The Collaborative International Dictionary
Bespeak \Be*speak"\, v. t. [imp. Bespoke, Bespake (Archaic); p. p. Bespoke, Bespoken; p. pr. & vb. n. Bespeaking.] [OE. bispeken, AS. besprecan, to speak to, accuse; pref. be- + sprecan to speak. See Speak.]
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To speak or arrange for beforehand; to order or engage against a future time; as, to bespeak goods, a right, or a favor.
Concluding, naturally, that to gratify his avarice was to bespeak his favor.
--Sir W. Scott. -
To show beforehand; to foretell; to indicate.
[They] bespoke dangers . . . in order to scare the allies.
--Swift. -
To betoken; to show; to indicate by external marks or appearances.
When the abbot of St. Martin was born, he had so little the figure of a man that it bespoke him rather a monster.
--Locke. -
To speak to; to address. [Poetic]
He thus the queen bespoke.
--Dryden.
Wiktionary
vb. (context archaic English) (en-simple past of: bespeak)
Usage examples of "bespake".
At last whenas the dreadfull passionWas ouerpast, and manhood well awake,Yet musing at the straunge occasion,And doubting much his sence, he thus bespake.
Ere she had ended all, she gan to faint:But he her comforted and faire bespake,Certes, Madame, ye haue great cause of plaint,That stoutest heart, I weene, could cause to quake.
The royall Virgin, which beheld from farre,In pensiue plight, and sad perplexitie,The whole atchieuement of this doubtfull warre,Came running fast to greet his victorie,With sober gladnesse, and myld modestie,And with sweet ioyous cheare him thus bespake.
HIgh time now gan it wex for Vna faire,To thinke of those her captiue Parents deare,And their forwasted kingdome to repaire:Whereto whenas they now approched neare,With hartie words her knight she gan to cheare,And in her modest manner thus bespake.
Such whenas Archimago them did view,He weened well to worke some vncouth wile,Eftsoones vntwisting his deceiptfull clew,He gan to weaue a web of wicked guile,And with faire countenance and flattring stile,To them approching, thus the knight bespake:Faire sonne of Mars, that seeke with warlike spoile.
Till her that Squire bespake, Madame my liefe,For Gods deare loue be not so wilfull bent,But doe vouchsafe now to receiue reliefe,The which good fortune doth to you present.
Whom thus at gaze, the Palmer gan to bordWith goodly reason, and thus faire bespake.
Such when as hartlesse Trompart her did vew,He was dismayed in his coward mind,And doubted, whether he himselfe should shew,Or fly away, or bide alone behind:Both feare and hope he in her face did find,When she at last him spying thus bespake.
Infinite moe, tormented in like paineHe there beheld, too long here to be told:Ne Mammon would there let him long remaine,For terrour of the tortures manifold,In which the damned soules he did behold,But roughly him bespake.
Whom when Pyrrochles saw, inflam'd with rage,That sire he foule bespake, Thou dotard vile,That with thy brutenesse shendst thy comely age,Abandone soone, I read, the caitiue spoileOf that same outcast carkasse, that erewhileMade it selfe famous through false trechery,And crownd his coward crest with knightly stile.
She answerd nought, but more abasht for shame,Held downe her head, the whiles her louely faceThe flashing bloud with blushing did inflame,And the strong passion mard her modest grace,That Guyon meruayld at her vncouth cace:Till Alma him bespake, Why wonder yeeFaire Sir at that, which ye so much embrace?
That was the wanton Phoedria, which lateDid ferry him ouer the Idle lake:Whom nought regarding, they kept on their gate,And all her vaine allurements did forsake,When them the wary Boateman thus bespake.
The Damzell was full deepe empassioned,Both for his griefe, and for her peoples sake,Whose future woes so plaine he fashioned,And sighing sore, at length him thus bespake.
At last the Nourse in her foolhardy witConceiu'd a bold deuise, and thus bespake.
Vnwares she them conceiu'd, vnwares she bore:She bore withouten paine, that she conceiuedWithouten pleasure: ne her need imploreLucinaes aide: which when they both perceiued,They were through wonder nigh of sense bereaued,And gazing each on other, nought bespake:At last they both agreed, her seeming grieuedOut of her heauy swowne not to awake,But from her louing side the tender babes to take.