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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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.

Les age, n. Also: less, lese, leis and aige, ayge, aage, aege, eage. [Les a. 2 a: also e.m.E. (once) les age (1531). Cf. also Lesser Aige.] The condition of being under legal age, minority, nonage. Of (his) les age, minor, also b. younger, junior.Generally, and with particular reference to the sovereign's minority.(1) 1503 Charter (Reg. H.) No. 662.
The saide Mongo … being of les age and vnder tutory 1515 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 159.
Ane minor and of les aige, airt and pairt with ane commoun theif, adiugeit to be scurgeit to the gallows 1533 Boece ii. xii. 84 b.
Sic persouns quhilkis owder be fragil kynde or les age ar bot febill 1550 Stirlings of Keir 403.
[He] hes remittit to me the proffeit that he mycht haue had of my mariage … induring my lessaege 1552 Lochwinnoch Par. 49.
The said Johne is mynor and of his les aige and may nocht [etc.] 1556 Digest Justiciary Proc. B. 134.
The said Johnne … is of les aige within xxi ȝeiris compleit 1571 Acts III. 63/2.
Thair … airis sall haif thair ward … and mariage fre of our souerane lord dispensand with thair minoritie and les age 1571 Prot. Bk. J. Robeson MS. 126.
For the said Jonete nvrisment … and vpbringing … during hir les aige 1612 Edinb. Test. XLVII. 128.
The tyme of thair minoritie and leis aige 1624 Crim. Trials III. 561.
That eight of the men wer executed and that the rest, being aither childrene and of lesseage, and wemen with chyld [etc.] 1643 Stirlings of Keir 455.
The tyme of his poupillaritie and les eage 1674 Rothesay B. Rec. 331.
To be his lawfull curators … dureing his minoritie and lessage(2) 1513–14 Acta Conc. Public Aff. .
I man now in tyme of trubill and of the Kingis les age mak fer largear cost upone the keping of the said hous 1524 Arran in St. P. Henry VIII IV. i. 158.
Not as ane pupile in juvente and lese aige, bot as ane maist noble excellent prince of perfit mature aige 1526 Reg. Privy S. I. 514/2.
That William Smeithberde … quhilk hes maid us service … in our lesage, be now maister armorar to us 1540 Acts II. 358/1.
We reuoike … all … thingis done be ws in our les aige … hurting of the priuilege of our crowne 1542–3 Hamilton P. I. 383.
Induring the tendir and les aige of our soverane Ladie 1565 Knox II. 506.
When we ourselves were of les age and at our first returning into this our realme a1578 Pitsc. I. 290/33.
The governour past throw the contrie to snibe … all thift … committit befoir in the Kingis les age Ib. 395/4.
He maid ane new generall revocatioun of all thingis that he had done in his lese aige a1633 Hope Major Pract. I. 50.
The said charter wes give in in the king's less aige 1626 Garden Worthies 79.
Earle of Marr … chosen Governor in the less aige of … Prince Jamesb. 1603 Aberd. Eccl. Rec. 25.
Sa mony of the scholeris as ar cum to discretioun of yeirs … sall sitt in the loft … and the remanent bairnis, of les aige, to sitt on the seattis and degries vnder the said loft