plea 
Hence plead, v.} 1. In law: (a) A suit or ac- 
tion ; the presentation of a cause of action to the 
court. Pleas were formerly distinguished as pleat of the 
crown, or public prosecutions, usually in criminal cases, 
and common pleas, or suits between subjects or common- 
ers in civil controversies, whence this name was given to 
a court for such actions, the original of which was held 
in an outer court of the Tower of London, while the King's 
Bench was held in an inner court. Darii, Law in Shak. 
(6) In a general sense, that which is urged by 
or on behalf of a litigant, in support of his claim 
or defense; the contention of either party, (c) 
Specifically, in modern practice: (1) At com- 
mon law, a document (or in some inferior courts 
an oral statement) on the defendant's part, de- 
nying the allegations of the plaintiffs declara- 
tion, or alleging new matter (that is, matter 
not shown by the plaintiff's pleading) as cause 
why the action should not be maintained. (2) 
In equity, a document alleging new matter as a 
cause why the defendant should not be required 
to answer the complainant's bill, (rf) In Scots 
law, a short and concise note of the grounds on 
which the action or defense is to be maintained, 
without argument. 2. That which is alleged 
in support, justification, or defense; an urgent 
argument; a reason; a pleading; an excuse; 
an apology : as, a plea for the reduction of tax- 
ation; &plea for rationalism. 
And thus I leave it as a declared truth that neither the 
feare of sects, no, nor rebellion, can be a fit plea to stay 
reformation. Milton, Church-Government, i. 7. 
Hast thou no other plea for thy self but that thy sins 
were fatal '! Stttlingfleet, Sermons, I. ii. 
Nor Is It possible to urge In defense of this act of James 
those pleat by which many arbitrary acts of the stii.-n ts 
have been vindicated or excused. 
Maratilay, Hist. Eng., vii. 
3. Pretext; pretense. 
The Spaniards subdued the Indians under plea of con- 
verting them to Christianity. 
H . Spencer, Social Statics, p. 178. 
The Invasion of private property under the doctrinaire's 
plea of the general good. N. A. Reo., CXLIII. 295. 
4f. Proposition ; proposal. 
And yet shall I make to yow a feire plee : com with me 
to Bredigan, where the kynge Arthur me abldeth, and do 
hym homage, as the barouns seven that ye owe for to do, 
and I shall yelde yow the castell till quyte. 
Merlin (E. E. T. S.), II. 365. 
5t. A dispute or controversy; a quarrel. 
Make a plee betwyx glotony and thy pursse. Nevyi-the- 
lesse be ware to which of thise two thow be advocate, or 
what sentens thou gene betwyx them, for glotony hath ef- 
fectualle wytnes. 
Political Poems, etc. (ed. Furnlvall), p. 80. 
And wow but they were lovers dear, 
And loved fu' constantlie ; 
But aye the mair when they fell out, 
The sairer was their plea. 
Young Benjie (Child s Ballads, II. 300). 
Court of Common Pleas. See court. Declinatory, 
dilatory, equitable plea. See the adjectives. Double 
plea, in law, a plea in which the defendant alleges two 
different matters In bar of the action. Foreign plea. 
(a) In old Eng. law, a plea In either a civil or a criminal 
case that the matter arose or the prisoner was taken In 
another county than that where it is sought to try him, 
and therefore that the court or judge of the latter place 
has no jurisdiction of the case. It was one kind of plea 
to the jurisdiction, but distinguished from other kinds by 
the fact that it resulted in removing the cause. (6) An- 
other litigation elsewhere, on the same subject, and be- 
tween the same parties, or between the creditor and a 
third party sought to be held for the same debt. When 
used in this sense it is commonly in reference to the ques- 
tion whether arrest in one action is a satisfaction or bar 
to the other. Issuable, non-issuable, etc., plea. See 
the adjectives. Plea in abatement, plea in avoid- 
ance, plea In bar, etc. See abatement, etc. Plea of au- 
terfols acquit, pf auterfols attaint, of auterfols con- 
vict, pleas in criminal cases, that the accused has been 
already acquitted, attainted, or convicted, as the case may 
be, on a former trial for the same offense, the object of 
which is to invoke the protection of the rale In law that a 
man cannot betwice put in jeopardy for the same cause. 
Plea of non-claim. See non-claim. Plea of panel, in 
Scotland, the plea of guilty or of not guilty. Plea Of pa- 
role demurrer. Same as aye-prayer. Plea of preg- 
nancy. See pregnancy. Pleas Of the crown, public 
prosecution in criminal cases; hence, the body of English 
criminal law. Plea to the Jurisdiction, See juruulic- 
tinii Special plea, a plea which admits the truth of the 
declaration, but alleges special or new matter in avoid- 
ance. = Syn. 1. A rrrument, Plea. See argument. 2. Ex- 
cuse, etc. See apology. 
pleach (plech), v. t. [< ME. plechen, < OF. 
plescier, plessier, plesser, also plaissier, pla&sier, 
plash, plait: see plash^, of which pleach is a 
doublet.] 1. To unite (the branches of shrubs, 
vines, etc.) by plaiting, weaving, or braiding to- 
gether; plash; mingle. . 
Bende as a bowe, or vynes that men pleche, 
And cleme it, mose it, bynde it softe aboute. 
Palladia*, Husbondrie (E. E. T. S.), p. 76. 
Round thee blow, self -pleached deep, 
Bramble roses, faint and pale, 
And long purples of the dale. 
Tennyson, A Dirge. 
4547 
Seeing I have sworn by the pale temple*' band 
And poppied hair of gold Persephone, 
Sad-tressed and pleached low down about her brows. 
A. C. Sicinburne, At Eleosls. 
2. To form by intermingling or interweaving. 
The prince and Count Clandlo, walking In a thick- 
pleaeheil alley In mine orchard, were thus much over- 
heard. Shot., Much Ado, I. 2. 10. 
Plundered vines, teeming exhaustless, pleach'd 
New growth. Krati, Endymlon, ill. 
3. To fold, as the arms. 
Wouldst thou be wlndow'd In great Rome and see 
Thy master thus with pleach'd arms, bending down 
His corrigible neck, his face subdued 
To penetrative shame? Shale., A. and C., Iv. 14. 73. 
[Obsolete or archaic in all uses.] 
pleacher (ple'cher), . One who pleaches. 
The topiarius, or pleaeher, was kept actively at work 
trimming the hedges and trellis walks. 
Portfolio, No. 240, p. 231. 
plead (pled), v. ; pret. and pp. pleaded, rarely 
..!..! *,.J /_.1 A ,1\ -.1 5* rJ ^*T17 _!_ 
deiar, playejar, plaeyar = Sp. pleitear = Pg. 
pleitear = It.piateggiare, piatire, plead, offer a 
plea, < plait, a plea : seeplca.] I. intrans. 1. 
In law, to present an answer to the declaration 
or complaint of a plaintiff, or the charge of a 
prosecutor; deny the plaintiffs declaration or 
complaint, or allege facts relied on as showing 
that he ought not to recover in the suit. The 
plaintiff is said to declare, complain, or allege; the defen- 
dant pleads to his complaint or declaration. The crown 
or the state prosecutes an offender, and the offender 
pleads guilty or not guilty, confessing or denying the 
charge. 
Be ye noght ware how false Polyphete 
Is now alraute eftsones for to plete 
And brynge on yow advocacies newe? 
Chaucer, Troilus, ii. 1468. 
2. To urge a plea, an argument, or an excuse 
for or against a claim, or in support, justifica- 
tion, extenuation, etc. ; endeavor to persuade 
by argument or supplication ; urge reasons or 
use argument : as, to plead with a judge for a 
criminal or in his favor; to plead with a wrong- 
doer, urging him to reform. 
A ! lorde, a-yeenst the wee wole nat plette, 
For us thou wotiledyst, hit Is, and was. 
Political Poems, etc. (ed. Furnivall), p. 168. 
I will ,J,:i,l against it with mv life. 
Shale., M. for SI., iv. 2. 192. 
The drooping child who prays in vain to live, 
And pleads for help its parent cannot give. 
O. W. llulmes, IJed. of Pittsfleld Cemetery. 
3f. To sue; make application; enter a plea or 
an argument. 
If a Woman can prove her Husband to have been thrice 
drunk, by the ancient Laws of Spain she may plead for a 
Divorce from him. Hoicell, Letters, il. 54. 
4. To argue or prosecute causes; contend. 
Whan shal your cursed pletynge have an ende? 
Chaucer, Parliament of Fowls, 1. 485. 
There do the Advocats and Civilians plcadr, and dls- 
cusse matters of controvercle. Coryat, Crudities, I. 31. 
II. trans. 1. To discuss, defend, and attempt 
to maintain by arguments or reasons offered to 
the person or tribunal that has the power of 
determining; argue: as, to plead & cause before 
a court or jury. 2. To urge or allege in ex- 
tenuation, justification, or defense; adduce in 
proof, support, or vindication : as, to plead pov- 
erty as an excuse for stealing. 
What plead you to your father's accusation? 
Beau, and Fl., Laws of Candy, v. 1. 
But who are we to make complaint, 
Or dare to plead. In times like these. 
The weakness of our love of ease? 
Whitlier, Thy Will be Done. 
3. To set forth in a plea or defense ; interpose 
a plea of: as, to plead a statute of limitations. 
I ... humbly crave pardon at adventure, having no- 
thing that I can think of to plead. 
f. Ward, Simple Cobler, p. 91. 
The punishment for this, by pleading benefit of clergy, 
which of course was always done, was reduced to a very 
minimum something amounting to the supposed burn- 
ing of the hand with a barely warm or cold Iron. 
Athlon, Social Life in Reign of Queen Anne, II. 195. 
pleadable (pie' da-bl), a. [< plead + -able.] 
Capable of being pleaded : capable of being al- 
leged in proof, defense, or vindication : as, a 
right or privilege pleadable at law. 
Nor bargalne or sale that he [an excommunicate] maketh 
Is auaileable In law. neither ante of his acts whatsoever 
pleadable, whereby he liueth as an outlaw. 
Holituthed, Descrip. of England, ii. 15. 
Pleadable briefst, in Scott laic, precepts directed to the 
sheriffs, who thereupon cite parties, and hear and deter- 
mine. 
pleader (ple'der), M. [< ME. plrilrrr, jilrtrn . 
]>!> tniir, plaidur, < OF. plaideur, a pleader, < plai- 
pleasance 
dter, plead : see plead. ] 1 . One who pleads ; one 
who presents pleas for or against a claim, alle- 
gation, etc. ; technically, a lawyer who pleads 
a cause or argues in a court of justice (the ori- 
ginal meaning of the term), or who drafts, pre- 
pares, or devises pleadings. 
The thrldde buffet signlfleth these false pletouri, men of 
lawe, that sellen and a-pelre theire neyghbours be-hlnde 
here bakke for couetise and envye. 
ileriin (E. E. T. 8,), W. 434. 
So fair a pleader any cause may gain. 
Dryden, Aurenggebe, 111. 1. 
2. The party whose pleading is under consid- 
eration Special pleader, one of a class of the Eng- 
lish bar, whose business consists In giving opinions, and 
especially In drawing special and difficult pleadings and 
other documents. In the days of technical commun-law 
procedure, when the statement of the cause of action was 
presented In different counts varying as to details so as 
to cover every anticipated variation of circumstances, the 
function of the special pleader was important to the Eng- 
lish practitioner, whether In preparing documents or In 
detecting defects In those of the adversary. 
pleading (ple'ding), . [< ME.vledyny, plc- 
tyng; verbal n. ot plead, r.] 1. The act of ad- 
vocating any cause ; specifically, the act or prac- 
tice of advocating clients' causes in courts of 
law. 
The lawyer is judged by the virtue of his pleading, and 
not by issue of the cause. 
Bacon, Advancement of Learning, IL ISO. 
I fling my heart into your lap 
Without a word otpleading. 
Whittier, Among the Hills. 
2. In law : (a) The document (or in some in- 
ferior courts an oral statement) formally set- 
ting forth the cause of action or the defense of a 
party. The objecU of pleading are to Inform the adverse 
party what questions he must be prepared to meet at the 
trial; to Inform the court what questions are to be de- 
termined ; and to preserve a record which, with the ver- 
dict or judgment, snail show what matters are not after- 
ward to be drawn in question. The term pleadings [e ap- 
plied to the documents on cither side, whether a declara- 
tion, complaint, or bill with demurrer, or a deckirat ion with 
plea, etc., or a bill or complaint with plea or answer, etc., 
which form the issue on which it is proposed to try the 
cause. See issue, 10. (ft) The formal allegation on 
the record of that which is to be relied on as 
the support of the party's case in evidence, (c) 
The rules and usages of framing such docu- 
ments, and of the sufficiency of their contents ; 
the art of drawing pleadings. (</) pi. (1) The 
written allegations made in alternate series by 
the plaintiff and the defendant of their respec- 
tive grounds of action and defense, terminat- 
ing in propositions distinctly affirmed on one 
side and denied on the other, called the imtne. 
Heard. (2) In a more limited seiise, only those 
allegations or altercations which are subse- 
quent to the count or declaration. <!ot<ld. 
Code pleading, color In pleading!, oral pleading. 
See code, color, oral. Pleading over going on to re- 
spond by pleading, after a previous pleading has been 
adjudged Insufficient, or has been withdrawn. Special 
pleading, (a) The allegation of special or new matter, as 
distinguished from a direct denial of matter previously 
alleged on the other side, (ft) The science of pleading, 
which, until the English Common-law ITocedure Act, in 
1852, constituted a distinct branch of the law, having the 
merit of developing the points In controversy with great 
precision. Its strictness and subtlety were frequently a 
subject of complaint, and one of the objects of the act was 
to relax and simplify Its rules, (c) In oopular use, the 
specious but unsound or unfair argumentation of one 
whose aim Is victory rather than truth. 
Not one of these [medieval wars] was simply a war of 
aggression, . . . except perhaps the .Norman Conquest; 
and we all know what an amount of special pleading was 
thought necessary to justify that. 
Stubbt, Medieval and Modern Hist., p. 217. 
pleadingly (ple'ding-li), arfr. In a pleading 
manner; l>v supplication, 
pleading-place (ple'ding-plas), . A court of 
justice. Covley, Pindaric Odes, xiii. 5. [Rare.] 
pleasablet (ple'za-bl), a. [< please + -able.] 
Capable of being pleased. 
I love not to have to do with men which be neither 
grateful nor pleataUe. 
Northumberland, quoted in R. W. Dixon's Hist. Church 
[of Eng., xx., note. 
pleasance (plez'ans), n. [Early mod. E. also 
pleasaunee; < ME. plesance, plesaunce, pleas- 
aunct, < OF. plaisanee, F. plaisaiife = Pr. pla- 
zensa = It. piacenza, pleasure, < LL. plaeentin. 
suavity, courteousness, lit. ' pleasingness.' < L. 
placcn(t-)s, pleasing, dear: see pieatamt,] 1. 
Pleasant manners; agreeable behavior; com- 
plaisance. 
Wrapped under humble chere, . . . 
Under pTemvm*, and under bisy peyne. 
Chaucer, Squire s Tale, 1. 501. 
2. Pleasure ; satisfaction ; enjoyment; delight. 
He beholdethe in alle whlche of hem Is most to his 
pletance, and to hire anon he sendethe or castethe a Ryng 
fro his Fyngre. Manaerille, Travels, p. 39. 
