A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1375-1580
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Les, Lese, Leis, n. Also: leys, lace. [ME. leas (13th c.), les, lees (14th c.), e.m.E. (appar. verse only) leace, lease, lees (1598), OE. léas a. false, lying, and n. falsehood.]Occas. difficult to distinguish from leis plur. of le Ley n.4 (a lie).
Falsehood, lying. Only in predicative use, and as in b.Often opposed to suth.(1) a1400 Legends of the Saints xxx. 205.
Suthfastnes That al men sais, is nocht les a1400 Ib. xxxi. 172.
All his sawis ware suthfastnes & his that brynt ware al les c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace ii. 345.
He told to thaim the fyrst tithingis was les [: deces, 1570 leis] a1500 Tale of the Colkelbie Sow iii. 16.
Sum wold allege my lewit langage a les is [: incressis] c1500-c1512 Dunb. l. 24.
He knawis giff this be leis [: deis (= dais)] 1535 Stewart 1529.
I wait this is no leis [: preis] a1568 Bannatyne MS 135 a/41.
All may not be leis [: peis (= peace)] that every man sayis(2) c1400 Troy-bk. i. 589.
Quhethire it be suth or lese, The werray storye sais scho wes Mast perfyt in astronomye c1420 Wynt. vii 2757 (W).
Quhether that he said suth or les, Off that trespas he purgit wes 1564 St. A. Kirk S. 217.
Quhidder thai sayd suth or les sche knawis nocht
b. Common in verse, chiefly in rhyme, in the tags but les, also but ony les, foroutin and withoutin les also ony les (leis): cf. Ley n.4 1 b.So also ME. withoutyn ony les, wit-vten les, buten lease, O E. buton léase.Espec. common in Douglas and Stewart.Other occurrences, of but les or leis, are:(a) rhyming with proper names in -es, Troy-bk. ii. 2510, Doug. ii. v. 83, xi. 59, iii. ii. 115, viii. 87, x. xii. 119; with pres, Wall. i. 321; with wes (also was), Leg. S. xxvi. 24, Troy-bk. ii. 2379, 2673.(b) rhyming with Vlixes, Troy-bk. ii. 359.(c) rhyming with ceis (cease), Rolland Ct. Venus iii. 82; with peice Stewart 8937, 19189, 34465.(1) 1375 Barb. vii. 419 (E).
For thai thre men, for owtyn [C. vithouten] les [: pres] War his fayis all wtrely c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 1809.
This king … Had two sonnes withoutine les [: Palamydes] (c 1580) Alex. i. 1599.
Thame behynd … gaif sic dintis withoutin leis At the formest chace can seis c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace iii. 280.
Thai chargyt him to mak Wallace at pes, Or he suld pass to Londone with outyn les 1535 Stewart 1023.
And be that done, doutles withouten les Than we and tha sall sit in rest and peice 1535 Ib. 44648.
Hir awin self, withoutin ony leis … wmschewit fra that preis 1535 Ib. 59345.
Forouttin ony leis [: deceis] Had he ane sone … [he] to Charles sould succeid as air(2) a1400 Legends of the Saints xvii. 137.
Sone schawyt God hyre but les Eftyre a ȝere that scho suld cese c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 2302.
Quhene it lykede Vlixes To pas … the King but les Gart gif hime two schippes in hy c1420 Wynt. i. 1170 (C).
Be-ȝonde al Ethiope, but les, Alyis mekyl lande in wildernes a1500 Henr. III. 114/15.
A bil … In letteris leill but les [M. leis] with this legyand 1513 Doug. vi. xvi. heading.
Eneas nurys, Caieta, can deces, Quhar ȝit the place kepis hir name but les [R. leis] 1535 Stewart 55525.
Thre hundreth ȝeir sextie, but ony les, War than completit gif I haif ony ges a1568 Bannatyne MS 86 a/27.
Lord of all but les [: guidnes](b) a1400 Legends of the Saints xix. 99.
Sa held he furth lange but lese [: wildernes] c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 580.
Dyomede has … sworne the pees Wnfenȝheandly to holde but lese a1499 Contemplacioun of Synnaris 647.
Na wounder war set thai war lost but lese [: pese, prese](c) c1450-2 Howlat 698.
All the lentryne but leis [B. les] … The soland stewart was sent a1500 Henr. Fab. 2206.
The reuand uolf [likened] vnto ane man but leis [: ceis, preis] a1500 Buke of the Sevyne Sagis 2505.
The morne the child sall speike but leis And declar all the suthfastnes a1500 King Hart 61.
But leis [: deis (= dais), mais (= mess, dish), pece] 1513 Doug. xiii. x. 97.
O happy cyte … Quharin thou sall … but leys [Sm. les, R. leis] Govern the Troian folk in plesand pes 1535 Stewart 32299.
Beleif ȝe weill but leis At weir agane neuir moir to purches peis 1535 Ib. 34743.
Heirfoir … my counsall is bot leis, To preif with him gif that we can mak peice c1550 Rolland Court of Venus Prol. 5.
All men … Is drest but leis to leif in diuers kynd(d) 1535 Stewart 57269.
Tua legattis come, to treit for … pace, Quhilk grantit wes … that tyme, but lace, For thre ȝeiris and no langar
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