gest

A story or adventure; a verse or prose romance.

Noun archaic, countable

A story or adventure; a verse or prose romance.
- The tales of Robin Hood, or the gests written by Ariost the Italian in his booke intituled Orlando furioso. - 1577, Raphaell Holinshed, The Firste Volume of the Chronicles of England, Scotlande, and Irelande […], volume...
- Who faire them quites, as him beseemed best, And goodly gan discourse of many a noble gest. - 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
An action represented in sports, plays, or on the stage; show; ceremony.
- a. 1639, Joseph Mede, a sermon And surely no Ceremonies of dedication , no not of Solomons Temple it self , are comparable to those sacred gests , whereby this place was sanctified
Bearing; deportment.
- through his heroic grace and honorable gest - 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto II”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 24:
A gesture or action.
- They did obeysaunce, as beseemed right, / And then againe returned to their restes: / The Porter eke to her did lout with humble gestes. - 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto IX”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London:...
- more Kings and Princes have written his gestes and actions, than any other historians, of what quality soever, have registred the gests, or collected the actions of any other King or Prince that ever was[…]. - 1603,...

Borrowed from Middle French geste. Doublet of jest.

Alternative form of gist (“a stop for lodging or rest in a journey, or the place where this happens; a rest”).
- […]Yet of your Royall presence, Ile aduenture / The borrow of a Weeke. When at Bohemia / You take my Lord, Ile giue him my Commission, / To let him there a Moneth, behind the Gest / Prefix'd for's parting: yet...

A variant of gist (“resting-place”).