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First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
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Plage, Plaig(e, n.¹ Also: plague, plaigue, plege, pleag(ue, pleawge, plag, plauge, plawgh(e. Plur. plagis etc. and pleagges, plaggis, plaidgis. [ME. and e.m.E. plage, plaage (Wycl.), plag(ue (16th c.), OF. plage (14th c.), plague (15th c.) stroke, wound, L. plāga id., also late L. = plague, pestilence, infection (Vulgate).]

1. An affliction, calamity, ‘visitation’, ‘scourge’.Freq. with implication of divine punishment, and in Biblical allusions.(a) a1500 Henr. Orph. 215 (Ch. & M.).
Thare fand he Pharo for oppression Off Goddis folk on quhilk the plagis fell a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 409.
Amang the plagis of Egipt mast horrible Ane was of myrknes 1525 St. A. Formulare I. 270.
All the plagis and trublis that lychtit on the citte of Jherusalem therfore [sc. the crucifixion] 1540 Lynd. Sat. 1188.
I dreid the plagues of Johne's Revelatioun Sall fal vpon ȝour generatioun 1549 Compl. 30/1.
[It] follouis nocht that hyr [Q. Mary's] ȝouthed is ane plage sende be God to scurge vs Ib. 1/15. 1562-3 Winȝet I. 8 marg.
Of the plagis on the nobilitie 1567 G. Ball. 107.
From all plague thow sall be fred 1597 James VI Dæmonol. 48.
God hath … preordinated aswell the particular sortes of plagues as of benefites for euerie man 1600-1610 Melvill 3.
[Four parishes fell vacant] whase desolat miserie was the mair that it fell in the yeirs of feirfull plages and confusion bathe upon the kirk and comounweill(b) 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 1506.
Moyses … Ten plaiges in Egypt send for thair trespas Id. Æn. xii. viii. 23.
Lyke as the bub or plaig of fell tempest 1533 Boece ii. xiii. 87.
The dedelie plaig [sc. drowning at sea] of thare tendir freyndis Ib. ix. iv. 294 b.
This bludy plaig 1535 Stewart 36232, 36235.
Plaig 1551 Hamilton Cat. 34.
Temporal and spirituall plaigis 1560 Rolland Seven S. 728.
It is ane plaigue perrellous and ane greit dispair Ane realme to be destitute of ane natiue air c1568 Lauder Minor P. i. 522.
Rycht as Pharo on Godis plaigs wald not pance 1568 Skeyne Descr. Pest 45.
He may not onlie remoue sic punischment and plaig frome us bot [etc.] 1570 Sempill Sat. P. xii. 73.
Apperandly thir plaigis ar powrit out To wraik this warld 1570 Sat. P. xiii. 201.
And gif sa hapnis … This plaigue maist justly of God's hands ȝe craif a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. xxvii. 5.
As plaigis come be aventure 1580 Edinb. Test. VII. 341.
To call to God for mercie to remove the plaig fra him that oft fallis vpoun disobedient childrene 1584 Waus Corr. 313.
I dout nocht bot ye haif ressavit the lettres … utherwyis it apperis thair is sum plaig to follow on thame that thay ar sa oft mintit to and can nocht be gottin ressauit c1610 Melvill Mem. 224.
Errour, yngnorance and darkenes ar apponted vnto synners for punismentis and plaiges(c) c1590 Fowler II. 25/37.
To compt the sorows quhilk I sustenit and reakning the pleagues quhilk I receuit 1596 Melvill 364.
I ly maist miserablie under danger of God's wrathe and all his pleagges and judgments 1633 Misc. Abbotsf. C. 150.
The pleague of God wpon thy oy(d) c1520-c1535 Nisbet Apoc. xvi. 21.
Men blasfemyt God for the plag of haile Id. Ep. Ald Test. vii. 22. 1549 Compl. 160/25.
This plag and scisma sal neuyr be reformit 1570-3 Bann. Trans. 43.
That the plauges suld never ceis while the land were purget 1600-1610 Melvill 360.
Efter a grait threatning and appeirance of manie plagges 1614 Melvill lx.
Tak away the plag [sc. great pain] for I consume with the straik of thyne hand(e) 1622-6 Bisset II. 203/8.
Gathelus and Scota his wyfe for eschewing the plaidgis of Egip come out thairof

b. transf., applied to persons: A serious nuisance, a ‘menace’. 1581 Hamilton Cath. Tr. 79/25.
God … opin the hartis of all Hamiltonis … to consider hou God sufferis thir sort of men be a plaig to all thame quha hes vorshippit thame 1668-9 Fraser Lawfulness Separ. 91.
What wisdom is it to join with such plagues and to take such moths into our bosom?

2. An affliction or visitation of epidemic disease or pestilence, a plague.Also without article.Freq. plage of (the) pestilence or pest, also pest and plaig, plaig and pestilence.(1) a1500 Henr. III. 163/26.
Vse derth, o Lord, or seiknes and hungir soir And slak thy plaig that is so penetryfe 1499 Dunferm. B. Rec. I. 99.
Thar salbe na victuallis sald out of the tovn induryne the tyme of this plage 1499 Prestwick B. Rec. 36.
Plaig 1533 Gau 96/30.
Keip vs fra al Thy greit plagis pestilence lipper grangour and fra al oder siclyk greit seiknes 1534 Aberd. B. Rec. MS. XVI. (Jam.).
Ane seyknes & smyttand plaig callit the boiche 1570 Leslie 193.
God did punische that realme with pleague, weare [etc.] Ib. 230.
[In 1549] thair wes a vehement plaigue within the toune of Hadingtoun 1587 Carmichael Etym. 32.
Lues, a plaig of men, beaste, tries or cornes 1588 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 118.
Plage 1590-1 Bruce Serm. 164.
Gif we look to the long last and diuturnitie of the plague 1606 Dundonald Par. Rec. 118.
Plauge 1608 Inverurie 192.
And thois persons only to be brewers during this trubsom tym of the plaig 1616 Irvine Mun. II. 48.
In tyme of plaig 1635 Maxwell Mem. I. 441.
The pleag … at Cramound … is now broken vp againe 1645 Misc. Hist. Soc. I. 129.
Plaig (Fife) 1645 Sc. Hist. Rev. XXX. 146.
Plague (Haddington) 1648 S. Leith Rec. 82.
In speciall now in tyme quhen the plague is beginning to breack out agane 1661 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. I. 83.
The new whyte plague … being verie infective and mortall(2) 1567 G. Ball. 108.
His angellis … sall preserue thé sure From perrellis panis and from plaig 1586 St. A. Kirk S. 561.
Thai wer inordourlie mariit tyme of plaig 1665 Elgin Rec. II. 304.
That the nixt Wendinsday be ane fast for plauge(3) 1500 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 68.
This plage of pestilence 1549 Compl. 34/23. 1558-66 Knox III. 104. 1564 Reg. Privy C. I. 279.
The plaig of the pestilence … in Danskin a1568 Scott xxxi. 46.
The pest and plaig 1568 Skeyne Descr. Pest 3. 1584 Elgin Rec. I. 176.
Personis cuming … fra suspect places of the plaig of pest 1584 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. I. 311.
In respect of the commoun plag of pestilence regnand within the southe partis 1585 Edinb. Test. XIV. 273.
The contagious plaig and seiknes of the pest 1586 Perth B. Ct. 28 Sept.
The plege of pest 1600 Reg. Privy C. VI. 164.
[The] plaig of the pest 1601 Stirling B. Rec. I. 100.
To reporte … anent the present plaig of pest and pestilence [in Glasgow] 1604 Ib. 110.
Becaus of the present infectioun of Edinburgh in the pest and plaig 1644 Old Kirk Chron. 128.
In regaird of the plaig and pestilence 1665 Lamont Diary 182.
The plawgh of pestilence [in London] 1666 Ib. 192.
Plawghe 1677 Edinb. B. Rec. X. 320.
In caice at any tyme … there shall happin … the pleawge or pestilence to fall out