Also 3–7 amendes, 4–5 amendis, 5 amendys, (6 amense), 6 mends. [a. OFr. amendes pecuniary fine, penalties, pl. of amende reparation, f. amender to AMEND. The sing., common in Fr., is very rare in Eng., in which amends has been used as a collective sing. from the first, and is now always construed with sing. vb.]
† 1. The moneys paid, or things given to make reparation for any injury or offence, L. pœnæ; a fine. Obs.
1340. Ayenb., 37. Bedeles, and seruons, þet steleþ þe amendes, and wyþdraȝeth þe rentes of hire lhordes. Ibid., 38. Kueade lordes … þet be-ulaȝeþ þe poure men … be amendes.
a. 1618. Raleigh, Disc. War (1650) (J.). Of the amends recovered, Little or nothing returns to those that had suffered the wrong, but commonly all runs into the Prince’s Coffers.
† b. in sing. Obs. rare.
1609. Skene, Reg. Maj., 127. He quha is persewer … sall pay ane amande arbitrall to the Lords.
c. 1834. J. Hammer, E. Efendi., in Southey, Comm-Pl. Bk., Ser. II. (1849), 451. The Pashaw fixed immediately an amend of fifty thousand piastres.
2. Reparation, retribution, restitution, compensation, satisfaction. esp. in phr. To make amends.
a. pl. in form, collect. in sense.
c. 1314. Guy Warw., 156. Take the amendes after the gilt.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron., 291. I rede þou mak amendes of þat grete misdede.
c. 1450. Merlin, v. 83. What amendes she required for the deth of hir lorde.
a. 1553. Udall, Royster D., IV. vii. Bee not at one with hir, upon any amendes.
1594. Greene, Look. Glasse (1861), 122. If I have wronged thee, seek thy mends at the law.
1611. Bible, Lev. v. 16. Hee shall make amends for the harme that he hath done.
a. 1704. T. Brown, Lett., Wks. 1730, I. 183. I hope to make you amends the next post.
1768. Blackstone, Comm., III. 15. If tender of amends is made before any action is brought.
1783. Cowper, Lett., 1 Aug. But to make amends we have many excellent ballads.
1870. Bryant, Homer, II. XIX. 239. It dishonors not a king To make amends to one whom he has wronged.
b. pl. in form, distinctly sing. in use. (Cf. a means.)
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., I. xviii. 110. To make a sufficient amendis.
1624. Massinger, Parl. Love, III. iii. The ends I hope to reach shall make a large amends.
1650. Earl Monm., Man Guilty, Ep. Ded. I have made an Amends by printing an Errata.
1712. Addison, Spect., No. 530, ¶ 1. Very often make an honourable Amends.
1723. De Foe, Col. Jack (1840), 15. The warmth of the glass-house fires above was a full amends for all the ashes … we rolled in below.
1821. Southey, Corr., V. 86. I looked forward to an honourable amends.
† c. sing. (See also AMENDE.) Obs. rare.
1489. Caxton, Faytes of Armes, II. xiii. 115. To make peas with hym and to make hym amende and restitucion.
1668. Marvell, Corr., 103, Wks. 1872–5, II. 259. To make amend in time for this misscarriage.
† 3. Means of obtaining satisfaction, or of amending; remedy. Obs. rare.
1606. Dekker, in Knt’s. Conjur. (1842), Pref. 15. Yf his answers be … bad, and like thee not, thou hast the amends in thine owne hands.
† 4. Improvement, betterment, amendment. Obs.
1580. Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 351. What I now giue you in thankes, I will then requite with amends.
1699. Bentley, Phal., 103. If our Examiner’s Performance in the last Section was very poor … we may expect an amends in this.
1709. Strype, Ann. Ref., I. I. xxvi. 314. This was like to the former with this Amends, that [etc.].
† b. Improvement in health, recovery. Obs.
1596. Shaks., Tam. Shrew, Induct. ii. 99. Now Lord be thanked for my good amends.
1671. Milton, Samson, 9. But here I feel amends.
5. Comb. amends-making.
1580. Hollyband, Treas. Fr. Tong., Desdommagement, a repayring, an amends making.
1581. Marbeck, Bk. Notes, 904. Satisfaction or amends making … to mine neighbour whome I haue offended.
