Also 4 quiste, 4–6 queste, 5–6 whest, (qw-), 6 queast. [a. OF. queste (F. quête) = Prov. questa, quista, Sp. cuesta, It. chiesta:—pop.L. *questa, pa. pple. of quērĕre, L. quærĕre to seek, inquire: cf. INQUEST sb.]
I. 1. An official or judicial inquiry. = INQUEST sb. 1. Obs. exc. dial. (cf. CROWNER2).
1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 5508. Þerof shal Gode take a quest. Ibid. (c. 1330), Chron. (1810), 238. Of clippers, of roungers, of suilk takes he questis.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XX. 161. Her syre was a sysour … ateynte at vch a queste.
c. 1440. Gesta Rom., I. lxx. 387 (Addit. MS.). When the Iustice was comyn, he ordeyned a false queste.
1545. Brinklow, Lament. (1874), 91. There is a custome in the Cytie, ones a yeare to haue a quest called the warnmall queste, to redresse vices.
a. 1577. Sir T. Smith, Commw. Eng. (1609), 73. Enquest or quest is called this lawfull kinde of triall by twelue men.
1694. Luttrell, Brief Rel. (1857), III. 417. The lord mayor and aldermen of London have forbid feasting at the quests.
1876–. In dial. glossaries (Yks., Chesh., Som., etc.).
2. The body of persons appointed to hold an inquiry. = INQUEST sb. 2. Now rare.
13[?]. Evang. Nicod., 243, in Archiv neu. Spr., LIII. 396. He chesed a quest, on him to pas.
c. 1440. Jacob’s Well, 257. Þou schalt … aftyrward be pourgyd out wyth a quest of clerkys.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, III. viii. By ordenaunce of the quene ther was set a quest of ladyes on syr gauayn.
1549. Latimer, 5th Serm. bef. Edw. VI. (Arb.), 153. The quest commes in and sayes not guilty.
1579. Fulke, Heskins’ Parl., 499. He shoulde haue twelue which make a quest, to giue verdict in this matter.
1612. T. Taylor, Comm. Titus iii. 1. 548. Which is as if a theife should be tried by a quest of cutpurses.
a. 1661. Fuller, Worthies (1840), II. 483. One quest of gentlemen, another of yeomen passed upon him.
1706. [see QUESTMAN 1].
a. 1845. Hood, To Tom Woodgate, vi. Twelve brave mermen for a ’quest.
1884. St. James’s Gaz., 4 Jan., 3/2. The coroner’s quest pronounces ‘in accordance with the evidence.’
fig. c. 1600. Shaks., Sonn., xlvi. To side this title is impannelled A quest of thoughts, all tennant to the heart.
† b. transf. A dozen (cf. quot. 1579 above). Obs.
1589. Almond for Parrat, 14. Ile haue a spare fellowe shall make mee a whole quest of faces for three farthinges.
3. Any inquiry or investigation made in order to discover some fact; also, the object of such inquiry.
1598. Florio, Dict., Ep. Ded. 3. I in this search or quest of inquirie haue spent most of my studies.
1627. Lisander & Cal., III. 39. The quest ended with no more knowledge than it began.
1727. Swift, To Earl of Oxford. In quest, who might this parson be.
1831. Carlyle, Sart. Res., II. viii. Let us not forget the great generality, which is our chief quest here.
1878. Masque Poets, 101. The guest Half paused to ask in idle quest.
II. 4. Search or pursuit, made in order to find or obtain something. Const. of, for.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 39. Hit arn fettled in on forme … & by quest of her quoyntyse enquylen on mede.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 96 b. Peace & brotherly concorde dissolueth this quest & assaute of enuy.
1605. Shaks., Lear, I. i. 196. What … Will you require in present Dower with her, Or cease your quest of Loue?
1655. H. Vaughan, Silex Scint., I. Search (1858), 34. My Quest is vaine, Hee’ll not be found where he was slaine.
1704. F. Fuller, Med. Gymn. (1711), 138. To rouse People into a Quest of Health.
1816. Byron, Ch. Har., III. lxxvi. Whose desire Was to be glorious; ’twas a foolish quest.
1874. Green, Short Hist., viii. § 4. 491. Luckily the quest of gold proved a vain one.
b. Freq. in phr. in quest of († after, or inf.).
1575. Churchyard, Chippes (1817), 24. In quest of solace, he retired to Bath.
c. 1600. Shaks., Sonn., cxxix. Had, hauing, and in quest to haue.
1663. Butler, Hud., I. iii. 233. He went in quest of Hudibras.
1705. Hearne, Collect., 6 Oct. (O. H. S.), I. 52. He is in quest after other Pieces.
1820. W. Irving, Sketch Bk., II. 349. The ghost rides forth to the scene of battle in nightly quest of his head.
1862. Goulburn, Pers. Relig., IV. i. (1873), 256. Eager running to and fro in quest of worldly wealth.
† c. A person (or set of persons) employed in searching. Obs. rare–1.
1604. Shaks., Oth., I. ii. 46. The Senate hath sent about three seuerall Quests, To search you out.
5. In mediæval romance: An expedition or adventure undertaken by a knight to procure some thing or achieve some exploit; the knights engaged in such an enterprise. Also transf.
c. 1384. Chaucer, H. Fame, III. 648. They that have do noble jestes And acheved all hir questes.
c. 1450. Merlin, 503. Thei entered in to many questes forto knowe which was the beste knyght.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, XVI. xii. They supposed he was one of the quest of the Sancgreal.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., III. viii. 53. Her well beseemes that Quest.
1813. Scott, Triermain, I. xi. Rather he chose, that Monarch bold, On vent’rous quest to ride.
1850. Kingsley, Alt. Locke, xl. You are my servant now, by the laws of chivalry, and you must fulfil my quest.
1876. Green, Stray Stud., 262. The Quest of Æneas is no self-sought quest of his own.
6. a. The search for game made by hounds. b. The baying of hounds in pursuit of game; a peculiar barking uttered by dogs when in sight of game. Obs. exc. dial.
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 1150. At þe fyrst quethe of þe quest quaked þe wylde.
c. 1420. Anturs of Arth., 49. Withe gret questes and quelles Bothe in frethes and felles.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, V. v. 26. For hundis quest it semyt the lift rife wald.
1589. R. Robinson, Gold. Mirr. (Chetham Soc.), 12. Thus as I stood to heare this merry quest I heard the names of houndes that hunted best.
1649. G. Daniel, Trinarch., Hen. IV., lxxiv. ’Twas soe resolu’d; vpon the doubtfull Quest The Game gets to safe Covert.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. 188/2. Quest,… the first opening, or cry, of the Dogs when they have found the scent.
1876. Swinburne, Erechtheus, 1306. Lo, night is arisen on the noon, and her hounds are in quest by day.
1878. Cumbld. Gloss., Quest, the early morning search for a hare by the scent of the hounds.
1886. Elworthy, W. Somerset Word-bk., s.v., He don’t never give no quest ’thout he’s right ’pon it.
transf. 13[?]. S. Erkenwolde, 133, in Horstmann, Altengl. Leg. (1881), 269. Þe masse he begynnes … With queme questis of þe quere with ful quaynt notes.
a. 1633. G. Herbert, Temple, Content, ii. Gad not abrond at ev’ry quest and call Of an untrained hope or passion.
7. R. C. Ch. The collection of alms or donations for religious purposes.
1528. Roy, Rede me (Arb.), 76. The observauntis no people do spare, Makynge their quest every wheare With most importunate cravynge.
1691. trans. D’Emilliane’s Frauds Romish Monks, 262. The Farmer [of Purgatory money] sends some of his Emissaries into the Fields, to carry on the Quest there for the said Souls.
1748. Earthquake of Peru, i. 85. If we consider the extraordinary Product of the Quest [of the Franciscans].
1873. Browning, Red Cott. Nt.-cap, 971. When Marquise jokes ‘My quest, forsooth? Each doit I scrape together goes for Peter-pence.’
8. Comb., as † quest-ale, prob. ale of special quality (cf. audit-ale); † quest-diter, -ganger, = QUEST-MONGER. Also QUEST-HOUSE, -MAN.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., xxii. 24. All fals endytars, Quest-gangars, and Iurars,… Ar welcome to me. Ibid., xxx. 185. Thise rolles Ar of bakbytars And fals quest-dytars.
a. 1704. T. Brown, Pleas. Epistle, Wks. 1730, I. 110. Private deliberations over brawn and quest-ale.
