intreat

present singular third person intreats · participle present intreating · participle past intreated · past intreated · first person past singular intreated · archaic present second person singular intreatest · past second person singular intreated · archaic past second person singular intreatedst · present singular third person intreats · archaic present singular third person intreateth · past singular third person intreated · past plural intreated · past subjunctive intreated · participle present intreating · participle past intreated

1. Archaic spelling of entreat.
   1. transitiveTo ask earnestly or beg for (something, such as a benefit or favour); to beseech, to implore.

      If you be ſhe, I doe intreat your patience / To heare me ſpeake the meſſage I am ſent on.

      c. 1590–1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iv], page 35, column 2

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      Our tyred lymbes, bruſ'd in the morning fight, / Intreat ſoft reſt, and gentle huſht repoſe.

      c. 1599 (date written), I. M. [i.e., John Marston], The History of Antonio and Mellida. The First Part. […], London: […] [Richard Bradock] for Mathewe Lownes, and Thomas Fisher, […], published 1602, →OCLC, Act II, signature D3, verso

      And the daughter of Tyre ſhall be there with a gift, euen the rich among the people ſhall intreate thy fauour.

      1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Psalm 45:12, signature Ddd2, verso, column 2

      Sir, I have made ſo ill uſe of your former favors, as by them to be encouraged to intreat that they may be enlarged to the patronage and protection of this Book; […]

      1653, Iz[aak] Wa[lton], “To the Right Worshipful John Offley of Madely Manor in the County of Stafford, Esq; My Most Honoured Friend”, in The Compleat Angler or The Contemplative Man’s Recreation. Being a Discourse of Fish and Fishing, […], London: […] T. Maxey for Rich[ard] Marriot, […], →OCLC; reprinted as The Compleat Angler (Homo Ludens; 6), Nieuwkoop, South Holland, Netherlands: Miland Publishers, 1969, →ISBN

   2. transitiveTo earnestly ask or beg (someone); to beseech, to implore.

      His spear gored thy breast, O Ethelwold; though with supplications thou intreatedst him to spare thy life.

      1797, Ulric and Ilvina: The Scandinavian Tale. […], volume I, London: […] Allen and West, […], →OCLC, page 34

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      Then Pharaoh called for Moſes and Aaron, and ſaid, Intreat the Lord, that hee may take away the frogges from me, and from my people: […]

      1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Exodus 8:8, signature F3, verso, column 1

      And here I muſt intreat the Reader to preſerve his full freedom of mind intire, and not vveakly ſuffer his judgment to be overborn by your imagination and your prejudices, by Ghoſts and Viſions, and above all by that extreme ſatisfaction and complacency vvith vvhich you utter your ſtrange conceits; […]

      1735, [George Berkeley], A Defence of Free-thinking in Mathematics. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson […], →OCLC, paragraph XXX, page 33

   3. obsoletetransitiveTo try to influence or persuade (someone); to induce, to prevail upon.

      [S]he could in no wiſe be intreated with her good vyll to delyuer him, […]

      1569, Richard Grafton, “Edwarde the Fift”, in A Chronicle at Large and Meere History of the Affayres of Englande […], volume II, London: […] Henry Denham, […], for Richarde Tottle and Humffrey Toye, →OCLC, page 768

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      This ſhould intreat your highneſſe to reioice, / Since Fortune giues you opportunity, / To gaine the tytle of a Conquerour, […]

      c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act I, scene i, signature A5, recto

      No ſolace could her Paramour intreat / Her once to ſhovv, ne court, ne dalliaunce, / But vvith bent lovvring brovves, as ſhe vvould threat, / She ſcould, and frovvnd vvith frovvard countenaunce, / Vnvvorthy of faire Ladies comely gouernaunce.

      1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto II”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 35, page 215

      VVith a hundred bleſsings and many praiers thou intreatſt mee to loue thee.

      1592, Tho[mas] Nashe, “The Arrainment and Execution of the Third Letter”, in Strange Newes, of the Intercepting Certaine Letters and a Convoy of Verses, […], London: […] Iohn Danter, […], →OCLC, signature L2, recto

      I haue beene vvooed as I intreat thee novv, / Euen by the ſterne, and direfull god of vvarre, / VVhoſe ſinovvie necke in battel nere did bovv, / VVho conquers vvhere he comes in euerie iarre, […]

      1593, [William Shakespeare], Venus and Adonis, London: […] Richard Field, […], →OCLC, signature Biij, recto, lines [97–100]

      If my tongue cannot intreate you to acquit mee, vvill you commaund me to vſe my legges?

      c. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Epilogue”, in The Second Part of Henrie the Fourth, […], quarto edition, London: […] V[alentine] S[immes] for Andrew Wise, and William Aspley, published 1600, →OCLC, signature L, verso

   4. intransitiveOften followed by for: to ask earnestly or to beg for a benefit, favour, etc.; to appeal, to plead.

      [S]he diſdains and threatens, and again is humble, and intreats; and nothing availing, deſpairs, curſes, and at laſt becomes her ovvn Executioner.

      1697, John Dryden, “To the Most Honourable John, Lord Marquess of Normanby, […]”, in Virgil, translated by John Dryden, The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, page [170]

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      [T]he rayſing of people, and aſſemble of Souldiours by him, could ſignifie no peace, nor treatie of concorde: except a man ſhould ſaye, that intreating for fauour with naked ſworde in hande, were an humble ſubmiſſion and a meeke requeſt: […]

      1569, Richard Grafton, “The Seuenth Age, and Seuenth Part of this Chronicle. Henrye the Sixt.”, in A Chronicle at Large and Meere History of the Affayres of Englande […], volume I, London: […] Henry Denham, […], for Richarde Tottle and Humffrey Toye, →OCLC, page 636

      Theſe are the motives, vvhich t' induce, / Or fright us into Love, you uſe, / […] / Like ſturdy Beggers, that intreat, / For Charity, at once, and threat, […]

      1677 (indicated as 1678), [Samuel Butler], “The Ladies Answer to the Knight”, in Hudibras. The Third and Last Part. […], London: […] Simon Miller, […], →OCLC, page 265

   5. archaicintransitiveTo make a petition or request on behalf of someone; to intercede, to plead.

      Wil ye accepte ye perſonne of God, and intreate for him?

      1535 October 14 (Gregorian calendar), Myles Coverdale, transl., Biblia: The Byble, […] (Coverdale Bible), [Cologne or Marburg]: [Eucharius Cervicornus and Johannes Soter?], →OCLC, Job xiij:[8], folio iiij, verso, column 2

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      That if ſhe loue me, I charge her to loue thee: if ſhe vvill not, I vvill neuer haue her, vlneſſe thou intreat for her: […]

      c. 1598–1600 (date written), William Shakespeare, “As You Like It”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii], page 202, column 2

      [T]hey […] charg'd me on paine / Of their diſpleaſure, neither to ſpeake of him, / Intreat for him, nor in any vvay ſuſtaine him.

      c. 1603–1606 (date written), [William Shakespeare], […] His True Chronicle Historie of the Life and Death of King Lear and His Three Daughters. […] (First Quarto), London: […] Nathaniel Butter, […], published 1608, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iii], signature G, recto

   6. obsoletetransitiveTo act towards or deal with (someone or something) in a specified manner; to handle, to treat.

      Vncle, you ſay the Queene is at your houſe, / For Gods ſake fairely let her be intreated.

      1595 December 9 (first known performance), [William Shakespeare], The Tragedie of King Richard the Second. […] (First Quarto), London: […] Valentine Simmes for Androw Wise, […], published 1597, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i], signature [E4], verso

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      And here I ſpeake of the generation, wherby they doo engender, and not of that, wherby they are engendred, becauſe it ſhuld be to long to intreate, howe the chyldren of lyght are ingendred, and how they come in at the doore: and howe the children of the world be engendred, and come in an other way.

      1536 June 19 (date delivered; Gregorian calendar), Hugh Latimer, translated by [anonymous], The Sermon that the Reuerende Father in Christ, Hugh Latimer, Byshop of Worcester, Made to the Clergie, in the Cõuocatiõ, before the Parlyament Began, the 9. Day of June, the .28. Yere of the Reigne of Our Souerayne Lorde Kyng Henry the VIII. […], London: […] Thomas Berthelet, […], published 3 December 1537 (Gregorian calendar), →OCLC, signature C.iii., verso

      The Lord ſaid, Uerely it ſhall be well with thy remnant, verely I will cauſe the enemie to intreat thee well in the time of euill, and in the time of affliction.

      1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Jeremiah 15:11, signature Sss, recto, column 1

   7. intransitiveobsoleteSometimes followed by of or upon: to give an account or description of a matter; to deal with.

      [Y]ou ſhould diigently vveigh and conſider the matter vvhereof Paul intreateth: for he intreateth of the vvord of God, vvhich can never be maginified enough.

      1791, “The Second Chapter”, in [anonymous], transl., Dr. Martin Luther’s Commentary upon St. Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians: […], Wigan, Manchester: […] William Bancks, →OCLC, page 57

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      [T]he moſt admirable myſtery of Nature, in my mind, is the turning of yron touched vvith the loadſtone, tovvard the North-pole, of vvhich I ſhall have farther occaſion to intreate, […]

      1627, G[eorge] H[akewill], “Touching the Pretended Decay of the Heauenly Bodies”, in An Apologie of the Power and Prouidence of God in the Gouernment of the World. […], Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] Iohn Lichfield and William Turner, […], →OCLC, book II, section 1 (First of Their Working vpon this Inferiour World), page 66

   8. intransitiveobsoleteOften followed by about, for, or of: to discuss or negotiate, especially in order to reach a settlement.

      And this mariage agreed vpon (which ſemeth more likely to be intreated of then cõcluded [i.e., than concluded].

      1569, Richard Grafton, “Edwarde the Fourth”, in A Chronicle at Large and Meere History of the Affayres of Englande […], volume II, London: […] Henry Denham, […], for Richarde Tottle and Humffrey Toye, →OCLC, page 664

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      Ile ſend ſome holy Biſhop to intreat: / For God forbid, ſo many ſimple ſoules / Should periſh by the Svvord.

      1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iv], page 140, column 1