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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.

Malefice, n. Also: mali-, malafice, (malliefice). [e.m.E. and ME. malefice (Chaucer), F. maléfice (13th c.), L. maleficium.]

1. An act of baleful or malefic sorcery. 1643 Acts Gen. Assembly 27.
Depositions of honest persons, anent malefices committed 1650 Maxwell Mem. I. 358.
Malefice of leprosie proven and death following. … Malefice of suelling layd upon [blank]. … Malefice of death layd upon annother 1660 St. A. Presb. 84. 1661 Black Sc. Witches 33.
The malliefices laid to her chairge 1661 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. I. 73. 1661 Justiciary Ct. Rec. I. 8, 13, etc. 1661 Soc. Ant. XXII. 246. 1661 Acts VII. App. 31. 1662 Craven Caithness Dioc. 133. 1666 Lanark Presb. 105. 1669 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 253. 1666-74 Fraser Polichron. 424.
Laird of Foules … died … not without suspition of malifice 1678 Mackenzie Laws & C. i. i. 1. 1680 Lindores A. 251. 1684 Lauder Notices Aff. II. 561. 1697 Brown Paisley I. 358.
Seven of them against whom … some malafice could be proven 1704 Dunkeld Presb. II. 60.

2. A felony, a serious crime. 1671 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 276.
That Mr John Forbes, shirreff depute … did … delay justice wpon persons attachit be him in the shyre for malefices 1681 Inverness Rec. II. 294.
[She] was banished this place … for certain malefices by her comitted