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

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First published 1990 (DOST Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Red(e, n.¹ Also: reid(e, reed, read; rid; ra(i)d. [ME red (c1175), rede, rade (c1200), ræd, reade (Layamon), reađ (a1225), reed (Chaucer), redde (c1420), e.m.E. rede, read(e, reed(e, OE rǽd, OFris. rêd, OS râd, ON ráđ. Cf. Red(e v.¹]

1. Counsel or advice given by one person to another; an instance of this.Freq., to giue rede (to a certain course of action) and to tak (someone's) rede.To do (someone's) reid, to accept, and put into practice, (his) advice. Also proverb.Also, once, pl.sing. (1) 1375 Barb. xiii 722 (E).
The king … Throw rede off his consaill preue [etc.] 1384 Acts I 350/1.
Of thame that has gevin red or counsale or ȝhit persewit to tak ony of the kingis castellis 1406 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 62.
That I sal … serue my said lord … witht al my micht and pouer in cunsale red suppouele and help c1420 Wynt. vii 2676.
Thai suld newyr be contrare … To the kynryk … In na kyn help, na cownsalle, Fawoure, rede [etc.] c1420 Ratis R. 578.
Gud hop lestis rycht to the ded, With hir comfort and hir gud red 1487 Misc. Spald. C. II 256.
And I sall be leill and treu to my saide lord in manrent and sarwice … in red and in consall 1513 Doug. vii vi 64.
Constrenyt tharto by the command and red Of thy fader Fawnus c1575 Balfour Pract. 96.
Gift the wife … confes that in committing of ony crime … be hir husband scho gave red, counsall or help, he and scho baith may be accusit and punist thairfoir 1579 Reg. Privy C. III 157.
Supplie thame in help, red, or counsale [etc.] 1672 M. P. Brown Suppl. Decis. II 608.
Whether he did it himself or others by his red and counsel(b) a1500 Henr. Fab. 1883.
Thame that will not tak counsall nor reid Off prudent men c1475 Wall. ix 871.
This reid I will nocht tak a1500 Sir Eger 2360.
It is my reid That [etc.] a1500 Seven S. 856.
Deir son, gif me thi reid(2) 1375 Barb. ii 122.
Tak him as off thine awyne hewid [1571 heid], As I had gevyn thar-to na reid ?c1500 Rathen Manual 27/1.
All thai that … gyffis reide or consaile thair to [sc. sin] 1560 Rolland Seven S. 3397.
Thow hes maid … Ane greit sclander … Quhairto scho gaue na mair consent nor reid Nor I my self gaue vnto Goddis deid(3) a1500 Rauf C. 259.
Me think it ressoun … that I do thy rid 1535 Stewart 23031.
Tha rewit sair that tha did nocht his reidproverb. a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 357.
Better do mothers raid nor stepmothers raid(4) 1560 Rolland Seven S. 4743.
Ay be reulit with ane gude reidpl. 1513 Doug. x i 77.
Syndry admonitions charge and redis Of the infernal wightis and spretis that ded is

b. transf. A source of (good) advice; an adviser. c1420 Wynt. v 902 (W).
Or he had deit that wes thare reid

c. In the phr. art (and/or) part, rede (and/or) consale (also rede and/or consale gevar), etc., to denote that the person referred to was privy to, and took part in the planning of, a crime.Const. of or in the criminal act, also (once) of a thing in dispute.(1) 1480 Acta Conc. I 74/2.
The accioune … for art part rede consale and consent committit and done be the said Andro in the hereschip done … be Thomas Lowis and his complicis 1504 Justiciary Rec. I 345.
For art part assistence rede counsale or being in the same 1521–2 Dundee B. Ct. I fol. 68 (3 Jan.).
The said Georgis quyt him self of al art or part rede or consall of the forsaid stroblans 1558–9 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I lxiv.
All thame that ar art, part, reid, or counsale of the byrning of the kirk 1581 Bann. Memor. 319.
I never had airt or pairt, rid or counsall, in that matter 1592–3 Cal. Sc. P. XI 60.
David Grahame of Fintrie, ye ar indytit for airt and pairt, reid, counsale [etc.] 1594 Acts IV 69/2.
Gif the persewar slayis … the defendair … or be airt part red or counsaill thairof 1596 Melvill 380.
Read 1644 Shetland Witch Trial in Hibbert Shetland Islands 600.
The foirsaid murder and witchcraft … through your said husbands deed, art, part, rad and counsall, is manifest and cleir 1678 Mackenzie Laws & C. i xxvii 9 (1678) 283.
His brother … burnt also for art and part, red counsel and concealing the treasonable forging, coyning, and out-putting(2) 1527 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 86.
We ordand James and Cristeane … to sweir thaim sakles art and part, red and consell of the forsaid sword, or ellis to mak pament(3) 1515 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 55.
Thai salbe reput art and part, reid and consale gevaris of the said treson 1562 Linlithgow Sheriff Ct. 25 Aug.
The said William wes nother art nor part nor reid or counsale gever to thame

2. A course of action; a plan. c1420 Wynt. vii 142.
In hard dowt stad, Off a gud rede all mate and made a1500 Seven S. 2315.
He thocht best reid To tell [etc.] 1600 15th Rep. Hist. MSS App. ix 40.
[That they] sall acquyit thameselffis according to the rid set down be the Larde of Johnstoun … for the slauchter

b. In various negative constructions, as na (no, nane) (uther, better) rede, withoutin ony rede: A plan (of action) or means (of escape); a recourse; a ‘way out’. 1375 Barb. i 568.
Quharfor syne he tholyt ded, Than he couth set tharfor na rede ?1438 Alex. i 1832.
For, and he faill, thair war na rede Ib. 3095.
Quhen thai saw na better rede, In full great hy thay left the steid c1420 Wynt. v 3237.
The Brettownys than that wyst na rede Till help thameselwyn … Send word [to Rome] thare help to crawe c1475 Wall. v 588. 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 169.
Sall I thus sone be deid … and wait nane vther reid, Bot be deuoirit with sum beist 1535 Stewart 48597.
To flie … withoutin ony red, Sum heir, sum thair 1560 Rolland Seven S. 3409.
Thow had na vther reid, Bot [etc.]

c. Will, wilsum of (a) (gud) rede, at a loss for a plan or solution; not knowing what to do next. 1375 Barb. i 348.
Then wes he wa and will of red, And thocht that he wald hame agayne a1400 Leg. S. xxxiii 161.
The king thane was wil of rede, Seand his douchtir suld be dede c1420 Wynt. ii 1442.
As wedowis wyll off a gud rede ?a1450 Florimond 167.
I [sc. Salok] am now of sa will ane reid That me war levir to be deid a1500 Henr. Fab. 300.
So desolate and will of ane gude reid 1513 Doug. ix viii 48.
Hyr sonnys hede Behaldis sche, wofull, and will of rede c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus iii 526.
Thair scho alone wilsum of ane gude reid … stert wp

d. To tak (to) rede, to adopt as (one's) plan (of action); to decide or resolve. Const. infin. or clause obj. 1375 Barb. xii 389 (E).
The king … Has tane to rede that he wald nocht Fecht Ib. xvii 267. a1400 Leg. S. xvii 577.
Syne as il men tuk to rede Nedly for til haf hyme dede 1535 Stewart 2315.
That euerie man hes tane that tyme to reid To win the feild — a1400 Leg. S. xxi 636.
Clement wysly tuk rede That he wald nocht next Petir be

3. The ability to deliberate; the faculty of understanding; reason. 1461 Liber Plusc. 384.
Thou man resonabile, Finare of forge, … Off wyt and wysdome, of consale and of reed, Fra nature bestiall a1605 Birrel Diary 59.
All the haill comons of Scotland that had red or understanding wer daylie speiking and exponeing of Thomas Rymer hes prophesie

b. Consideration; deliberation; judgment. a1400 Leg. S. xxxi 431.
Scho … gert the lord the ȝerle ta & but forsicht ore ony rede At hyr tysing gert hym vnhed Ib. xxxvi 1039.
Thar-for he thocht of iwil rede His fadir for to do to dede ?1438 Alex. ii 10489.
Thairfoir I say but langer rede [etc.] 1535 Stewart 36003.
Tak litill tent … Sen mony ane with litill red … Siclike befoir to sic tirranis had done

c. Mycht it be at my rede, if it were at my discretion. a1500 Colk. Sow ii 149.
I wald chenge mycht it be at my reid For a gud toung all the teith in thair heid

4. In other, rare, senses.

a. Something related or told; a story; a saying. (Cf. Red(e v.¹ 16.) b. Help; succour; remedy [also in this sense in ME and e.m.E.; appar. obs. after 1485]. c. ? A council [cf. ME read, in this sense (c1205), reade (Manning)].a. a1400 Leg. S. xxiii 362.
Wes nane that euire hard tel Of ony of thame in red na spel —b. 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 2130.
Thow port … of our comfort and reid 1567 Acts III 43/1.
For reid quhairof it is neidfull ane act of parliament be maid —c. 1598 Reg. Privy C. V 469.
His majesteis lieutennent … appointit to the said George ane rid of cuntreymen to purge him