heart of grace

Meanings

nounheart of grace (uncountable)

archaicuncountableChiefly preceded by get, give, take, etc.: courage or relief, especially when gained as a result of favour shown to one.
Riſe therfore Euphues, & take heart at graſſe, younger yͧ [thou] ſhalt neuer be: plucke vp thy ſtomacke, if loue it ſelfe haue ſtoung thée it ſhal not ſtifle thée.
[[1578], Iohn Lylly [i.e., John Lyly], “Euphues”, in Euphues. The Anatomy of Wyt. […], London: […] [Thomas East] for Gabriell Cawood, […], →OCLC, folio 17, verso
5 more examples
Therfore whan the Phariſeis ſavve them [the Sadducees] put to ſylence, and rebuked alſo for ignoraũce of ſcripture, they taking harte of grace againe, gather together, and ſet forwarde a certayne doctour of lawe, whiche ſhould got vnto Jeſus with a clerkly queſtion, that eyther he myght reproue hym of ignoraunce, orels he hymſelfe beare a waye the prayſe of learnyng.
1549 February 10 (Gregorian calendar; indicated as 1548), Erasmus, “The Paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the Gospell of Saincte Matthew. The .xxii. Chapter.”, in Nicolas Udall [i.e., Nicholas Udall], transl., The First Tome or Volume of the Paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the Newe Testamente, London: […] Edwarde Whitchurche, →OCLC, folio cvi, verso
And hearing that Argeo vvas avvay, / And vvould continue ſo no little ſpace, / He came vvithin the caſtle vvall to day, / (His abſence gaue him ſo much heart of grace) […]
1591, [Ludovico Ariosto], “The XXI. Booke”, in Iohn Haringtõ [i.e., John Harington], transl., Orlando Furioso in English Heroical Verse, […], London: […] Richard Field […], →OCLC, stanza 39, page 165
[T]he Elder lifted up his hollovv boughs, ſo high, that a little after he took heart of grace to court one of the youngeſt ſprayes of the Imperiall Cedar for his Conſort, though in point of age he quadrupply exceeded her, […]
1640, I. H. [i.e., James Howell], “Prince Rocalinos Iourney to Elaiana”, in ΔΕΝΔΡΟΛΟΓΊΑ [DENDROLOGIA]. Dodona’s Grove, or, The Vocall Forrest, London: […] T[homas] B[adger] for H. Mosley [i.e., Humphrey Moseley] […], →OCLC, page 197
The Nobles alſo, ſuch as had been Conſuls, and the ancients, upon an old cankred hatred that they beare ſtill againſt the Tribuns authority, vvhereupon they ſuppoſed the Commons vvere much more devoted and affected, then unto the government of the Conſuls, vvere rather inclined and vvilling that the Decemvirs of their ovvn accord ſhould themſelves aftervvards forgo their office, than that upon hatred and malice received againſt them, the Commons ſhould take heart of graſſe, and hold up head again.
[1659, T[itus] Livius [i.e., Livy], “[Book III]”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Romane Historie […], London: […] W. Hunt, for George Sawbridge, […], →OCLC, pages 95–96
John had got an Impreſſion that Levvis vvas ſo deadly a cunning Man, that he vvas afraid to venture himſelf alone vvith him: At laſt he took heart of Grace. Let him come up (quoth he) it is but ſticking to my Point, and he can never over-reach me.
1712, Humphry Polesworth [pseudonym; John Arbuthnot], “How Lewis Baboon Came to Visit John Bull, and what Pass’d between Them”, in Lewis Baboon Turned Honest, and John Bull Politician. Being the Fourth Part of Law is a Bottomless-Pit. […], London: […] John Morphew, […], →OCLC, page 19

Origin

Uncertain, possibly related to take heart (“to be courageous; to regain one’s courage”). It is unclear whether the original term was heart of grace, or perhaps hart of grace, heart of grease or hart of grease (“hart of the season when fat”), or hart (heart) of grass (perhaps alluding to a horse taking heart when finding grass), and of is sometimes replaced by at. Later uses have been influenced by grace (“free and undeserved favour”).

Full word history & related roots →