ablenessn.

a1387 J. Trevisa tr. R. Higden Polychron. (St. John's Cambr.) (1865) I. 201 (MED) Capua..haþ þe name of Capacitas, þat is, ablenesse to fonge and to take.

a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) I. viii. iii. 454 Heuen is clepid wattyry and cristallyne bycause of ablenes to meovinge and of clernes.

1489 W. Caxton tr. C. de Pisan Bk. Fayttes of Armes i. x. 28 They saw hem with theyre ablenes of body.

a1500 (?a1425) tr. Secreta Secret. (Lamb.) 97 Þer ar x maners of þe wyt of þe eighen, ablenesse of sight [etc.].

1535 Bible (Coverdale) 2 Cor. iii. 5 Oure ablenesse commeth of God.

1548 E. Gest Treat. againste Masse Ded. 3 More or less, according to his hablenes.

1574 E. Hake Compendious Fourme Educ. in Touchestone for Time Present sig. G8^v How wayghtie education is, what hablenesse is founde In tender childes capacity.

1610 J. Healey tr. St. Augustine Citie of God i. x. 19 It taught them a sparing diet, and ablenesse to faste.

a1627 T. Middleton Women beware Women i. i, in 2 New Playes (1657) 89 What ableness have you to do her right then In maintenance fitting her birth and vertues?

1642 D. Rogers Naaman 440 The Prophets ablenesse to heale him.

1735 J. Ozell tr. F. de S. de la Mothe-Fénelon Adventures Telemachus (new ed.) I. v. 105 That which fell to my Share happen'd to be under some Disadvantages, both as to the Lightness of the Wheels and the Ableness of the Horses.

1802 G. Colman Poor Gentleman (new ed.) ii. i. 20 We am not discoursing about your master's bravery, nor his ableness, Mr. Corporal.

1830 J. Sega What is True Civilization 169 The liberty, which a man must enjoy in civil society, is the ableness to make use of the means, given to him by nature, for the exercise of his remaining rights.

1895 Times 12 Oct. 7/7 If the Sunday arrangements might have affected in any way the said accident, whether as to the ableness of the officials on duty or as to the duration of their attendance.

1903 J. Payne Vigil & Vision vii. 110 Had age youth's ableness, youth age's lore!

1962 J. G. Bennett Witness 216 This dimension is connected with the depth and quality of existence that I defined as ‘ableness-to-be’.

1991 Marketing News (Nexis) 7 Jan. 32 The bona fide changes in the public's willingness and ableness to participate in surveys is [sic]..offset by improved research techniques.

a1425 (?a1400) Cloud of Unknowing (Harl. 674) (1944) 83 (MED) I sey þat wiþ-outyn..a ful acordyng abilnes to resseyue þis grace on þi partye, þis nakid wetyng..may on no wise be distroyed.

c1443 R. Pecock Reule of Crysten Religioun (1927) 132 Who may be worþi to be chosen a prince or a bischop, but if he bifore labore in meenys whiche schule lede hym to the abilnes þerof.

c1475 ( in Eng. Hist. Rev. (1911) 26 521 (MED) To be schamefull and..sory for his offence; and, as scripture sayth, thereof growith the begynnynge of ablenesse to have mercy.