HOME § TALES AND STORIES § POEMS § DICTIONARY
BALLADS § ART § WEB RESOURCES § WEB RINGS § WEB RINGS
[A varient of FAIRY; it prob. existed in ME (cf. OF faerie), but its first known appearance is as employed arch. by Spenser (usually as trisyllable). In present usage, it is practically a distinct word, adopted either to express Spenser's peculiar modification of the sense, or to exclude various unpoetical or undignified asssociations connected with the current form fairy.]
1590 Spenser F.Q. II. introd. i, None that breatheth living aire
does know Where is that happy land of Faery.
1818 Shelley Rev. Islam: Ded. i, Some victor Knight of
Faery.
1835 Willis Pencillings II. xlix. 80 A grass so verdant .. that
it seems the very floor of faery.
1870 Morris Earthly Par I. ii. 554 Men dreaded there to see The
uncouth things of faerie.
1612 Drayton Poly-olb. iv. 307 The feasts that vnderground the Faerie did him make.
1590 Spenser F.Q. I. iv. 15 The stout Faerie .. Thought all
their glorie vaine.
1591 -- Tears of Muses 31 The .. lightfoote Faeries.
1634 Milton Comus 436 No goblin or swart faery of the mine, Hath
hurtful power o'er true virginity.
1590 Spenser (title), The Faerie Queene. Ibid. I. Introd. ii,
Lay forth .. The antique rolles .. Of Faerie knights. Ibid II. Introd.
iv, Of faery lond yet if he more inquyre By certein signes .. He may it
find.
1598 Shaks. Merry W. IV. vi. 20 To night at Hernes-Oke .. Must
my sweet Nan present the Faerie-Queene.
1652 Brome Joviall Crew IV. Wks. 1873 III. 417 A House .. built
upon Faery-Ground.
1667 Milton P.L. I. 781 Faerie Elves Whose Midnight Revels ..
some belated Peasant sees.
1804 Wordsw. To the Cuckoo viii, The EArth .. Again appears to
be An unsubstatial faery place.
1820 Keats St. Agnes viii, Hoodwink'd with faery fancy.
1839 Hallam Hist. Lit. V. II. 89 The legends of Faeryland.
1868 LD. Houghton Select. fr. Wks. 174 So faery-frail, so
faery-fair.
1890 R. Bridges Shorter Poems III. v, To taste the faery cheer
Of spirits in a dream.