deuice

A disorder in mine opinion very much to be lamented, and if it might be by any good meanes remedied, in my conceit, it were a most honourable deuice.

The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation 2003

Lordship the first vewe of this mine impression (a feat of mine owne simple facultie) it could not scypher her Maiesties honour or prerogatiue in the guift, nor yet the Authour of his thanks: and seeing the thing it selfe to be a deuice of some noueltie (which commonly it giveth euery good thing a speciall grace) and a noueltie so highly tending to the most worthy prayses of her Maiesties most excellent name.

The Arte of English Poesie George Puttenham

'Tis but a deuice; _these be newes_ cast abroade to feede the common sorte, I doo not beleeue them ....

Notes and Queries, Number 42, August 17, 1850 Various

And surelie a man may thinke it good reason, that the report of such secret companie-keeping betwixt the king and the empresse, [Sidenote: Slanders deuised by malicious heads.] was but a tale made among the common people vpon no ground of truth, but vpon some slanderous deuice of a malicious head.

Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland (2 of 6): England (4 of 12) Stephan Earle Of Bullongne Raphael Holinshed

Reade downward according to the nature of the deuice.

The Arte of English Poesie George Puttenham

Ye must begin beneath according to the nature of the deuice_.

The Arte of English Poesie George Puttenham

To finish the learning of this diuision, I will set you downe one example of a dittie written extempore with this deuice, shewing not onley much promptnesse of wit in the maker, but also great arte and a notable memorie.

The Arte of English Poesie George Puttenham

The king smiled at it, and said very honourably, we like your deuice well, and mean to vse your seruice in the building of a Citie, but we wil chuse out a more commodious scituation: and made him attend in that voyage in which he conquered Asia and Egypt, and there made him chiefe Surueyour of his new Cite of Alexandria.

The Arte of English Poesie George Puttenham

_Cresseid_, and the Romant of the Rose, whereof he translated but one halfe, the deuice was _Iohn de Mehunes_ a French Poet, the Canterbury tales were _Chaucers_ owne inuention as I suppose, and where he sheweth more the naturall of his pleasant wit, then in any other of his workes, his similitudes comparisons and all other descriptions are such as can not be amended.

The Arte of English Poesie George Puttenham

Your last proportion is that of figure, so called for that it yelds an ocular representation, your meeters being by good symmetrie reduced into certaine Geometricall figures, whereby the maker is restrained to keepe him within his bounds, and sheweth not onley more art, but serueth also much better for briefenesse and subtiltie of deuice.

The Arte of English Poesie George Puttenham