Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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.

Bale, Baill, n.¹ Also: baile, baille. [ME. bale (bayle, baylle), OE. balu (bealu), balo.] Misery, suffering, pain, sorrow.Only in poetry, and frequently in alliterative phrases.(a) a1400 Leg. S. iv. 316 (in hart scho had so mekil bale); xxx. 178 (lat be, and of bale blyne); l. 1037 (quhat wondire is I brist for bale); etc. c1420 Wynt. i. 624 ( … in-til bale owre bute sulde be); v. 1921 (hyr byrth sall brew ws mekyll bale). a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 1048 (fra bliss to bale changit is my cheire); 1224 (ȝour baggis may no thing beit ȝour bale). a1568 Bann. MS. 31 a/25 (we may nocht in this vale of bale abyd). a1570-86 Maitl. F. lxxxiv. 14 (in blis or bale than man thow wend to wyne).(b) c1475 Wall. iv. 337 (now blisful, now in baill); vi. 202 (bytter baill that in his breyst was bound); etc. a1500 Seven S. 525 (than blynnit the emprys of hir baile). 1513 Doug. viii. Prol. 80 (baill hes banyst blythnes); xii. ii. 15 (haue piete of my wofull baill). 1535 Stewart 35982 (blyn of ȝour baill, se ȝe be blyth and glaid). c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1139 (quhow Adam dwelt with mekle baill in Mamber). 1567 G. Ball. 215 (thus beutie bringis baill to mony men). a1570-86 Maitl. F. clxx. 168 (God will bring ȝow frome baill). 1611-57 Mure I. 112/520 (what fate hath turn'd thy blesse to baill?). 1604-31 Craig v. 6/5 (nought but blacke baile); 24/15 (a baile-bearing bill).

b. Occas. used in the plural.a1400 Leg. S. xxiv. 488 (nocht but ded my balis ma bet). a1500 Henr. III. 115/39 (and sa blythtly my balis beit). c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxiii. 12 (remenant all thow brukis bot with balis). c1550 Rolland C. Venus i. 415 (the caus thow bruikis of lufe sic baillis). a1568 Scott xiii. 23 (to ȝow quha ma my baillis beit).