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

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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Scurge, Scourge, n. Also: skurge, scurgg-, scurdge, schurge, scorge, schorge, skourge. [ME and e.m.E. schurgen (pl., a1225), skurge (Cursor M.), schourge (c1330), skorge (a1400-50), AF escorge, escurge, ? back formation f. OF escorgiee a whip, f. escorgier Scurge v.]

1. Any contrivance of cords or twigs used for chastisement of the human body; a whip or lash; a rod; a birch or ‘cat-o'-nine-tails’. Also fig.(a) a1400 Leg. S. iii 44.
Thai … sone tuk Andrew, … & bittirly with schurgis dange, Till his blud out … rane a1400 Leg. S. iii 613.
He … in a frame suld sted be, And with scharpe schurgis befte rycht sare a1400 Leg. S. v 263.
[The punishments of hell] And thike myrknes lestand ay, And scurgis scharpe [etc.] a1400 Leg. S. xxxviii 41.
The king … bad his tormentouris son bring Skurgis of senonis felly mad a1500 Rois Garlandis 118.
The quhilk wes nakit bundin till ane pillar and ewill scurgit with thorny wandis and cnoppit scurggis c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 10/107. c1500 Makc. MS xv 38.
Behald my crois [? for corps] quhow Jowis it dang With knoppis of quhippis & schurges lang c1520-c1535 Nisbet John ii 15.
Quhen he had made … a scurge of smal cordis 1533 Boece 164.
The religios wemen … at the sacrifice dingand thare flesch with skurgis to appere mare devote 1549 Compl. 28/14.
The father takkis the vand or the scurge to puneise his sonne that hes brokyn his command 15.. Clar. iii 732.
As scho with scurgis had beine all to beft 1561 Q. Kennedy Compendious Ressonyng (ed.) 180/3.
The [priests] belt signifeis the scurge quhairwith he [sc. Christ] was scurgit 1579, 1617 Despauter (1579).
Verber, ane lang wand or scurge 1600-1610 Melvill 58.
A terrible comet … and … a lang teall … lyk unto a bissom or scurge maid of wands 1662 Crim. Trials III 613.
He [sc. the Devil] wold be beatting and scurgeing ws … with cardis [? for cordis] and vther sharp scurges(b) a1400 Leg. S. xix 545.
With yrne schorgis than gert he … hyme downgyne be a1400 Leg. S. xxviii 275.(c) a1497, 15.. Gray MS iv 92.
Skourgis 1579, 1617 Despauter (1617) 30.
Scutica, a scourge 1654 Nicoll Diary 134.
The slayer … was leiched upone the bak … with sum few straikes of a soft scourgefig. 1596 Dalr. II 468/22.
Another [book] he wrot … quhais title was, The skurge of hæretickis

b. A mark or weal left on the body by such chastisement. a1568 Bann. MS 34a/45.
Sowand wer thy sydis sair scurgis bla & wan

2. = Scurge-stik n. 1460 Hay Alex. 4332.
With that ane scurge to drive ane top also

3. Of a person: One who inflicts hardship, pain or trouble on others; a cause of suffering. Chiefly scourge (of God), a person (or people) made the instrument of divine punishment, chastisement or suffering.(1) 1456 Hay I 171/17.
For the men of were ar callit the scurge and the wand of God ordanyt to punys synnaris a1538 Abell 101b.
The king of Gothis said … I am the scorge of God in punicion of Ytale a1538 Abell 2*b.
Attuyl tyran at callit hym Goddis scorge c1552 Lynd. Mon. 89.
God … Tyll strange pepyll … hes geuin lycence To be our scurge 1562-3 Winȝet I 52/4.
To be Godis scurge … , as wes the wngodly and confusit Babilonianis aganis … Jerusalem 1567 Sat. P. iv 47.
God maid hir [sc. Q. Mary] scurge to plaigue me [sc. Darnley] for ay 1622-6 Bisset II 351/26.
A Sithian prince that called himself flagellum dei the skurge of God(2) 1531 Boece 33.
In this tyme Pharao skurge of the pepill of Israell in Egipt regnit 1533 Bell. Livy I 189/19 (see Scurger n. 1). 1600-1610 Melvill 374.
I pray his mercie they be nocht maid just skurges to the ministerie in speciall thairfor

4. Suffering, hardship, etc., inflicted (in most instances, by God) by way of chastisement or salutary punishment. 1549 Compl. 26/10.
I hope that his auful scurge of aperand exterminatione sal change in ane faderly correctione 1554 Knox III 104.
Men, whilk under so lang scurgeis of God, is nothing kendillit to pray by repentance [etc.] 1556 Lauder Off. Kings 197.
All realmes … sall nocht mys the scurge and rod Off … God 1562 Aberd. Eccl. Rec. 4.
Fering Goddis skurge and hawy plagis 1562-3 Winȝet I 9/3.
Quhy persaue ȝe nocht thir three plaigis to be the scurge of the diuine iustice for ȝour … simonie? 1562-3 Winȝet I 51/7. 1567 G. Ball. 92.
Thairfoir my spreit is … glaid Quhen on my flesche thy scurge is laid 1568 Skeyne Descr. Pest 5.
Ane scurge and punischment of the maist just God a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. 32/1.
Eternale God tak away thy scurge From ws Scottis a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. 319/62.
Syne pray to God … To tak fra ws this creuell skurge 1570 Sat. P. xxiii 131.
God will nocht mys to scurge thé with a plaig … , thick scurgis monyfald Lich vpon thame that proudly dois disdane 1572 Sempill Sat. P. xxx 18.
The scharper scurge is cummand for the toddis 1574 Sc. Ant. XIII 31.
Ane publict fast … quairby the said appearand scurge may be removit, and God's wrayth pasifiit a1578 Pitsc. II 102/19.
For oft tymes God makis scourgis to punische realmis … and soune heirefter castis the scourge in the fyre

b. Hurt, or sharp correction, given by (spoken or written) words. a1538 Abell 124b.
Ane endlen women is dolor of hart & murnyng to hir husband & scurge of hir tung is comon to all 1635 Justiciary Cases I 236.
Nothing within our kingdome … is not drawin within the scurdge of his devilische and malitious pen and tounge