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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.

Riches, n.¹ Also: rych-, ritch-, rithc-, rychc-; rech-; ruch-; rach-, ratch- and -es(s)e, -(e)is. [ME and e.m.E. richeisse (c1200), -esce (c1230), -esse (1297), OF richoise, richece, richesse (all 12th c. in Larousse), f. riche Rich(e adj.]There is possible ambiguity between the two main senses, and consequently further instances of sense 2 may have been included under sense 1.

1. An accumulation of worldly possessions, viewed as an abstract unity; wealth, opulence. Also personified.Also, rarely, with pl. infl.(1) 1375 Barb. xiii 754.
Ingland … That in riches haboundyt then a1400 Leg. S. xxxiv 255.
Haf I [sc. the devil] nocht ryches gewine thé 1456 Hay II 152/22.
Thou may mare conquest bathe of ryches and honour with thair wisedome … na with bataill a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 495.
Richese a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 557 (Asl.). c1500-c1512 Dunb. (O.U.P.) 193/1.
Than rowmes and ritches sall mak thé na remeid 1531 Bell. 1531 Boece II 345.
The hous of Cumingis war in thir dayis full of riches, landes, and manrent 1540 Lynd. Sat. 2752 (Ch.).
Our bishops … flow in riches a1585 Arbuthnot Maitl. Q. 126/16.
And fekill ritches [is] thocht felicitie c1590 Fowler II 83/3.
Rithces Ib. 157/37.
Rychces 1596 Dalr. I 53/9.
Because riches … lychtlie corruptes the godlie institutiounis of our elderis(b) a1578 Pitsc. I 352/14.
They … had great richis and pollacie in the contrie Ib. 254/15.
Richeis(c) a1540 Misc. Bann. C. III 37.
Thair folk past out of Egipt with grete richesse and mony schippis 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 25.
It is not honour richesse nor authoritie that thai stryve for(d) a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. 431/75.
And thowe be brocht till honour & reches 1622-6 Bisset II 198/24.
And fra prosperitie procedis reches(e) 1590 Crim. Trials I ii 210.
Gif he mareit hir he sould tyne … mekill ruches(f) c1590 Fowler I 132/166.
Possessionis earthlye, ratches greit and glorye without stay 1596 Dalr. I 80/4.
Quhome the king nocht only promouet … bot decored with gret raches(2) a1400 Leg. S. x 285.
With the riches ȝe gere mak A mykil kirke c1450-2 Howlat 937 (A).
The rent and the ritches that thow in rang c1500 Makc. MS v 20.
For al the ryches thow ma wyne Is na defens 1567 G. Ball. 97.
The lytill of the just is mair commendit … Than is the greit ryches of wickit men(3) a1400 Leg. S. xli 6.
Na of his riches [is] na mynissing c1420 Wynt. v 3161.
That he Suld ger that douchtyr maryd be Wyth sum ryche man for hys ryches [: wes] 1456 Hay I 158/28.
And a man had apon him in bataill all his riches in jowellis and harneis a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 320.
I change … thy pomp and thy riches In mortall neid a1500 Prestis of Peblis 1269.
Our riches than will stand us in na steid … It sayis ‘fairweill [etc.]’ 1535 Stewart 14038.
Ȝour riches thus is waistit 1551 Hamilton Cat. 105.
Mak the puir men … your spirituall freindis be giving of part of your rychis to thame 15.. Dum Wyf 25.
For hir riches and rentes He wedit hir to his wyfe c1590 Fowler I 115/96.
And charged with raches and with skill his raches he did brooke(4) 1456 Hay I 233/17.
He … sa[ll] nocht be fortunyt na happy to honour na riches in weris a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 424.
For na largese my lord noght wil he neuer let, Na for na riches to rigne a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 1409 (Asl.).
All temporale riches comperit to hevinlie blis Is bot a birding a1570 Misc. Spald. C. II xxviii.
All warldlie riches is bot ane len a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. 38/41.
God will na ryches to ws send(5) a1500 Henr. Orph. 522.
The god of riches c1475 Wall. i 299.
A man of gret riches Ib. iv 204.
As off ryches he held na propyrte c1500-c1512 Dunb. (S.T.S.) lxxxviii 3.
London, … Of high renoun, riches and royaltie(6) 1492 Myll Spect. 289/13.
Nane couth juge be quhat waye … this quene grew to sa gret reches of gold 1535 Stewart 27609 heading.
How the Britis, efter lang peax, grew to riches(7) c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 176.
personified Unto the pres persewit Hie Degree, … Richesse, Fredome and eke Nobilitee a1568 Bann. MS 257b/54.
With riches dar not poverty play(8) 1456 Hay I 222/1.
pl. Thame quhilkis levis all richessis and delytis warldly Ib. II 61/32.
Honoure in armes the quhilk bringis thé richesses c1520-c1535 Nisbet Luke viii 3.
And mony vthiris that mynisterit to him of thare richessis

b. fig. Freq. with reference to spiritual ‘wealth’. a1400 Leg. S. xxxviii 133.
& of the riches he has here Mak hurde in hewine c1420 Ratis R. 103.
Fore-out that thinge [sc. grace] may na man cum … To honor na to gud riches a1500 Henr. Fab. 138.
Science … is riches [Bann. the riches] that euer sall indure c1490 Porteous Noblenes 175/26 (Asl.).
His hie honour … is the gudis and ritches that pasis all vther gudis c1500-c1512 Dunb. (O.U.P.) 71/26.
[The king's] graciows countenance In ryches is my sufficiance

2. The money, valuables, possessions, etc. that constitute a person's wealth; (a) riches, an amount of quantity of valuables.(1) 1375 Barb. xii 306.
I pray ȝow … That nane of ȝow … tak of thar riches c1400 Troy-bk. ii 753 (C).
And all thare ryches preciouse They fond in … house They exponyt in reffe ?1438 Alex. ii 7939.
Lo! the oist of Inde … Quhare mare ryches and treasure is c1420 Wynt. iv 1040.
Hys pavilyhownys … wes Stuffyd welle wytht gret ryches Id. ?1438 Alex. (S.T.S.) 1765.
And Alexander … resetit Quhat prisoneris quhat jowallis quhat riches [: ges (= guess)] Ib. 2497.
The gold the gere the riches away gais 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 1915.
War all the buirdis maid of maist riches, Of sardanis [etc.] Id. Æn. i xii 8.
How Grekis dyd spulȝe and distroy The gret ryches and lamentabill realm of Troy 1533 Boece 432.
Of oxin, hors, and all vthir riches be hereschip thai war dispuleȝete 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 292.
The suddartis … spoulȝeit the tounis … and als wan the houssis of Rysith, quhairin thaj gat greit ritches 1596 Dalr. I 179/15.
His mind thocht of nathing bot to gathir money, and harde vpe ryches(2) 1375 Barb. xiii 450, 452.
So gret a riches thair thai fand, That mony man mychty wes maid Of the riches that thai thar had c1400 Troy-bk. ii 1744.
And mony gret ritches [L. diuicias] renowned … thai with thaim had That gredy flude swelled 1456 Hay II 90/26.
He may nocht by it [sc. reputation] agayne for na richesse a1500 Rauf C. 351.
Ilk rew ryallie with riches thame arrayis

b. ? A large amount or quantity; ? value, (high) monetary equivalent. 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 340.
At the quhilk thair wes … grit ritches of mes clothes and bakis [sic] brunt