A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1990 (DOST Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quintessence, -escence, -iscens, v. [F. quintessencer (1579), -essencier (1584 in Larousse), e.m.E. quintessensing vbl. n. (1593), f. Quintessence,n.] tr. a. To extract the quintessence of, to distil. b. To extract from, of (something) as a quintessence. Chiefly fig. —1581-1623 James VI Poems I 21/57.
I quint-essence the poets soule [F. Je quinte-essence l‘ame] so well While he in high discours excede him sell c1590 Fowler I 148/2.
But spurr to prick, but brydle for to turne, To quintescence great ioyes of gretest greif 1604-9 Grahame Anat. Hum. 6b.
Thou doeth quintiscens thy vnderstanding and imploys thy wits leaving no deceit vnsought how to get money 1618 W. Barclay Well 7.
This water hath the most spirituall operation of mercurie, quintessenced from the tinne a1649 Drummond Wks. (1711) 170 (OED).
For quintessencing and alembicking thee and using thee as alchymists do gold
