beˈsee, v. Obs. or arch.
[Common. Teut.: OE. biséon, beséon = OS., OHG. bisehan, Goth. bisaihwan:—OTeut. *bisehwan, f. bi, be- + *sehwan, in OE. séon to see, which see for forms.]
I. † 1. intr. To look about, to look (in any direction); to see. Obs.
| c 1000 ælfric Gen. xviii. 2 Abraham beseah upp and ᵹeseah þri weras standende. c 1200 Moral Ode 19 in O.E. Misc. 58 Ne may ich bi-seo me bi-fore for smoke. a 1225 St. Marher. 6 Heo biseh up on heh. a 1240 Sawles Warde in Lamb. Hom. 253 To..biseon on hare grimfule..nebbes. |
b. fig. To look to, give heed to, attend to.
| c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 125 He bise to us and giue us..mihte him to understonde. a 1240 Ureisun in Lamb. Hom. 195 Ilch mon þet to þe bisihð þu ȝiuest milce and ore. |
† 2. refl. To look about oneself, look round. Obs.
| c 1000 ælfric Gen. xxiv. 63 Þa he hine beseah þa ᵹeseah he olfendas þyder weard. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Mark ix. 8 Sona ða hi besawon hi. |
b. fig. To look to oneself, take heed to oneself, consider.
| a 1225 Ancr. R. 132 Heo mot wel biseon hire, & biholden hire ilchere half. c 1230 Hali Meid. 33 Bisih þe seli meiden. 1297 R. Glouc. 505 The king ne ssolde king leng be, Then holi Thorsdai at non, bote he wolde him bet bise. 1382 Wyclif Matt. xxvii. 5 What to vs? bise thee. 1388 ― Acts xviii. 15 Bisee ȝou silf. 1413 Lydg. Pylgr. Sowle i. xxi. (1859) 22 That I myght haue leyser to bysene my self. |
† 3. trans. To look at, look to, behold; to see. Obs.
| c 1000 Ags. Psalter lxxix. [lxxx.] 14 Gehweorf nu..and beseoh winᵹeard þisne. c 1175 Cott. Hom. 231 Gief he fend wére . me sceolden..stiarne hine besié . and binde him. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 2141 [He] bad him al his lond bisen. 1413 Lydg. Pylgr. Sowle ii. xlv. (1859) 52 Al these pilgrims ne wylle not..euery daye besene their owne self in a good myrrour. |
b. fig. To regard, attend to, give heed to.
| a 1225 Juliana 57 Vnseli mon, bisih þe hei godd. 1297 R. Glouc. 456 Þre þynges he mot bysee atte bygynnyng. a 1300 E.E. Psalter v. 2 Myne wordes, Laverd, with eres by-se. |
† 4. To see to, provide for, attend to; hence, to deal with, treat, use (well or ill). Obs.
| c 1300 K. Alis. 4605 Foundelynges weore they two, That heore lord by-sayen so. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. xxiii. 201 Lo, hou elde þe hore haþ me byseye. c 1425 Seven Sag. (P.) 507 Euele thai gonnen him bisen. c 1500 Prymer in Maskell Mon. Rit. II. 45 note, Thus thei biseien foule, oure lord king of grace. 1596 Spenser F.Q., Mutab. i. 11 Ah! gentle Mole, such ioyance hath thee well beseene. |
† 5. To provide, arrange, ordain, determine. Obs.
| c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 1411 Quan god haueð it so bi-sen, Alse he sendet, als it sal ben. Ibid. 1313 God sal bisen, Quor of ðe ofrende sal ben. 1297 R. Glouc. 422 Þe Sonday he was ycrouned..as hys conseyl bysay. c 1305 St. Swithin 103 in E.E.P. (1862) 46 Þat oure louerd hit haþ biseȝe þat mie bodi schal beo ido In churche in an heȝe stede. |
II. Later uses of the pa. pple. beseen, with qualifying adv. or phrase. Two notions here come in: 1. Seen, as in ‘well-beseen’ = seen to look well; 2. Provided, as in ‘beseen of such power.’
† 6. Seen, viewed; having an appearance, looking. well-beseen: good looking, well favoured. Obs.
| c 1374 Chaucer Troylus i. 167 Meny a fressh lady, and maydyn bryght, Full wele byseyn. a 1450 Knt. de la Tour (1868) 51 The squier come from a uiage that he hadde ben atte, fresshe and iolyly beseen. 1542 Udall Erasm. Apoph. 283 Hymself should ryde in a chairette moste goodly beseen. [1678 Phillips, App., Besey (old word), of good aspect.] |
7. Appearing in respect of dress, etc.; dressed, apparelled, appointed; furnished. Obs. or arch.
| c 1450 Floure & Leafe 169 More richly beseene, by many fold She was..in every maner thing. c 1500 Dunbar Thistle & Rose 45 Full hestely besene, In serk and mantill after her I went. 1530 Palsgr. 423, I am besene, I am well or yvell apareylled. 1533 in Arb. Garner II. 47 Well beseen in velvet. 1629 Holland Cyrvpædia (1632) 15 Himselfe also in person, all royally beseene, was present. |
8. Appearing as to accomplishments; furnished; informed, versed, read, accomplished. arch.
| 1393 Gower Conf. I. 341 How that her kinges be besein Of suche a power. c 1565 R. Lindsay Chron. Scotl. (1728) 12 Prudent men, well beseen in histories both old and new. 1581 J. Bell Haddon's Answ. Osor. 509 Rhetoricke wherein he is well beseene. 1591 Spenser Tears Muses 180, I late was wont to..maske in mirth with Graces well beseene. 1870 Morris Earthly Par. I. i. 380 Each seemed a glorious queen, With all that wondrous daintiness beseen. |
9. Of things, in senses analogous to 6, 7. arch.
| c 1386 Chaucer Clerk's T. 909 Thogh thyn array be badde, and yuel biseye. 1430 Lydg. Story Thebes 33 To a chamber she led him..Ful wel beseine. a 1440 Sire Degrev. 1686 [The]re gay gownus of grene [We]re ful schamely be-sene. 1603 Holland Plutarch's Mor. 224 Set in meddow greene With pleasant flowers all faire beseene. a 1850 Wordsw. Cuckoo & Night. lvii, Under a maple that is well beseen. |
† b. Hence best beseen: best attire. Obs.
| 1602 Carew Cornwall (1723) 137 b, The Curate in his best beseene, solemnly receued him at the Churchyard stile. |