Forms: α. 4–6 entrete, 5–6 -ede, 6–7 -eate, (6 -ait(e), 4– entreat; β. 6–7 intreate, 6 intrait, -ete, (-eit), 6–9 intreat. [ad. OF. entraiter, entraitier, f. en- (see EN-1) + traiter to TREAT. In the archaistic use 1 the spelling intreat still sometimes occurs.]
† I. To treat; to handle. Obs. or arch.
1. trans. To treat, deal with, act towards (a person, etc.) in a (specified) manner. Obs. exc. arch.
α. c. 1430. Hymns Virg., 22. So betyn, so woundyd, Entretyd so fuly.
1480. Caxton, Chron. Eng., ccxlviii. 317. The other Capytayns were … entreated as men of warre ben acustomed.
1551. Wotton, in Froude, Hist. Eng. (1881), V. 6. My aunt, her mother, was evil entreated by the king that dead is.
1577. B. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb., III. (1586), 139. The olde Ewes … be easlyer to be entreated.
1639. Fuller, Holy War, III. xxxi. (1840), 173. The pope ill entreated and imprisoned his [Frederick’s] messengers.
1718. Prior, Solomon, II. (J.). Well I entreated her who well deserv’d.
1864. Burton, Scot Abr., II. i. 62. Their authors … spitefully entreated as monomaniacs.
β. 1509. Fisher, Fun. Serm. C’tess Richmond, Wks. 296. To … intrete euery persone … accordynge to theyr degre and hauour.
1604. E. Grimstone, Hist. Siege Ostend, 153. Intreating whole troopes of Prince Maurices as friendes.
1622. R. Hawkins, Voy. S. Sea, 271. Shee [the ship] fell over upon that side suddenly, intreating many of them which were in her, very badly.
1657. S. Purchas, Pol. Flying-Ins., 147. How hee might best order, and intreat them [Bees] according to their kind.
1718. Col. Rec. Pennsylv., III. 52. They ought to be well used and Civilly Intreated.
1800. Addison, Amer. Law Rep., 277. To wound, beat, and evilly intreat.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), I. 135. They evil intreated one another.
† 2. To take (a thing) in hand; esp. to treat, handle (a subject or question). Obs.
α. 1509. Fisher, Fun. Serm. C’tess Richmond, Wks. 290. As say the doctours entreatynge this gospell, & her lyfe.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 1. The seconde boke … entreateth what is the iourney of religion.
1545. Raynold, Byrth Mankynde (1564), 98. In this third booke shalbe entreated what is to be done to the Infant borne.
1581. Marbeck, Bk. of Notes, 555. That yeares actes … were sufficientlye entreated of all three.
1681. W. Robertson, Phraseol. Gen. (1693), 540. To entreat or handle, tractare.
β. 1536. Latimer, 2nd Serm. Convoc., I. 43. It should be too long to intreat, how the children of light are ingendered.
1538. Starkey, England, I. iii. 86. Yf they juge be hys frend whose cause ys intretyd.
1563. Homilies, I. Repairing Churches (1859), 276. That house of God … wherein be intreated the Sacraments and mysteries of our redemption.
1597. T. Morley, Introd. Mus., 184. Musick cannot be intreated or taught without the knowledge of all other sciences.
† b. To occupy oneself in. Obs.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., II. vii. 53. A thick Arber … In which she often usd from open heat Her selfe to shroud, and pleasures to entreat.
† c. To beguile, pass (time). Obs.
1592. Shaks., Rom. & Jul., IV. i. 40. My Lord you must intreat the time alone.
† 3. intr. Of a speaker or writer, a book, etc.: To treat of or upon a subject. Obs.
1513. More, Rich. III., Wks. 37/1. Richarde the third sonne, of whom we nowe entreate.
1534. Ld. Berners, Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546), B iiij b. Marc Aurele the emperour, of whome this present boke entreateth.
c. 1540. Life Fisher, Wks. II. Introd. 58. This excellent man of whom we intreate, John Fysher, Bishopp of Rochester.
1594. Plat, Jewell-ho., I. Divers New Exper., 4. Wherevpon Valerius entreateth in this maner.
1610. Markham, Masterp., II. lxxxiii. 364. Of which wee shall speake more at large when wee intreate of paring and shooing of each seuerall foote.
1611. Coryat’s Crudities, Panegyr. Verses. Of steeples, townes and towers entreats his goose’s quill.
1632. Sanderson, 12 Serm., 4. To intreate at this time of Saint Paul’s advice.
1681. W. Robertson, Phraseol. Gen. (1693), 540. Atticus in one book did entreat of … the Records of things done in 700 years.
b. in indirect passive.
1561. T. Norton, Calvin’s Inst., vi. (1634), 19. This matter indeed is worthy … to bee largely entreated of.
1589. Puttenham, Eng. Poesie, I. xv. (Arb.), 50. Except Eglogue whereof shalbe entreated hereafter.
1638. Chillingw., Relig. Prot., I. iii. § 74. 175. The subject here entreated of.
c. simply (with ellipsis of prep. and obj.).
c. 1386. Chaucer, Pard. T., 302. A word or tuo, as other bookes entrete.
c. 1534. trans. Pol. Verg. Eng. Hist. (1846), I. 5. As towchinge the situation thereof hereafter … I means to entreate in places convenient.
1571. Digges, Pantom., III. x. R iij. Although it would seeme I had entreated sufficiently.
† 4. intr. To enter into negotiations; to treat with a person; of (occasionally about, for) a thing; also simply. Obs.
c. 1340. Cursor M., 24795 (Fairf.). To entrete of þe pais betwix him & þa danais.
14[?]. Epiph., in Tundale’s Vis. (1843), 106. Herode … of thys mater entredes pryvylly.
1482. Warkw., Chron., 27. That will speke and entrete with ther enemyes.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. clxxxv. 219. Bytwene these parties entreated for a peace, the archbysshoppe of Senns … the lorde of Saynt Venant.
1560. Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., 44. In the assemblie at Norinberge, besydes matters of Religion, the Princes entreated of peace.
1598. Grenewey, Tacitus’ Ann., I. vi. (1612), 10. Being sent vnto you from the Germane campe, to entreat of the common profit and good.
β. 1534. Ld. Berners, Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546), Dd iiij. She was intreatynge to mary an nother husbande.
1568. Grafton, Chron., II. 664. And this mariage agreed vpon (which semeth more likely to be intreated of then concluded).
1586. T. B., La Primaud. Fr. Acad., I. (1594), 395. Attilius Regulus … being … sent to Rome upon his faith to intreat about a peace.
1593. Shaks., 2 Hen. VI., IV. iv. 9. Ile send some holy Bishop to intreat.
1603. Knolles, Hist. Turkes (1610), 119. To entreat with him of peace.
† 5. trans. To parley with (a person). Obs.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. ccxxix. 307. So they entreated the sayd Companyons, and offred them golde.
II. With additional sense of asking, asking of somebody or for something.
† 6. intr. To intercede, plead for (a person). Obs.
α. c. 1430. Compl. Criste, 127, in Pol. Rel. & L. Poems, 169. Lete merci for us entrete.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 84. He wyll make other persones to … perswade & entreate for hym.
1605. Shaks., Lear, III. iii. 4. They … charg’d me … neither to speake of him, entreat for him, or any way sustaine him.
1611. Bible, Ex. viii. 9. When shall I entreat for thee…?
β. 1600. Shaks., A. Y. L., IV. iii. 73. I will neuer haue her, vnlesse thou intreat for her.
† 7. intr. To sue, plead for (a concession or favor). Obs.
1573. Twyne, Æneid., XI. (R.). Then lets intreat for peace.
1817. Jas. Mill, Brit. India, II. V. viii. 645. The prisoners entreated for their release.
8. trans. To ask earnestly for (a thing); chiefly with clause as obj. Occas. const. of (a person).
α. 1610. Shaks., Temp., V. i. 118. I … doe entreat Thou pardon me my wrongs.
1771. Goldsm., Hist. Eng., IV. 200. He entreated that they would elect such, in particular, as had [etc.].
1780. Burke, Execution Rioters, Wks. IX. 266. For God’s sake entreat of Lord North to take a view of the sum total.
1797. Mrs. Radcliffe, Italian, I. x. 287. I entreat you will speak explicitly.
1878. Joaquin Miller, Songs Italy, 94. To entreat of the gods what they will not give.
β. a. 1600. Creation, in Evergreen (1761), I. 166. The serpent … persuadit me … Intreiting, be eiting, That we suld be perfyte.
1602. Marston, Ant. & Mel., II. Wks. 1856, I. 28. Our tyred limbes … intreat soft rest.
1611. Bible, Ps. xlv. 12. Euen the rich among the people shall intreate thy fauour.
1653. Walton, Angler, Ep. Ded. A 2. To intreat that they [former favors] may be enlarged to the patronage and protection of this Book.
1712. Hearne, Collect. (Oxf. Hist. Soc.), III. 496. I intreat therefore yt you would insert it in ye Post-Boy.
9. To make an earnest prayer or request to; to beseech, implore. Chiefly with subord. clause or const. to with inf. Formerly also const. of, or with sb. as second obj.
α. 1502. Arnolde, Chron. (1811), 134. Wherfore he entredyd the sayde brydge-maysters of respyte in the mater.
1509. Hawes, Past. Pleas., xxxii. (1845), 158. Dame Correccion … Did me entreat a while to abyde.
1534. Whitinton, Tullyes Offices, III. (1540), 132. To entreat the iudge … what thynges he may do sauyng his conscience.
1584. Powel, Lloyd’s Cambria, 94. They promised to Intreate the King for him.
1611. Bible, Gen. xxv. 21. Isaac intreated the Lord for his wife, because she was barren.
1735. Berkeley, Free-thinking in Math., § 48, Wks. 1871, III. 330. I entreat my reader to think.
1840. Dickens, Barn. Rudge, vi. Ask me no questions, I entreat you.
1859. Tennyson, Geraint & Enid, 760. Entreat her by my love … That she ride with me in her faded silk.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), I. 384. But, Oh! my beloved Socrates, let me entreat you once more to take my advice and escape.
β. 1611. Bible, Ex. viii. 8. Intreat the Lord, that hee may take away the frogges from me.
1676. Hobbes, Iliad, I. (1686), 170. I’le not intreat you for my sake to stay.
1751. Johnson, Rambler, No. 153, ¶ 19. All whom I intreat to sing are troubled with colds.
1792. Munchhausen’s Trav., xxiii. 97. Intreating me to assist in the war against Russia.
† 10. To prevail on by supplication or solicitation; to persuade by pleading. Also, of circumstances, considerations, etc.: To induce. Obs.
α. 1551. Bible, 2 Chron. xxxiii. 13. And he was entreated of hym & herd his praier.
1563. Homilies, II. Idolatry, III. (1859), 264. A dog that would be entreated and hired with part of the prey to suffer the wolves to werry the sheep.
1586. Marlowe, 1st Pt. Tamburl., I. i. This should entreat your highness to rejoice.
1593. Prodigal Son, I. 91. Ah my beloved son, be entreated, and go not hence.
β. 1568. Grafton, Chron., II. 768. Howbeit, if she could in no wise be intreated with her good wyll to delyuer him.
1576. Fleming, Panoplie Ep., 241. For he is a man full of affabilitie … and easie to be intreated.
1638. Penit. Conf., i. (1657), 4. And whereas God was intreated and Moses prevailed in his suit.
