A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Middis, n.2 Also: midis, mid(d)es(se, mid(d)s(e, myd(di)s, medis; plur. mid(d)ses, mid(d)is(s)is, -es, -es(s)es. [e.m.E. myddes (1520), otherwise appar. only Scots: fig. uses of Middis,n.1]Rare before the late 16th c., common in the 17th c.
1. A mean between two extremes, a middle course.1456 Hay II. 81/5.
Larges quhilk is the myddis betwix prodigalitee and avarice 1558-66 Knox IV. 232.
Thair is na middis: either it is the religioun of God … or … of the Divill 1558 Q. Kennedy Tractive 143. 1560 Rolland Seven S. 3191.
Of thir thre let vs tak the middis, The wise man 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 163/7. c1610 Melville Mem. 5.
Rather following the rud extremyte then the richt midis 1604-31 Craig v. 27. a1658 Durham Comm. Rev. 130. Id. Commandments 166. 1699 Forrester Bishop's Claim ii. 98.
b. Terms acceptable to two sides, a settlement, compromise.1586 Warrender P. MS. 175.
They have had … a great disdayne into her majestie rather nor any gude inclinatioun to heare of any middes a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI 55.
Thay never condiscendit upon a myds Ib. 105, etc. 1602 Colville Paraenese 136.
I culd find no middis more agreable or æquall to all parteis 1612 Misc. Maitl. C. III. 117. a1634 Forbes Rec. 437.
To bring their matter to sic a mids as might satisfie his majestie 1638 Rothes Affairs Kirk 22.
My lord thesaurer seimed to approve the Inglis service as a good mids 1643 Baillie II. 114.
His commission from the French King to propone middses of peace to them a1650 Row iii.
The Assemblie laboured to take a mids in the mater Ib. 251. ?c1675 J. Gordon Hist. III. 19.
But the commissioners ansuered that they had found a middse for that Ib. 66. 1657 Balfour Ann. IV. 213.
The L. Chanceler opposed … bot at last ther was tuo midesses proponid … The 1 of the middesse wer put againe to a conference … The second midesse wes slighted 1689 Leven & Melv. P. 151.
Overturs and mides to aggry the king and thes heroes
2. A means to some end; also, an agency, an expedient, a device for bringing something about.Also (to take some) midis (= steps, action) to some end.(1) 1574 Cal. Sc. P. V. 50.
[If such debts were, she might have found the] middis [to have relieved them] 1581 Melvill 91.
[Christ] uses the ministerie of men as a maist necessarie midds for his purpose 1584 Calderwood IV. 102. 1587 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 504.
That thair is na vther mids to be had bot [etc.] 1587 Bk. Univ. Kirk II. 704. c1590 Fowler II. 124/12. 1599 Rollock Wks. I. 420.
The Lord dois all this be ordinar meinis and middis 1605 Acts Sederunt i. 63.
Vtheris who … labowrs be unlawfull mids to attein to promotion 1616 Misc. Hist. Soc. II. 200.
His endis and midis 1620 Conv. Burghs III. iii.
As the most fittest mids for procuring of the quyetnes … of the same [burghs] 1622 Ib. 137. 1622-6 Bisset I. 112/27. 1629 Justiciary Cases I. 100.
Without ony … apparent caus or midis of reasone to impoirt that skayth except be … sorcerie 1633 Johnston Diary (1911) I. 30. 1634 Ib. 221. 1634 Cochran-Patrick Coinage II. 101.
Money is become the mids quhairby all things … is measured a1658 Durham Comm. Rev. 150, 202, 240; Id. Scandal 56, 359; etc. 1678 J. Brown Hist. Indulgence (1783) 153.
The establishing of this midse, made use of for keeping down of those assemblings of the Lord's people(b) 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 54/10.
Middisis [1599, middeses; 1603, meanes] quhairby thay prease to attaine to thaire endis Ib. 206/8.
Midisis [1599, middises; 1603, middesses] 1617 Crim. Trials III. 420.
It was lauchfullto vse all the midissis be the quhilk he sould be taken 1651 Calderwood VI. 722.
Meanes and middesses a1658 Durham Commandments 238.
Making use of wrong midesses for attaining the end(c) 1596 Lett. & St. P. Jas. VI 16.
Be sic midses as I mycht 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1891) 375.
Seek all midses … put forth all your power … that ye may gain … Christ 1645 Baillie II. 284.
Yet they differ in their opinion about the midses to that end 1646 Ib. 355. a1658 Durham Blessedness Death (1713) 135.
For these that mind not the end can never mind the midses Id. Comm. Rev. 556.
By what midses he procured that temporall greatnesse and respect Ib. 637. Id. Subtile Self 92; Id. Commandments, 92, 194, 230, 250; etc. 1678 J. Brown Hist. Indulgence (1783) 152.
So repugnant unto the methods and midses of conveyance … ordained by Christ 1680 Aberd. Council Lett. VI. 256.
To … labour be all possible midses to tak away the … jealousie tuixt towne and shyre 1689 Leven & Melv. P. 25.
My mistakes were only in the midses 1699 J. Carstares To Reader in Durham Blessedness Death (1713) B 5.(2) 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 224.
Pherniherst … sent Balcleuch to take some midis that no bloud shuld be shed 1586 Gray Lett. & P. 117.
I may see if some good middis may be takin for the Queens suretie of that realme 1609 Misc. Maitl. C. I. 414.
Except ther var sum medis taine into it
b. An intermediate stage in an argument; the grounds from which a conclusion follows. —1622 Scot Course of Conformity 93.
Both these are like mathematicall midses to demonstrate metaphysicall conclusions 1638 Henderson Serm. 127.
We must pass from one contrair to another by midses a1658 Durham Commandments 263.
Laying the weight of conclusions upon arguments or midses that will not bear it 1671 M. P. Brown Suppl. Decis. II. 603.
This point was reasoned from thir and many other excellent mids, whereof see some in the informations
c. The grounds of a summons.1606 Crim. Trials II. 498.
It sould nocht be considderit, quhat was the middis quhairupoune they war convenit
3. a. ? A mediator. b. ? Something that intervenes or gets in the way.a. 1586 Bk. Univ. Kirk II. 657.
The brether … vottit, not to entir in the rigorous discussing of the appellatioun … but to be a mids therinb. 1584 Cal. Sc. P. VII. 519.
Devysit by ws because of the middis and impedimentis that fell thairin
