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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.³ Also: reste; reast; riste; reist, reyst. [ME and e.m.E. reest (1387) a means of checking a horse; rest (1423) arrest; rest (1391), reyst (Malory), reast (c1573) ‘rest’ for a lance. Aphetic f. Arrest n.]

1. Stop, halt, stay; cessation.Cf. ma or ta arrest and forouten (but) arrest, s.v. Arrest n. 1.There is ambiguity with Rest n.¹ in sense 2 or various possible special senses. It seems likely that at an early date the two words began to merge, making it difficult to allocate certain usages to either with finality. Some of the following examples may therefore belong equally well to Rest n.¹(1) 1375 Barb. (1571) vii 63.
Than said he … That he richt thair ane rest [E. arest] wald ma Ib. xiv 550 (C).
And in-to weill schort tyme ar thai That maid thar rest [E. maid arest] cumrayit swa That thai fled [etc.] Ib. xvii 735 (E).
And the laiff sa fast trawaillyt war That nane had tyme rest for to ma [C. nane had tume rest for till ta] c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 141.
I have conditioun of … A ring with a … riche jowell Or rest of his rousty raid 1585 Maxwall Commonpl. Bk. fol. 5b.
Ilk man his skair and syne tak rest Schiris play all fair for that is best 1655 Boharm Kirk S. 15 April.
John Clerk … is found to trouble the kirk in tyme of divine service and being 3 tymes admonished be the minister to take rest he wold not obey(2) 1375 Barb. (1571) viii 356.
The folk fled on this maner Withouttin rest [E. For-owt arest] ?1438 Alex. ii 3984.
Said Arreste forouttin rest, ‘I rede [etc.]’ a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 458.
Thair wes restling and reling but rest that raught a1500 Seven S. 1416.
On the morne withoutin rest … To kirk scho went 1540 Lynd. Sat. 1506 (B).
Now will I rin but rest, And tell that all is reddy a1605 Montg. Misc. P. vi 20.
To run that race but ather rest or rove(b) a1400 Leg. S. xxxviii 652.
& fra scho wiste, Yddir scho sped but ony riste

2. Arrest (of persons or goods); attachment.(a) c1500 Barounis Lawis fol. 4b.
Than aw the seriand to ga with witnes to his hous and his gudis … & tharof to mak ane reist and defence a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 95.
He [sc. Adam] wes … Heir to thoile reist, syne techit be to hell(b) 1511 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III 108.
Remembir that thair is douttis of law to be sperit in Edinburgh for iniuris and breking of restis be the tenandis 1584 Hawick Arch. Soc. (1961) 8.
That ye … escheit and inbring all thair moveable gudis to our rest for thair contemptioun

3. A device for halting movement. a. A ‘rest’ for a lance.A fixture on the right side of the cuirass or saddle to receive the butt-end of the lance and prevent it from being driven back on impact.See also Res(t)plait n.(a) 1460 Hay Alex. (S.T.S.) 1400.
Bot Alexander his speir in reste has cast 1508 Treas. Acc. IV 122.
For ane rest to ane cures 1539–40 Ib. VII 287.
Gevin to the Frenche armorar for … iiij restis to the justing sadills(b) c1475 Wall. v 260.
A sper in reyst he kest with all his mayne 1492 Myll Spect. 294/24.
Alsone as this ȝoung squyer kest his speir in to his reist to ryn, it depit dovn to the erd 1538 Lynd. Justing 22.
Thay could neuer thair speir get in the reist 1538 Treas. Acc. VII 11.
Ane … sadill garnist witht ane reist 15.. Clar. ii 1525.
The grein knicht … his lance fourth of his reist he threw Ib. v 1153.
Thay set thair speiris sadlie in the reist a1568 Balnaves Bann. MS 138b/14.
Cast nocht our oft ȝour speir in to the reist a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xli 45.
Stiff speiris in reistis, Ouer cursoris cristis, Ar brok on thair breistis

b. A stop in a spur. 1494 Loutfut MS 37a.
Nan bure the mollet in his spur bot he war noble bot bure a litill pickand that had a reste in the end of the spur

4. ? Stoppage of the bowels.Perh. more correctly written as one word, and hence properly belonging to Arrest n. 1571 Misc. Bann. C. III 125.
A deflux … quhilk maid me to have sore teith, and a gryit havines in my body, with a reast and constipation