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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
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Sak(e)les, Saikles, adj. Also: saike-, saick-, sayk-, sac(k)-, seak- and -less(e, -lese, -las, -lace. [ME and e.m.E. sacclæs (Orm), sacles (c1250), saccles (Cursor M.), sakles (a1352), sakeleas (Ancr. R.), sackles (1537), sakeless (1568), sacklesse (1599), late OE sacléas, ON saklauss, MDu. sakeloos; Sak(e n.]

1. Innocent of any offence, guiltless.Also const. of (the alleged offence).Also, by metonymy, in collocation with plaint.(1) 1375 Barb. xx 179.
Quhar mony sakles men war slayn a1400 Leg. S. xxvi 349.
The consul … Thre sakles knychttis had gert ta & bad men suld sone tham sla Ib. xi 369.
Saklas c1420 Wynt. v 284.
He wald … sla Thewys, and sakles men alsua 14.. Acts I 12/2.
Quhasa evir is enchessonyt of fals wytnes beryng in the contrar of ony sakles man [etc.] c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 39/10 (M).
Quhat haue I wrocht … that ȝe mwrdir me, a sakles wicht(b) 1456 Hay I 73/26.
Than suld mony licht ȝong rekles men … tak bataill apon sakeles men that ware wayke men of age or of nature Ib. 198/1.
Na to sla the sakeles lady 1632 Lithgow Trav. iii 122.
Curst be the hands that sakelesse Troianes slay 1639 Fugitive Poetry II xvii 5/123.
Widows, orphans, maydes and sakelesse ladyes a1689 Cleland 73.
Poor sakeless wights Ib. 83.(c) 1460 Hay Alex. 1803.
Gif he wald mak end of the were And stanche effusioun of saikles menis blude a1500 Henr. Fab. 2664.
It is wrang that for the fatheris gilt The saikles sone suld punist be c1475 Wall. xi 395. 1513 Doug. ii ii 150.
Thai, saykles wyghtis, sal for my gilt be slane 1528 Douglas Corr. 133.
As I that is ane innocent and saikles mann, as I sall ansuer to God 1535 Stewart 23922. Arundel MS 274/22.
Be blitht, mankind, … into presoun sumtyme dirk and dym Honour with houres … The saikles Lorde that slane was for thi slycht 1567 Sat. P. iv 101.
Ane saikles lambe, ane innocent but dreid, Taine be consent of thame he luiffit best Ib. vii 32. a1568 Bann. MS 243b/39.
Quhy wald ȝe slay ȝour saikles man? a1568 Sempill Sat. P. xlvii 72.
Bot ȝe latt rukis and ravynis rin throw the nett And saikles dowis makis subiect to the law 1584 Id. Ib. xlv 532.
Anguse, Mar, and Maister of Glames, Tak thir thrie for na saikles lambes 1587-99 Hume 42/45.
Agains the saikles saincts of God a1605 Montg. Sonn. li 7.
Ȝit thoght thou [supra suete nichtingale] sees not, sillie, saikles thing, The piercing pykis brods at thy bony breist 1604-31 Craig ii 65. 1635 Wodrow MSS in Hay Geneal. 101.
Your shireffe's grace can cast a saicklesse lord(d) 1600-1610 Melvill 429.
At unawars behind his bak … When he was passing lyk a seakles lam, These crewall craftie wolfs upon him cam(2) a1400 Leg. S. xii 272.
Criste wes Condampnyt to the dede saklace Ib. xxxi 438.
Saklas c1420 Wynt. v 3676.
Quhare slayne mony ware sacles [C. war mony sacles, A. mony that ware sakles] 1513 Doug. vi vii 14.
Tha folkis … Wrangwysly put to ded for cryme sakles(b) 1456 Hay I 232/26.
It is allegit be law of nature … that innocence suld nocht sakeles be grevit(c) a1500 Henr. Hasty Credence 52.
Thre personis severall he slayis with ane wowrd—Him self, the heirar and the man saiklace [: face] a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 3.
For his saik that saiklese wes slane c1475 Wall. viii 1379.
The queyn wepyt for pete of Wallace … He [sc. Hesilryg] suld haiff payn, that saikles sic ane sleuch a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 988.
Thow saikles, I dred to sla, allace! 1560 Rolland Seven S. 2396.
Thoill not sic schame sa saikles cum to me Ib. 2602. a1568 Bann. MS 226a/49.
It war hir syn I dar say I suld thus be schent saikles a1578 Pitsc. I 167/13. 1579 Acts III 176/1.
Sa being innocent as God knawis we ar we sustene a hevy slander saikles 1594 Warrender Illustr. Sc. Hist. 47.
My estait, then, is this: one saikles and but desert (saif quhat in my awin defence I haif done) persewit by promeis most rigorouslie of my souerane 1611-57 Mure Psalmes cxix 86.
Persew'd, I, (saikles) am(3) a1400 Leg. S. xxx 763.
This is thi monk Theodorus That sakles wes for lychery To thé accusit wikitly Ib. xl 355.
Ȝone prest sakles is but wen 1527 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 86.
We ordand James and Cristeane … to sweir thaim sakles art and part red and consell of the forsaid sword or ellis to mak pament 1534 Ib. 140.
That George Michelhill … is quhort out clene and sakles of all crimenabyll actione(b) a1500 Quare Jel. 83.
Jupiter that knowith euery hart Wote that I am sakelese me defende 1535 Stewart 13347.
That … siclike ȝe caus thame till prevaill Quhilk innocent and saikles in this tyme, And puneische thame committit hes the cryme 1554 Corr. M. Lorraine 384.
That the men suffir nocht gif thai be saikles 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1686.
Baith tre and frute he wantit The gardner not saikles, to cut sa sone that grantit Ib. 2453.
My wife, quhilk I wait was saikles 1572 Sempill Sat. P. xxxviii 8.
Ȝone mask the quene mother hes maid thame in France, Was maikles and saikles and schamfully slane 1622 Scot Course of Conformity Preface.
Sakeless(4) 1460 Hay Alex. 2126.
Of the thing thai mene sche is saikles a1500 Henr. Annunc. 48.
Sa was that may maid moder suete And sakeles of all synnis 1524 Carnwath Baron Ct. (SHS) 31.
The inqueist findis that thai ar saikles of the kow 1546 Sources and Lit. Sc. Law 299.
That William Makmorane … was theirout innosent and saikles of art and part of Pate Scuittis corne and claithis 1552 Reg. Privy C. I 133.
Hes cruellie … slane diverse of our freyndis, saikles men of ony cryme done be us 1554 Corr. M. Lorraine 384.
And gif thai be saikles of the crym 15.. Clar. iii 661.
Thay … Weill knew of gylt that scho was all saikles 1560 Rolland Seven S. 2896. 1568 Buch. Indict. 33.
The quene … to be compted saikles of it … begouth … to mak ane dedlie hetrand betuix the king and the lordis 1577 Reg. Privy C. II 623. 1604 Ib. VI 595.
Being innocent and saikles of the deid committit 1614 Inverness Rec. II 122.
The … personis of inqueist … hes fund … the saids Hector McKenzie [etc.] … to be clein saickles and frie and saiff of the hail poinctis of the said dittay c1650 Spalding II 158.(5) c1475 Wall. vi 215.
The saklace slauchter off hir, blith and brycht c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 97.
He may weill to the syn assent, bot sakles is his deidis a1605 Montg. Misc. P. viii 31.
The roches rings and rendirs me my cryis Our saikles plaints to pitie thame provoks

b. absol. as noun. Innocent persons; those who are, or he who is, innocent.(1) c1420 Wynt. v 3676.
Quhare slayne mony ware sacles c1475 Wall. (1570) ix 153.
Mony saikles I haue gart put to deid 1533 Boece 315.
That be his failȝe sa mony innocentis and saikles war slane 1535 Stewart 39142. a1568 Scott xxvi 46.
Thay sklander saikles a1568 Bann. MS 222a/23.
Quhai saikles slayis sall nevir moir se the face Of God(2) 1560 Rolland Seven S. 3531.
Gar the saikles get wyte, mak hir self clene and quyte Ib. 9585.
Bot [he] will alwayis defend the innocent And will not thoill the saikles to be schent 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 35.
[She] severis fra the saikles in punissing sic ar gilty in offenceing 1572 Sempill Sat. P. xxx 162. 1625 Garden Kings 54.
He slayes the saikles and the innocents 1640 Lithgow Poet. Remains 252.
Saiklesse

c. Metonymically, in sakeles blude (blude saikles): The blood of innocent persons; (the crime of) taking the life of an innocent person or innocent persons.(1) c1420 Wynt. v 3651.
This Teodosius … Gert sla all downe wyth-owt mercy, Wyth thai mysdoarys saclas blude That sowmyt wes … Fywe thowsand men Ib. 3709.
Quhare-off sacles blud drepand Yhit wanhewys bath slew and hand Ib. ii 12, v 2825. ?a1500 Steel Roy Robert (1700) p. 8.
Why then caused he … So meikle sakles blood be spilt c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 8/43.
His saikles blude agane thai sched 1535 Stewart 5184, 7322. c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1620.
I pray ȝow to me tell … quho did first sched saikles blude Ib. 1943.
Weir scheddis mekle saikles blude Ib. 2796. 1567 Sat. P. iv 186.
For to reuenge … My saikles bluid, my murther and iniure 1568 Reg. Privy C. I 634. 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 23.
And now sekis his awin saikles blude 1570 Sat. P. xiii 38.
Cain aganis his brother did rebell, And susseit not to sched his saikles blude Ib. xx 172. 1590 Burel Pilgr. ii 130.
With sackles blud, quhilk heir is sched 1601 Cal. Sc. P. XIII 852.
[In craving my] saikeles [blood] 1581-1623 James VI Poems II 154/56.
Saickles 1611-57 Mure Psalmes cvi 38.
Sakeles 1639 Fugitive Poetry II xv 6/2.
Saikles(2) c1552 Lynd. Mon. 4062.
The vengeance of the blude saikles, Frome Abell tyll Zacharies, That day apon Jerusalem fell 15.. Clar. iii 591.
The vengence that sall from hevine stryke doun Upon wretchis for the blood saikles Of hir that in all vertew stude maikles 1600-1610 Melvill 430.
The vengeance grait Of seakles blud a1605 Montg. Sonn. vii 2.
Thir cruell crymis Adultries witchcraftis incests sakeles bluid 1622-6 Bisset I 15/25.
Saikles bluid and homyceid Ar compted for to be ane sobir cryme 1635 Fugitive Poetry II xi 1/3.
Its seimes thy soull has thought it good To venter moneyes, fleing saikles [Wodrow MSS seaklesse] blood a1651 Calderwood III 131.
Sakelesse

d. With nouns, or in noun phrases, of action: Perpetrated against innocent persons; that has befallen an innocent person. 1525 St. A. Formulare I 269.
The malysoun that lychtit on cursit Cayn quhen he slew his bruthere just Abell saikleslye mot lycht on thame for the saikles slauchteris murthuris and reyffis that tha committ daylie 15.. Clar. iii 1555.
The maist saikles murder and felloune Done to this innocent ladie Ib. v 70.
Of Cresseid the saikles slander 1572 Sat. P. xxxii 2.
Quhat murther & oppressioun, Quhat saikles slauchter a1578 Pitsc. (1728) 57.
That he might not goodly be revenged of their sakeles injuries and incursions 1578–9 Reg. Privy C. III 88.
Saikles malice 1579 Acts III 144/1.
Aganis sic as troublis thair nychtbouris be criminale persute saikles 1605 Elphinstone Mun. 198/1.
That the best courseis … ar crossed by saikles malice of sick as invyis the success 1581-1623 James VI Poems II 106/4.
Mine shall reuenge thy saikles famous fall a1660 Sempill P. 17/313.
Should any soul such sakelesse slaughter smother

2. Free from, untouched by (of) (an affliction). 1513 Doug. xii x 13.
Turnus … behaldis the cite, Saikles [L. immunem] of batale, fre of all syk stryfe