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

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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Mace, n.¹ Also: mas(e, mass(e; mais(e, maiss(e, mayce, mays; mese, meis, measse; maess. Plur. macis etc. and mas(e. [ME. mace, mase (13–14th c.), OF. masse, mace. See also Mash n.]

1. A mace, the weapon of war. 1375 Barb. xi. 600.
Swerdis and masis [: was] Ib. xiii. 17.
With swerdis … and vith macys [E. mase, H. mas; rh. was] ?1438 Alex. ii. 9057.
Ane … mas 1456 Hay II. 46/14.
Thare is gevin him [sc. a knight] maisse, that is to say poll ax, in takenyng that he is officer ryale 1503 Treas. Acc. II. 218.
For … tua mases and ane sword to the King 1507 Ib. III. 396.
Ane steil mais gilt, with ane dagar in it 1513 Doug. iv. Prol. 49.
[Hercules'] mays [Bann. meis] Ib. viii. iv. 85.
Hys weghty burdon, or his knorry mays Ib. xi. i. 23.
Hys fyne hawbyrk, with speir, swerd and macis, … persyt into twys sax placis 1533 Boece xvi. iii. 613.
Ane gret and squair mais of irne 1570 Leslie 200.
Slane be the straik of ane masse apoun the heid a1578 Pitsc. I. 243/12.
The blak knicht … iustit with all kynd of weaponis … that is to say with speir sword and mas 1580 Exch. R. XXI. 4.
Masis c1610 Melville Mem. 34.
Mass 1587-99 Hume vii. 116.
Masse

2. A ceremonial mace or a baton of authority.(a) c1420 Wynt. viii. 6932 (see Macer n. (a)). 1461 Soc. Ant. XXVI. 466.
Johne Maiel govldsmitht … hes made this masse in the toune of Paris a1500 Bk. Chess 1807.
Ane officer to kepe the tovne … A mase he has in his left hand in set 1622-6 Bisset I. 15/28.
The four ordiner maisseris … standand in thair awin places with silver massis in thair handis … callis the pairties c1646 Craufurd Edinb. Univ. 64. 1665 Lauder Jrnl. 100 (see Macer n. (b)).1668 Reliq. Antiq. Sc. 147. 1678 Mackenzie Laws & C. ii. xv. (1699) 214.
The mace used by these [sc. macers] with us in the Justice court is an iron rod [etc.] 1688 Five Letters from a Gentleman in Scotland 4 (Dec. 25).
The College mass(b) 1488 Treas. Acc. I. 90.
To Wilȝeam Cambell to by his mayce, xx^ti li. 1491 Ib. 185.
To Sande Melwin, new made masare, to mak him a mais x li. 1514 Acta Conc. MS. XXVI. 122.
Johnne Sheves … creat maiser … and the mais deliverit to him be my lord chancelar 1622 Sc. Ant. XIII. 163.
Then followed George Dumbar his lordshipes servant carying the maise covered with black crisp 1641 Acts V. 368/1.
The chancellarie mais 1674 Edinb. B. Rec. X. 187.
George Blair merchant … to cary the maiss or sword discovered in his best aperrell(c) 1663 Nicoll Diary 390.
Twa mesaris with thair meses 1669 Bk. O. Edinb. C. V. 147.
[An offender] brought in to the tolbuth … be Androw Douglas ther measser with his measse in his hand(d) 1694–5 Annandale Corr. 105.
The Speaker … sent the maess