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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Solace, -as, n. Also: -aice, -ais, -es, sollace. [ME and e.m.E. solas (c1290), -ace (Manning), sollace (1593), OF solas, L. sōlācium; cf. MDu., MLG solaes.]

1. The action of comforting or consoling; comfort or consolation for sorrow, etc.; alleviation of hardship or distress.Some overlapping occurs between this sense and 2 below.(a) a1400 Leg. S. xxiv 496.
My lef-man … Quhame of I thocht ay to hafe Solace & confourte a1400 Leg. S. xxxvii 321.
Angelis mad hyme solace & gret ioy in-to that place a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1055.
Wes nowthir solace nor sang thair sorow to soft c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 471.
Thoght I haif cair undir cloke … quhill nyght, Ȝit haif I solace undir serk quhill the sone ryse 1561 Q. Kennedy Compendious Ressonyng (ed.) 177/9.
God quhilk has … ordanit solace and releif to the lawbouris of men be dwm beistis 1567 G. Ball. 82.
Quha suld … solace … to me send, Quha suld me succour or supplie [etc.] a1570-86 Maitl. F. 425/198.
He … will send Mair solace … nor ȝe can consaue Healthe ioy in harte, honour c1590 J. Stewart 46/112.
My ladie suffers tort Quhill I hir sie no solace sall insew(b) c1420 Wynt. v 1982.
Quhile he hyr chastyd wyth manas, And quhill hyr comfortyd wyth solas 1513 Doug. xiii xi 14.
Thou promyst … efter dyseys soles [Sm. soles, Ruddim. solace]

b. A person's ability to give consolation to others or to find it within himself.(1) 1375 Barb. ii 552.
In wemen mekill comfort lyis And gret solace a1400 Leg. S. xv 46.
Barnabas in til Hebrew the sone of solace c1530-40 Stewart in Bann. MS 277b/31.
Quhair ladeis abydis blis dois ay abound, … But thair solace no sege may be sound(b) 1572 Sat. P. xxxiii 22.
My coller, of trew nichtbour lufe it was Weill prenit on with kyndnes and solas(2) a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 1264.
Off dedlie wo scho forgit his solace c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 185/13.
Seik to solace quhen saidnes thé assalis, Thy lyfe in dolour ma nocht lang indure a1568 Bann. MS 81b/46.
Thocht thow be sair se nocht tho weip Tak solace in hairt(b) a1568 Scott iii 2.
Mvse nor morne no moir … Bot sollace seik

2. Joy, happiness, contentment. In solace, in a state of contentment or happiness; in heavenly bliss.(1) 1375 Barb. i 227.
Fredome all solace to man giffis 1375 Barb. xiii 718.
Myrth, solas, and ek blithnes Wes in the land … For ilk man blith wes and ioly a1400 Leg. S. xxx 631.
Joy na solace bot thru thé Na lykine in my hert ma be 1456 Hay I 52/14.
Quhat joye, quhat solace, quhat honour, in Rome is tournyt in grete distress, quhen the noble citee … is governyt be bondis a1500 Henr. Orph. 88 (Bann.).
Betuix Orpheus and fair Erudices … The low of lufe cowth kyndill and incres With mirth and blythnes solace and with play Off wardly ioy 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 64.
O May thow mirrour of soles 1513 Doug. iv Prol. 162.
Al ȝour solace sal return in gram 1513 Doug. xiii vi 52.
Takynnys of kyndnes And of new peax so lang desirit soles 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 148.
My schorte solace allace Wes dreuin in dolour in one lytill space 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1448.
In this warld … He [sc. man] neuer hes perfyte solace, Quhill that God tak him in his grace(2) 1375 Barb. xx 262.
Amang his chossyn folk to be In ioy solace and angell gle c1450-2 Howlat 24 (A).
Thus sat I in solace, … Content of the faire firth c1450-2 Howlat 466 (A).
The gud king gaif the gaist … Now God … Set his saull in solace a1500 Colk. Sow i 488.
Thus haif I tald ȝow a cais To sett ȝow in solais For our exceding study May caus quhyle malancoly c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 158/6.
In hevin … Aboif all sanctis in grit solace 1513 Doug. iii vi 1.
Thus drave we our in solace day be day Arundel MS 261/64.
In hevin euer with thé to ring, … With sanctis in solace

b. The state of relaxation or expansiveness induced by wine. ?1438 Alex. ii 1358.
Thow said … Into thy solace eftir wyne, That thow all Effeȝone suld tak

c. The display of joy or happiness, chiefly occasioned by a particular event; celebration, welcome.Also const. mak solace (to a person).Some instances may simply be further examples of 2 above. 1375 Barb. xx 95.
Full gret fest thai maid … And Inglis men and Scottis war To-gidder in joy and in solas c1400 Troy-bk. ii 83.
The peple joye & solace maid, After in it [sc. the town] thai entred hade ?1438 Alex. ii 3013.
Alexander made great solas To Cassamus ?1438 Alex. ii 3147. c1450-2 Howlat 943 (A).
Dame Natur … Ascendit … with solace & sang 1537 Lynd. Depl. Magd. 79.
At his mariage … Sic solace, and solempniȝatioun, Was neuer sene afore 1537 Lynd. Depl. Magd. 91.
Sic banketting … With sang and dance … Bot lyke ane storme efter ane plesand morrow Sone was our solace [Pitsc. I 373/7, solaice] changit in to sorrow 1537 Lynd. Depl. Magd. 133.
All thare greit solace and solempniteis c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 855.
Quhen he trauellit throw the land, Thay bankettit him fra hand to hand With greit solace 15.. Clar. i 558.
Thay resavit war with grit solace c1590 Fowler I 262/2.
The v[er]y night indeid Of his birthday, for whose we drink such soles

d. With solace, contentedly, with equanimity. a1500 Bk. Chess 1166.
Thai gart this Romane swere To … enter … and so thus stude the caise He enterit nocht bot with solace he said That he had kepit all the band he maid 15.. Clar. ii 1778.
Clariodus … did abyd For to rewaird the servants of the place And so he did rycht larglie with solace

3. Applied to a person seen as the source of comfort or happiness. a1400 Leg. S. xxix 398.
Wais me That losit has … al my solace & my blis [sc. his wife] 15… Edinb. Univ. MS La.iv.6.
That souerane lady is so sueit scho is the solace of my spreit

4. Pleasure, enjoyment; amusement, entertainment; recreation, sport.Also, rarely, allusive of sexual pleasure or the sexual act.(1) a1400 Leg. S. v 596.
Sa be-tyd a day … That the kinge ves in solace, And [etc.] ?1438 Alex. ii 2008.
To sic suld ladyes do honour, And grant thame solace and amour ?1438 Alex. ii 6085.
Thay leuch and made solas ?1438 Alex. ii 7529.
In ioy gamming and solais And in lyking the day our-gais c1420 Wynt. viii 6390.
All a qwhille thare wyth hym he lay Till ese hym wyth solace and play 1456 Hay II 97/11.
Quhen thou art in syk plesaunce and solace abstene the fra grete … drinking a1500 Colk. Sow Prol. 11.
Thair talk that tyme in table … Is oft singing and sawis of solace c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 157/221.
That sa gud ane bourd me thocht, Sic solace to my hairt it rocht, For lawchtir neir I brist 1513 Doug. Direct. 39.
It sal eik do sum folk solace, I ges, To pas the tyme and eschew idylnes 1513 Doug. xiii vi 41.
Syne chargit he the pepill our alquhar, In ioy, blithnes, solace and deray, Tryumphe to mak with myrth, gam and play 1523 Mar & Kellie MSS 13.
To pas for solace to the park of Striveling 1531 Bell. Boece II 297.
To haif sum pleseir and solace, be chace of hundis 1533 Boece 51b.
Hunting and vther honest solace 1533 Boece 64b.
Thir lawis [sc. of hunting] … quharethrow … he mycht induce amang the pepill commoun solace 1540 Lynd. Sat. 1842.
Princis sumtyme mon seik sollace With mirth and lefull mirreness 1560 Rolland Seven S. 4119, 4127.
Ȝe twa met in ȝouthheid joy and blis And sa ilk ane togidder had solace, It is not sa with me … Of his bodie I can get na solacepersonified 1540 Lynd. Sat. 401 (B).
Sollace: Schir, lat na sorrow in ȝow sink Bot gif ws duccattis for to drink(2) a1500 Peblis to Play 4.
At Beltane quhen ilk bodie bownis To Peblis to the play To heir the singin and the soundis The solace suth to say a1568 Bann. MS 231b/27.
Than in my armes I did hir brace … O ser, how lyk ȝe this solace? a1570-86 Balnaves in Maitl. F. 357/44.
Fra thow inlaikis to lay on straikis … Than thi rowme vaiks ane vther it taks That solace to persew(3) ?1438 Alex. ii 3397.
To se thare solace and thare play Is great delyte a1500 K. Hart 733.
My solace sall I sleylies thus our syle 1513 Doug. i vi 34.
Followand the chays Eftir the fomy bayr, in thar solace 1531 Bell. Boece II 298.
His noblis … at thair game and solace 1538 Mill Mediæv. Plays 145.
The strublens don thairto be thame in tym of thair solace & play 1539 St. P. Henry VIII V 161.
Oure pastyme and solace of halking 1560 Rolland Seven S. 7221.
We sall ȝow mak the mirrines and sport All that we can to hald ȝow in comfort Siclike as dois the quene in hir solace(4) ?a1500 Remembr. Passion 699.
Think … quhat ioy it is tobe in … hevin … for ane littill solace of this warld tyne nocht all this ioy

b. An example or source of entertainment or recreation; a pastime. c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 1049.
Till euerie solace he was abill, At cartis, and dyce, at ches, and tabill