hierarcha

hierarcha, ~us [ἱεράρχης] 1 prelate, bishop or archbishop. b ecclesiastical leader (in quot., Master of Hospitallers). reverendus vir ~us Northanhymbrorum Wylfridus Byrht. V. Ecgwini 380 (cf. ib.: Wylfridus archiepiscopus); dum ‥ ad sacrum appropriaret ierarchum inquit ‥: “quid vis, domine mi? ” presul ait ‥ Lantfr. Swith. 35; octo quod egregii domino sanxere ierarchi Wulf. Swith. prol. 211; hic ‥ decet tuam paternam excellentiam, o Lundonicae metropolis ierarcha [Mauricius, episc. Lond.] Gosc. Wulfh. prol.; vidi ‥ ~am ‥ [sanctum] Yvonem Id. Mir. Iv. lxiv; c1137 te valere ‥ desidero inter ~as ecclesie principaliter eminentem Osb. Clar. Ep. 12 p. 78; ~a, sacer princeps Osb. Glouc. Deriv. 292.  b pro nulla marcha salvabitur ille hierarcha (J. Bridl) Pol. Poems I 156 (cf. ib. 157: gl.: i. magister Hospitalariorum). 2 (w. ref. to celestial hierarchy): a the Lord. b archangel. a 957 (14c) celestis patrie ~us diversis gradibus sue largitatis largifluam donationem late distribuit CS 998; 1437 contentio ‥ quam inter discipulos agitatam supremus ~a Christus ‥ terminavit Bekynton II 39; 1440 quod annuat celestis ille iherarcha qui imperat universis Ib. I 135.  b sub duce magnifico caeli Michahele ierarcho Trop. Wint. 35. 3 (secular) ruler. 9‥ ierarchon, heah landrica WW; evangelice predicationis ~a Oswaldus rex fidelis et catholicus R. Cold. Osw. 56; rex imbecillis nec adhuc a plebe timetur; / ‥ / etatis tenere quia tunc erat ipse hierarcha ‥ (Mors Simonis) Pol. Poems I 227. 4 (as adj.) holy , or f. l. affectemus ‥ normam ierarchi [gl.: i. almi; ? l. hieratici] patris et eximii [gl.: i. excelsi] patroni monachorum Benedicti Ælf. Bata 5. 13.