Middle English Dictionary Entry
relēs n.(2)
Entry Info
| Forms | relēs n.(2) Also relese, relesse, releise, relece, releas, releace, relesh(e, releische. |
| Etymology | OF relais, releis, reles. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Abatement of distress, relief; a means of deliverance or assuagement; release from death or Hades; also, a temporary suspension of madness, a lucid interval [quot.: a1333, 2nd]; withouten ~, without relaxation; don ~, to effect an alleviation of pain; maken ~, bring about a cure or deliverance; (b) cessation, pause; out (out of) ~, without pause; withouten ~, unceasingly; also, ceaseless, constant; maken ~ of, to bring (sth.) to an end.
Associated quotations
a
- c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems (Add 17376)38/1067 : Be nauȝt loþ To do penaunce here; For ȝet þer hys here som reles.
- c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems (Add 17376)41/1162 : Hy [madmen] ne conne mende haue Of þilke holy gode; Ac fonge Þe wode mey þat sacrement, Wane reles comeþ amonge.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.1188 : Thei that wende pees Tho myhten finde no reles Of thilke swerd which al devoureth.
- a1400(a1325) Glo.Chron.B (Trin-C R.4.26)818/3191 : Wo & sorewe to þis lond is cominge wiþoute pes, Bote god nime þer of ȝeme, ne worþe neuere reles.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.2567 : After werre to make a ful reles, Þer was þe olyve þat betokneth pes.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.1304 : Parys..his knyȝtes commandid..His wounded broþer oute a-syde fere..Vn-to his peyne for to do reles.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)4440 : Love..Seide that Hope, whereso I goo, Shulde ay be relees to my woo.
- a1425 Ben.Rule(1) (Lnsd 378)39/27 : Man sal muster him alle þe disciplines of þe reule, þat he salle yeme withowtyn reles [L nec aliquid ei relaxabitur].
- c1465(?1373) *Lelamour Macer (Sln 5)24b : Yf þe flewme smyȝth þe ere or the eyne with gounde, take þe juis and a-noynte þe eyne and hit makiþ relesse.
- ?a1425 Dial.Bern.& V.(1) (RwlPoet 175)324 : Bot my crying wald þai noght here, Ne in his payns do no relese.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)1.4360 : Ouyde..tellith how duk Theseus Arested was in hell and muste abide..Til Pirotheus, to fynden a reles, The cas declared onto Hercules.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)4.1265 : Ageyn deth thei koude ha no reles.
- a1450(?1409) Vision Staunton (Roy 17.B.43)66 : Þe help of goodes þat were done afterward turned to þe help and reles of other þat had nede.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)389/288 : Nowthir frende nor foo Shulde fynde reles in helle.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)10196 : Of all swylke poyntes aske we þe all holy forto haue releyse.
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)191 : The Kyng of Scottis sent embassiatouris to the Court of Rome, for to have reles of the curs and the enterditing whech thei were falle in.
- c1475(a1449) Lydg.Test.(Hrl 218)116 : Who so euer to this name calle, Of cankered surfetes fynt reles be myracle.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)168/20 : Cristes body..is eche day offerth vp in holy chirch..in gret socoure and reles of her payne þat ben in purgatori.
- c1500(?a1437) ?Jas.I KQ (SeldArch B.24)st.176 : Ye goddis..Have schewit this for my reconforting, In relesche of my furious pennance.
b
- (c1380) Chaucer CT.SN.(Manly-Rickert)G.46 : The tryne compaslord..erthe and see and heuene out of relees [vrr. wiþ out relees; out reles] Ay heryen.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)3.848 : Hate..soffreth noght..That ther come owther love or pes, For he wol make no reles Of no debat which is befalle.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)956 : In þat oþer is noȝt bot pes to glene Þat ay schal laste wythouten reles.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)3609 : Grekys gan..Þe sege sette..Ther may therof be maked no relees.
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)1010 : The nete were..Kestyng fir with-oute sese Of her mouthe with-oute relesse.
- a1500(?a1425) Lambeth SSecr.(Lamb 501)90/12 : Þe wirkere of dissolucioun of waters ys with outen reles, oon ay-lastand wirkere in his heuen, þat ys to say, Mercury.
- a1500(a1450) Parton.(1) (Add 35288)10710 : When I my love myght haue hadde in peace, Of all my Ioy he made me a foule releace.
- a1475 *Sidrak & B.(Lnsd 793)7904 : Whan it byginneþ to ceese, Þe herte also haþ smerte relese Of iolyfnesse and falleþ þore In sadnesse.
2.
(a) Release from an obligation; remission of a duty, tribute, etc.; relaxation of a tax; formal exemption from service; (b) forgiveness; remission of sin or punishment.
Associated quotations
a
- [ (1299) Statutes Realm1.133 : E sil facent reles ou desport a nuly, pur doun ou pur favour..qil soient en forfaiture de vie. ]
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)3.421 : Iadus gat grace of þe kyng and reles [vr. relesch; Higd.(2): a releische; L relaxationem] of þe tribut for seven ȝere.
- (1413) Will in Bk.Lond.E.217/13 : Y wyl..that Jon, my prentys, haue a reles of to ȝer of hys hol termys.
- (1435) Proc.Privy C.4.292 : And þat every custumer..have a clere discharge upon þeire accontes of þe relese and moderacion of þe said wolles so shipped or to be shipped.
- c1440(a1400) Awntyrs Arth.(Thrn)640,646 : Here I make the relese [vrr. releyse, a reles] in my rentis..Of renttis and reches I make the relese.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)4.77 : Iosephus..obteynede..the fauor of the kynge and releische [Trev.: forȝifnesse] of his tribute.
- 1543(1464) Hardyng Chron.B (Grafton)p.306 : He toke of hym a relesse for euermore Of his seruice that due was to the croune.
b
- c1390 Off alle floures (Vrn)31 : In hope to seo ȝor blessed face..And haue relese of all trespace, Ladi, þauȝ I mourne, I synge.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.185 : Bot if þei wille with pes þis lond ȝeld vs..þei salle þan haf reles.
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)7.82 : He shal haue my soule..And defende it fro þe fend..To haue reles & remissoun.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)428 : Relece, or for-ȝeuenesse: Relaxacio.
- a1500(1413) ?Hoccl.Poems PS (Eg 615)p.xxx/42 : Of helle peyne I graunte hem ful relees.
- a1500(?c1414) ?Brampton PPs.(1) (Sln 1853)p.36 : Thy mercy hath made a ful reles, With 'Ne reminiscaris, Domine!'
3.
Law The transferring of property or a right to another; also, the instrument or deed made for the purpose; also fig.; dede of ~.
Associated quotations
- (1344) *Anc.Pet.(PRO)SC 8-192.9580 : Þe misdoeres of Gloucestreschire..habbeþ..made a fals reles on þe vorseide margeries name.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)8.2914 : My will is that..thou make a plein reles To love, which takth litel hiede Of olde men.
- (1393) Doc.in Collect.Topogr.3256 : Tho hadde we posessid of the forsaid londys in oure posescion a Reles by the forsaid sir Guy the vadir, of al his riht to the same londys.
- (1426) Doc.in Flasdieck Origurk.65 : Wyllyam Clopton of Melford desired to haue of me a reles to hym and to the person of Asshdon forseyd..and ther I made the reles.
- (1431) Dec.Marthall in HMC Var.Col.219 : I the said Hugh of Marthall certefie..that I never made no relesshe nor none astate to the said Geffrue nor Hugh Venables.
- c1432 Bishop Notes in PMLA 49 (Cmb Dd.14.2)453 : Oon dede is of a reles I wryte, is vndur Abbotis Clement & his Couent of Oseney.
- a1456(a1449) Lydg.SCupid (Add 16165)11 : Disdeyne enseled my releesse, And wrot þe quytaunce al with black.
- a1450(1401) For drede (Dgb 102)126 : God is chief lord of toun and pyle..ffor god ressayueþ eche reles.
- (1450) RParl.5.193a : Provided also, that this present Act..extend not..unto Sir Richard Roos, Sir Edward Hull..ne to eny of theym, to any Graunt or Grauntz, Relecez or Confirmations, by us made unto theyme.
- (1454-9) Paston2.190 : I have wel founde a releas of Nycolas Bockyng of my mees and londes in Castre.
- (1463) Doc.in Collect.Topogr.3268 : Þe seid Thomas Hoo [et al]..han relessed..all her right, title, and clayme of and in þe maners..as by þe same dede of Relesse more plainly it appereth.
- (1465) Will Norwich in Nrf.Archaeol.4334 : He shulde relesse Sherwods tenements in to myn possessyon, the wiche the seyde William Deyvyll hadde for hys goode servise be a relesse of myn fader into hys possessyon.
- a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408)608/21 : Þe reles of þe feire of Strattun..þe seide acharde relesid to þe seide Margaret vn-to her terme.
- a1500 Lady Prioress (Hrl 78)p.117 : Thus the burges of the borrowe..endewed into the place wyth dedes of good relese In fee for ever more.
4.
?A projection of a wall.
Associated quotations
- (1428) Plea & Mem.R.Lond.Gildh.219 : [They found that there was a stone wall extending from the corner on the north to a] sconcheon [on the south..that on the north part of it by the corner there was a] relese [of 11 1/2 inches from west to east and from east to west of 3 1/4 inches along the whole length to the] sconcheon.