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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.

Rest, n.¹ Also: reste; reast; reist. [ME rest(e, also rist (Rolle) and rust (15th c.), OE ræst(e, rest(e fem., a bed, repose, a support.]

I. 1. Repose obtained by putting the body in a relaxed posture, esp. by going to sleep.Also fig., in references to the setting of the sun, and personified.(1) a1500 Lanc. 58.
Thar was the quen Alphest, Rycht wering being of the nychtis rest a1500 Bk. Chess 557.
To rest the houshald all was gone c1510 Prester John 310b.
One ane netht quhen he wes at his rest in his bed [etc.] 1513 Doug. i x 65.
The sweit vapour of plesand sleip and rest Ib. iii viii 12.
On our irkyt lymmys … The naturale rest of sleip slaid 1540 Lynd. Sat. 4628.
I pray to God … To send ȝow all gud rest c1550 Id. Meldrum 1029.
Efter that scho had tane hir rest, Scho rais, and … hir drest 15.. Dum Wyf 57.
Na rest than could he tak Bot tumbillis heir and thair a1568 Bann. MS 72a/5.
Vse mesurable rest with sobir eiting 1568 Skeyne Descr. Pest 15. a1578 Pitsc. I 361/28.
The patient beand without rest and ressone inlakand sleip c1580-90 Rules of Health.
Lat ȝour la: nychtis reste or sleip be the space of viii houris(2) c1475 Wall. i 88.
Eftir mydnycht at rest wes all the town 1513 Doug. ii v 28.
The cite thai invaid, and fast infest, With wyne and sleip yberyit and at rest 1650 Misc. Maitl. C. II 484.
He desyred that nyght till be at rest, for he was wearied with a longsom jorney(3) a1540 Freiris Berw. 205 (B).
‘Hyd ȝow,’ scho said, ‘quhill he be brocht to rest, In-to ȝone troich’ 1560 Rolland Seven S. 4662.
Thay thocht it best … to put hir to sum rest, Sa in hir bed thay happit hir esiliefig. 1386 Rot. Sc. II 85/2.
To the last day of May next comand the sone gangand to rest 1469 Charter (Reg. H.) No. 416.
That the said Robert … paye to me … on a day betuex the son rising & passing to rest of the same [etc.] a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 524.
As the seymly sone silit to the rest 1518 Prot. Bk. Gavin Ros 37.personified c1590 Fowler I 65/189.
Than Weryed Rest was on the heigh

2. sing. and pl. Repose obtained by ceasing to exert oneself; (a) (temporary) cessation in labour or activity. Also fig.sing. 1375 Barb. xiv 498 (C).
And but half deill a myle of way Fra the cite thar rest tuk thai c1400 Troy-bk. ii 2550.
Pilestenes than lichted sone Becaus of rest [L. causa quietis] ?1438 Alex. ii 348.
We mak to lang soiorne and rest 1456 Hay I 251/2.
Bot and thai war … nocht haldin at es na at rest [etc.] c1460 Wisd. Sol. (S.T.S.) 145.
Quhat profetitis it a man to lawbore thus all his tyme, and neuir to tak reste day of his lyf a1500 Seven S. 2282.
He … Past to seike fra land to land Bot rest quhill he this lady fand 1513 Doug. ix iii 192.
I hald it for the best Eftir this gud iournay ȝe tak ȝou rest Ib. iv 41.
Sammyn thai ȝeid to mete, to rest or play 1568 Hosack Mary Q. of Scots II 530.
She departed in haist … nevir taking kyndlie rest quhill she come to … Liddisdaill 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 33.
The lytill space of rest that crueltie gevis thame thay spend indevysing of generall inquietnes 1619 Garden
And that his ritche engene … He sould permit and suffer, bot Reguard to roust or rest [etc.] 1619 Elphinstoun 308.fig. c1500-c1512 Dunb. (O.U.P.) 204/3.
Lat thy tung tak rest. In mekle speiche is pairt of vanitie 1533 Bell. Livy II 85/21.
The pestilence was sa vehement … that it gaif rest to all other besines [L. aliarum rerum otium præbuit] 1596 Dalr. I 261/12.
Nichtbour fide being put [pr. but] to rest amang the commoun peoplepl. 1460 Hay Alex. (S.T.S.) 2771.
Quhan that the king haid thus his restis heir And of his meledie was hale [etc.] — c1400 Troy-bk. ii 1012.
Sene that so the see-tempestes Lownyt not nor yhet toke restes

b. The Lordis rest, the Sabbath. 1466 Newburgh B. Ct. fol. 18b.
Thow hart [in amerciament] for the brekin of the Lordis rest

c. The final cessation of human activity at death or in eternity. Cf. 3 d below. c1515 Asl. MS I 299/19.
He maid the warld to indure vj agis and the vij [= seventh] rest eternale in hevin or hell 1513 Doug. x xii 139.
Tho Orodes the hard rest doith oppres, The cauld and irny slepe of dethys stres a1568 Bann. MS 48a/29.
Fra deid … lay on thé his mace Eftir that rest thair is no rest allace 1588 King Cat. 8.
The fatheris quha war abyddand in the lymbe and place of rest

3. a. Freedom from exertion. b. Freedom from trouble, molestation, war, etc.Freq. coupled with Pes(e n.¹, esp. in senses 1 b and 3 a.a. 1375 Barb. ix 2 (C).
Douglas, that sall haf litil rest, Till the cuntre deliuerit be c1475 Wall. ix 427.
Thai xxx^ty dayis he lugyt in to rest 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 33.
The lust of … blude … gevis thame littill restb. (1) 1375 Barb. i 80.
For at that tyme wes pes and rest Betwyx Scotland and Ingland bath c1400 Troy-bk. ii 2658.
And King Pirrus in pece & rest Kepit his kynryk wele c1420 Ratis R. 385.
I can bring feid in rest & pece, And wykit werk in foly ses, Til wnknawin ken thar office 1456 Hay I 3/28.
And put this travailland warld in pes and rest, that now is put in grete pestilence c1460 Wisd. Sol. (S.T.S.) 222.
Bettir is ane handfull with rest and pes, na baith the handis full with trauell and dyses 1513 Doug. i v 110.
The cruel tyme sone therefter sal ces, And weris stanche, al salbe rest and pes 1530 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 344.
That the kingis liegis ma leif in rest and pece for ony scaith to be done be the said clan Gregour c1530-40 Stewart 8266. Bann. MS 88a/31.
Far better it is to be the Romanis freind, In pece and rest … to leind 1590 Prot. Bk. J. Inglis 28 Sept.
Allageand that nane meicht enter thairto [sc. a house] in rest & pece for fere of perturbatione(2) c1420 Wynt. v 1888.
Thai led thare lyff In rest and ese wytht-owtyn stryff 1531 Bell. 1531 Boece II 108.
His mouth was sa insaciabill that na … fische in the seyis had rest for his schamefull glotony 1542 Crawford Mun. Invent. II 52.
[Agreement] for stanchin rowbry in the cuntre and rest to be had thairintill 1543 Corr. M. Lorraine 41.
Quhat pyne I may indure to keip the contreth at rest c1552 Lynd. Mon. 2985.
Qvhen scho had lang tyme leuit in rest, To conques more scho hir addrest Ib. 4216.
In to rest schorte tyme indurit his ryng 1558-66 Knox II 362.
Idolatrie was never in greattar rest a1578 Pitsc. I 7/22.
Syne eftir this the king did live in rest And brocht his realme to gret tranquillitie Ib. II 86/26.
They become so proud that no man might leif in rest besyde thaim

c. Mental or spiritual peace. a1400 Leg. S. iii 525.
Thar-for cylens and reste haf ȝe, His discipulis gyf ȝe be a1500 Henr. Robene & M. 49.
Robene, thow reivis me roif and rest 1490 Irland Mir. I 99/33.
His gret chaumere of rest, quiet and plesaunce quhare he … was maist sacret, was this haly lady a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. 337/25.
Sens in this erthe I find no rest Reioce in God I think it best

d. The peace or tranquillity of eternal life; a cessation of worldly activity. Cf. 2 c above. a1500 Henr. Fab. 1320.
Grant vs in heuin gude rest 1490 Irland Mir. I 121/1.
Lous thi seruand and bring him to rest and pece ?a1500 Remembr. Passion 702.
Think that the rest of hevin amang angellis and all sanctis lestis perpetualie a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. 24/87.
Quhair thair is joy rest gloir and all pleysour 1600-1610 Melvill 15.
God giff me an uther lad lyk thie, and syne tak me to his rest

4. A place of rest or residence; a resting-place; an abode. b. Stay, abiding; residence. Also fig. and in fig. context. a1400 Leg. S. xxiii 101.
Thai … rest has tane In a hol cowe vndir a stane To byd thare priwely Ib. xxv 744.
Quhen Julyane In-to the oste his rest had tane [L. Cum Julianus … in exercitu moraretur] a1500 Henr. Annunc. 10.
In thé he will tak rest and rufe But hurt of syn a1500 Rauf C. 59.
I pray thé, bring me to sum rest, the wedder is sa schill 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 2119.
O hie Honour, … thow art … Of worschip kend, the glorious end and rest a1508 Want of Wyse Men 26 (A).
Rycht na resone vnder na rufe has rest 1535 Stewart 28501.
He … tuke him rest … Into the closter quhill his latter da 1549 Compl. 73/3.
Ȝour pace ȝour refuge the reste of ȝour eild 1560 Rolland Seven S. 7648.
For in this graue salbe my ludge and rest c1568 Lauder Minor P. i 699.
Except Gods wourd in to our hartis tak rest 1615 Fraserburgh Kirk S. 28 March.
That he get no rest nor residens in Peterhead vnto he satisfie the kirk

c. A landing of a staircase. Urquhart Rabelais i liii.
The just number of twelve [sc. steps] betwixt every rest or (as we now terme it) landing-place

5. A measured interval of time in a musical composition; a pause. 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 507.
Fractionis diuide at rest or clois compell c1550-c1580 Art of Music 5.
Gywe ony virgule fro the lyne to the midspece be vprasit hawand dowbill reflexione on the rycht part, it is callit ane quawer rest formit in vs [sic]

6. In certain special phrases.To be at the rest of, to be free of, untroubled by; to set (trouble) at rest, to quieten, alleviate; to put (affairs) at ane rest, to settle, decide finally. a1561 Q. Kennedy Breif Tract. (ed.) 131/13.
Truely, gude reader, there is na vay to be satifyet and to be at the rest of our conscience — a1578 Pitsc. I 51/32.
Quhill all iniwrieis war sett at rest and miessit — 1618 Edinb. Test. L 152.
Johnne Storie … being seik in bodie … willing to put my warldlie effaires at ane rest

II. 7. A thing upon which something else rests for support. a. A wall-plate, ‘bearing for structural member on wall’ Glen L. Pride Glossary of Scottish Building (1975).1520 Dunferm. B. Rec. I 174 (see Rest v.¹ 4 b).

b. An upright support on which a firearm might be rested when the user was taking aim and firing.(a) 1546 Treas. Acc. IX 36.
For carage of certane hagbute restis, quhelis and bodyis of cutthrottis 1611 Crim. Trials III 205.
With thair charget culveringis placet vpone restis, awaiting the said vmquhile Alexanderis bycuming 1627 Kellie Pallas Armata 3a.
The armes of a musquetier offensiue, are a musquet, the barrell of the length of foure foote … with a rest of a length proportionable to his stature 1638 Dumbarton B. Rec. 56. 1657 Hibbert P. No. 19.
God knoves quhat rest he tacks with hir [sc. a new gun] for he can shootte gayllie with hir allreadey(b) 1639 Aberd. B. Rec. III 150.
For ilk muskatt, bandelier, and reast, tuelff pundis Scottes money(c) a1700 Aberd. Journal N. & Q. IV 71.
A musket with the reist [ed. reisk] thereof

c. ? A supporting structure for a chamber pot. 1632 Inv. Newark fol. 4b.
Of blak close stoolles decayed rests

d. The ‘socket into which bolt of door rests’ Glen L. Pride Glossary of Scottish Building (1975) (s.v. reist n.). 1513 Doug. vii iii 78.
Rich citeis ȝettis, stapillis, and restis, Gret lokkis, slottis, massy bandis sqwair