▪ I. ensample, n. arch.
(ɛnˈsɑːmp(ə)l, -ˈsæm-)
Forms: 4 ensamp-, ensaumpel, -ul(le, -il(l)e, (insampil, -saumpill, 5 emsampelle), 4–5 ensaumple, -nple, ensawmp(i)l(e, -yl, 3– ensample.
[Altered form of asaumple, a. OF. essample: see example n. (An AF. ensample occurs in some editions of Britton, but Nichols reads essaumplarie.)]
= example in various senses.
The mod. archaistic use is almost wholly due to reminiscence of the passages in which the word occurs in the New Testament. In four of these passages it is used in sense 2, and is retained unaltered in the R.V.; in the remaining two it has the sense 3, and has in the R.V. been replaced by example.
1. An illustrative instance.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 10595 (Gött.), Be þis ensampil may men sy, Godd wald scho grew and clamb on hij. 1393 Gower Conf. III. 138 Wherof ensample if thou wilt seche, Take hede. 14.. Pol. Rel. & L. Poems 98 A gode Ensampille y wille telle. 1436 Pol. Poems (1859) II. 174 An emsampelle of deseytte. 1485 Caxton Pref. Malory's Arthur, Also certeyn bookes of ensaumples and doctryne. 1548 W. Patten Exp. Scot. in Arb. Garner III. 80 That if, for ensample like to this, I should rehearse to you out of the Old Testament, how the seven plentiful years, etc. 1597 Morley Introd. Mus. 20 Here is an ensample, peruse it. a 1850 Rossetti tr. Dante's Vita Nuova i. (1874) 81 By which ensamples this thing shall be made manifest. |
† b. quasi-adv. = ‘for example’. Obs.
| c 1391 Chaucer Astrol. ii. §45 Ensampulle as thus: the ȝere of ovre lord 1400, etc. |
2. A precedent which may be followed or imitated; a pattern or model of conduct.
| 1297 R. Glouc. (1724) 446 And, vor ensample of hem, oþere ensentede þerto. a 1340 Hampole Psalter cxliv. 22 Bi myn ensaumpill all fleyss..loue him wiþouten end. c 1386 Chaucer Prol. 520 To drawen folk to heuen..By good ensample. c 1440 York Myst. xxvii. 86 Here schall I sette ȝou for to see Þis ȝonge childe for insaumpills seere. c 1489 Caxton Sonnes of Aymon xii. 295 A worthy capytayn is the myrrour & ensaunple to thother for to doo well. 1531 Dial. on Laws Eng. i. xxvi. (1638) 42 It seemeth that he doth against the ensample of God. 1556 Chron. Gr. Friars (1852) 90 He..askyd them mercy and foryefnes for his evylle insampulle. 1611 Bible Phil. iii. 17 Marke them which walke so, as ye haue vs for an ensample. ― 1 Thess. i. 7. 1641 J. Jackson True Evang. T. i. 85, I have Esay for an ensample. 1847 Emerson Poems, To Rhea Wks. (Bohn) I. 403, I make this maiden an ensample To Nature. |
b. Phrases: † in († to) ensample; to give, set (an) ensample; to take ensample († at, by, of).
| c 1250 Old Kent. Serm. in O.E. Misc. 27 Þer-of us yeft ensample þo þrie kinges of heþenesse. c 1305 Edmund Conf. 498 in E.E.P. (1862) 84 Þis holi man euere nam his ensample bi seint Thomas. Ibid. 522 Nym ensample of me. a 1300 Cursor M. 17288. 175 (Cott.) Ensaumple at him he toke. a 1340 Hampole Psalter xxvii. 1 Crist..settand him ensaumpile til rightwismen. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. xvii. 324 What sorwes he suffrede in ensample of ous alle. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) xxiv. 111 To giffe his men ensaumple and will to feight. c 1410 Love Bonavent. Mirr. xxvii. (1510) H iij, He prayeth to ensaumple of us that we shulde oftsyth pray. c 1440 Lay Folks Mass-bk. (MS. C.), Grete ensaumple he settes þereto. 1483 Caxton G. de la Tour C iij b, I pray yow that ye take ensample here at me. 1568 Grafton Chron. Edw. III, III. 284 Ye shall geve by this an evill ensample. 1865 Pusey Truth Eng. Ch. 160 The ensample which He gave us in His Holy Childhood. |
† c. in ensample: after the model (of); in imitation of the fact (that). Obs.
| c 1391 Chaucer Astrol. i. §21 In ensample that the zodiak in hevene is ymagened to ben a superfice contienyng a latitude of 12 degrees. c 1400 Destr. Troy 1610 In Ensample of this Cite [sc. Troy]..Rome on a Riuer rially was set. |
3. A deterrent instance of punishment, or of the evil consequences of any course of conduct; a practical warning. Const. to, of (the person to be warned), also with possessive pronoun. Phrases, for, † in ensample.
| c 1340 Cursor M. 47 (Trin.) Ensaumpel herby to hem I sey, þat rage in her riot al wey. 1375 Barbour Bruce i. 119 Walys ensample micht have bene To ȝow, had ȝe It forow sene. 1480 Caxton Chron. Eng. cclvii. 336 They..were sore punysshed in ensample of other. 1523 Ld. Berners Froiss. I. cccl. 561 They shulde neuer haue peace with him, in ensample to all other townes. 1547 J. Harrison Exhort. Scottes 232 May not the ruine of y⊇ Grekes..suffyce for your ensample? 1611 Bible 2 Peter ii. 6 Making them [Sodom and Gomorrha] an ensample vnto those that after should liue vngodly. 1858 Gen. P. Thompson Audi Alt. I. xlviii. 189 Now these things happened for our ensamples. |
▪ II. † enˈsample, v. Obs.
[f. prec. n.]
1. trans. a. To authorize by example; also, to set forth as an example.
| c 1380 Wyclif Serm. Sel. Wks. I. 10 Dedis ben nouȝtis þat ben not ensaumplid and wrouȝt by þis fadir. 1393 Gower Conf. I. 1 Some matere Ensampled of the old wise. |
b. To give an example or instance of.
| c 1380 Wyclif Sel. Wks. III. 512 Ȝif þes newe reules weren [etc.]..[he] shulde have taught hem boþe and ensaumpled, boþe in his lif and spekinge. 1393 Gower Conf. II. 148 In what maner it is grevous, Right fain I wolde ensample here. c 1449 Pecock Repr. iii. vi. 311 Crist ensamplid thilk greet pouerte. 1589 Spenser F.Q. Pref., Homere..hath ensampled a good governour and a vertuous man. a 1599 ― in Farr S.P. Eliz. (1845) I. 16 He..Ensampled it by this most righteous deede. |
2. To give an example to; to instruct by example. Also, to model (something, oneself) by, upon.
| c 1380 Wyclif Sel. Wks. III. 360 For Cristis lyf was þe beste, þat shulde ensaumple alle oþir. 1393 Gower Conf. III. 241 Wherof all other..Ensampled hem upon the dede. 1654 Gayton Pleas. Notes ii. iv. 47 Of him that had the view of the Temple (for I cannot ensample you in all) take this small account. Ibid. iii. iv. 86 But if ever he had a true one [sc. sword], it must be made and ensampled by that of Chinons of England. |
b. intr. To give an example (to).
| c 1449 Pecock Repr. ii. v. 168 Forto ensaumple to othere men. Ibid. 314 For strengthe of her ensaumpling..tho circumstauncis for which thei so ensampliden. |