malepart

comparative more malepart · superlative most malepart

1. obsoleteObsolete form of malapert.

   Did any man doubt of their liberty of ſpeech, whether it were not malepart ſaucineſſe and preſumption?

   1633, Daniel Dyke, The Mystery Of Selfe-Deceiuing: Or, a Discovrse and diſcouery of the Deceitfulneſſe of Mans Heart, page 339

   5 more examples

   For aſſure your ſelues, and before God I proteſt, I ſpeake not againſt one in particuler, neither againſt all in generall, vpon a malepart or preſumptuous minde, as not caring who are offended with my doinges; but carefull leaſt I ſhould offende any, or incurre their diſpleaſures, by my preſumptuous enterpriſe, I humbly (as before) pray pardon.

   1598, Gervase Markham, “The Epiſtle to the gentle Reader, of what eſtate or calling ſoeuer.”, in A Health to the Gentlemanly profeſsion of Seruingmen: or, The Seruingmans Comfort

   And ſo ſeing that Proteſtants do allow wel of ſuch diſloyalties, when they are in fauour of their owne faction and that we haue ſhewed in our former Encounter very largely out of their owne words & wrytings, that no rule of obedience or ſubiection holdeth them, when they miſlike the magiſtrate or his doings, it is malepart ſaucineſſe in this prating miniſter to keep ſuch a doe about diſloyaltyes ſo much defended and practiced by themſelues, & no wayes approued by vs, but where lawful authority iuſt cauſes and other circumſtances do make them loyaltyes.

   1602, Robert Persons, The Warn-word to Sir F. Hastings Wastword

   Alice Driuer martyr. This was the doctrix of the forſaid weauer, who was ſo malepart and contumelious before the iudges, as firſt her eares were cutt of, for callinge Q. Mary Iezabell.

   1603, A Treatise of Three Conversions, page 11

   […] malepart fellow that being infected with hereſie, behaued himſelfe very immodeſtly towards the Biſhopps of VVincheſter and Rocheſter when he appeared before them, and was for defendinge diuers peeuiſh hereſies condemned by them. See ibid. num. 47. […] 30. VVilliam Tymes was a Curate or deacon: but ſo pratchant and malepart, as he ouerwent the miniſter in his forwardnes of anſwering.

   1604, An Examen of the Calendar Or Catalogue of Proteſtant Saincts, Martyrs, and Confeſſors, deuiſed by Iohn Fox, and prefixed before his great volume, of Acts and Monuments, pages ?, 432–433

   If any man be ſo incredulous or ſo malepart, as to contend, ſi quis contentioſus eſſe velit, it may ſuffice for anſwere to all his obiectious, We have no ſuch cuſtome in the Catcholicke Church, as S. Paul anſwered to the Corinthians.

   1611, Joseph Creswell, A Proclamation with a Briefe Answere, page 132