What is "distrest"

Usage examples of "distrest".

AS when a ship, that flyes faire vnder saile,An hidden rocke escaped hath vnwares,That lay in waite her wrack for to bewaile,The Marriner yet halfe amazed staresAt perill past, and yet in doubt ne daresTo ioy at his foole-happie ouersight:So doubly is distrest twixt ioy and caresThe dreadlesse courage of this Elfin knight,Hauing escapt so sad ensamples in his sight.

Britomart chaceth Ollyphant,findes Scudamour distrest:Assayes the house of Busyrane,where Loues spoyles are exprest.

The wretched mayd that earst desir'd to die,When as the paine of death she tasted had,And but halfe seene his vgly visnomie,Gan to repent, that she had beene so mad,For any death to chaunge life though most bad:And catching hold of this Sea-beaten chest,The lucky Pylot of her passage sad,After long tossing in the seas distrest,Her weary barke at last vppon mine Isle did rest.

For equall right in equall things doth stand,For what the mighty Sea hath once possest,And plucked quite from all possessors hand,Whether by rage of waues, that neuer rest,Or else by wracke, that wretches hath distrest,He may dispose by his imperiall might,As thing at randon left, to whom he list.

Whom when the Saluage saw so sore distrest,He reared her vp from the bloudie ground,And sought by all the meanes, that he could best,Her to recure out of that stony swound,And staunch the bleeding of her dreary wound.

Sam: Johnson, detector of crime and chicane, and friend to the distrest, bowed over the small white hand.