Sc. Now arch. Forms: α. 5 spolȝe, 6 -ȝie, spoylȝe, -ȝie, spoillȝe, -ȝie, spoilȝe, -ȝie (7, 9 -zie), -ȝy; 6 spoylie, -llie, spoilie, spollie, 8 spoolie. β. 6 spulȝe (spuleȝe, -iȝe, spullȝe), 7– spulzie (8 -zy), 9. spulyie; 6 spuilȝe (spwilȝe), -ȝie, 7– spuilzie; 8 spulie, spuilie, 9 spuilly. [ad. OF. espoille, espuille SPOIL sb.]
1. The action of despoiling; spoliation; an instance of this.
1464–5. Sc. Acts Parlt. (1875), XII. 31/2. Þe lordis … sall knaw apone … all spolȝeis mayde sene the tyme of þe cessing or þe last sessionis.
1507. Reg. Privy Seal Scot., I. 205/1. Actioun … for the spulȝe of the teynd schevez of the personage of Petcokkis.
1588. A. King, trans. Canisius’ Catech., 39. All vnlauchfull … vsurping of vthir mens geir be thift, spollie,… iniust winning.
1678. Sir G. Mackenzie, Crim. Laws Scot., I. xxxi. § iii. (1699), 156. Like as by the constant Custom, many Actions of Spulzie were founded upon this Act.
1715. Ramsay, Christ’s Kirk Gr., II. i. There had been mair blood and skaith, Sair harship and great spulie.
1765–8. Erskine, Inst. Law Scot., III. vii. § 16. When a spuilzie is committed, action lies against the delinquent [etc.].
1814. Scott, Wav., lxv. Doubtless officers cannot always keep the soldier’s hand from depredation and spulzie.
1877. Miss Yonge, Cameos, III. i. 7. Graham further collected three hundred caterans in the Highlands, men always ready for bloodshed and spulzie.
1898. J. Paton, Castlebraes, 44. The yin o’ us ’ll mak’ a spuilly, or ma name’s no Heather Jock.
† b. Law. An action for spoliation. Obs.
1678. Sir G. Mackenzie, Crim. Laws Scot., I. xxvi. § iv. (1699), 132. If the Executor did any wrong, he was lyable to a spuilzie, and his sentence was reduceable.
1686. in J. J. Vernon, Parish of Hawick (1900), 197. Thomas Briggs … was onlawed and amerciatt … in ane Spuylyea for abstracting and resetting of lyme from the church style building.
1765–8. Erskine, Inst. Law Scot., IV. i. § 15. Spuilzie is not only competent against the spoliator,… but against all abettors.
2. Spoil, booty, plunder.
1507. Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot., III. 393. To Marchemond herald and his fallowis for the spulȝe of the feild, xx Franch crounis.
1513. Douglas, Æneid, I. v. 106. Quham,… Chergit with the spuilȝe of the orient, Amang the numer of goddis resaue thou sall.
1596. Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot., II. 280. Thay … tak thair schipis to Ingland ladne with spoylȝie.
1719. Hamilton, Ep. to Ramsay, III. viii. We’ll bring aff but little spulzie In sic a barter.
1720. Ramsay, Rise & Fall of Stocks, 120. There was odd scrambling for the spulzy.
1789. Davidson, Seasons, 122. He got the spuilie to himsel’ As they fled hame to toon.
1819. W. Tennant, Papistry Storm’d (1827), 192. Ha! Satan’s toy-shop now is taen! Look up and see your spulzie!
1882. J. F. S. Gordon, Hist. Moray, II. 319. The spulzie taken or destroyed … gives a good idea of the plenishing of a wealthy baron’s residence in those days.
