bespaul

English

Verb

bespaul (third-person singular simple present bespauls, present participle bespauling, simple past and past participle bespauled)

1. (transitive, obsolete) Alternative spelling of bespawl
   • 1601, Ben Jonson, Poetaster or The Arraignment: […], London: […] [R. Bradock] for M[atthew] L[ownes] […], published 1602, →OCLC, Act V, scene iii:

     [T]each thy Incubus to Poëtize, / And throvve abroad thy ſpurious Snotteries, / Vpon that puft-up Lumpe of Barmy froth, / […] / Or Clumſy Chil-blain'd Iudgement; that, vvith Oath, / Magnificates his Merit; and beſpaules / The conſcious Time, vvith humorous Fome; & bravvles, / As if his Organons of Senſe vvould crack / The ſinevves of my Patience.

   • 1634, Joseph Hall, “[Part First: On the Questions between the Church of England and the Church of Rome]. Inurbanitati Pontificiæ Responsio Josephi Exoniensis. An Answer to Pope Urban’s Inurbanity: Expressed in a Brief Sent to Lewis the French King, Exasperating Him against the Protestants in France. […].”, in Robert Hall, transl., edited by Josiah Pratt, The Works of the Right Reverend Father in God, Joseph Hall, D.D. […], volume IX (Polemical Works), London: […] C[harles] Whittingham, […]; for Williams and Smith, […], published 1808, →OCLC, page 351:

     Well, since thou wilt bespaul, bedribble the ashes of unhappy Rochel, and scatter with thy disdainful breath the despised dust of that forlorn city: yet, withal, call to mind a little, how not many ages are past, since the time was, that this hereditary sceptre of this, thy now, Lewis broke open the gates of Rome, demolished the walls, dispersed and slew the inhabitants, and shut up thy great predecessor, laden with bitter scoffs and execrations, in his blind dungeon.

   • 1641, John Milton, “Sect. I”, in Animadversions upon the Remonstrants Defence against Smectymnuus; republished in A Complete Collection of the Historical, Political, and Miscellaneous Works of John Milton, […], volume I, Amsterdam [actually London: s.n.], 1698, →OCLC, page 149:

     See hovv this Remonſtrant vvould inveſt himſelfe conditionally vvith all the Rheume of the Tovvne, that he might have ſufficient to beſpaul his Brethren.