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

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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Welth, n. Also: welthe, weltht, velth(t, velcht, velhte, velsch, uelth, wealth, wealht, vealth, weilth(e, walth(e. [ME and e.m.E. welðe (c1250), welth (Cursor M.), wealth (1548-9).]

1. Happiness, bliss; well-being. Freq. contrasted with wretchitnes, wo, etc. Also transf. a1400 Leg. S. xxiv 16.
The place of welth with-in, In paradyse the place but pere, Thare is blys & ioy ?1438 Alex. ii Prol. 11.
In mery May, quhen … euer ilk vy hes welth at waill c1460 Dietary 73.
In two thyngis stondeth all the velth Of soull and body … Modreth fude giffeth to a man his helth … And cherite is to the saulis dew 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 1025.
Quha is in welth? Quha is weill fortunait? c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 190/5.
All weilfair, welth and wantones Ar chengit in to wretchitnes 1513 Doug. xi Prol. 148.
To haue beyn in welth and hartis blys, And now tobe dekeit and in wo 1545 Bk. Carlaverock II 34.
Your sone doth moche forget his naturall duetie towardes you … whose welthe yt nowe well appereth he dothe litell regard c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus i 171.
He … in the net of wanhoip had bene tane, Quhilk causit him want baith welth & wassallage 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1462.
Ane riche burges, Quhilk had at welth all mirth and merines a1568 Scott xv 13.
Thair levis no man in moir eis, welth and blis c1568 Lauder Minor P. v 28.
Of that band God was the minister, Ordand of him for our wealth and behoue a1570-86 Dunb. in Maitl. F. 338/37.
Agane to Edinburchtis ioy and blys Quhair wirschip welthe and weilfair is c1600 Poem (verso T. Pont) 5.
For weil, for welth, for want, for wotransf. a1400 Leg. S. xxx 363.
Thu art my welth & wele 1567 Sat. P. iv 163.
My kingdome cair, my wealth was ay in weir 1606 Birnie Kirk-b. xix.
Like Jacobs, whose wealth was the winning of his owne hand-hammers

2. Prosperity, good fortune, advantage, success. Also personified. c1420 Wynt. ii 553.
Thai grewe … Off industry … And off welth in sufficyans, And ryches in tyll haboundans c1420 Wynt. iv 1967.
Welthe 1456 Hay II 145/32.
A king that regnis in justice … is prouffitable till his peple, for of him cummys plentee … welth, in his realme 1460 Hay Alex. 112.
Quhan he sua the warld ourconquest hes, And wald agane cum in his cuntre, In his maist welth and gloir than sall he de a1500 Henr. Fab. 2608.
Bewar in welth, for hall bankis ar rycht slidder a1500 Henr. Abbay Walk 49.
In welth be meik, heiche not thy self a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 467.
All welth in eird, away as wind it weiris c1475 Wall. viii 1610.
The kynrik stud in gud worschip and es … Wittaill … grew aboundandly Was neuir befor, syn this was callyt Scotland, Sic welth and pes at anys in the land c1536 Lynd. Compl. Bagsche 181.
In welth be than most vigilent, And do na wrang to dog nor beiche 1570 Misc. Bann. C. I 49*.
Better it is to content ourselfis with him of quhais modestie we have rycht guid experience, baith in welthe and rubre [v.r. (supra p. 42), truble]personified c1500 Crying of Play 129.
My name is Welth thairfoir be blyth, I am cum confort ȝow to kyth … All darth I sall gar die

b. specif.The well-being and prosperity of the realme, also, the shared prosperity or advantage of a community, const. commoun or publict welth (= Commoun welth n.).(1) 1542–3 Tytler Hist. (1864) 8/2 n.
Under the payne of trayson to cum and serue the governour for the welth of the realme 1545 St. P. Henry VIII IV ii 411.
Be redde to the plessair of God ȝour moste honerable contentasion, and velcht and quayetnes off bothe the realmis 1545 Douglas Corr. 158.
Velhte(2) 1554 Dundee B. Ct. II 341 (1 Oct.).
Hurt of the common welth of this burcht 1555 Conv. Burghs I 520.
All sic thingis as concernis the … publict weltht of all borrowis of the realme 1568 Lyndesay Pref. (STS) 402.
The lytill regard of all persones to the commoun weilth 1568 Skeyne Descr. Pest 15.
Because medicinaris ar mair studious of thair awine helthe nor of the commoun weilthe 1585 Dunferm. Hammermen MS 2.
That … nane of the deacones … sall consent … to ony commoun actioun or caus of this burgh concerning the commoun welth thairof with out the aduyse [etc.]

c. transf.(The, a, etc.) commoun wealth, the community which shares in the public weal (= Commoun welth n.).(a) 1561 Facs. Nat. MSS III xlv.
That … ye may be found acceptable your regiment profitable to your common wealht 1562 Dumfries B. Ct. 121b.
To execut his office to the comond velsch during the space of ane ȝeir 1564–5 Reg. Privy S. V i 564/1.
It is … neidfull in commoun welthis to have the commoun lawis … imprentit 1579, 1617 Despauter (1579) 29.
Ciuitas libera, quae iure regitur, ane fre commoun welth 1594 Crim. Trials I ii 337.
His maist deir freindis and allyes, and commoun welthis, his narrest and gude nichtbouris 1596 Dalr. I 69/17.
Quhat the Romane … historiographours declares … of thair republik and commoune welth 1599 Crim. Trials II 102.
Weill governit commoun welthis and cuntreyis c1650 Spalding II 15.
Those gentilmen say that thay speik for the commoun welth(b) 1581 Hamilton Cath. Tr. 4b.
[A man] of lang experience concerning the effaris of the common vealth(c) 1615 Inverurie 196.
Without damage to the common walthe and members thereof

3. Material wealth, possessions, riches, freq. const. warldis welth.Also pl. a1400 Leg. S. v 186.
Of that velfull gret gluttone, That varldis velth had in fusione c1460 Thewis Wysmen 216.
Wysmen … suld sare dreid That welth be send thaim for thar meid a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 174.
All the wyis and welth he weildis … Sall halely be at your will c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 394.
Quhen he had warit all one me his welth and his substance 1535 Stewart 32068.
Quhair that he sat into his stait royall, With mony ding lord sittand at his deische, … mekill weltht of mony costlie meis 1535 Stewart 32769.
With wyne at welth, and victuall at grit fouth 1549 Compl. 19/14.
Princis … becummis … presumpteous, throucht grite superfluite of veltht; ther for He dois chestee them be the abstractione of that superfluite that is to say He possessis vthir pure pepil … vitht the samyn reches that He hes tane fra them 1567 G. Ball. 51.
For all this warldis welth and gude, Can na thing ryche thy celsitude a1578 Pitsc. I 414/3.
Set nocht ȝour houp … In warldlie riches … Nor ȝit in ȝour welth nor superfluitie a1578 Pitsc. II 133/24.
I desyre no walth in this warld 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 92/6.
Take exemple be Englande hou it hes floorished baith in uelth & in policie sen the straingeris craftis men came in 1629 Justiciary Cases I 99.
Thir ar the meanes that makis my land fertill and me to prosper in worldlie welthepl. a1400 Leg. S. xxiv 120.
Gret fest at the weding mad, As thai that warldly welthis had c1450-2 Howlat 847 (A).
All thus thir hathillis in hall heirly remanit; With all welthis at wis a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1132.
All his welthis in warld had bene away went a1500 K. Hart 22.
Thai kest thair tyme to occupy In welthis for to wyne 1513 Doug. vi Prol. 95.
Schawis he not eik, by werkis meritory, Quhou iust pepil, in welthis monyfald, Raiosys

b. Abundance of a resource. 1596 Dalr. I 42/17.
The firth … quhair gret welth of salmonte