Green’s Dictionary of Slang

a complaisant husband who makes no effort to discourage his wife’s adventuring; thus wittoly adj.

1523–4		Skelton ‘Garland of Laurel’ in Henderson Complete Poems (1948) 353: Some famous wittols, and they be muche worse [...] some naughtiy packes; / Some facers, some bracers, some make great crackes.
1593		Tell-Trothes New-Yeares Gift (1876) 22: The grand wittalls, that will alure customers by the fine wenches, and with hauing inriched themselues therby, will turne their knauery into villanie. [...] Their wiues shall [...] reape no profit.
c.1597		Shakespeare Merry Wives of Windsor II ii: fal.: They say the jealous wittoly knave hath masses of money [...] ford.: Cuckold! wittol! – Cuckold! the devil himself hath not such a name.
1604		Marston Malcontent I iv: What though I called thee old ox, egregious wittol, broken-bellied coward, rotten mummy?
1607		Dekker & Webster Northward Hoe IV i: Greenshield, like an Arrant wittall intreates his friend.
1613		Middleton Chaste Maid in Cheapside I ii: Honesty wash my eyes, I have spied a wittol.
1614		N. Breton I Would and Would not I in Grosart (1879) 6/1: I would I were a Cuckold Wittall Asse, And car’d not who did mount my Hackney Saddle.
1621		Middleton Anything for a Quiet Life V i: Yes Pander, Wittoll, Macrio, basest of knaves, thou Boulster-bawd to thine own infamy!
1630		J. Taylor ‘Taylors Revenge’ in Works (1869) II 144: Thou Dolt, thou Dunce, more blockish than a Mule, / None but a Wittall giues his wife the rule.
1641		Wit’s Recreations no. 74 C4: Thy stars gave thee the cuckold’s diadem: If thou wert born to be a wittoll, can Thy wife prevent thy fortune? foolish man!
1647		J. Cleveland Poem in Character of a London-Diurnall 11: The Theban Wittall [...] falls to Sacrifice That name hath tipt his hornes.
1659		Mercurius Democritus 10-26 Aug. 101: Thus was this simple Wittol so beguil’d, / he need no fear shee; dy by the first Child.
1660		‘Mercurius Philalethes’ Select City Quaeries 12: Whether P — at the Crown near Broadstreet did ever read Juvenals Description of a Wittal.
1673		T. Shadwell Epsom Wells IV i: frib.: The Law allows me to give my Wife due correction. I know the Law, Huswife, consider and tremble. mrs frib.: You give me correction, you Wittal? I’le teach you Law.
1675		Fumblers-Hall 20: The Man that lets his Wife bear rule, / Shall be both Wittal, Cuckold, and fool.
c.1685		‘The West Country Weaver’ in Ebsworth Roxburghe Ballads (1893) VII:1 23: Ay, and call’d me poor wittal and cuckold in grain.
1691		‘The Jealous Husband’ in Ebsworth Merry Drollery Compleat (1875) 45: He that’s a Wittal doth live more at ease, / He knows the worst; and doth himself please.
1701		N. Ward ‘Battel without Bloodshed’ in Writings (1704) 121: The Wital, the Coward, the Trojan that’s Trusty.
1719		in D’Urfey Pills to Purge Melancholy IV 111: A Man may be made a Cuckold by chance, / And put out another Man’s Child to Nurse, / [...] / But he that’s a Wittal is ten times worse.
1741		Sexes Mis-Match’d 195: You unmannerly Tony, you Wittol Looby.
1813		‘Thomas Brown the Younger’ Intercepted Letters in Moore (ed.) British Satire (2003) V 88: We drank [...] /To those well-meaning husbands, cits, parsons, or peers, / Whom we’ve, any time, honour’d by kissing their dears, / This museum of wittols was comical rather.
1822		(con. early 17C) W. Scott Fortunes of Nigel III 120: I should be sorry to interrupt the course of your pleasure; an old wittol should have more consideration of his condition.
1832		Satirist (London) 2 Dec. 389/4: ‘Why [...] are those mean despicable devils who consent to barter their wives’ affections for the patronage and favours of the great, only fit to be eaten?’— ‘Fit to be eaten! [...] why should they be eaten?’ —‘Because they are it wittols’ .
1850		E.V. Kenealy Goethe: a New Pantomime 194: Diddler, looby, wittol, schemer!