Pa. t. and pa. pple. besought. 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. t. 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.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 121. Ure drihten … lokede gif here ani understoden oðer bi-sohten him.
c. 1300. Cursor M., 5357 (Gött.). Mi broþer esau me bi-soght [C. soght, T. bisouȝt, F. be-soȝt] To dyserit me, if þat he moght.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Boeth., 159. Þilk clernesse þat nis nat approched no raþer or þat men by-seken it.
† b. To seek to know. Obs.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 3236. He bi-soȝte godes wil.
2. To beg earnestly for, entreat (a thing).
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 135. Euric neodi ðe heo biseceð.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 157. Ech nedi þe hit bisekeð.
c. 1205. Lay., 3494. Nu ich mot bisecchen [1250 biseche] þat þing þat ich er forhowede.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. II. 167. Myldeliche with mouthe mercy he by-souhte.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, XXIX. 12138. Þis holly with hert here I beseke!
1590. Shaks., Mids. N., III. i. 183. I beseech your worship’s pardon.
1612. Dekker, etc., If not Good Play, Wks. 1873, I. 318. O I beseeke Thy attention to this Reuerend sub-Prior.
1641. Milton, Ch. Discip., II. Wks. (1851), 59. It hath beene more and more propounded, desir’d, and beseech’t.
1803. Jane Porter, Thaddeus, ii. (1831), 19. His majesty … beseeched permission to rest for a moment.
1885. Ruskin, Præterita, iii. 105. I besought leave to pat him [a dog].
b. with subord. cl. or infin. as obj.
c. 1205. Lay., 17043. Faire he bisecheð þat þu him to buȝe.
c. 1325. E. E. Allit. P., C. 375. Þay … dymly bisoȝten, þat þat penaunce plesed him.
1489. Caxton, Faytes of A., IV. ii. 232. I … beseke that hyt may be enteryned and kepte to me.
1622. Mabbe, trans. Aleman’s Guzman d’Alf., I. 97. Both which besought to be baptized.
1667. Milton, P. L., XII. 236. They beseech That Moses might report to them his will.
† c. Const. of (a person). Obs.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 305. [He] of hyme besekys To ansuere þe alyenes wyth austerene wordes.
1563. Mirr. Mag., Induct. xliv. 7. And to be yong againe of Joue [he would] beseke.
3. To supplicate, entreat, implore (a person).
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 23. He hine wile biseche mid gode heorte.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 15807. If i mi fader wald beseke, I moght … Haf tuelue thusand legions.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 1258. Lette me nouȝt lese þe liif ȝut lord, y þe bi cheche.
c. 1460. in Pol. Rel. & L. Poems (1866), 253. Leue lord I þee by-seke.
1591. Shaks., Two Gent., II. iv. 100. Mistris, I beseech you Confirme his welcome. Ibid. (1597), 2 Hen. IV., II. iv. 175. I beseeke you now, aggrauate your Choler.
1611. Bible, Ex. xxxiii. 18. I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.
1875. Jowett, 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.
c. 1205. Lay., 21543. Iþencheð what Ardur … at Baðen us bisohte.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 3600. For to bi-seken god merci.
1340. Ayenb., 98. Yef we hym bezechiþ þing þet ous is guod.
1588. Shaks., L. L. L., II. i. 197. I beseech you a word.
c. a person that, etc.
a. 1240. Ureisun, 161, in Lamb. Hom., 199. Ich þe bi-seche … þet þu þine blescinge … ȝiue me.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Melib., ¶ 270. I biseke yow … that ye wol nat wilfully replie agayn my resouns.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, II. 317. Scho … thaim besocht … scho micht thine with him fayr.
1536. Wriothesley, Chron. (1875), I. 40. I beseche God that I may be an example to you all.
1590. Shaks., Mids. N., I. i. 62. I beseech your Grace that I may know The worst.
1742. Jarvis, Quix., I. II. x. Beseeching God … that he would be pleased to give him the victory.
d. a person to do a thing.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, XXI. 8452. Ho … besechis the souerain … Hir lord for to let.
1552. Bk. Com. Prayer, Morn. Pr., I pray and beseech you … to accompany me.
c. 1620. A. Hume, Brit. Tong. (1865), 3. Beseeking your grace to accep my mint, and pardon my miss.
1647. Ward, Simp. Cobler, 78. Be … beseeched, not to slight good ministers.
1709. Tatler, No. 42, ¶ 2. A Poor Man once a Judge besought, To judge aright his Cause.
1835. Beckford, Recoll., 183. I beseeched him … to remain quiet.
1844. Ld. Brougham, Brit. Const., xvi. (1862), 243. He besought the King to refuse his consent.
† e. a person of a thing. Obs.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 3258. Þus he bisoght god of his grace.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Knt.’s T., 60 (Lansd. MS.). We beseke ȝowe of socoure and of mercye.
c. 1440. Lonelich, Grail, xlvi. 51. Of baptesme I the beseke.
1604. Shaks., Oth., III. iii. 212. I humbly do beseech you of your pardon.
f. a person for a thing.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 20655. And þat þou wil bisek [v.r. be-seke, biseche] me fore … It sal be als tu it wille.
c. 1440. York Myst., xxvi. 126. All samme for þe same we beseke ȝou.
1594. Marlowe, Dido, I. i. 60. She humbly did beseech him for our bane.
1859. Thackeray, Virgin. (1876), 539. The wretch … besought him for mercy.
4. intr. To make supplication or earnest request; to ask. arch.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 230. Þeo deoflen … bisouhten & seiden … mitte nos in porcos.
a. 1300. E. E. Psalter lxiii[iv]. 1. Here, God, mi bede, when I biseke swa.
1340. Ayenb., 194. Hit behoueþ ham bidde and bezeche beuore er hi wylleþ aȝt do.
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., Prol. 1. Vndirnyme thou, biseche thou, and blame thou, in all pacience.
1552. Bk. Com. Prayer, Consecr. Bp., That he, preaching thy Word, may be earnest to reprove, beseech, and rebuke.
1655. trans. 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.
a. 1300. E. E. Psalter xxix. [xxx.] 9. To þe … crie I sal, And to mi God biseke.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron., 158. To Ihesus scho bisouht.
1393. Gower, Conf., II. 172. The Grekes to hem beseke.
1377–99. in Hallam, Mid. Ages (1872), III. 90. The comune of youre lond bysechyn vnto youre riȝt riȝtwesnesse.
1647. W. Browne, Polex., II. 298. I prayed, and with teares besought for an end of our contestations.
1805. Southey, 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.)
a. 1718. Penn, Life, Wks. 1726, I. 173. I rather chuse to beseech People into that Commendable Disposition.
