Forms: α. 6–7 entreatie, 7– entreaty. β. 6 intreati(e, (-tye, -die, intrety), 7–9 intreaty. [f. ENTREAT v. + -Y.]
† 1. Treatment (of persons); handling. Also management (of cattle). Obs.
1567. Fenton, Trag. Disc., 16. You have founde worse entreatie att my handes.
1579. J. Stubbes, Gaping Gulf, C vj. For if the Spaniard … did … beare away harde intreadie for hys vnwonted pryde towards vs.
1607. Topsell, Four-f. Beasts (1658), 561. I have also recited before in another place of the intreaty of Oxen.
1622. R. Hawkins, Voy. S. Sea, 224. He would give us our lives with good entreatie.
a. 1670. Hacket, Abp. Williams, I. (1693), 22. The Lord Privy-Seal … gave civil Entreaty when the Esquire-Beadles … came to him.
† b. Reception (of guests), entertainment. Obs.
1609. B. Jonson, Sil. Wom., Prol. (1612), B. They shall find guests entreatie, and good roome.
1615. Chapman, Odyss., XV. 679/241. You should encounter none that could bestow Your fit entreaty.
† 2. Treatment, discussion, investigation (of a question, subject, etc.). Obs.
c. 1534. trans. Pol. Verg. Eng. Hist. (1846), I. 26. Before I entered into the entreatie of battailes.
1538. Starkey, England, I. i. 24. The intrety of materys of the commyn wele.
1570. Billingsley, Euclid, IV. Introd. 110. The maner of entreatie in this booke is diuers from the entreaty of the former bookes.
a. 1626. Bp. Andrewes, Serm., v. (1661), 172. Whereout ariseth naturally the entreaty of these four points.
† 3. Negotiation (of a peace). Obs.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. ccxxix. 305. Then it was ordayned … to treat with the erle Mountfort … on ye state of peace … And at the first entreaty therle Mountfort answered [etc.].
1607. Topsell, Serpents (1653), 627. By truce and entreaties of Peace.
4. Earnest request, solicitation, supplication.
1573. G. Harvey, Letter-bk. (1884), 9. I wil not do ani thing for intreati.
1611. Bible, Prov. xviii. 23. The poore vseth intreaties, but the rich answereth roughly.
1647. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., I. (1843), I. 7/1. The prince … by his humble and importunate entreaty … in the end prevailed.
1726. Addison, Dial. Medals (1727), 40. To move his haughty soul they try Intreaties, and perswasion soft apply.
1821. Byron, Two Foscari, I. i. Alas! my life Has been one long entreaty.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), V. 339. The judges … shall be inaccessible to entreaties.
