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

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

T(h)rone, n. Also: tron, troune, trown(e, trune, troyn, throsne. Pl. (? coll.) t(h)ronus. [ME and e.m.E. trone (Ancr. R.), throne (c1290), tron (Cursor M.), OF trone, L. thronus.]

1. A throne, the seat of state, symbolic of supreme authority, where a monarch or other ruler sits to hear petitions, dispense judgment, etc.(a) a1500 Henr. Fab. 878.
With pollis proud ane palȝeoun doun thay picht, And in that throne thair sat ane wild lyoun, In rob royall, with sceptour, swerd, and croun 1533 Boece 35.
Gathele sitting in his merbill throne … to the pepill made actis and lawis c1590 J. Stewart 35/180.
Of that grayt gift I lairgelie may repent For it am I not raueist from my tron 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 69/7.
Remember quhen ye sitte in iudgement that the throne ye sitte on is Goddis 1684 Hay Fleming Six Saints I 128.
I charge you to sing this psalm in faith, for we'll have a toom throne belyve; some have given him [sc. Charles II] a deadly wound(b) 1533 Bell. Livy II 73/35.
Than the dictator schew that he ascendit for na other caus to the trone iudiciall, bot onelie to tak cognitioun of this cryme imput to Melius(c) 1513 Doug. v vi 9.
The heir … in hys troyn [Sm., Ruddim. trone] grete, For hym arayt, takyn hes hys sete a1538 Abell 99b.
Becaus he [sc. King David II] was a barne … Thomas Ranulph wes chosin gubernature … Thomas thotht he knew his deid approchand he cled him wp in a rob reall and sat in his troyn and gaif answer to the harrot(d) 1535 Stewart 3164.
Thair godis than, thai war … brutell beistis set vp in ane trune

b. specif. The seat of God, Christ or the Virgin Mary. Also, the throne of grace, the mercy seat where God hears prayers. a1400 Leg. S. xviii 794.
Thu sittis with God in til his trowne a1400 Leg. S. xxv 705.
One slepe he fel … & a multytud of angelis has sene, & in the mydis … A laydy far & auenand In a trone with blyth wlt a1500 Henr. Fab. 2961 (Bann.).
The natur of the saule wald our be borne Out of this warld vnto the hevinly trone [Bass., H. into the heuinnis blis] c1490 Irland Asl. MS 18/10.
The hie trone of the Godhead and Trinite 1533 Gau 50/27.
Lat vs with traist pas to His gratious troune and find marcie a1568 Bann. MS 86a/50 (see Triumphall adj. 2).
Trune 1633 Johnston Diary I 165.
So that al this weak … I haive had ane great accesse to the throsne of grace 1658 Aberd. B. Rec. IV 177.
To mack applicatione to the throne of grace for obtaineing ane blissing

c. To mount the throne, to become monarch, succeed to the authority of a monarch. 1687 Shields Hind Let Loose (1687) 365.
This man, or monster rather [sc. James II] that is now mounted the throne

d. In throne, enthroned, seated in majesty. a1400 Leg. S. xxviii 484.
Salamon That wysest king set in trown a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 1316.
This nobill prince … Quhilk be iustice suld sit in trone to rigne a1568 Kennedy in Bann. MS 52b/5.
Omnipotent and eterne God in trone [Maitl. F. trune] a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xli 44.
With shyning bright shieldis [As] Titan in trone

e. transf. Sovereign power, dominion. 1533 Gau 37/21.
God, thy trowne sal be euer without ony end

f. fig. c1450-2 Howlat 751 (A).
Thow [sc. the Virgin Mary] seker trone of Salamon Thow worthy wand of Aaron [etc.] a1500 Rois Garlandis 397.
And blissit be thi haly theis that wer a sait to the blist barne Jesus & a trone to the sone of God a1570-86 J. Maitland in Maitl. F. 437/97.
The trone of tryell and theatre trew Is for to regne & rewle aboue the rest

g. attrib. With bed, a type of bed. 1694 Edinb. Test. LXXX 88.
Ane close bed in the kitchin … ane throne bed ther 1698 Edinb. Test. LXXX 296.
Ane thron bed worth [£5]

2. pl. The thrones, one of the nine orders of angels in heaven.The forms in -us should perhaps be interpreted as coll. rather than pl. 1494 Loutfut MS 143a.
And that stane is liknyt to the tronus that ordour of angellis trew puttar away of all corruption [etc.] c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 3/10.
Archangellis, angellis, and dompnationis, Tronis, potestatis 1528 Lynd. Dreme 531.
The lawest ordoure ar of angelis brycht, … The secund … archangelis … The sewint, thronus