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

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First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Es(e, Eis(e, Ease, v. Also: esse, hese, eass-. [ME. ese, eyse, ayse, etc. (1330), OF. aaisier.]

1. tr. To put (a person) in a state of ease or comfort; to relieve from hardship or exertion.(a) 1375 Barb. ii. 555.
A gud quhile thar he soiournyt then, And esyt wondir weill his men a1400 Leg. S. xvii. 182.
Me, thi geste, ofte cane thu plese; For-thi in hewyne I sal thé ese Ib. xxxiii. 464.
Rywen and rent as he wes, But ony thing that mycht hym ese c1400 Troy-bk. i. 84.
Had he commyn in Grece, … he suld haf bene Esyt and honouryt 1560 Rolland Seven S. 8739.
Quhairof thay war baith verray weill applesit, That thay war twa into ane chalmer esit(b) Brus v. 290.
Mete, and drynk, and othyr thing, That mycht thaim eys [E. eis] thai had plente 1513 Doug. ix. iii. 193.
Eftir this gud journay ȝe tak ȝou rest; Do eys ȝour bodeis and ȝour hors quhil day 1567 G. Ball. 50.
The sylk and sandell thé to eis, Ar hay, and sempill sweilling clais a1570-86 Arbuthnot Maitl. F. xxix. 40.
I me torment sum vther for till eis Quha of my travaile scantlie is content(c) c1552 Lynd. Mon. 342.
Quhen I beleif to be best easit Most suddantlye I am displeasit 1567 G. Ball. 101.
Quhen vther men ar trublit and disesit, With all pastyme full plesandlie thay ar easit

b. refl. To take one's ease; to enjoy ease. 1375 Barb. xiv. 387.
Thai esyt thame and maid gud cher Ib. xvii. 797.
The laif thame esit as thai mycht best a1400 Leg. S. xl. 868.
The knycht … In til a housband ton that nycht To slepe & ese hyme can dycht c1420 Wynt. viii. 5040.
Till Avawcht in till Ros went he Till ese [C. esse] hym in his awyne cuntre ?1438 Alex. ii. 5986.
The baronis was enterit … Into the palace … To eis thame and to schort thame samyng

2. To relieve (the mind, appetite, pain, etc.); to relieve (a person) of sickness, etc.(1) a1400 Leg. S. xxix. 856.
Thane, be hyr hart wes hesit sa That scho mycht ony word furth ta, Scho sad til hyme [etc.] 1513 Doug. IV. ii. 5.
Hir doutsum mynd with gude hope so scho esys That al the schame and dreid wes blaw away a1540 Freiris Berw. 146.
Ȝour appetyt and myn sall both be easit a1585 James VI Maitl. Q. lxvii. 2.
Think quhat thow will, O troublit hairt, to eis thy paine(2) 1560 Rolland Seven S. 3733.
Of thair answer the empreour was appleisit. Beleuing weill of seiknes to be eisit

3. To furnish, supply (with something). 1550 Reg. Cupar A. II. 98.
Thai salhaff sufficient … stabling, with … horsis meit, to eis and furnis to the nowmer of xij hors a1578 Pitsc. I. 335/19.
He was as weill servitt and eassit witht all thingis necessar … as he had bene in his awin palice 1584 Edinb. Test. XIV. 121.
The said Williame … ordinis his mother to be eisit during hir lyftyme with his best fedder bed & furnesing thairof

4. To accommodate, provide with accommodation. 1578 Prot. Bk. J. Scott 50.
To big ane prenteis … vnder the foir stair … that the said Elizabeth may be the better eassit in the said foir buith c1650 Spalding I. 84.
The King commandit the sessioun to sit doun at Striviling, seing thay could not be weill eisit at Linlithgow

5. To settle, arrange. (Cf. Ese n. 1 e). 1584 Gray Lett. & P. 15.
Sume vther matters to be eysyd at your dyscretyon

6. To relieve in respect of some inconvenience, duty, obligation, or burden. 1630 Kirkcaldy Presb. 44.
The seat was for the care of the people, for now thairby four scoir women and above will be easit both to heir and sie 1649 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 95.
[Whereby] the leigis may be easit, and not preiudgit for want of thair attendance 1673 Elgin Rec. I. 317.
Baillie Ogilvie and Baillie Donaldsone easit for this yeire. Baillie Innes … continoued 1692 Conv. Burghs IV. 162.
That they obtane ease of the taxt roll … and be first considered … and eased as said is

7. To enable to work more freely. 1650–1 Misc. Spald. C. V. 173.
Payit to Alexander Watt, for essing the mills