This short preterite, pronounced pled, is very common in the U.S. It probably came in by way of Scotland. The legend of St. Edith (a. 1420) has pladde. (Kington Oliphant, i. 225.)
1774. The Man appeared very humble, plead Ignorance, &c.—Boston Evening Post, March 7.
1788. They averred their penitence, and plead the misfortunes to which they had been personally exposed, in the course of their unhappy opposition to government.—Geo. R. Minot, ‘History of the Insurrections in Massachusetts,’ p. 189 (Worcester, Mass.).
1790. Moses Goddard of Orange plead guilty to his indictment for Blasphemy.—Mass. Spy, Oct. 14.
1799. The prisoner plead guilty to the charge.—Mass. Mercury, Aug. 2.
1822. [The members of a company of negro players, being arrested for disorder], plead so hard in blank verse that the police magistrate released them.—Lancaster (Pa.) Journal, Jan. 18.
1823. Wm. Upham, Esq., plead in behalf of the petitioner.—Woodstock (Vt.) Observer, Nov. 18, p. 2/1.
1824. The defendant upon trial, plead non assumpsit, and non assumpsit within five years.—Mass. Spy, Aug. 18.
1824. George’s trial and condemnation followed speedily. He plead guilty.—Id., Aug. 18.
1824. He was arraigned for assault and battery, and plead guilty.—Id., Aug. 18.
1827. Three have pleaded guilty [of Morgan’s murder]…. The three persons last named plead guilty to the indictment.—Id., Jan. 17.
1829. The cause he plead was for a poor widow.—Id., July 8.
1836. The fellow plead that, if his offence could be forgiven him this once, he would offend no more.—Phila. Public Ledger, Aug. 9.
1837. He plead for life, not as one unprepared to die, for he was a pious man, and had made the subject of death a familiar one.—Yale Lit. Mag., iii. 76 (Dec.).
1842. The young man … plead guilty in the court of Quarter Sessions.—Phila. Spirit of the Times, Jan. 22.
1842. Dr Johnson, a man of finished education, a few days ago plead guilty to an assault and battery.—Id., May 18.
1842. He plead poverty as the only cause of his act.—Id., Aug. 18.
1844. This was too much. I plead sickness and rose.—Nauvoo Neighbor, Aug. 21.
1854. What would be said by his old friends in Virginia, when it reached their ears, that he had plead want of notice, to get clear of a debt, when every body knew it was the same thing as if he had got notice.—J. G. Baldwin, ‘Flush Times,’ p. 104.
1858. I once had the extreme felicity of leaving my business to serve upon the jury. I plead in all manner of ways for release, but to no effect.—Oregon Weekly Times, Oct. 23.
1860. John Morrissey was arraigned yesterday fer leaving the State to witness a prize-fight. He plead guilty.—Rocky Mountain News, Auraria and Denver, Feb. 29.
1861. He [Mr. Stephens of Georgia] plead in eloquent terms the cause of the Union.—O. J. Victor, ‘The History … of the Southern Rebellion,’ i. 38.
1861. He [Mr. Crittenden] plead for Union, conciliation, compromise.—Id., i. 64.
1863. John McD. was fined $8 and costs, when, if he had plead guilty, a V. and perquisites would have settled it.—Rocky Mountain News, Denver, Jan. 29.
1865. As the dogs were dragged out by the guard, their resurrection was greeted with tremendous applause, groans, howls, barks, and some even plead that they might be left to make soup for dinner, as we had then been without an issue of meat since we left Charleston.—Abbott, ‘Prison Life in the South,’ p. 145 (N.Y.).
1876. When the war broke out, he [General Henry A. Wise] plead no exemption on account of his age, but buckled on his sword, and followed the fortunes of the Confederacy to the Appomattox Courthouse.—‘Southern Hist. Soc. Papers,’ ii. 207.
1882. Mr. Boone was the only party arraigned, and he plead not guilty in each instance.—Washington Post, March 28.
1907. The Bishop [of Olympia] plead for the consecration of the rapidly increasing wealth of this region.—Living Church, Milwaukee, June 29.
1675. Nothing can be pleaded for such.—Hacket’s ‘Sermons,’ p. 400.
1682. The third pleaded and defended their Cause by Establisht Laws, both Ecclesiastical and Civil.—Izaak Walton, ‘Life of Hooker,’ p. 9.
1820. I pleaded for him, but Hutton told me it was no time for pleading.—Mass. Spy, May 3.
1827. He pleaded guilty, which made short work.—Scott, ‘Journal,’ Sept. 13.
1830. Mr. Everett remarked that the [Indians] now pleaded their rights in better English than was used by the high officers of the Government.—Mass. Spy, July 7.
