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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Audience, Audiens, n. Also: awdience, aud-, awdyence, awdiens, -yens. [ME. audience (Chaucer), audiens, OF. audience, L. audientia.]

1. Hearing; opportunity of hearing or being heard. Freq. in to get or have, to give, audience.a1400 Leg. S. xxxvi. 1030 (he gert sla thame bath but audience). c1420 Wynt. v. 2736 (gyffys audyence to my sawe); viii. 1584 (in till his helpe he cald till the audyens off Edward). 1456 Hay I. 285/27 (the prince suld be wis in his audience geving). a1500 Henr. III. 140/22 (the innocent may get no awdience). 1492 Acta Conc. 212/1 (quhare the knawlage micht cum to the audience of partij). 1513 Doug. i. Prol. 503 (quha list attend, gevis audiens). c1536 Lynd. Compl. Bagsche 20 (sen syne I gat na audience); 129 (thocht ȝe haue now greit audience). 1560 Rolland Seven S. 41/2 (the Empreour to sic wordis gaue audience). a1570-86 Maitland M. Fol. clxxx. 49 (mycht sclanderit men of thé gait audiens … ).

2. In audience, so as to be heard. Also with of, in the hearing of; etc.c1420 Wynt. viii. 3549 (he sayd in all thare awdyence). 1456 Hay I. 163/16 (all thing he did opinly, in playne audience). c1460 Thewis Wysmen 456 (thar word is fyrst in audiens). c1552 Lynd. Mon. 2600 (precheing for thame in opin audiens). 1563 Davidson Answer 199 (in the audience of mony). 1563 Peebles B. Rec. 293 (in the oppin audiens of the haill parrochyn). 1600 Conv. Burghs II. 84 (being red in oppin awdience). 1622-6 Bisset I. 108/31 (beand publictlie red in thair audiens).

3. The body of hearers.c1500 Crying of Play 19 (God saif this amyable audiens). 1513 Doug. xii. i. 12 (he gan amyd the audiens appeir).

b. One or other of the houses of the Court of Session. 1622-6 Bisset I. 155/6.
Ane of thame [maisseris] to await upoun the inner audience, Ane uther to stand owtwith the bar of the utter audience