The word "betake" is usable in written English, though it is somewhat archaic
It can be used when referring to the act of going to or taking oneself to a particular place or state. Example: "In times of trouble, one must betake oneself to a place of solace." Alternatives include "go to" or "take oneself to."
Salviati describes him as "one of that herd who, in order to learn how matters such as this take place, do not betake themselves to ships or crossbows or cannons, but retire into their studies and glance through an index and a table of contents to see whether Aristotle has said anything about them".
But he knows what he is up to (the page-long sentence perfectly reflects the procrastination, Richard's, which it's describing), and even the occasional archaic-seeming idiom ("bethought", "betake", "smallened") has its place, if only to remind us that, contemporary though the setting is, the author has a respect for old-fashioned ways, in language and in life.
"When I betake myself into this sitting-room, I seem to be quite away even from my villa, and I find it delightful to sit there, especially during the Saturnalia, when all the rest of the house rings with the merry riot and shouts of the festival-makers; for then I do not interfere with their amusements".
"The rallying and chaffing of the others when one player finds himself an inmate of the jail, and the expressions of mock sympathy and condolence when one is obliged to betake himself to the poor house, make a large part of the fun and merriment of the game," Lizzie said.
I imagine Romeo and Juliet would send text messages to each other today as they strolled around Verona, though I find it hard to picture Hamlet advising Ophelia to betake herself to a nunnery.
Hence, they betake themselves to Bulgaria, where a man can be made to deliver a day's labor for $10, where $50 will purchase consent to have a head shaven or to strip naked and play a corpse.
When the stage betakes itself to materials of this kind for a novelty, we suppose it must be taken as an admission that the resources on which it has been accustomed to rely are exhausted.
The brokers in Mincing lane, after filling "the lane" from the cellar to the attic, have betaken themselves to the neighbouring streets, but not one additional contract for sugar in a whole year for the swelling numbers.
Thus, borrowings from Visigothic into Spanish and Portuguese are less frequent, though still not inconsiderable; some (such as estaca 'stake,' brotar 'to bud') are common to all the languages of the Iberian Peninsula.
In 1157 he resigned the countship to his son Philip of Alsace and betook himself once more to Jerusalem.
Thus abandoned, and in disgrace at court, she betook herself to religion.
