arch. Forms: 4 ensamp-, ensaumpel, -ul(le, -il(l)e, (insampil, -saumpill, 5 emsampelle), 4–5 ensaumple, -nple, ensawmp(i)l(e, -yl, 3– ensample. [Altered form of ASAUMPLE, a. OF. essample: see EXAMPLE sb. (An AF. ensample occurs in some editions of Britton, but Nichols reads essaumplarie.)] = EXAMPLE in various senses.
The mod. archaistic use is almost wholly due to reminiscence of the passages in which the word occurs in the New Testament. In four of these passages it is used in sense 2, and is retained unaltered in the R. V.; in the remaining two it has the sense 3, and has in the R. V. been replaced by example.
1. An illustrative instance.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 10595 (Gött.). Be þis ensampil may men sy, Godd wald scho grew and clamb on hij.
1393. Gower, Conf., III. 138. Wherof ensample if thou wilt seche, Take hede.
14[?]. Pol. Rel. & L. Poems, 98. A gode Ensampille y wille telle.
1436. Pol. Poems (1859), II. 174. An emsampelle of deseytte.
1485. Caxton, Pref. Malory’s Arthur. Also certeyn bookes of ensaumples and doctryne.
1548. W. Patten, Exp. Scot., in Arb., Garner, III. 80. That if, for ensample like to this, I should rehearse to you out of the Old Testament, how the seven plentiful years [etc.].
1597. T. Morley, Introd. Mus., 20. Here is an ensample, pervse it.
a. 1850. Rossetti, trans. Dante’s Vita Nuova, I. (1874), 81. By which ensamples this thing shall be made manifest.
† b. quasi-adv. = ‘for example.’ Obs.
c. 1391. Chaucer, Astrol., II. § 45. Ensampulle as thus: the ȝere of ovre lord 1400 [etc.].
2. A precedent that may be followed or imitated; a pattern or model of conduct.
1297. R. Glouc. (1724), 446. And, vor ensample of hem, oþere ensentede þerto.
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter cxliv. 22. Bi myn ensaumpill all fleyss … loue him wiþouten end.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Prol., 520. To drawen folk to heuen … By good ensample.
c. 1440. York Myst., xxvii. 86. Here schall I sette ȝou for to see Þis ȝonge childe for insaumpills seere.
c. 1489. Caxton, Sonnes of Aymon, xii. 295. A worthy capytayn is the myrrour & ensaunple to thother for to doo well.
1531. Dial. on Laws Eng., I. xxvi. (1638), 42. It seemeth that he doth against the ensample of God.
1556. Chron. Gr. Friars (1852), 90. He … askyd them mercy and foryefnes for his evylle insampulle.
1611. Bible, Phil. iii. 17. Marke them which walke so, as ye haue vs for an ensample. Ibid., 1 Thess. i. 7.
1641. J. Jackson, True Evang. T., I. 85. I have Esay for an ensample.
1847. Emerson, Poems, To Rhea, Wks. (Bohn), I. 403. I make this maiden an ensample To Nature.
b. Phrases: † In († to) ensample; to give, set (an) ensample; to take ensample († at, by, of).
c. 1250. Old Kent. Serm., in O. E. Misc., 27. Þer-of us yeft ensample þo þrie kinges of heþenesse.
c. 1305. Edmund Conf., 498, in E. E. P. (1862), 84. Þis holi man euere nam his ensample bi seint Thomas. Ibid., 522. Nym ensample of me.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 17288. 175 (Cott.). Ensaumple at him he toke.
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter xxvii. 1. Crist … settand him ensaumpile til rightwismen.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. XVII. 324. What sorwes he suffrede in ensample of ous alle.
c. 1400. Maundev. (Roxb.), xxiv. 111. To giffe his men ensaumple and will to feight.
c. 1410. Love, Bonavent. Mirr., xxvii. (1510), H iij. He prayeth to ensaumple of us that we shulde oftsyth pray.
c. 1440. Lay Folks Mass-bk. (MS. C.). Grete ensaumple he settes þereto.
1483. Caxton, G. de la Tour, C iij b. I pray yow that ye take ensample here at me.
1568. Grafton, Chron. Edw. III., III. 284. Ye shall geve by this an evill ensample.
1865. Pusey, Truth Eng. Ch., 160. The ensample which He gave us in His Holy Childhood.
† c. In ensample: after the model (of); in imitation of the fact (that). Obs.
c. 1391. Chaucer, Astrol., I. § 21. In ensample that the zodiak in hevene is ymagened to ben a superfice contienyng a latitude of 12 degrees.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 1610. In Ensample of this Cite [sc. Troy] … Rome on a Riuer rially was set.
3. A deterrent instance of punishment, or of the evil consequences of any course of conduct; a practical warning. Const. to, of (the person to be warned), also with possessive pronoun. Phrases, For, † in ensample.
c. 1340. Cursor M., 47 (Trin.). Ensaumpel herby to hem I sey, Þat rage in her riot al wey.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, I. 119. Walys ensample micht have bene To ȝow, had ȝe It forow sene.
1480. Caxton, Chron. Eng., cclvii. 336. They … were sore punysshed in ensample of other.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. cccl. 561. They shulde neuer haue peace with him, in ensample to all other townes.
1547. J. Harrison, Exhort. Scottes, 232. May not the ruine of ye Grekes … suffyce for your ensample?
1611. Bible, 2 Pet. ii. 6. Making them [Sodom and Gomorrha] an ensample vnto those that after should liue vngodly.
1858. Gen. P. Thompson, Audi Alt., I. xlviii. 189. Now these things happened for our ensamples.
