648 
K E E 
K E E 
Never did I know 
A creature, that did bear the ihape of man, 
So keen and greedy to confound a man. Shakefpeare. 
Acrimonious; bitter of mind.—I have known 1 'ome of 
thefe abfent officers as keen againft Ireland, as if they had 
never been indebted to her. Swift. 
Good father cardinal, cry thou Amen 
To my keen curfes. Shakejpcare s King John. 
To KEEN, v. a. To fharpen. An unauthorifed word: 
Nor, when cold Winter keens the brightening float!, 
Would I weak fliivering linger on the brink. Tkompfon. 
KEENDUEM', a river which rifes in Thibet, and runs 
into the Irawaddy forty miles below Ava. 
KEENE, a poft-town of the American States, in New 
Hampfhire, and one of the mo ft flourifhing in Chefliire 
county. It was incorporated in 1753, and contained, in 
179°, 14. inhabitants. It is fourteen miles from Wal¬ 
pole, ninety-five weft of Portfmouth, and eighty-fix north- 
weft from Bofton. Lat. 4a. 53. N. 
KEENEEBALOO, or St. Peter’s Mount, a large 
mountain in the north part of the ifland of Borneo, near 
which live a people called Oran, Idaan, and fometimes 
Maroots, who offer human facrifices ; they are faid to be 
acquainted with a fubtile poifon, in which they dip their 
fmall darts, a wound from which produces inftant death. 
KEEN'LY, adv. Sharply ; vehemently ; eagerly 3 bit¬ 
terly. 
KEEN'NESS, f. Sharpnefs ; edge: 
No, not the hangman’s axe bears half the keennefs 
Of thy fharp envy. Shakefp. Merchant of Venice. 
Rigour of weather ; piercing cold.—Afperity ; bitternefs 
of mind.—The fling of every reproachful fpeech is the 
truth of it 3 and to be confcious, is that which gives an 
edge and keennefs to the inventive. South. —Eagernefs ; 
vehemence. 
To KEEP, v. a. [cepan, Sax. kepen, old Dut.] To re¬ 
tain $ not to lofe.—We have examples in the primitive 
church of fuel) as by fear being compelled to facrifice to 
ftrange gods repented, and kept ftill the office of preach¬ 
ing the go(pe\.WAitgifie. 
This charge I keep till my appointed day 
Of rend’ring up. Milton. 
To have in cuftody.—The crown of Stephanus, firft king 
of Hungary, was always- kept in the caftle of Vicegrade. 
Knolles .—To preferve 5 not to let go.—The Lord God 
merciful and gracious, keeping mercy for thoufands, for¬ 
giving iniquity. Exod. xxxiv. 7.—To preferve in a ftate 
of fecurity.—We palled by where the duke keeps his gal- 
lies. AddiJ'on. —To protect 5 to guard.—Behold* I am with 
thee, to keep thee. Gen. xxviii.—To reftrain from flight.— 
Paul dwelt with a foldier that kepi him. Acts, xxviii.—To 
detain, or hold as a motive.—But what’s the caufe\that 
keeps you here with me ?—That I may know what keep's 
me here with you. Dryden .—To hold for another.—A 
man delivers money or fluff to keep. Exod. xxii. 7.—To 
tend 3 to have care of.—While, in her gtrlifh age, fhe kept 
fheep on the moor, it chanced that a merchant faw and 
liked her. Carcw. 
Count it thine 
To fill and keep, and of the fruit to eat, 
To preferve in the fame tenor or ftate.—-To 
true ftate, I. will keep this order. Bacon. 
Take this at leaft, this Iaft advice, my fon. 
Keep a ftiff rein, and move but gently on : 
The courfers of themfelves will run too fall. 
Your art mull be to moderate their hafte. 
To regard ; to attend : 
While the ftars and courfe of heav’n I keep, 
My weary’d eyes were feiz’d with fatal fleep. 
Milton. 
know the 
Addifon. 
Dryden. 
To not fuffer to fail.—My mercy will I keep for him for 
ever. Pfal. lxxxix.—To hold in any ftate.—Happy fouls ! 
who keep fuch a facred dominion over their inferior and 
animal powers, that the fenfitive tumults never rife to dif- 
turb the fuperior and better operations of the reafoning 
mind. Watts .—To retain by fotne degree of force in any 
place or ftate. It is often followed in this fenfe by parti¬ 
cles ; as, down, under, in, out, off .—This wickednef’s is 
found by thee ; no good deeds of mine have been able to 
keep It down in thee. Sidney. —It is hardly to be thought 
that any governor fliould lo much malign his fucceffor, as 
to fuffer an evil to grow up which he might timely have 
kept under j or perhaps nourifn it with coloured counte¬ 
nance of fuch finifter means. Spenfer. 
What, old acquaintance ! could not all this fieih 
Keep in a little life? Poor Jack, farewel. Shakefpeare . 
If any afk me what wou’d fatisfy, 
To make life eafy, thus I would reply: 
As much as keeps out hunger, tlxirfl:, and cold. Dryden. 
Venus took the guard of noble Heritor’s corfe, 
And kept the dogs ojf: night and da}' applying fovereign 
force 
Of rofy balms, that to the dogs were horrible in tafle. 
Chapman's Iliad. 
To continue any ftate or aftion.—Men gave ear, waited, 
and kept filence, at any counfel. Job, xxix. 21. 
Fought next my perfon ; as in concert fought: 
Kept pace for pace, and blow for blow. Dryden. 
To preferve in any ftate.—My fon, keep the flower of thine 
age found. Ecclef. xxvi.—To practife 5 to ufe habitually.— 
I rule the family very ill, and keep bad hours. Pope.— To 
copy carefully : 
Her fervant’s eyes were fixed, upon her face, 
And, as fhe mov’d or turn’d, her motions view’d. 
Her meafures kept, and ftep by ffep purfu’d. Dryden. 
To obferve or folemnize any time.—This fhall be for a me¬ 
morial ; and you fhall keep it a fealt to the Lord. Exod. xii. 
14.—To obferve 3 not to violate.—Lord God, there is 
none like thee 5 who keepejt covenant and mercy with thy 
fervants. 1 Kings, viii. 23. 
It cannot be, 
The king fliould keep his word in loving us 5 
He will lufpefl us ftill, and find a time 
To punifh this offence in other faults. Shakefpeare , 
To maintain ; to fupport with neceflaries of life ; 
Much more affliction than already felt 
They cannot well impofe, nor I fuftain. 
If they intend advantage of my labours. 
The work of many hands, which earns my keeping. Milt . 
To have in the lioufe ; 
Bafe tyke, call’ll thou me lioft ? I fco’rn the term : 
Nor fhall my Nell keep lodgers. Shak. Henry V. 
Not to intermit.— -Keep a fure watch over a fhamelefs 
daughter, left fhe make thee a laughing-flock to thine 
enemies, and a bye-word in the city. Ecclef. xli. 11.—To 
maintain ; to hold.—They were honourably brought to 
London, where every one of them kept houfe by himfelf. 
Hayward. 
Twelve Spartan virgins, noble, young, and fair, 
Straight to the pompous palace did refort, 
Where Menelaus kept his royal court. Dryden. 
To remain in ; not to leave a place.—I pr’ythee, tell me, 
doth he keep his bed ? Shakefpeare. —Not to reveal; not to 
betray.—A fool cannot keep counfel. Ecclef. viii. 17.—To 
reftrain ; to with-hold.—There is no virtue children fliould 
be excited to, nor fault they fliould be kept from, which 
they may not be convinced of by reafons. Locke on Edu¬ 
cation. 
To 
