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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Cruel(l, Crewel(l, Crowell, a. Also: cruele, crwell; crewelle, -iell, creuell; crowelle, crovel; crw-, crew-, creu-, crowal(l, crewale. [ME. cruel (a 1225), crewel(l, crowell, OF. cruel (L. crūdēlis).]

1. Of persons or animals, their disposition, etc.: Inclined or given to exercise cruelty.(a) a1400 Leg. S. xxxi. 396.
Na serpent has a hed … sa cruel c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 2152.
Sche tuke so cruell hart and fell Aganis this Diomede c1420 Wynt. v. 1644.
He … wes in dedys fell, Outrageous, and rycht cruelle c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 260.
Thought ȝe be kene, inconstant, & cruell of mynd 1513 Doug. i. vi. 97.
All thai quhilk hatis the. cruell tyrrantis dedis 1570 Sat. P. xxiv. 10.
The great ingratitude of cruell catiues, kankirt and vnkynde 1587-99 Hume ii. 185.
Baith cruell and abased beasts that hants in banks and bewis(b) 1492 Myll Spect. 290/10.
This quene … was sa crewell that [etc.] 1513 Doug. vi. iv. 92.
Witles Discord, that wondryng maist crewell 1558-66 Knox II. 15.
God so punissing his crewell hairt c1568 Lauder Minor P. i. 439.
Pharao … With all his … crewell companye 1585 James VI Ess. 35.
Who built of brasse the crewell calfe untame(c) c1552 Lynd. Mon. 253.
Off creuell Paule he maid ane cunnyng techeour c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxiv. 3 (M).
The creuell brekar of myy hart in tuo a1578 Pitsc. I. 39/23.
Thair husbands … crwellie slaine be wicked and creuell murthereris(d) c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxxviii. 10 (B).
The crewall serpent with the mortall stang a1500 Henr. Fab. 2608 (B).
A crewall wolf, revanus and fell a1570-86 Maitl. F. lv. 52.
Ane crewale hart invious and vengeable 1580-92 James VI Lusus R. 25.
As kynd makis seahors to be creuall all 1595 Logie Par. Hist. I. 44.
To proceid agains the saids crwall murtherars(e) a1500 Bk. Chess 73.
The king Off Babulone that was in his liffing Sa vicious crowell 1545 Douglas Corr. 155.
Ȝe heif bene to crowelle als veil lapon ȝour freindis as ennemies c1600 Montg. Suppl. 204/71.
Crowall at all ȝe wilbe callit awayis 1622-6 Bisset I. 63/34.
This crowell tirran maist tragicallie endit 1632 Annandale Corr. 286.
I did reseave two letteris … , on to that crovell Lord of Wigtoun, the vther to my poore sorifull doghter

2. Causing, accompanied or characterized by, extreme pain or suffering.(a) a1400 Leg. S. xxv. 363.
Of my ded sa cruele The warld sal neuire cese to tel c1420 Wynt. ii. 1215.
Thare slauchtyr hapnyd rycht cruelle Ib. iv. 1922; etc.
Quhat the oys is seldynare, It hapnys all the cruellare 1456 Hay I. 49/30.
The bataill was sa stark, and sa cruell Ib. 64/36; etc.
Quhill the cas befell of the cruell tresoun of Julius Cesar a1500 Henr. Orph. 106.
This cruell wennome was so penitryf c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxii. 75.
To gar his cruell pane exceid Thai leit him fall [etc.] 1513 Doug. i. iv. 108.
Now … complenys he … the cruel fate of Lycus Ib. v. 109; etc.
The cruel tyme sone therefter sal ces 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1893.
Is happinnit vs ane wonder cruell cace; Our sone is slane a1578 Pitsc. I. 218/7.
The airt and pairt of the crwell act quhilk was done to his father Ib. II. 106/15.
Thair wald be the cruellar weiris betuix ws and Ingland(b) c1420 Wynt. ii. 594 (C).
Thai [sc. the plagues] war noucht al sa fel … na sa crewell Ib. 992.
His religion [was] crewellare Than ony wichcraft c1450 Craft of Deyng 193.
The quhilk is our crewell to Cristin men to be tholyt a1568 Scott xiii. 21.
That crewell dert outthrow my hart wald boir 1570 Leslie 182.
The maiste part of the toun wes brent in crewelle manner a1570-86 Maitl. F. clxxix. 93.
This reill, this raige, this crewiell weir c1600 Montg. Suppl. 203/52.
My mind also opprest with crewell cair(c) c1552 Lynd. Mon. 3957.
Quhow … Began those creuell mortall weris Ib. 4084.
Duryng that creuell sege 1558 Q. Kennedy Tractive 108.
Mekle mair creuell punischement c1568 Lauder Minor P. i. 472.
Quhat differs dearth from creuell briganrye? a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. ci. 62.
Syne pray to God … To tak fra ws this creuell skurge(d) 1562 Treas. Acc. XI. 233.
To underlie the law for the … crewale hurting of Maister Johnie Hammile 1564 Scot. Ant. Oct. (1901) 80.
Be crewall slaying of utheris in the said ceitie 1570 Leslie 135.
Thaire wes ane creuall onset … one baith the sydes 1589 Black Bk. Taymouth 245.
Causing thame authoreis the said creual mvrthour 1600-1610 Melvill 496.
A crewall fiver ther upon me seas'd c1600 Montg. Suppl. 203/61 … .
In neid, with speid, remeid my crewall cais(d) 1610 Crim. Trials III. 103.
Ane maist wyld, barbarous, savage, inhumane, and crowell form of lyff 1622-6 Bisset I. 17/20.
Crowall deidis untrew Into this land incressand Ib. II. 3/6.
He suffared maist crowell martirdome

3. Hard-hearted, fierce, resolute. (Only in verse.) c1420 Wynt. v. 2515.
All Frans that tyme wes cruell, Stowt agayne Rome, and rebell c1450-2 Howlat 293.
Cruel kingis with crovne, and dukis but dreid c1475 Wall. ii. 58.
Twa sarde him maist that cruell war and keyne Ib. iii. 308.
Perseys war trew, … Sobyr in pes, and cruell in battaill a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 334.
Yow worthis on neid For to assege yone castel With cant men and cruel c1500 Fyve Bestis 162.
The cruellest of all the cokis of Kent 1535 Stewart 19452.
O ȝe knychtis, quhilk cruell ar and kene Ib. 48587.
Mony cruell [was] keillit throw the croun c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 1191.
Ane cruell knicht dwelt neir hand by c1550 Rolland C. Venus i. 261.
With martiall minde, as cruell campioun Ib. ii. 268.
His cruell knichts [of the Round Table] a1586 Kamington Chron. Setoun xiv.
Quhilk maid Setoun to be moir creuell kend

b. Stern, severe, unsparing. c1475 Wall. vii. 134.
The prety wand … Assignes rewlle and cruell iugement c1515 Asl. MS. I. 177/22.
Thai ar nocht outtrageous to answer in cruell langage Ib. 193/11.
We Scottis men put thaim ay out throu cruell force

4. Comb. with hartit (hearted). c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 646.
With that, he grew sa cruell-hartit, That he was like ane wyld lyoun