Middle English Dictionary Entry
ēsen v.
Entry Info
Forms | ēsen v. Also esien, eisen, aisen. |
Etymology | OF aaisier, aesier. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
To provide comforts or a comfortable living; to make comfortable; esen the bodi, seek pleasure.
Associated quotations
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)82 : Þo þet byeþ ȝuo wyse to loky þet body and to eysy and to delyty.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)16.53 : Hom Into his Owne Contre wolde he, Where that he Scholde more Esed ben.
- c1450(?a1400) Roland & O.(Add 31042)1176 : Thris scho kissede þat knyghte.. & Esede hym at hir myghte.
- c1450(?a1400) Roland & O.(Add 31042)1179 : Faire Fyres was there bett to Ese þam þat þere were.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.85 : Ȝoure welthes..be swete to þilke þat þei eise.
2.
(a) To accommodate or entertain (someone) as a guest, to treat hospitably; to provide lodging; (b) to shelter or stable (an animal); (c) to make oneself comfortable; to rest, to refresh oneself;--refl. or intr.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)259/98 : He ladde heom in-to is house a-non and aisede heom swiþe wel þere.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)5338 : Eche man was esed euenli at wille, wanted hem no þing þat þei haue wold.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.2194 : This worthy knyght..festeth hem and dooth so gret labour To esen hem and doon hem al honour.
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.29 : The chambres and the stables weren wyde And wel we weren esed atte beste.
- c1390 NHom.Narrat.(Vrn)268/656 : Þei eode alle to a Cite þer þei mihte I esed be.
- a1425(?c1350) Ywain (Glb E.9)1831 : Ful gladly wil i ese þe Until þat þou amended be.
- a1425(a1400) Titus & V.(Pep 2014)1327 : Þer he hoped to ese hyr best, After trauaylle hyr to rest.
- a1425 HBk.GDei (Arun 507)141 : A man..toke him in to hous & set him bi þe fire & esid him on his wise.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)214/327 : I pray hym..A lytyll whyle to ese me, That I and my dyscypyls all myght rest a whyle in his hall.
- 1607(?a1425) Chester Pl.(Hrl 2124)253/116 : Wherto wouldest thou thee mispay with this woman..that eased me thus hase?
b
- (1446) in Willis & C.Cambridge 1339 : Stables and hayhouses as for other of his beestis to be eased in.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)113/6 : A passyng fayre olde knyght..made hym good chere and well easyd both hys horse and hym.
c
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)3.3661 : Þei shulde in quiete & in reste..ese hem and releue.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)7132 : Iche Rink to þaire rest Richit hom seluyn, And esit hom all nyght.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)8381 : The doughty prinse Ector..In a halle..eset hym a qwile.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)4790 : Quen he [Alexander] was comen to þe crest his kniȝtis wald haue esid.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)271/3 : The childeren..wente to theire loggyngis, and hem esed of all thinge that to mannys body belongeth.
3.
To free (someone) from anxiety, care or trouble; to relieve, comfort, reassure; to please; esen the herte.
Associated quotations
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.3183 : Bot rather forto do plesance He berth himselven the grevance, So fain he wolde an other ese.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.929 : Somme seyde that oure herte is moost esed Whan that we been yflatered and yplesed.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)1.943 : Sithen thow hast wopen many a drope,..Now wolde nevere God but thow were esed!
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)1.249 : They that han ben aldermost in wo, With love han ben comforted moost and esed.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)3.1790 : To honouren hem that hadde worthynesse, And esen hem that weren in destresse.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)3390 : He me esid hath somdell, And eke allegged of my torment.
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)16527 : Menelaus..was Ioyful..Him thoght his herte wel hesed.
- (1427) RParl.4.326b : To kepe pees and tranquillite, and to yentente to ese and appese you.
- c1430(c1380) Chaucer PF (Benson-Robinson)480 : I am hire treweste man..and faynest wolde hire ese.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)143 : Esyn yn herte, of hevynesse: Quieto, delinio.
- c1450 Ponthus (Dgb 185)139/31 : We shall nowe at this tyme ease his hert.
- (c1454) Pecock Fol.(Roy 17.D.9)143/9 : Þis..answer were good and esiyng mych.
- c1460 Dub.Abraham (Dub 432)119 : How þat god shal plesid be & myn hert i-esid.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)80/14 : He layde þe stone yn a hegh-way þeras þe comyn pepull schuld trede þeron, and be esyd þerby.
- a1500 Imit.Chr.(Dub 678)28/16 : Temporall godes biþ..ful uncertein, & more grevinge þan esynge.
4.
(a) To relieve of oppression, danger, a burden, an encumbrance, or an obligation; (b) to help, assist, or benefit (someone) financially or otherwise; (c) to 'relieve' (someone of help), to deprive.
Associated quotations
a
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)1946 : Þus schalt þou gete þy pees & esye al þy lond.
- a1425 Nicod.(1) (Add 32578)1511 : Alle arne eysed þat were noyed, Thraldome is maked fre.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)143 : Esyn of charge, or grevowsnesse: Allevio.
- (1440) *Capgr.St.Norb.(Hnt HM 55)580 : It wil ese þe cuntre, releue þe pore men Whech debate destroyed.
- a1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Roy 18.A.13)p.58 : Bot-if þou haue socour Þat may the of þis[e] biter boundes ese.
- (1450) RParl.5.203a : God and all rightwesnesse wold, that they that best myght..bere such chargez, were charged, and the pore people easud.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)13563 : His broder..ffell vnto fote, & his fole esyt.
- (a1475) Fortescue Gov.E.(LdMisc 593)133 : Kynge Salamon charged is peple with gretter ymposicions..His sonne, kynge Roboham, wolde not ease hem theroff.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)246/3 : Saynt Anne was ȝeesyt of þat penawnce yn gret part yn beryng of hur doghtyr.
b
- (1433) Proc.Privy C.4.144 : Þe King shulde nowe be eesed in his necessitee.
- (1439) Doc.in Fenland NQ 6222 : Ye wole..in yis owre grete necessite..ese us by wey of lone of ye somme of C marc.
- c1450 Pilgr.LM (Cmb Ff.5.30)142 : I [Auarice] haue robes ynowe..but j wolde rathere late hem alle roten..than j or any oother shulde be esed with hem.
- a1500 9 PPGod(3) (Hrl 1706)376 : As þou woldeste þat [þin euyncrysten] esyd þe in þi dysese, so be aboute to esyn hym.
c
- ?c1450 St.Cuth.(Eg 3309)3512 : Of mannes help he [God] me ese, Þat I myght suffre som disees.
5.
(a) To alleviate, mitigate, or soothe (pain, suffering, a disease, a morbid condition); (b) to relieve the bowels;--refl.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)6.893 : For the while yit it [hope] eseth, And somdel of myn herte appeseth.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)233b/b : [Flax seed] swageþ and eseþ sores.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)242a/b : Weybrede y chiewid easeth and clensiþ swellynge gomes.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)192 : Seke were þer heised, heled þam of wound.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)3.950 : And ech of yow ese otheres sorwes smerte.
- a1425(?a1400) Cloud (Hrl 674)16/15 : Þe soules in purgatori ben esed of þeire peine by vertewe of þis werk.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)83a/b : Colde vlcers ben white and softe and ben esed of hote medecynes.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)3b/a : Þat þe dropesie may be cured or nameliche þat he be esed [*Ch.(1): alleged; L allevietur].
- c1450 Scrope Othea (Lngl 253)26 : The hoope of the corowne of victorie esyth the woo of there wondes.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)1145/30 : She..never cowde fynde no knyght that myght ease her sunne.
b
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)143 : Esyn, or cukkyn, or schytyn: Stercoriso, merdo, egero.
- a1605(a1447) Lond.Chron.Hrl.540 (Hrl 540)295 : He felle in to tempse as he wold have esed hym self.
6.
To make easier, to facilitate (an action).
Associated quotations
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)343 : Swymmyng to voide and chace an oste wil eson.
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)486 : Thinge exercised ofte in tyme & space, Hard if it be, with vse it wil ben eased [L facillimum reddat].
- a1475 Rev.St.Bridget(3) (Gar 145)22/24 : Yf a man examyn his werkes with wyse dyscrecion, how he shall eese hem yf they be trauelowse [etc.].