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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.

Mercy, n. Also: mercye, -ci(e, -cé, mersy, -say, mearcie, marcy, -cie, -cé, -cei, marsie. [ME. (a 1225) and e.m.E. merci, -cy, -sy, OF. merci.](See also Grandmercy.)

1. Mercy, forbearance, forgiveness, compassion; also, merciful or forgiving disposition.In various collocations, inciuding to have mercy (of or (up)on another), to ask, also to implore, mercy (of the offence, at the person solicited or const. dative pron. or indirect obj.), to cry, also to cry on or for, mercy (of or for the offence, of or for a person, of, on or to the person solicited or const. dative pron.).(1) c1420 Wynt. iv. 1946.
[Deceitful servants] na thyng will off mercy wyt Bot sall wyth-draw thame fra pete [= pity] Ib. v. 864. 1456 Hay I. 121/6. Ib. 88/28.
Gif the duk of the bataill be tane, he suld have merci and grace Ib. 158/11. a1500 Henr. Fab. 1078 (Bann.).
‘A, souerane lord, sauf ȝour mercy,’ quod he, ‘My purpois was [etc.]’ a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 871.
Thoght he wes myghtles, his mercy can he thair myth a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 366.
Vsand … Mercy [Arund. Marcy] with justice and inly devocioun c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 315.
Mercy in to womanheid is a mekle vertu Id. xxii. 52.
Thairfoir of mercy and nocht of richt I ask ȝow, schir Id. lxii. 21.
The mersy of that sweit meik Rois Suld soft ȝow, Thirsill Id. lxxiv. 27. 1513 Doug. ii. vii. 12. 1556 Lauder Off. Kings 20. 1562-3 Winȝet I. 10/35.
That we are almaiste losit without ony mercy of man a1570-86 Maitl. F. cxlviii. 40. 1570 Sat. P. x. 272. 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 131.
Bot my lord regent of his mercie causit louse thair handis 1570 Leslie 47.
Using clemencie and mercie towart him a1578 Pitsc. I. 150/20.
He … for the kingis saik cuild get na mercye 1584 Acts III. 295/1. 1615 Highland P. III. 231.
Rather to hope for marcie(2) personified —1490 Irland Mir. I. 108/13. 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. iii. 522. c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxx. 2.
Thow that in hewin for our salvatioun Maid justice, mercie and pietie to aggre(3) 1375 Barb. iv. 31 (E).
For-owtyn pete or mercy c1420 Wynt. ii. 1146.
For to ta And but mercy pyne and sla 1456 Hay I. 183/16.
But ony remissioun or merci c1475  Wall. iv. 90. a1500 Henr. Fab. 2881 (Bann.). a1500 Seven S. 581. 1533 Boece vii. xi. 244.
The insulanis … but mercye slewe [etc.] a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI 58.
And in thair progres demoleist the housis … of all Hamiltons without any mearcie(4) 1375 Barb. xii. 255 (E).
Thai sall off ws haf na mercy a1400 Leg. S. xviii. 640.
A lady Mary, … pray I thé That thu waid mercy hafe of me c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 860. c1420 Wynt. vi. 1036.
Off hym that Gode wald have mercy 1456 Hay I. 120/19. Ib. II. 78/18.
Never mare has ane pitee na merce of ane othir a1500 Henr. III. 162/5. c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 922. a1570-86 Maitl. F. lx. 25. — c1552 Lynd. Mon. 620.
God haue mercy on me 1531 Vaus (1566).
Haif ȝe nocht mercie vpone me a1578 Pitsc. I. 245/9. c1600 Montg. Suppl. xxviii. 12. — a1500 Seven S. 1409.
Haf mercy, scho said c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxiv. 8.
Haue mercy, luif! c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 1244.
Ȝone knichtis crueltie That in his hart hes no mercie(5) c1420 Wynt. v. 5714.
That man wes blynd than suddanly And cryit on kneys, ‘Lord, mercy’ Ib. viii. 1855. a1500 Seven S. 2592.
The child … cryit, ‘Mercy Jhesu sweit’ a1570-86 Maitl. F. cxxx. 73.
Sir, mercy for ȝour mycht 1662 Crim. Trials III. 613.
We wold be still cryeing, ‘Pittie! pittie! mercie! mercie, owr lord!’(6) ?1438 Alex. ii. 3100.
Or ellis meikly to ask mercy c1420 Wynt. v. 3810.
Till all man penytent And [who] mercys [sic] askys 1456 Hay I. 170/12.
Thai had askit merci of thair synnis c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 2201.
He … askit hir forgevnes and mercie c1475 Wall. ix. 1296.
Merce c1490 Irland Asl. MS. I. 77/10. Ib. 78/9.
Of this indisposicioun I ask God mercy a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. xcvi. 36.
Ȝe lordis all at God mercye imploir Id. Ib. xcix. 68.
Ane God … At quhome of ȝour misdeidis ask mercye a1585 Polwart Flyt. 41 (T).
Ask merce, mak obedience 1615 Fraserburgh Kirk S. 49 b.
[To] ask the Lord mercie & aither the vther(7) c1420 Wynt. i. 639.
To cry mercy is to late The wayne than standand at the yhat ?1438 Alex. i. 549.
I cry thé of thir folk mercy c1500-c1512 Dunb. ix. 56, 80 (M).
Heirof … I cry Thé mercy [infra mersy] a1538 Abell 10 a.
He knew his wikkit life and cryit on mercy of God 15.. Lord Fergus' Gaist 63. c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 792.
I cry ȝow loud mercie a1578 Pitsc. I. 125/15.
Cryand mercie for hir offences a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI 220.
Cryit with a lowd voyce mearcie to his uncle for Gods saik a 1610 Misc. Spald. C. II. xxvii.
Cryand on God for merce

b. (The) dedis or werkis of mercy in medieval theology. a1400 Leg. S. xxix. 76.
The dedes of mercy He oysit to do ithandly 1490 Irland Mir. I. 47/16.
Of the werkis of mercy c1500-c1512 Dunb. ix. 26.
The sevin deidis of mercy corporall 1533 Gau 15/24.
Thay that dois notht the dedis of marcie to thair nichtburs

2. Divine mercy, forbearance or forgiveness.(1) 1375 Barb. vi. 672 (E).
God sayff thaim for His gret mercy a1400 Leg. S. xxxiii. 648.
Ws awcht luf thaim [gods] for thare mercy 1441 Cop. St. A. 210.
Ws Jamys throw the mersy of God prioure [etc.] c1450-2 Howlat 747.
Thow moder of all mercy 1456 Hay II. 113/6.
And may we purchas merci of oure mysse bygane Ib. /4. Ib. I. 16/25. a1500 Henr. III. 127/34.
God … of His mercy petie haif 1490 Irland Mir. I. 137/24.
The Fadere of mercy Ib. 5/21. Ib. 49/4. Ib. 143/13. 1532 Dunferm. Reg. Ct. 57.
James be the merce of God archbiscop of Sanct Androis 1551 Hamilton Cat. 48. 1562-3 Winȝet I. 78/7. 1578 Anal. Scot. I. 277.
Alex^r Raynie … beand disparitt of the mercie of God, slew him selfe 1581 Hamilton Cath. Tr. 12.
Of His infenit merce and gudnes 1593 Conv. Burghs I. 418.
With the coverture of Thi mercy in Chryst(b) 1533 Gau 8/12. Ib. /4.
The grace and marcie of God Ib. 19/24. Ib. 86/4. Ib. 105/30. a1570-86 Maitl. F. clxx. 187. a1578 Pitsc. I. 128/33. Ib. 260/28.
God quho … ressawis mankynd to the bossome of His marcie 1642 Montg. Mem. II. 294.
When ever it shall plais His devein majesty of His marcei to call oupon me [etc.](2) c1490 Irland Asl. MS. I. 58/19.
Havand … appele fra the court of justice rigorus to the court of mercy c1500-c1512 Dunb. ix. 163.
Appeling fra Thy justice court extreme Vnto Thy court of mercy exvltyf

3. a. An act of mercy. b. A circumstance calling for special thankfulness. c. plur. Divine (acts of) mercy or grace.a. 1456 Hay I. 158/14.
For it war a wrang merci to ger him pay ransounb. 1660 Craven Ch. in Orkney 2.
[The king's letter] which the presbyterie did gladlie receive, being sensible of it as a mercie to have such encouragementc. 1562 Aberd. Eccl. Rec. 4.
Efter the manifold mercies and lang sufferans of the Lord 1558-66 Knox I. 235.
But this is our hope in the mercyes of our God that [etc.] c1568 Lauder Minor P. ii. 90. 1567 Dickinson Source-bk. III. 5.
The Lord and Father of all mercyis a1568 Bannatyne Bann. MS. 234 a/38.
[God's] mercyis infeneit … To thame quhois hairtis with mercy ar repleit a1570-86 Maitl. F. clxx. 177.
His marces monifald 1570 Bann. Trans. 51. 1375 Bann. Ib. 133.
So I will beteiche you to the merceis of God

4. a. The condition of being subject to a fine or other punishment at the discretion of a judge or court; such a fine. = Merciment n. 14.. Burgh Laws c. 78 (A).
He salbe in a mercy of the balȝes & of the nychtburis sa that [etc.] 14.. Acts I. 34/2.
And the ferd tym he sall be in the kyngis mercy of lyff and of membrys Ib. 362/2.
Gif the defendour be absent he salbe in a mercy 14.. Reg. Maj. c. 107.
The kingis mercy is in this case alsmekill be the sworne mene of assise as it may be taxt 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. ii. 129. a1633 Hope Major Pract. II. 292.
If the partie accused … come in the king's will and mercie, he shall [etc.]

b. Power of disposal of one person over another; discretion, disposal, power. Also fig. ?1438 Alex. ii. 6722.
To thame that in his mercy ar 1456 Hay I. 159/8.
Sen he has him in keping and at his merci 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 31.
Scho wald not abandoun him to thair vnmercifull mercyfig. 1643 Stirlings of Keir 483.
Six … soiers … resoluit to expois tham seluis to the mersay of the sies

c. To take, also to resave, to one's mercy, to extend pardon to (a person who submits to one). 1545 Bk. Carlaverock II. 31.
To be meane unto the Kyngis … magestie … to take me to hys marsie 1581 Acts III. 211/1.
Anent the dissobedientis quhilk salbe resavit to oure souerane lordis mercie 1611 Misc. Maitl. C. III. 25.
We haif thought good on some to execute justice and the rest to tak to mercy Ib. 26.