[f. LESSON sb.]
1. trans. To give a lesson or lessons to, to instruct, teach; to admonish, rebuke. Const. in, on, and with inf. or dependent clause. Also, To bring into or to (a certain state) by lessoning.
1555. W. Watreman, Fardle Facions, II. x. 223. He yet bothe harkened the complainte of his felowes, and lessoned them againe.
1586. J. Hooker, Hist. Irel., in Holinshed, II. 87/1. Willing to lesson you with sound and sage aduise.
1632. J. Hayward, trans. Biondi’s Eromena, 110. Metaneone … had before hand lessoned him what he should say.
a. 1661. Fuller, Worthies, Kent (1662), II. 58. To lesson the Clergy to content themselves with Decency without sumptuousness.
1681. trans. Erastus’ Treat. Excommun., 20. The Disciples … had been severely lesson’d by the Synagogue.
1763. Churchill, Duellist, II. Each Stripling, lesson’d by his Sire, Knew when to close, when to retire.
a. 1774. Goldsm., Surv. Exp. Philos. (1776), II. 361. When the eye has been for a short time lessoned to ocular succession, there will arise [etc.].
1795. Burke, Lett., to R. Burke, Wks. 1842, II. 459. It ought to lesson us into an abhorrence of the abuse of our own power in our own day.
1812. Byron, Ch. Har., II. lxviii. To rest the weary and to soothe the sad, Doth lesson happier men.
1856. Susan Warner, Hills of Shatemuc, xxviii. 312. If you will lesson me to find trouble is no trouble … I will thank you much for that.
1873. Symonds, Grk. Poets, vii. 196. Oedipus has been purged and lessoned to humility before the throne of Zeus.
1887. Ruskin, Præterita, II. 230. There was yet another young draughtsman in Florence, who lessoned me to purpose.
absol. 1807. D. Gilson, Serm. Pract. Subj., x. 211. The apostle lessons well when he says that the man who provideth not for his own hath denied the faith.
2. To teach (a thing) as a lesson, to inculcate.
1821. [see the ppl. a.].
Hence Lessoned ppl. a.
1821. Joanna Baillie, Metr. Leg., Columbus, xlii. Better than lesson’d saw.
