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

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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Ballance, n. Also: ballanx, ballans; ballanes, ballanis. [ME. and e.m.E. ballaunce, ballance, var. of Balance n. See also Ballandisn.]

1. A balance for weighing. Freq. fig.(a) c1460 Reg. Princ. 293 (have E to thy ballance, and paise it ewin). c1475 Wall. xi. 853 (off fyn gold in ballance a grettar wecht). a1500 Henr. III. 140/15 (than sould ane lord the ballance evinly hald). a1500 Doug. K. Hart 848 (Eis so hingis in his ballance). c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxxi. 96 (the ballance gois vnevin). 1513 Doug. x. iii. 76 (all manis surte hyngand in ballance); II. 905/1 (sen I feill doun sweyand the ballans). 1533 Bell. Livy II. 225/26 (in the leif of the ballance that was fals). c1552 Lynd. Mon. 5087 (ponder thame boith in one ballance). 1560 Rolland Seven S. 44/1 (ȝour ballance beir equall). a1570-86 Maitl. F. cxxxiii. 9 (I sall wey bayth in ane ballance).(b) 1535 Stewart 20183 (to hald the ballanes evin). 1573 Sat. P. xxxix. 280 (beir equall ballanis baith to riche and puir).

b. A pair of ballance(s), a pair of scales.(a) 1522 Dunferm. B. Rec. 209 (ane pair of ballancis). 1591 Edinb. Test. XXIII. 46 (ane pair of ballances with ane irne balk and brasin schellis).(b) a1500 Bk. Chess 1566 (a pair of ballanx in to his richt hand). 1567 Inverness B. Rec. I. 152 (ane payr ballance). 1574 Edinb. Test. III. 93 (tua pair of small ballance). 1591 Acts III. 526/1 (ane swerd with ane pair of ballance). 1597 Misc. Spald. C. I. 140 (putting of thame in a pair of ballance, and wying of the same).

c. Attrib. in ballance brod, a scale. 1608 Hilderstoun Silver Mines I. 34 b.
Ane grit lang weybak with the ballance brodis thairto for weying of the vre

2. The constellation Libra.1585 James VI Ess. 25 (heir the Ballance, there the Fishes twaine).

3. A flat dish. (After L. lanx.) 1513 Doug. xii. iv. 142.
Syne furth of platis or ballancis belyve With pasyt flesch [thai] plenyst the altaris large