Courtesy, "the courtesy of England is oft to kiss" (JE[356],d). In The English Historical Review (vol. vii., p. 270) there is an article by Major Martin A.S. Hume on "Philip's visit to England" in 1554. The article is founded on a Spanish account written by Andres Muñoz, a servant in the household of Don Carlos, Philip's son, then a child. Muñoz did not himself go to England, but probably got his account from someone, much in the same position as himself, who did go. The writer describes how Philip met Queen Mary at Winchester, "and kissed her on the mouth, in the English fashion." On taking leave Philip was introduced to Mary's ladies, all of whom he kissed "so as not (says Muñoz) to break the custom of the country, which is a very good one." This no doubt explains the passage in the play, but there was at law another courtesy of England with which, in the origins, it may have some obscure connection. Cowel, in his Law Dictionary (1607), describes a tenure by which, if a man marry an inheritrix, that is, a woman seised of land, and getteth a child of her that comes alive into the world, though both the child and his wife die forthwith, yet, if she were in possession, shall he keep the land during his life, and is called tenant per legem Angliæ, or by the courtesy of England.
Courtnals, "a zort of courtnalls" (R[255],d), courtiers: in contempt (Halliwell).
Court spiritual (IP[343],b), Abundance was accused of fornication, and so came under ecclesiastical jurisdiction. These courts were made separate to the Secular or Civil Courts in 1085, but until the establishment of the Divorce and Probate Courts in 1857 the Ecclesiastical Courts took cognisance of blasphemy, apostasy, heresy, schism, ordinations, matters pertaining to benefices, matrimony, divorces, bastardy, tithes, incest, fornication, adultery, probate of wills, administrations, and similar matters (Haydn).
Creance, "chief of His creance" (N[45],d), ordinarily faith, belief, credit, payment: I subjoin examples of each usage, but neither seem to fit the sense. There is an alternative which is nearer the mark, in the Latin creans, pr. p. of creo, to create; but I find no authority beyond creant, which, as far as I know, is modern: see last example. "This mayden tauzte the creance Unto this wyf so perfitly."—Gower, MS. Soc. Antiq. 134, f. 66. "And with his precyous bloode he wroote the bills Upon the crosse, as general acquytaunce To every penytent in ful creaunce."—Rom. of the Monk, Sion College MS. "The creant word Which thrilled around us."—Mrs. Browning.
Creaseth, "when she creaseth again" (N[44],a), short for increaseth.
Creature (R. passim), throughout a trisyllable.
Crow, see Clawback.
Cuculorum, "taken with a cuculorum" (JE[352],d), the rhyming exigency no doubt influenced the form of the word, but in any case the use is obscure, probably slang now lost. Whether, however, it originated in cucullus, a hood, or cuculus, a cuckoo (whence cuckold), or whether the word enshrines a play on both, I cannot say.
Cumberland, see Respublica.