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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.

Miserie, -ery, n. Also: miserrie, -eré, -arie, -ary, -iré, missery, myserie, -ery(e, -eré; meseri(e, -ery, -ary, -aré, -irie, -iry, -oré, messeri(e. [ME. miserie (Chaucer), late ME. mis- (c 1450), mysere (Caxton), e.m.E. mis-, mysery(e, OF. miserie, L. miseria.]

1. A condition of wretchedness or distress caused by one's external circumstances; also, distress or hardship caused by poverty or need.(a) a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 453.
O ladyis fair of Troy and Grece attend My miserie, quhilk nane may comprehend 1490 Irland Mir. I. 120/32.
That … thou deliuer … mankind … fra misere Ib. 60/8. 1492 Myll Spect. 279/24.
Cresseid … deid in gret mysere & pane 1513 Doug. viii. Prol. 101.
Quhat mysery is now in land! 1531 Bell. Boece I. 50.
He consumit the residew of his dayis in misere at York 1533 Boece ix. xix. 339 b.
The commouns … heving thare handis towart hevin … deplorit thare myserie c1552 Lynd. Mon. 424.
All our misarie Proceidis of syn Ib. 3978.
Mony one creature … thare in misary did remane c1568 Lauder Minor P. i. 491.
Bot as ȝe cloise ȝour girnallis frome the puris. Quhilkis now thairby grit miserie induris Ib. 520.
For tha perceaue nocht that thair miserie Dois licht on thame for thair iniquytie 1571 Arbuthnot Maitl. F. xxx. 19.
Honest laubour [is] comptit miserie a1578 Pitsc. I. 9/29.
Miserrie 1596 Dalr. I. 198/34.
Quhilke miserie began to leir thame a lesson 1607 Highland P. III. 105.
I am in verie greit missery, as this beirar can tell 1614 Ib. 142.
He had sustenit grite trouble distresse and misirie by his strait imprisonment in the castellis of Blaknes and Edinburgh(b) c1500 Rowll Cursing 150 (Bann.).
Thairfoir hy ȝow to the pott of hell … For to remane in mesary 1531 Bell. Boece I. 59.
Quhat hes brocht our nobillis to sic mesiry? Ib. 122.
Voada … complening hir mesirie and trouble a1550 Lang Rosair 48.
This waille of mesery Arundel MS. 195/47.
Grant me … to conteme all damnabill plesouris full of syn and mesery 1571 Arbuthnot Maitl. F. xxx. 116.
Trouble heir is nocht our meserie 1596 Irons Leith I. 565.
As also the messerie of honest aigit puir personis may be relewit 1623 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 208.
Mesore ? 1674 Dumfries Doc. (Petitions No. 30).
I was robed … & now being reidacted to greatt messeri & want

b. Distress or wretchedness of mind, unhappiness, woe. 15.. Dunb. App. iii. 28.
Thocht luve be grene in gud curage … The end of it is miserie 1533 Boece ii. xi. 80 b.
Nobill wemen … be vrgent extreme myserie, be violent dede … evadit … vile seruitute 1560 Rolland Seven S. 9889.
I sorrow sair in sic sort ȝow to se, Without remeid maisterit in miserie 1584-9 Maxwall Commonpl. Bk. 17 a.
Ane wreche or gredie man is the caws of his awin miserie, or wo a1595 Cullen Chron. Aberd. 69
Thair melode and myrthe, Heir mesare and mone

2. A particular instance, cause or source of wretchedness or unhappiness, a tribulation, a woe. Freq. plur. 1533 Boece vi. ii. 186 b.
The myserie of ȝone tyran murdrissing him self 1549 Compl. 72/6.
O quhat vainhap … quhat misire … is this that hes succumbit ȝour honour c1552 Lynd. Mon. 3518.
This misarie become but weir Frome Noeis flude thre hundreth ȝeir Ib. 6333. c1568 Lauder Minor P. iv. 24.
Allace, heir is ane cairfull misere Ib. ii. 81. a1570-86 Maitl. F. clxx. 18.
Lat no mishape nor miserie ȝow mowe 1596 Dalr. II. 302/3.
Huntlei saw amang thame miserie heipet vpon miserie 1607 Highland P. III. 105.
Befoir I was put to this miserieplur. c1552 Lynd. Mon. 207.
Consydering quhov that myne intentioun Bene tyll deplore the mortall misereis a1561 Q. Kennedy Breif Tract. (ed.) 120/10, etc. 1588 Prot. Bk. J. Inglis.
Violence of vindis to be ane of the infynat meseriis that salbe thairthrow 1594 Charteris Pref. Wall. in Misc. Bann. C. III. 167.
Mouit be the monyfald calamities & miseries of his natiue countrie a1649 Drummond II. 46/312.
Miseries vs tosse c1650 Spalding I. 197.
The toune … began havellie to regrait thair misereis to the generall 1659 Blairs P. 178.
I am in the land of caykis wher all miseryes doe sheeme to me mirth and gioyfulnes