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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1990 (DOST Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Quietnes, Quyetnes, n. Also: qwyet(t)-; quiat-, quyat-; quyit-, (quyt-); quayet-; queat-; queyt-; quhiet-; (quhat-) and -ness(e; (quiettles). [e.m.E. and late ME quietnes (c1450), f. Quiet adj. Cf. Quiet n.]

1. The condition of peace or good order, absence of disturbance, of or in or within a society or community or the like.(1) 1545 St. P. Henry VIII V 411.
[I] sal ever be redde to … ȝour moste honerable contentasion, and velcht and quayetnes off bothe the realmis
1566 Reg. Privy C. I 490.
Mair respectand thair particular querrellis nor the quietnes of the cuntre
1566–7 Anderson Collect. Mary I i 44.
The honors of ȝour maiestie and ȝour realme, and weill and quyetnes of the same
1568 Lyndesay Pref. (S.T.S.) 402.
And to the confort, and quietnes of this trubillit and afflictit commoun weilth
1570 Q. Mary in Southesk MSS 722/2. 1570 Leslie 98.
For the wele and quietnes of the bordouris
1579 Comm. Univ. III (Glasgow) 190.
To the contentment of all and quietnes of the Universitie
1588 Kirkcaldy B. Rec. 119.
Becaus of the great quyetnes and stabilitie of this commoun weill
1580 Facs. Nat. MSS III lxx.
That the quietnes and stabilitie of our religion and kirk doth depend [etc.]
a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI (1825) 364.
Thay salbe … puneist as … perturbers of the queytnes of our realme and estait
(2) 1567 Reg. Privy C. in Reg. Morton I 24.
For establishing of gude reull and quietnes in the cuntrie
1569-73 Bann. Memor. 91.
The counterfout assaultaris touke the flicht and quytnes [Trans. quyetnes] was in the toun for that nicht
1558-66 Knox II 280.
That in Berwick whair commonlie befoir thair used to be slauchter be ressone of quarrellis … amongis soldartis thair was as great quyetnes
a1578 Pitsc. II 112 (I).
Thair was gret pace and quyetnes in Scotland the space of thrie ȝeiris
1604 Reg. Privy C. VII 19.
For the better intertynning of peace and quyetnes within the saidis bounds
1609 Misc. Maitl. C. II 395.
Quyetnes
1561 Q. Kennedy Compendious Ressonyng (ed.) 171/32.
Sa lang sall thair nevir be gude ordour nor quietnes in the Kirk of God
1651 Rothiemay Kirk S. in J. Gordon Hist. I App. to Pref. lviii.
And scarcely had we qwyettnesse in the publick worshipp
(3) 1553 Reg. Privy C. I 149.
Inemyis to peax and quietnes inclynit to stouthe and reif
a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. 35/48.
With gude successioun to our quyetnes
1569-73 Bann. Memor. 238.
Gif peace and quyetnes be the end socht
1571 Leslie in Misc. Bann. C. III 133.
A. Cuninghame went into Scotland with ansuer to Lennox to keip quyetnes quhill new adverteismente
1558-66 Knox II 166.
He brocht letteris to the lordis, praying thame to intertenye quyetnes
1573 Davidson Sat. P. xlii 585, 590. a1585 Maitland Maitl. Q. 177/13.
This fort of men wald haue na quyetnes
1577 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. I 41.
Lyke as transgressouris of the statuts of the commoun weill and quyetnes
1587 Warrender P. (S.H.S.) II 39.
That they spak … as privat men disyrouse of common quyetnes
1593 Colville Lett. 101.
Sen the capitulation of the 14 nothing hes occurred bot quietnes
Ib. 103. 1596 Dalr. II 397/5. 1596–7 R. Bruce in Calderwood V 571.
And others amongst them desire quietnesse and peace to the kirk for suretie of their owne estats
a1650 Row 73.
When the kirk had gotten some quyetnes
1577 Prot. Bk. J. Scott MS 37b.
And for quiettles [sic] and guid nychtbourheid to be had
(4) 1566 Reg. Privy C. I 469.
To be repute … as seditious personis and troubillaris of the commoun quietnes
1567 Ib. I 513.
And intertenyt the publict quietnes amangis hir hienes subjectis
1589 James VI in Fœdera XVI 27.
To interteyne the quietnes and restraine the troublesome men under your charge
(5) 1561 Cal. Sc. P. I 541.
Then it is lyke we culd haif ane perpetual quyetnes
1577–8 Reg. Privy S. VII 236/1.
Mortoun … pacefeit the seditionis … quhairthrow oure said soveranis liegis enjoyit ane ressonabill quietnes and rest
1615 Denmylne MSS in Highland P. III 173.
To bliss this … kingdome with ane vniversall peace and quietnes
(6) 1547 Corr. M. Lorraine 210.
The hous and toun sall nocht faill to be gotten and the legis put to quiatnes
c1554 Ib. 379.
To put the realme to ane quyatnes
Ib. 380.
I hoip … your grace sall son breng this realme to ane quyatnes
Ib. a1578 Pitsc. I 22/35.
This present discorde put to rest and the commonweill put to quyetnes
1580 Inverness Rec. I 287.
Onles sic eelest war put to rest and queatnes
1573–4 Calderwood III 307.
And sett the kirk at rest and quietnesse

b. Absence of strife betuix(t, amang(is (persons or communities); amity with (another person or group).(1) 1545 St. P. Henry VIII V 418.
And to heif peax and quayetnes betuix thir two ralmis
1587–8 Cal. Sc. P. IX 534.
And establishing of a perfecte order and stedfast quietnes betwixt tham [sc. Scotland and England]
1592 Wemyss Chart. 307.
His bairnes to be with quyatnes, luiffe, and cheretie amang thame selffis
1596–7 Misc. Spald. C. I 95.
That thair newir suld be peax nor quyetnes betuix hir and hir guidman thairefter … neyther yit was ther ewir peax or quyetnes betuixt tham
1596 Aberd. B. Rec. in Kennedy Aberd. Ann. II 218.
With the quhilk the saids pairteis compremittaris for intertening of quyetnes amangis the bowellis of the said burght war content
1612 St. A. Baxter Bks. 77.
To advyse annent gude ordour and mentenyng of quietnes and brotherlie love amongis the breither
(2) 1570 Leslie 28.
That King Henry was … ane lufar of peace and quietnes quhilk he had intertenyit with … Scotland duringe all the tyme of his reigne
1626 Justiciary Cases I 40.
That he sall obserue our souerane lordis peace, keip guid reule and quyetnes in the cuntrie with the saidis Peter Balmanno [etc.]
Ib. 41.

c. (To live, or be) at (gret) quietnes, in peace, amity, good order, absence of disturbance. 1548 Corr. M. Lorraine 241.
Utheris the legis has … tayn consait that thai mycht leif at mair quyatnes and justice under the Inglis nor our awn natioun
1562-3 Winȝet I 66/21.
And ȝit [we] desyris maist feruentlie … to leue at quietnes … in all godlie vnitie with all thais quha [etc.]
1570 Waus Corr. 73.
We sall suparsed quhell … that ye be at mair quhatnes
1570 Leslie 28.
The realme of Scotland being … at quietnes
a1578 Pitsc. I 79/1.
Quyitnes
1551–83 Aberd. Baillie Ct. 15.
Thai … war content … to leiff at quyatnes … without ony nouatioun or alteratioun to be … socht be thame
c1650 Spalding I 187.
Whair as all the … brughes … leivit … at gryte rest and quyetnes

2. Peace or tranquillity as a condition of an individual person or persons; peaceableness; freedom from molestation; peace or tranquillity of mind.(1) 1561 Digest Justiciary Proc. D. 15.
That they [lieges] sould conteine them selfis in quyetnes keip pace and ciuile societie amangis them selfis
1570 Leslie 232.
And the bourdouraris returnit … to thair ould possessiones quhilkis thay labored with gret quietnes thaireftir
1558-66 Knox II 412.
For how can I exhorte utheris to peace and Cryssin quyetnes gif I confes myself ane authour and mover of seditioun?
1594 Charteris Wall. Pref. 163.
The debait … appeirit irreconcilabill bot the Haistingis fel from it schortlie, quhidder throw desyre of quyetnes, or that they mistraistit thair awin strenth … is vncertaine
a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI (1825) 3.
She recommendit unto them unitie of myndis peax and quyetnes
(2) 1566 Crim. Trials I i 481.
Our soverane lady being for the tyme in her maist secreit chamber thairof att hir quietnes, having na feir nor dreidour of hir subjects
1580 Fam. Innes 139.
And houpit in God all suld cum for thair weillis and quyatnes he being taine away that was the prynsepell causser of sick bluid scheid amangis tham selffis
1592 Conv. Burghs I 387 (see 3 (2) below).(3) a1568 Bann. MS 83b/3.
Sustene abstene keip weill in ȝour mynd [etc.] … For ȝe sall thairby grit quyetnes fynd
1570 Bann. Memor. 60.
That I am at a quyetnes with God in my conscience
1573 Davidson Sat. P. xl 246.
For in thair conscience is mair quyetnes In greitest troublis nor [etc.]
1588 King Cat. App. 15a.
The quyetnes and gude peace of our conscience decayes
a1658 Durham Comm. Rev. 53.
A ministers confidence and quietnes in his particular ministry

3. ? Absence of noise. c1650 Spalding I 54.
For he perceaving quyetness he speikis vpone Latein to Leonard Leslie … craveing his help … to wyn away

4. In quietnes. a. In peace (in various above senses).In rest and quietnes, id.; also (in Dalr.), in time of peace. 1550–1 Corr. M. Lorraine 345.
I knawe of na newe novationis … for this realme is in guid quhietnes
1562-3 Winȝet I 44/11.
Effeminat personis or babis, impotent to defende vs throu iustice in quietnes and rest
1563 Boyd Fam. P. No. 48 (15 Feb.).
He being ane sober gentleman willing to leaf in quietnes
1567 Reg. Privy C. I 513. 1568 Lyndesay Pref. (S.T.S.) 401.
And ȝit hes the maist part of thir … departit in the Lord, in quietnes
1570 Leslie 27.
[James II] rewlit and governit his subjectis in greit quyetnes
a1578 Pitsc. II 111/11.
Quhilk was the cause we satt in goode peace and quyitnes in Scottland
1592 Conv. Burghs I 386.
In all quyetnes and peceabill maner to use thame selues
1602 Dundonald Par. Rec. 23. 1619 Colquhoun Chart. 241.
Bot all is in qwyetnes and guid ordoure
1596 Dalr. II 13/2.
For quhen men ar lang ydle, in rest and quyetnes, thay grow strenthles
Ib. 125/32.

b. In secret. Cf. Quiet n. 3. a1578 Pitsc. I 185/14.
Althocht the conspiratouris thocht to have this matter … in quyetnes, yet … the King of France gat wit of the samin tressoun
a1650 Row 300.
Mr. Andro Melvin … did in great quyetnes and secrecie send to him this mirrie and quick distichon

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"Quietnes n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 28 Mar 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/quietnes>

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