Largesse

Largesse
An essential virtue of both knights and nobles, best expressed by Chrиtien de Troyes in his 12th century romance Cligиs:
"'Dear son,' he said, 'believe me when I tell you that largesse is the queen and lady who brightens all virtues, and this is not difficult to prove. Where could one find a man who, no matter how powerful or rich, would not be reproached if he were miserly? What man has so many other good qualities--excepting only God's grace--that largesse would not increase his fame? Largesse alone makes one a worthy man, not high birth, courtesy, wisdom, gentility, riches, strength, chivalry, boldness, power, beauty, or any other gift. But just as the rose, when it buds fresh and new, is more beautiful than any other flower, so largesse, whenever it appears, surpasses all other virtues and causes the good qualities it finds in a worthy man who comports himself well to be increased five-hundred fold. There is so much to be said of largesse that I could not tell you the half."

Medieval glossary. 2014.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • largesse — [ larʒɛs ] n. f. • XIIe; de large 1 ♦ La largesse. Disposition à être généreux. ⇒ générosité, libéralité, munificence. Donner avec largesse. Profiter de la largesse de qqn. 2 ♦ Une, des largesses. Don fait d une manière large, généreuse. Faire… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • largesse — Largesse, Condonatio, Munificentia, Largitio, Largitas. Largesse, quand les Rois et Princes jettent par les heraulx de l argent à poignées parmi le peuple, et que le heraut crie largesse, Missilia. Crier largesse, Largiter inclamare. B. Faire… …   Thresor de la langue françoyse

  • largesse — Largesse. s. f. Liberalité, distribution d argent ou d autre chose. Faire largesse au peuple. en cette rejoüissance publique les Herauts crioient largesse. il y eut ce jour là grande largesse. ce n est pas un homme qui fasse de grandes largesses …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • largesse — UK [lɑː(r)ˈdʒes] / US [lɑrˈdʒes] or largess UK / US noun Word forms largesse : singular largesse plural largesses formal a) [uncountable] generous acts of giving presents or money to a large number of people b) [countable] money or presents given …   English dictionary

  • largesse — or largess [lär jes′, lär′jis] n. 〚ME largesse < OFr < large, LARGE〛 1. generous giving, as from a patron 2. a gift or gifts given in a generous, or sometimes showy or pat …   Universalium

  • largesse — UK US (also largess) /lɑːˈʒes/ US  /lɑrˈdʒes/ noun [U] ► the fact of giving away money in a generous way: »We ve accomplished a great deal through our growing largesse to meaningful non profit organizations in communities where we do business …   Financial and business terms

  • largesse — also largess, willingness to give or spend freely; munificence, c.1200, from O.Fr. largesse a bounty, munificence, from V.L. *largitia abundance, from L. largus abundant (see LARGE (Cf. large)). In medieval theology, the virtue whose opposite is… …   Etymology dictionary

  • largesse — or largess [lär jes′, lär′jis] n. [ME largesse < OFr < large, LARGE] 1. generous giving, as from a patron 2. a gift or gifts given in a generous, or sometimes showy or patronizing, way 3. nobility of spirit …   English World dictionary

  • largesse — index contribution (donation), grant Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • largesse — is now the dominant form for this word meaning ‘generosity’ or ‘money given freely’, not largess as recommended by Fowler in 1926 …   Modern English usage

  • largesse — (also largess) ► NOUN 1) generosity. 2) money or gifts given generously. ORIGIN Old French, from Latin largus copious …   English terms dictionary

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