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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

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Lest, v.¹ Also: leste, lesst, leist. [OE. lǽstan, ME. laste(n, also leste(n: cf. also Last v.¹]

1. intr. Of a state of things, a process or activity, or a period of time: To continue, go on.c1420 Wynt. viii. 4089 (W).
For mischief lestis nocht all wayis 1535 Stewart 26174.
Sick ydilnes [as] that ma nocht weill lest Bot insolence 15.. Clariodus v. 2835, 6.
The feist … lestit inteirlie Ane monethes space, it lestit larglie With glaid disport [etc.] a1568 Balnavis Bannatyne MS 138 b/2.
Langer lestis ȝeir nor ȝule 1572-5 Diurnal of Occurrents 4.
Quene Margaret … did all with counsall of the lordis, bot it lestit nocht a1570-86 Maitland Folio MS clxxii. 35.
Thocht fourtoun be thi fo Hir frowning sall nocht lest a1570-86 Maitland a1570-86 Ib. clxxiii. i.
Lord God quhowe lang will sic lawe lest c1590 Fowler I. 49/51.
O force most strange that dois not only lest, Bot growis be griefis

b. With complements specifying the time of continuance. Also to lest owt.(1) 1375 Barb. xiv. 202.
The stalward stour lestit weill lang c1420 Wynt. iv. 732.
The fychtyng thre dayis lestyd owt c1420 Ib. 1858.
The fyre … Sewyntene dayis wes ay lestand c1420 Ratis Raving 577.
Gud hop lestis rycht to the ded c1420 Ib. 667. 1457 Peebles B. Rec. I. 120.
Thom Dekson … sal warrand … Jonot in hir tak … qwyl the termmis of four ȝeir lesstys a1499 Contemplacioun of Synnaris 819.
Quhar pane of deid lestis bot a thrall 1533 Boece xiii. vii. 512.
Terremote and erding lestit daly fra the feist of Epiphanie to the kalendis of Februare 1551 Banff Ann. II. 379.
To indewir and lest thair eftir aye and quhill the said nyntene yeris be fullelie compleitt 1567 Gude and Godlie Ballatis 16.
Our baptisme is not done all on ane day, Bot all our lyfe it lestis identlie a1585 Polwart Flyt. 650 (H).
Thy peild preamables our prolixlie lests 1637 Justiciary Cases I. 284.
Quhair such a violent … recept … beguid in October 1634 and lestit till January 1635(2) a1400 Legends of the Saints iii. 537.
The terrour is to dred … That ay sal lest a1400 Ib. xxxv. 70.
His ryke Is stedfaste lestand ay in lyke c1420 Wynt. vii. 2467.
Pes … To be lestand perpetuale c1420 Ib. viii. 6996.
God … This tholyd noucht lestand ay to be a1500 Golagros and Gawane 1227.
In langour ay lestand inly 1551 Hamilton Catechism 201.
The … feir of our Lord lestis for evirmair a1585 Maitland Maitland Quarto MS vi. 94.
Joy that lestis ay

c. ? To proceed, turn out, eventuate.He demandit of Robert, ‘How he thoght this mater wald lest’ ? 1614 Crim. Trials III. 307.

2. To continue to be, endure, remain, in a condition specified by an adverbial complement.1375 Barb. v. 520.
Weill fourte pundis vorth of land Till hym and his ayris lestand 1375 Ib. viii. 520.
His name suld be Lestande in full gret ranowne 1375 Ib. xvi. 531. c1420 Wynt. iv. 6.
A garland gottyn wyth gret peryle Grene suld lestand be lang quhile, Onwalowyd c1420 Ib. vi. Prol. 18.
The Scottis … Recoweryd swa thaire herytage Ewyr to lest wyth thare lynage c1420 Ratis Raving 471.
He is heill and innocent That is [in] purpos lestand ay To wyrk wysly c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace v. 853.
Lest he in strenth wntayne, This haill kynryk he wyll wyn c1475 Ib. vi. 92.
Thow [fortune] transfigowryt Wallace out off his weill Quhen he traistyt for till haiff lestyt best 1513 Doug. x. v. 50.
Cybele … has ws all translait … to be deificat As goddessys … Amangis the fludis forto leif and lest 1622-6 Bisset I. 83/18.
We sie the … Romannis and uthir … impyris lauchfullie rewled and thairby lang lestand … in prosperitie 1656 Drummond II. 270/5.
Wer these thine eies or lightnings from aboue … ? But lightnings culd not lest so long so bright

3. To continue to exist, remain in existence, unimpaired, undecayed, unexpired; to hold out, endure, remain, be permanent.(1) 1375 Barb. i. 14.
That it [the story] lest ay furth in memory a1400 Legends of the Saints v. 255.
Far palacis that sal leste euirmare c1420 Ratis Raving 497.
He gaif hyme lyf and spretis than, That euer-mar mone lestand be c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace iii. 32.
Mycht he him get to be his steidfast man … his conquest mycht lest than c1515 Asloan MS I. 176/4.
Resoun, equite [etc.] … makis mychti men to lest c1515 Ib. 253/16.
The quhilk band lestis ȝit a1500 King Hart 327.
Ane pallioun … With teiris weit ar rottin, may nocht lest 1500 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 85.
Gif ony will appear Fryday at nixtt cummis, quhill the day lestis 1530 Treasurer's Accounts V. 407.
Ten elnys taffate … quhilk lestit to the nixt ȝule in beltis, gartanis and tippettis to the King 1533 Boece i. vi. 44 b.
That euery ane … suld turs victualis to lest xl dayis 1531–2 Selkirk B. Ct. 8 Mar.
Jhone Achesone … promist pament at Martynmes day … quhill that day may lest a1568 Bannatyne MS 258 a/5.
Ȝour luve lestis not, I had it bot of lane 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 4996.
The fire lestit, and neuer mair ȝeid out 1562-3 Winȝet II. 37/17.
He … sumtyme precheit it to be coæternal and euir alyke lestand with the Sone of God 1567 Satirical Poems vii. 42.
Quhat lordis hart culd luik on this and lest? a1570-86 Maitland Maitland Folio MS xiv. 77.
Ewill gottin guddis lestyis never lang a1578 Pitsc. I. 322/33.
Lord Lyndsay gaif largelie of his landis … thinkand that court wald not lest lang a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI 218.
They never sinder sa lang as the vivers dolest a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1016.
Kindnes can not lest on a syde(2) a1400 Legends of the Saints xvii. 108.
Til and [= breath] mycht leste a1400 Ib. xxxvii. 158. a1500 Taill of Rauf Coilȝear 784.
Quhill my lyfe may lest 1570 Satirical Poems x. 36.
He sall with vs rest … sa lang as warld may lest

b. To lest with, to hold out against. Cf. sense 6.a1487 Gud Wyf & D. 94.
The lang acquyntans will nocht lest Vith fors of nature

4. Of persons or animals: To continue in life, remain alive, survive. Also with complement of time.1375 Barb. vii. 65.
Gif the hund mycht lest on lif 1375 Ib. xx. 272.
In liff quhill he lestit … with all our fais dred war we a1400 Legends of the Saints vi. 120.
The suthfaste God that lestis ay c1420 Wynt. i. 1044.
Bot thai [foals] fayhle to be lang lestand c1420 Ib. 1388.
Thare nakyn best off wenym may Lywe or lest atoure a day ?1438 Alex. ii. 5500.
It is ferly that na hart bristis Or ellis that luffar leuand lestis ?1438 Ib. 9305.
Thay lashit on quhill thay micht lest c1420 Ratis Raving 1303, 5.
Bownte, … Be scho weill tretit … Scho wyll lest als lang as thow And eftir ȝit at thou be ded Scho wyll be lestand in thi sted 1456 Hay I. 59/20.
His hert … belit sa that unes mycht he lest [pr. left] for ire a1500 Bk. Chess 577.
Langar to lest it was nocht hir [Lucretia's] entent Than to declair hir mynd was innocent 1513 Doug. xi. iv. 64.
Bot had this hasty ded … Haue sufferit bot my son a stound to lest 1513 Ib. 99. 1549 Corr. M. Lorraine 317.
I will newyr refws quhill I may lest 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 9639.
Sa lang as I on lyfe is lestand heir 1573 Davidson Satirical Poems xl. 107.
I will discurs sum thing … Tuiching this lamp, on lyfe quhill he did lest

5. To extend in space, to reach.c1515 Asloan MS I. 154/25.
Europia strekis dounwart … and lestis till the gret see c1515 Ib. 158/12. c1515 Ib. 168/19.
The realme of Suery and Juda that lestis to Jerusalem c1510 Prester John 311 b.
This land lestis xl dayis jurnay on baitht the sidis

6. quasi-tr. a. To last out, to endure or persevere with to the end. b. To hold out against, withstand.a1500 Tale of the Colkelbie Sow iii. 47.
My long legend quho so lestis The euwangell the trewth thairof attestis a1500 Lancelot of the Laik 810.
Al to few thei war and mycht not lest This gret rout that cummyth one so fast