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

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First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Orato(u)r, n.¹ Also: oratoure, -owr, -ore, -ur(e, -wour, orratour; (h)oritour; ortour. [ME. and e.m.E. orato(u)r (Chaucer), AF. oratour, F. orateur (14th c. in Littré), L. ōrātor speaker, orator, beseecher, f. ōrāre v. to speak, plead, pray.]

1. A person who offers up prayers for one.Freq. with the possessive of the person prayed for.a. Applied by the sovereign to members of the clergy. 1451 Reg. Episc. Brechin. II. 87.
Hartlie beloued clerkis and oratowris, we grete ȝow wele 1471–2 Liber Melros II. 591. 1473 Holyrood Chart. 152.
Wit ȝe … that a venerable fadir in Criste and our weilebelouet oratoure Archibalde abbot of oure abbay … has beine [etc.] 1488 Paisley B. Rec. 32. 1490 Lennox Mun. 141. 1493–4 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I. 333. 1497 Acta Conc. II. 87.
It is … schawin to us be our devot oratour Dene Alexander Menteith, Prior of Restennot, that [etc.] c 1500–20 Reg. Cupar A. II. 297. 1524 (1530) Reg. Great S. 200/2. 1535 Reg. Privy S. II. 258/1. 1545 Blackfriars Perth 202. 1567 Grey Friars II. 53.
Be oure lovit pouer servitour and oratour, Johnne Auchinlek, sumtyme wardane of the freris of Hadingtoun, that [etc.]

b. Applied by petitioners to themselves as praying for the person addressed (freq. the Sovereign). Also, (a person's) dayly or quotidian oratour, = one who prays daily for him.(1) 1521 Acts XII. 40/1.
Youre humile oratouris and servandis with all lauchfull service, The Chancellar and thre estatis of the realme c 1515–24 Innes Rev. XV. 189.
And say to hym I sall be … ane specyall orator dayly for his gud mastership 1528 Calderwood I. 92.
I sall daylie make my heartlie devotioun for thy grace. … At Berwicke by thy highnesse's servitour and orator, Alexander Setoun c 1543 Corr. M. Lorraine 40.
Be yowr graceis hwmill oratwour and serwand, James Gordown 1546–7 Ruddiman Epist. II. App. 382. 1559 Misc. Wodrow Soc. 267.
Priour of the Black Friaris in Ayr, ȝour lordschips oratour and servand 1561 St. A. Kirk S. 82.
Be me your lordschipes orator, Jhon Kyppar, sumtym knycht of the Papis kyrk 1607 Highland P. III. 104.
Ȝour majesteis … maist addictit oratour and servand(2) 1545 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 213.
My lord prouost [etc.] … humelie menis … I your daly oratour and seruand, maister Edward Menȝeis chaplane, [etc.] 1581 Cath. Tr. 114/5.
Your M. maist humil, faythful subiect and daylie oratour, Nicol Bvrne 1606 Forbes Rec. 511.
Your majestie's most humble supplicants, loving and obedient subjects and daylie orators 1618 Lithgow Poet. Remains 9.
Your lo. most afold and quotidian oratour

c. One whose duty or employment it is to pray on another's or others' behalf; chiefly, a chaplain, also, a bedesman.One's daily oratour, a person employed to pray daily for one or on one's behalf. 1490 Irland Mir. I. 15/28.
Thy fader [sc. James III] … that I was orature and confessoure to Ib. MS. 357 b/15. 1526 Exch. R. XV. 273.
To … Maister Walter Maxwell, ane of the clerkis of oure oratouris for his gude … service done to oure maist noble fader and moder 1528 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 121.
To their chaplane and ortour xii d. to be pait to him at tua termis 1547 Perth Guildry 251 (5 Aug.).
Havand … consideratioun of our daly oratour and chaiplane Schir Robert Rynd, quha is astrictit … to the daly first mes saying 1550 Reg. Cupar A. II. 87. 1553 Perth Guildry 510 (13 Sept.).
To … our louit oratour Schir Johne Schetho als saidlar chaiplane ane pensioun of ten merkis 1564–5 Reg. Privy S.V. i. 540/1.
Hir louit oratour Schir James Young, chaiplane 1569 Ib. VI. 124.
Providing that the said Mr. James ansuer the pouer oratouris before callit beidmen … for thair yeirlie leving

2. An orator, an eloquent public speaker. b. One skilled in eloquence, a rhetorician.(a) 1490 Irland Mir. I. 31/6.
Cecero the gret orature of Rome c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxiii. 6.
Divinouris, rethoris and philosophouris, Astrologis, artistis and oratouris 1513 Doug. i. viii. 49.
The gretast oratour, Ilioneus, With plesand voce begouth his sermond thus 1533 Bell. Livy I. 184/15.
Meninius Agrippa, ane richt facound oratoure 1533 Boece v. vii. 178. c1530-40 Stewart Bann. MS. 277 b/59.
Most ornat oratouris 1537 Lynd. Depl. Magd. 162.
Thow suld haue hard the ornate oratouris Makand hir hienes salutatioun 1549 Compl. 10/9.
The Romans var mair renforsit in curageus entreprisis be the vertu of the pen ande be the persuasions of oratours nor [etc.] Ib. 16/12.
Heir I exort al … oratours of our Scottis natione … til excuse my barbir agrest termis Ib. 82/1. c1550 Lynd. Test. Meldrum 164.
To the pulpet gar ane oratour Pas vp, and schaw, … At greit laser, the legend of my life c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus iii. 835. a1578 Pitsc. I. 147/15.
Siclyk Franciscus Phelephus and Franciscus Petraha baitht singular orratouris(b) 1490 Irland Mir. II. 150/4.
We se that the wourd and saw of a gret orator is richt plesand 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 97.
The dytment and fals style of a flattering oratore(c) a1538 Abell 110 b.
He wes ane gret oritour or he wes Paip

3. One who speaks on behalf of another or others; a spokesman, prolocutor, advocate. 1531 Bell. Boece (M) II. 18.
To dres this mater war send ambassatouris owte of France to King Achayus and quhen thai war brocht to his presence thair oratoure said to him on this maner ? 1553 Knox III. 378.
God knawis I did use no rethorick nor collourit speach. … I am not a gud oratour in my awn caus

4. One sent to speak for another as his representative; an emissary, envoy, ambassador, legate.Const. for, fra, of, to or possess. of the person or authority represented. 1515 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 41.
And the said promocioun solicitat [in the papal curia] be the protectour of lngland, Cardinale de Medicis, and the oratour of Ingland Ib. 42.
That ane maiser pas with Schir Johnne Sinclar to Balthaser oratour to our haly fadir the Paip and [etc.] Ib. 43.
I suld ask help at my lord the Bischop of Wlsistir at standis oratour heir for the King of Ingland 1531 Bell. Boece I. 48.
About this time come certane oratouris fra King Ptolome of Egypt to explore the … situacion of every pepill and regioun Ib. 49, 160. Id. Livy I. 37/22.
Quhen the Laurentinis complenit … of thir iniuris done to thir oratouris & legatis Ib. 196/3.
The faderis … send thare oratouris [B. horitouris] to the said Martius 1535 Stewart 30561. 1596 Dalr. II. 161/12. Ib. 431/16.
Monseur Duplayn … oratour for the King of France in Scotland