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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.

Cruelté, Crewel-, Creuelté, n. Also: crueltee, -ellté, -el(l)tie, crweltie; creweltee, -ty; creuel(l)tie, creultie; croweltie. [ME. cruelté (a 1225), crueltee, creweltie, etc., f. cruel adj. Cf. Crualté.]

1. Tendency to be cruel; cruel disposition, actions, or quality.(a) a1400 Leg. S. xii. 108.
Quhen na man mycht se, Thane wald he oyse sic cruelte c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 839.
So rycht felloune cruelte, As now proceded is of thé c1420 Wynt. iii. 960.
Swa caus and matyr bath gave he Tyll his dede, and tyll cruelte 1456 Hay I. 69/6.
Thair jurisdiction began with force and crueltee a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 1480.
It is mischeif but mesure miserable, And may be callit a cursit cruelte 1513 Doug. xii. ix. 66.
Tha breistis … bristis full of greif and cruelte 1533 Bell. Livy I. 105/21.
Scho abhorrit nocht with vther siclike cruelteis 1560 Rolland Seven S. 5995.
Persauing weill his crueltie and boist a1578 Pitsc. i. 66/8.
Ewerie man begane to hait his cruelltie Ib. II. 8/19.
This cardinall bowdnit in crweltie againes Ingland … laubourit [etc.](b) c1420 Wynt. v. 323 (C).
Throw foly gret and crewelte Herrot gert hym hedit be Ib. 383; etc.
In crewelte and awarice 1558-66 Knox II. 408.
Experience hes tauld us what creweltie lyis in thair hertis 1572 Reg. Privy C. II. 168.
The grit murtheris and mair then beistlie crewelteis usit … aganis the trew Christianis 1581 Sat. P. xliii. 214.
Crewelty in kingis is to abhorre(c) 1558 Q. Kennedy Tractive 132.
Geve thou be inclynit to creueltie 1556 Lauder Off. Kings 456.
Thay suld be fre Frome malyce, yre, and creueltie a1578 Pitsc. I. 15/9.
Nethir slauchtar in land and borrowis, nor creuelltie of nobillis … was then patent(d) 1622-6 Bisset II. 352/6.
The tirran obeyed, beand forȝetfull of his accustumate raidge and croweltie

2. Fierceness, warlike fury. c1420 Wynt. ii. 9.
All Asy, throwche hys cruelte, Wytht were and batayle dawntyde he 1456 Hay I. 61/25.
The stour strake in the hevin of the crueltee of that mortall bataill a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1135.
The flour of knighthede is caught throu his cruelte