Swains

The plain meaning, therefore, is, "To clear his doubts concerning Providence, and to obtain some knowledge of the world by actual experience; to see whether the accounts furnished by books, or by the oral communications of swains, were just representations of it; [I say, _swains_,] for his oral or ❋ James Boswell (1767)

There the swains are the rarest and maids are the fairest, ❋ Edward Smyth Jones (1920)

Salvator's Massacre of the Innocents, or Michel Angelo's Last Judgment, and the next day recall the swains of Albano at repose in the landscapes of Claude; should one day advise his chiefs to wash their hands of the ❋ John Morley (1880)

Sydney Smith has said, with more truth than elegance, that in the infancy of all nations, even the most civilized, men lived the life of pigs; and if sanitary reporters had existed in times past as they do now, we should doubtless have received an account of the actual existence and domestic accommodation of the old English "swains" and ❋ Samuel Smiles (1858)

They are the concorde to the Airbus A380 so loudly proferred by the portly swains of the N.Y.F.D. The blond ones are the epitome of all things youthfully blond: with not an ounce of excess fat or muscle, finely chiseled features, and a perfect tan — from the same firm, I suspect, that did the Kritios Boy. ❋ Unknown (2009)

As for her mouth, the swains who bumbled about her likened it to a lush, ripe rose, which I suppose was fair enough. ❋ Lucy Weston (2011)

Mr. Putrov doesn't mention that ballet companies also have hierarchies, and repertories dominated by princes and swains, of which he has danced his fair share. ❋ Sarah Frater (2011)

For if we got enough of them over to have issue with our comely Caledonian maidens and swains then we would be qualifying for the European Championships round about 2040, which is roughly when Scotland will be getting rescued by the IMF and still getting gubbed by the Republic of Ireland's reserve team. ❋ Unknown (2011)

Howard K. Stern and Larry Birkhead -- yes, the two former swains of the late Anna Nicole Smith -- dining together at downtown power-dining spot Tosca Tuesday night with four women. ❋ The Reliable Source (2011)

Tamara Drewe is a modern version of Hardy's headstrong Victorian heroine Bathsheba Everdene and Bathsheba's three swains have their present-day counterparts. ❋ Unknown (2010)

Shawn Mathey and Lucas Meachem were amusing as their fairy-manipulated swains, Lysander and Demetrius. ❋ Heidi Waleson (2010)

At any rate, our local swains would welcome any excuse to waylay any Solamnic Knight who passed through their farmlands. ❋ Sydney Kilgore (2010)

This may snare some suburban swains in their net, however. ❋ Unknown (2009)

When one of the forlorn swains nearly drowned crossing the stream, he thought of her and dubbed the river Rapid Ann.1 ❋ Jeffry D. Wert (2008)

Mr. Hao's reworking includes an extra 18 minutes, a new aria for the title character of Princess Turandot, and the new character of Princess Loulin, the ghost of a murdered ancestor that explains the roots of Turandot's aversion to her lovelorn swains. ❋ Unknown (2008)

Museums don't want their augustness tainted by a succession of declining swains. ❋ Unknown (2008)

So she did what she might to make herself the trimmer; and in a while came two fair swains of service, who brought her in all honour into the great hall, where were the three lords abiding her. ❋ Unknown (2007)

The king looked on us kindly, and said: Who be the swains for whom these lovely damsels make such a piece of work? ❋ Unknown (2007)