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

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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Content, v. [ME. (1418), OF. contenter, med. L. contentare.]

1. a. tr. To please, satisfy (a person), esp. by payment or compensation. Occas. const. of = with. 1444 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV. 194.
Swa that the saide Schir Alexander … content the Kyng … of als mykyle maile [etc.] 1456 Hay I. 272/8.
Gif he aw to content the party of the expens resonable Ib. 167/31.
To content thame agayne in als fer as thai war damagit 1475 Peebles B. Rec. 174.
The sayd Williame sal ples, content, and assyth mak to the nychtburis 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 58.
Being assurit to content few, and to displease mony thar throw

b. absol. To give or produce satisfaction. 1456 Hay I. 156/35.
Thus may a juge content, and rychtwisly juge pes or were

c. intr. To be content or satisfied. 1567 Glasgow Prot. IV. 124.
That the King culd not content nor beir with sum of the noblemen that war attending in our court a1568 Bann. MS. 233 b/28.
O schir, how lyk ȝe this solace? Content ȝe this? tell me, q(uod) sche

2. tr. To give by way of satisfaction to a person.Regularly in the phrase content and pay, common between 1470 and 1575. 1434 Exch. R. IV. 567.
We charge yhu … that yhe content and pay yherly to James of Skene … ten markkis 1466 Acta Aud. 4/1.
Isabell sal content and pay the said Margret x marcs for hir expensis 1482 Edinb. Chart. 146.
Diuers gret sommes of money bene payit and contentit be the … Prince vnto oure souerane lord 1522 Acta Conc. MS. XXXIII. 18 b.
The said Alexander … to content and pay to the said Ionet thre chalder … beir and quhete 1551 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 154.
That he content and pay to the kirkwark the soume of xl s. 1574 Prot. Bk. T. Lindsay 70.
Ay and quhill the aris … content and pay abak agane … the said soume 1622-6 Bisset I. 229/12.
He quha tynis the pley, sall content and pay to the saidis lordis the summe of fywe pundis money 1640 Kirkcudbr. Min. Bk. 165.
To content and pey to the said Johne Penrie the soumes of money above specifeit 1678 Mackenzie Laws & C. ii. 571.
The Justices … decerned, and ordained the said [blank] to content and pay to [blank] the sum of three hundred merks