释义 |
▪ I. beseech, v.|bɪˈsiːtʃ| Pa. tense and pa. pple. besought |bɪˈsɔːt|. Forms: inf. 2 bisec-en, 2–5 bisechen, bysech-e(n, 3–6 beseche (3 -secchen, 4 bezeche, bicheche, 5 bysuche), 6–7 beseeche, 6– beseech. Also north. and n. midl. 2–4 biseke, 4–5 be-, by-, (4 bezeke, 5 besike, beseyk, 5–6 Sc. beseik, 6 bezeik), 6–7 beseek(e. pa. tense 3 bisohte, 3–4 -soȝte, -souhte, -souȝte, 4 bi-, bysought, -sowght, besoght, 5 -sougt, 5–6 -soughte, 5–9 Sc. besocht, 6– besought; also 6– beseeched (now regarded as incorrect). [f. bi-, be- 2 + ME. secen, sechen, seken to seek. In contrast to the simple vb., in which the northern seek has displaced the southern seech, in the compound beseech has become the standard form.] †1. trans. To seek after, search for, try to get. Obs.
c1200Trin. Coll. Hom. 121 Ure drihten..lokede gif here ani understoden oðer bi-sohten him. c1300Cursor M. 5357 Gött., Mi broþer esau me bi-soght [C. soght, T. bisouȝt, F. be-soȝt] To dyserit me, if þat he moght. c1374Chaucer Boeth. 159 Þilk clernesse þat nis nat approched no raþer or þat men by-seken it. †b. To seek to know. Obs.
c1250Gen. & Ex. 3236 He bi-soȝte godes wil. 2. To beg earnestly for, entreat (a thing).
c1175Lamb. Hom. 135 Euric neodi ðe heo biseceð. c1200Trin. Coll. Hom. 157 Ech nedi þe hit bisekeð. c1205Lay. 3494 Nu ich mot bisecchen [1250 biseche] þat þing þat ich ær forhowede. 1393Langl. P. Pl. C. ii. 167 Myldeliche with mouthe mercy he by-souhte. c1400Destr. Troy xxix. 12138 Þis holly with hert here I beseke! 1590Shakes. Mids. N. iii. i. 183, I beseech your worship's pardon. 1612Dekker, etc. If not Good Play Wks. 1873 I. 318, O I beseeke Thy attention to this Reuerend sub-Prior. 1641Milton Ch. Discip. ii. Wks. (1851) 59 It hath beene more and more propounded, desir'd, and beseech't. 1803Miss Porter Thaddeus ii. (1831) 19 His majesty..beseeched permission to rest for a moment. 1885Ruskin Præterita iii. 105, I besought leave to pat him [a dog]. b. with subord. clause or inf. as obj.
c1205Lay. 17043 Faire he bisecheð þat þu him to buȝe. c1325E.E. Allit. P. C. 375 Þay..dymly bisoȝten, þat þat penaunce plesed him. 1489Caxton Faytes of A. iv. ii. 232, I..beseke that hyt may be enteryned and kepte to me. 1622Mabbe Aleman's Guzman d'Alf. i. 97 Both which besought to be baptized. 1667Milton P.L. xii. 236 They beseech That Moses might report to them his will. †c. Const. of (a person). Obs.
a1400Morte Arth. 305 [He] of hyme besekys To ansuere þe alyenes wyth austerene wordes. 1563Mirr. Mag. Induct. xliv. 7 And to be yong againe of Joue [he would] beseke. 3. To supplicate, entreat, implore (a person).
c1175Lamb. Hom. 23 He hine wile biseche mid gode heorte. a1300Cursor M. 15807 If i mi fader wald beseke, I moght..Haf tuelue thusand legions. c1350Will. Palerne 1258 Lette me nouȝt lese þe liif ȝut lord, y þe bi cheche. c1460in Pol. Rel. & L. Poems (1866) 253 Leue lord I þee by-seke. 1591Shakes. Two Gent. ii. iv. 100 Mistris, I beseech you Confirme his welcome. 1597― 2 Hen. IV, ii. iv. 175, I beseeke you now, aggrauate your Choler. 1611Bible Ex. xxxiii. 18, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory. 1875Jowett Plato (ed. 2) I. 196 Tell me, I beseech you, what that noble study is? †b. a person a thing. (Perhaps the person was originally a dative.) Obs.
c1205Lay. 21543 Iþencheð what Ardur..at Baðen us bisohte. c1250Gen. & Ex. 3600 For to bi-seken god merci. 1340Ayenb. 98 Yef we hym bezechiþ þing þet ous is guod. 1588Shakes. L.L.L. ii. i. 197, I beseech you a word. c. a person that, etc.
a1240Ureisun 161 in Lamb. Hom. 199 Ich þe bi-seche..þet þu þine blescinge..ȝiue me. c1386Chaucer Melib. ⁋270, I biseke yow..that ye wol nat wilfully replie agayn my resouns. c1470Henry Wallace ii. 317 Scho..thaim besocht..scho micht thine with him fayr. 1536Wriothesley Chron. (1875) I. 40, I beseche God that I may be an example to you all. 1590Shakes. Mids. N. i. i. 62, I beseech your Grace that I may know The worst. 1742Jarvis Quix. i. ii. x, Beseeching God..that he would be pleased to give him the victory. d. a person to do a thing.
c1400Destr. Troy xxi. 8452 Ho..besechis the souerain..Hir lord for to let. 1552Bk. Com. Prayer Morn. Pr., I pray and beseech you..to accompany me. c1620A. Hume Brit. Tong. (1865) 3 Beseeking your grace to accep my mint, and pardon my miss. 1647Ward Simp. Cobler 78 Be..beseeched, not to slight good ministers. 1709Tatler No. 42 ⁋2 A Poor Man once a Judge besought, To judge aright his Cause. 1835Beckford Recoll. 183, I beseeched him..to remain quiet. 1844Brougham Brit. Const. xvi. (1862) 243 He besought the King to refuse his consent. †e. a person of a thing. Obs.
a1300Cursor M. 3258 Þus he bisoght god of his grace. c1386Chaucer Knt.'s T. 60 (Lansd. MS.), We beseke ȝowe of socoure and of mercye. c1440Lonelich Grail xlvi. 51 Of baptesme I the beseke. 1604Shakes. Oth. iii. iii. 212, I humbly do beseech you of your pardon. f. a person for a thing.
a1300Cursor M. 20655 And þat þou wil bisek [v.r. be-seke, biseche] me fore..It sal be als tu it wille. c1440York Myst. xxvi. 126 All samme for þe same we beseke ȝou. 1594Marlowe Dido i. i. 60 She humbly did beseech him for our bane. 1859Thackeray Virgin. (1876) 539 The wretch..besought him for mercy. 4. intr. To make supplication or earnest request; to ask. arch.
a1225Ancr. R. 230 Þeo deoflen..bisouhten & seiden..mitte nos in porcos. a1300E.E. Psalter lxiii[iv]. 1 Here, God, mi bede, when I biseke swa. 1340Ayenb. 194 Hit behoueþ ham bidde and bezeche beuore er hi wylleþ aȝt do. c1449Pecock Repr. Prol. 1 Vndirnyme thou, biseche thou, and blame thou, in all pacience. 1552Bk. Com. Prayer Consecr. Bps., That he, preaching thy Word, may..be earnest to reprove, beseech, and rebuke. 1655tr. Milton's 2nd Def. Pop. 223 Well, I beseech, who are you? b. Const. to or unto a person (obs.); of (obs.) or for a thing.
a1300E.E. Psalter xxix. [xxx.] 9 To þe..crie I sal, And to mi God biseke. 1330R. Brunne Chron. 158 To Ihesus scho bisouht. 1393Gower Conf. II. 172 The Grekes to hem beseke. 1377–99in Hallam Mid. Ages (1872) III. 90 The comune of youre lond bysechyn vnto youre riȝt riȝtwesnesse. 1647W. Browne Polex. ii. 298, I prayed, and with teares besought for an end of our contestations. 1805Southey Madoc in W. v, We now besought for food. †5. To bring (a person) into (a certain state of mind) by entreaty. Obs. (Cf. to argue into.)
a1718Penn Life Wks. 1726 I. 173, I rather chuse to beseech People into that Commendable Disposition. ▪ II. † beˈseech, n. Obs. rare. [f. prec.] Beseeching, entreaty, petition.
1606Shakes. Tr. & Cr. i. ii. 319 Atchievement, is command; ungain'd, beseech. a1625Beaum. & Fl. Bloody Bro. (T.), The suit that Edith urges With such submiss beseeches. |