temper vb. (used twice of tempering swords Tp. III. iii. 62, Ven. 111 “Strong-t-'d steel” ; cf. MISTEMPERED 2; 4 cf. the Warwickshire expression of ‘humouring’ butter, e.g. before a fire)
2.
to moisten “with” a fluid
2H6 III. i. 311
“ clay with
blood,”
Tit. V. ii. 200
“with this hateful
liquor
it”
(viz. a powder), Lr. I. iv.
328.
3.
to modify or qualify
LLL. IV. iii. 347
“Until his ink were t-'d
with Love's sighs,”
Rom. II. Chor. 14
“T-ing extremity with
extreme sweet.”
4.
(of wax) to soften
(only in gerund) 2H4 IV. iii.
141 (fig.) “I have him
already t-ing between my finger and my thumb,
and shortly will I seal with him,”
Ven. 565
“What wax so frozen but
dissolves with tempering?.”
5.
to work upon, mould
(“to” a
particular purpose)
Gent. III. ii. 64
“ her by your
persuasion To hate young
Valentine,”
H5 II. ii. 118 [the
devil] “that t-'d thee,”
R3 I. i. 65 (Ff “tempts”), Tit. IV. iv. 108.
6.
to blend or accord
“with”
3H6 IV. vi. 29
“few men rightly temper
with the stars.”
