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

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First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Hele, Heil(l, n.² Also: hel(l, heile, heyle, heal(l, heale. [ME. heel(e (14th c.), hele, hæle, OE. hǽlu (hǽl).]

1. Physical well-being, health. Often gude hele.Sometimes implying recovery of health.(a) a1400 Leg. S. ii. 861.
Quhare hele beis ay but seknes Ib. xlii. 205.
To thé hel sal sone be gyfine 1424 Cambuskenneth Letter (Reg. H.).
We bidis ay in gude hope ȝour hame come in hele and in querte 1456 Hay I. 138/6.
A medicinare may geve hele till a man that askis it nocht a1500 Henr. II. 226/221.
Me think far better To slepe in hele and in ane vnhurt skyn 1490 Irland Mir. 42/7.
A seik man to get his hell mon wse medycyne 1533 Boece vi. xv. 218.
He was restorit to hele with all vtheris … that had bene woundit 1560 Rolland Seven S. 8970.
Meruellous medicinaris, Clerkis of cunning and counsallouris of hele(b) a1400 Leg. S. vi. 382.
Al the sek men … parfyt heyle gat Ib. vii. 570.
He tynt nere heile & wit c1460 Wisd. Solomon 673.
To se … terains in heill and velth lef lang c1475 Wall. viii. 222.
His men wald nocht fle … Quhill thai in heill mycht ay be ane for fyfe 1490 Irland Mir. fol. 290.
The personal gudnes … of the medycinare … nouthire causis na lattis the heill of the seik persoune a1500 Doug. K. Hart 321.
Ay seik he is and ever he hes his heill 1535 Stewart 13833.
The most perrell … I se, Is perfite heill with greit prosperitie 1560 Rolland Seven S. 3175.
To spend he neuer stanches, Sa lang as he hes heill(c) 1551 Hamilton Cat. 226.
Lyk as na man wald be seik in his body apon hoip to recovir his heale agane be medicyne 1557 Wemyss Corr. 12.
It behuiffit him … to vse medicinis for his heale 1568 St. A. Kirk S. 309.
She being in hir heal 16.. in Hume's Poems (S.T.S.) p. xxxiv.
Thay war at Chrystis well to gait thair heall of thair diseases 1617 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. VIII. 347.
Quhill thay restore this woman … to hir heall againe

b. A healing medium. 1456 Hay II. 142/14.
A spice … , the quhilk is the propre hele of the liver quhen it is brynt with blak coleris

c. A source of health or well-being. c1420 Wynt. v. 2963.
Dame Westa … , Thaire hope, thaire heille, and avowé Off thaire myrth c1475 Wall. x. 569.
My hop, my heill, thow was in maist honour a1605 Montg. Sonn. lviii. 14.
My hurt, my hairt, my hope, my hap, my heall

2. Spiritual well-being; salvation. See also Saul(l)-hele n.In full hele of … saule, but freq. without the addition. a1400 Leg. S. ii. 1089.
Vthir women … Thar husbandis left for heile of saule Ib. xxviii. 615.
Weman & bernis fele That conuertit to lestand heile 1429 Reg. Episc. Brechin I. 42.
In pure and perpetuale almus for the heil of my sawle 1462 Peebles B. Rec. 146.
For the heile of thair saullis of the fundaris … of that plas c1490 Irland Asl. MS. I. 8/7.
For remeid and sure medicyne and hele of our saull Ib. 9/30. 15.. Clar. iii. 809.
For my saullis heill, For love of God sumthing sall I [ȝow] deill 1567 G. Ball. 130.
How prosperous Jerusalem sall be, And thow ressauit to eternall heill