Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

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

Lese-majesté, n. Also: les-, leis(e)-, lies(e)-, lease-, lais-, læse- and -majesty(e, -ie, -maist(i)e, -magesté. [F. lèse majesté, L. læsa mājestas : cf. Hurt-majesté.] Any offence against the person, dignity or authority of the sovereign; high treason. Also said fig. of God.Freq. (the, a) cryme of lese majeste after legal L. crimen læsæ majestatis as at Reg. Maj. iv. i.(1) 1456 Hay I. 125/17.
Quhen ever a baroun risis to mak were on his King … he fallis in the crime of lese mageste 1490 Irland Mir. I. 84/18.
As we se commonly done for cryme of lese maieste committit 1516 Reg. Privy S. I. 418/1.
Be resoun of eschete throw dome of forefatour led upoun the said Andro … for crimes of tresoun and lese majeste 1524 Acts II. 290/1.
Providing that his grace be nocht transportit furth of the realm vnder the pane of lese maiestie of the doaris 1531 Bell. Boece II. 163.
Gif ony of thaim be convickit of falset, or ony othir crime of lese majeste 1568 Hosack Mary Q. of Scots 539.
She set furth ane act aganis the affixers of the saidis placardis making the doing thairof cryme of lese maiestie 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 17.
Walter Scott … was convictit of lesmaiestie in the justice air haldin at Jedburgh Ib. 88. c1575 Balfour Pract. 505.
Quhen ony persoun is dilatit … for lese-majestie, as for the King's deith or for decept of the realme or of the King's hoist [etc.] 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. i. 65 b.
Of lese-majestie [L. De crimine læsæ majestatis] ?c1675 J. Gordon Hist. I. 69.
To beware for to twoch the Lord's anoynted, or to incurre the guilt of lese majestye 1686 J. Canaries Rome's Addition to Christianity.
At this rate they render it leasing-making and lese-majesty to speak against Popery at all(b) 1526 Acts. II. 316/1.
That … all byrnyngis … be tresoun & cryme of leis maiestie 1542 Ib. 415/2.
That the said act sall hef na place … bot aganis the airis of thame that notourlie committis … crimes of leise maistie aganis the Kingis persoun aganis the realme for evertioun of the samin 1560 Rolland Seven S. 10682.
The fault it is leis maiestie, Done in contrair the Crownis dignitie 1566 St. A. Kirk S. 270.
Gyf ye, allegit minister eldaris and diaconis procedis forder heirintill … that ye incur crym of leismajeste for the usurpyn of your pretendit autorite a1578 Pitsc. I. 382/28.
He tuk the banes of Robert Leslie and foirfaultit him for certaine crymes of leismaiestieis(c) 1542 Acts II. 416/1.
The saidis personis had committit the cryme of tresoune and liese maistie aganis oure … souirane lordis persoun in inobedience and refusand to fulfill his hienes command Ib. 419/2. 1622-6 Bisset I. 120/28.
Quhasaevir salhappin to strek … ony persone in presens of his Maiestie … salbe accused thairfoir as committaris of treasoun and liesmaiestie(d) 1603 Moysie 50.
The said William, Erle of Govrie [etc.] … wer accusit … of dyverse poyntis of treasoun and leasemaiestie 1666 Justiciary Rec. I. 160.
Crimes of rebellion, treason and lease-majestie(e) 1598 Crim. Trials II. 56.
Seing thair is nathing qualifeit for the partie in the second member of the summondis bot effectus sine effectu, quhilk is puniescheable in the cryme of tressoun or laismaiestie(f) 1590-1 Bruce Serm. 396.
And there shall be no such thing as rebellion or læse majesty 1678 Mackenzie Laws & C. i. vi. (1678) 37.
Treason with us may be divided in perduellion, læse-majestie and statutory treason c1679 Kirkton Hist. 59.
Yet it was at that time high læse majesty to doubt he was any other thing than a sincere covenanter(2) fig. 1562-3 Winȝet I. 13/19.
For geue we had kepit langer silence, we ferit baith the offence of our God and our conscience to be smotit with the cryme of lese maiestie a1658 Durham Comm. Rev. 781.
He esteemeth it highest arrogancy and lese-majesty to alter in any thing His word ?c1675 J. Gordon Hist. III. 68.
It was rather laese majesty divyne to mantaine actes of Parliament for advauncing the prelatts c1680 McWard Contendings 271 (Jam.).
Considering the hazard the subjects of their blessed King are in, to be seduced into acts of high disloyalty and lese-majesty