praeludium

praeludium [ML < CL prae-+ludus+-ium] 1 performance, game, or sim., as rehearsal for or introduction to more important one; b (w. ref. to preparation for war). c (pacis ~ia, w. ref. to truce). hoc ~ium ‥ i. parvus ludus ante majorem factus Osb. Glouc. Deriv. 303; tanquam Jerosolimitane peregrinationis ‥ quedam ~ia facientes Gir. IK II 6 p. 125; habuerunt ‥ quedam ~ia fidei Bacon V 37n; 1304 possint lecciones resumere et easdem continuare ‥ absque nove examinacionis vel approbacionis ~iis FormOx I 6.  b prologus hic belli preludia talia scribat Steph. Rouen II 673; super bellici preludii illius [sc. tornamenti] eventibus Gir. GE II 12 p. 227; militie sacre peragit preludia quedam Garl. Tri. Eccl. 22; torneamenta ‥ quasi bellorum ~ia Meaux I 279; numquam fuisse moris Anglorum hosti se reddere ante ~ia Martis et Bellone Wals. YN 469.  c qui ‥ filii ‥ lucis et pacis, pacis ~ia statuerunt, treugas sc. biennales W. Guisb. 316. 2 prelude: a (of play); b (of literary work); c (w. ref. to speech of animal in fable). a a bane of a play, ~ium, proludium CathA.  b hac ‥ in area, arcta licet et arida, ‥ musam adhuc rudem se tamquam ~io quodam exercere constitui Gir. EH pref. p. 224; primo, quasi ~ia quedam premittendo, a modicis incepit miraculis Gerv. Cant. Combust. 18; hec crucesignatis facio preludia quorum / bella canam Garl. Tri. Eccl. 34.  c “si cantu placeas, plus ave quaque places.” / credit avis, picteque placent preludia lingue; / dum canit ut placeat, caseus ore cadit Walt. Angl. Fab. 15. 5.