behaviour of this said Master _Trim_,—and that you are astonished, nor can you for your Soul conceive, how so worthless a Fellow, and so worthless a Thing into the Bargain, could become the Occasion of such a Racket as I have represented.