1. trans. To put or take into the soul; to unite with the soul: † refl. to be absorbed into, become part of, the (Divine soul).
1633. Earl Manch., Al Mondo (1636), 201. They laboured … to insoule themselves in God.
1652. Bp. Patrick, Fun. Serm., in J. Smith’s Sel. Disc., 544. He had incorporated, shall I say, or insouled all principles of justice and righteousness.
1799. Southey, Eng. Eclogues, etc. Poet. Wks. 1838, III. 175. Only in some few faithful memories Insoul’d.
1881. F. T. Palgrave, Visions of Eng., 333. Insoul us to the nobler part, The chivalrous loyalty of thy life and word!
2. To infuse a soul into; to fill with ‘soul.’ Also, to dwell in, animate, as a soul.
1652. W. Dennie, Glance at Theoph., in Benlowes, Theoph., C (c). The hallow’d Air Seems all ensould with sweet Perfume.
1832. Blackw. Mag., XXXI. 653. He ensouls all dead insensate things.
1841–4. Emerson, Ess. Love, Wks. (Bohn), I. 78. The soul is wholly embodied, and the body is wholly ensouled.
1879. G. Macdonald, Sir Gibbie, I. xii. 177. The one visible symbol informed and insouled of the eternal.
1888. C. Gore, Ministry Chr. Ch., 24, note. An organism ensouled by the indwelling word.
Hence Ensouled ppl. a.; Ensouling ppl. a.
18[?]. Nat. Encycl., I. 901. Christ was ἔνσαρκος, ‘incarnate,’ but not ἔμψυχο; ‘insouled.’
1865. Draper, Intell. Devel. Europe, iv. 71. He [Thales] taught that the world is an insouled thing.
1826. Blackw. Mag., XX. 490. Infinitely penetrating—ensouling.
1872. Bushnell, Serm. Living Subj., 459. The Word itself became the ensouling principle.
