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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.

Rest, n.² (adj.). Also: reste; rist; reist; raist; rast. [Late ME and e.m.E. rest a remainder or remnant (c1420), reste, F. reste (1395 in Hatz.-Darm.).] That which remains over.In all senses, in earliest use followed by a defining phrase introduced by of (in).

1. A sum of money, or an amount of goods, that remains to be paid or handed over by way of payment; the balance, or arrears, of an amount due.sing. (1) 1447 Edinb. Chart. 68.
As … Edynburgh has fullely paiit … ws for the hale rest of the twa yheris finance … nochtwithstanding that thare is diuers landis … yit awand ws certane soumes of the said rest of the finance, we [etc.] 1448 Aberd. B. Rec. I 17.
Reste 1473–4 Treas. Acc. I 12.
xxxiiij li. resauit … of the ald rest of his faderis compt and his awin … he restis awand lij li. iij s. viij d. 1502 Acta Conc. III 188.
x lastis of salmond of the rest of a mare soum aucht be the sade Schir Thomas 1507 Aberd. B. Rec. in Mill Mediæv. Plays 136. 1520 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 57.
Robert Berne … followit Jhone Sanderson of ane boll of malt of the rest of pament of ane hors 1569 Inverness Rec. I 180.
Four bollis greit aittis and ij bollis beyr of the rest of ingang of his pruiffis 1579 Irvine Mun. II 24.
Payment to be maid … of the superplus and rest of the extent and bulȝerum gadderit … be him 1600 Brechin Test. I 188.
The heill rest of the said hundretht pundis … to be payet … at the trinitie day nixt … following my deceis 1686 Corshill Baron Ct. 172.
Two merkes scotis money, as the rest of ane plough fie(2) c1500 in Halyb. xxii.
[I] sweris to … ask fra the samen Androw nother hail nor rest of ony som that ewir I knaw or trowis pait … to me be the said Androw 1529 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 101.
That Volle Vylsone is awnd hyme … viii s. of rest of auld coumptis 1532 Ib. 126.
Awnd to Nycholl Ker vii s. iiii d. less of rest of ane boll of malt 1606 Inverurie B. Ct. 17 Nov.
The sowme of auchtein merkis … for rest of malt siluer bocht be the said William Andersoneis wyf 1666 Rothesay B. Rec. 116.
Twa punds money as rest of fyve punds money promeist be the said Robert to him betuix the niffer of ane kow and bull 1683 Corshill Baron Ct. 164.
Ane merke scotis money in rest of grass pryce(b) 1563 Dumfries B. Ct. fol. 197b.
To pursew … for … mony for rist of tua oxin payment awin to the said Michell(3) 1576 Orkney Oppress. 37.
In payment of ony rest of dettis that thay war awand to him 1679 M. P. Brown Suppl. Decis. II 250.]
[There being a rest due to him of £9000pl. 1497 Acta Conc. II 70.
Aucht be him to our soverane lord of the restis of the extrectis of the justice are of Are 1512 Treas. Acc. IV 350.
To pas to destrenȝe … for restis of Schir Hary Schawis sonis mareage 1528 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 96.
The firmararis of our common myll sall compeir in presens of our balyeis and auditouris of our coump pertening to our communite and common proffat of auld restis bygane 1530–1 Ib. 110.
All coumptis and restis of dettis awnd be the saidis Alexander 1539–41 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 290.
To iiii cheplanis … makand executionis of cursing … upone certane restis of taxtis restand awing 1564–75 Hamilton & Campsie Test. I 53.
To Schir James Gibsone for restis of teindis that my husband wes awand to him xl s. 1598–9 Yester Wr. 257.
The restis of William Hayis comptis to satisfie 1665 Inverness Rec. II 223.
The baillies to caus collect the rests of the bygane stent that ar as yet restand 1694 M. P. Brown Suppl. Decis. IV 160.]
[The debate was anent the bygone rests of rents, due by the tenants

b. Without const.sing. (1) 1488–91 Treas. Acc. I 168.
The comptare chargis him with this rest quhilk is [etc.] … Sum totale with the rest [etc.] 1501 Ib. II 115.
To charge the … schiref principale of Abirdene to pay his rest 1506 Ib. III 341.
And sa the rest of the said schip and the tymir extends to [etc.] 1507–8 Ib. IV 93.
In payment of his ald rest aucht to him be the kingis grace fathir 1512 Ib. 338 (see Poind v. 2 a (2)). 1518 Edinb. Hammermen 255b.
Put in the box the day aboue wretin of William Ra rest, sex pundis in plakkis 1545 Reg. Privy C. I 15.
To poynd and dystrenye for the said rest and mak reddy payment thairof 1555 Peebles B. Rec. I 226.
He sall content pay and deliuer … afore the chakker xv dayis xiiij merkis, and the rest at Candilmes nixt thairefter 1573 Reg. Privy C. II 228.
That he had just caus to deny the rest contenit in the said supplicatioun 1576 Douglas Corr. 211.
Wher your lordships letter … willed me to tayk the principall, and to do the Lard of Mowe ease for the rest 1618 Sutherland Bk. II 136.
The rest I will gett lang conteinowatioune for, payand the anvoll ?a1640 Copie of a Baron's Court (1821) 25.
Come tell me what's your rest, For you are one I know can pay it best 1697 Rental of Brabster in Old-lore Misc. VIII i 5.
I charge noe geise in this count book, because ther is a list made of the old rest Ib. 199.
Mair, he rests of old mony rest. This old mony rest payed(b) 1549 Elgin Rec. I 99.
And afoir the entres to mak pament of the auld rist(2) 1676 Cullen Kirk S. 15 Oct.
Fiue merks which compleets his fie till hallowmass except a mark of old restpl. 1503 Treas. Acc. II 390.
To Ormund pursewant, passand on the schireffis fra Forth north for thair restis 1503 Acta Conc. in Sc. Hist. Rev. XL 97.
Summond be letters under the signet for auld restis 1508 Reg. Privy C. I 269/1. 1512 Treas. Acc. IV 341.
To Johne Adamsone, messingeir, to pas to distrenȝe for restis and dettis, xiiii s. 1517 Ib. V 128.
To Symon Cunyingham … be compositioun for his auld restis of pyte, xx li. 1533 Dunferm. Reg. Ct. 102.
All … occupearis of the … landis … to … bryng with thaim thair ald restis awin aifoyr with thair new gressomys 1544–5 Corr. M. Lorraine 130.
My hwsbandis restis awcht to your grece and wderis 1549 Rec. Earld. Orkney 236.
To the resavein and uptakin of his dettis … and that of the restis of the yeiris of God [etc.] 1563–4 Craven Ch. in Orkney II 25. 1573 Reg. Privy C. II 231.
The collectouris underwrittin … in thair particular comptis maid of the saidis yeris, gaif in diverse and sindry greit restis, and thairby wer fundin superexpendit at the fute of thair comptis maid to the said Generall Collectour 1581–2 Ib. III 458.
For satisfeing and outredding thairof be the restis to be gottin in and utherwyse 1584 Ib. 709. 1608 Inverurie B. Ct. 23 Dec.
The non peyers of the hirdis fee ar decernit to wptak the haill restis within the towne 1614 Crim. Trials III 295. 1644 Army of the Covenant II 322. 1648 Cramond Ch. Ordiquhill 12.
Mr. Walter Darg to satisfie Mr. Johne Watson for all bygon rests resting to him be Mr. Patrick Darg 1670 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. MS 26 Feb.
Off the quhich rests he gives ane list of desperat deficientis extending to the sowme of [etc.] 1681 Fawside Coal Compt 79.
Wncostis £37, 18 s., 6 d.; Rests £59, 12 s. 1699 Edinb. B. Rec. XII 251.
The thesaurers accompts are but usually audited once in three or four years tyme whereby their rests are not dewly discovered

2. The remainder (of a number of persons, animals or things). Also, once, pl.(1) 1540 Lynd. Sat. 1207 (B).
Lo, quhair thair sittis ane priores of renown Amang the rest of spiritualitie 1558 Inverness Rec. I 25.
The rest of the balyes electit lynaris 1565 Reg. Privy C. I 365.
To the utilitie and proffeit of the rest of his brethir and sisteris 1566-70 Buch. Comm. on Virgil Æn. iii 594.
The rest of his clothes a1578 Pitsc. I 313/7.
The Earle of Angus and the rest of the Douglassis rullit all as they lykit 1588 Digest Justiciary Proc. L 63.
He … wes inrollit amangis the rest of the schirefdome of Fyfe 1611 Crim. Trials III 141.
The rest of the poyntis of the said dittay are only presumptiones [etc.] 1634 Edinb. Masons 20.
[The] dekon … and the hell rest off the mesteres(b) 1597 Misc. Spald. C. I 128.
The reist off the witches(2) 1540 Lynd. Sat. 1458 (B).
Lady Sensualitie Sensyne hes gydit that cuntre, And mekle of the rest 1548 Corr. M. Lorraine 275.
I have … xxx^ti hattbutters: the rest ar lyght horse c1552 Lynd. Mon. 2980. 1560 Rolland Seven S. 874.
And sa said all the rest 1570 Prot. Bk. A. Lawson 1.
Ewerie tent leif … markit with the signe and subscriptioun of Robert Scott and the haill rest with Scott a1570-86 J. Maitland Maitl. F. 437/98.
The trone of tryell and theatre trew Is for to regne and rewle aboue the rest 1571–2 Inverness Rec. I 211.
To haif past wyth the said gray horse and the rest to the pleucht 1573 Davidson Sat. P. xli 57.
For thowmay rew by all the rest That [etc.] 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 37.
The quenis grace, the governour, and the haill rest … come to Edinburgh Ib. 104.
With staf, mytoure, croce and the rest 1576 Orkney Oppress. 16.
Ane discreit man of ilk paroche, by the rest, callit the lawrichtman c1590 Fowler II 27/11.
In that point he hes … lyit, as in all the rest 1582 Conv. Burghs I 138.
Maister Patrik Quhytelaw, in the name of the haill rest, as moderator 1593 Brechin Test. I 109.
Auchtene scheip, thairof xij ȝowis and gymmeris, the rest dulmondis 1595 Highland P. I 172.
The deponer … greapit the said letters in his boasome and fand ane great letter amang the rest(b) 1570 Sat. P. x 138.
He wes … With her estemit mair nor all the raist [: traist]pl. 1571 Bann. Memor. 107.
Sua the restis gevis bakis and … we wan thair artailȝerie 1688 Nat. Reg. Archives (Ewart Lib. Dumfries) 34.
I have begun with severalls of my own tennents to make them preparatives to the rests of the commons

3. The remaining part, or remainder, (of a thing or quantity).(1) 1541 Aberd. B. Rec. I 454.
The rest of his wrought ledder to be escheitt 1554–5 Edinb. Old Acc. I 149.
To sevin men to streik the rest of the skaffald a1561 Q. Kennedy Breif Tract. (ed.) 117/30.
The rest of the scripturis allegit be Ecolampadius 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 10.
And … provid to thair necessiteis the rest of the yeir 1596 Dalr. II 46/32.
The rest of his body … the pynouris raue with an yrne tangs 1620 Edinb. Test. L 286b.
The haill rest of his insycht to be equallie pairtit(b) 1561–2 Dumfries B. Ct. fol. 47a.
That the rist of land suld be haldit harmeles of annuell rent(2) c1670 Haigs of Bemersyde 484.
Some beere altogether unprepared souen the same day with the rist

4. That which remains over, as unused, etc.; a remnant. 1531–2 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 74.
Quhilk inlaik beand tane of restis in clene maid werk and ressavit be me in wecht … to the thekin forsaid i^m lvi stanis viii pund 1561 Inv. Wardrobe 129.
Twa restis of holand claith Ib. 159.
Ane rest of columbe taffeteis contening nyne ellis 1580 Edinb. Test. VII 353.
Certane restis of saip in tua half barrellis 1587 Carmichael Etym. 34.
Relliquiae, rests, remanents

5. attrib. in sense 1. ? b. adj. Pertaining to, or setting down, what is overdue or owed. 1443 Aberd. B. Rec. MS V ii p. 668 (4 Oct.).
Gif thair restis samykil of the commoune guide in his handis he sal assith it, and gif thar dois noght it sal be tane of the rast commoune guides 1627 Misc. Spald. C. V 219.
Becaus thay peyit not in thair wituaill to the girnall, the lard … protestit for the hiest prycis for thair rest wituall, gif it was not peyit befor Lambes 1629 Ib. 220.
Coumptit with Allexander Williamsone, … ten bollis meill of rest meill and bocht meill 1636 Urie Baron Ct. 80.
The haill tennentis … to content … the haill rest maillis, Witsounday and Mertimes termes 1661 Forbes Baron Ct. 227.
Tennentis … ordained to mak peyment of thair rest silver dueties 1663 Aberd. Council Lett. IV 244.
By giving up the accompt of ther rest maintenanceb. 1679 Galloway P. 17 Feb.
The compter is charged with the rest roll of the said barronie … extending to [etc.]