Forms: 4–5 creaunce, (5 -awnce, -auns), 5– creance; also (in sense 4 only) 6 cryaunce, 6–7 -ance, 7 creyance, criance, cryants, cranes. [ME. a. OF. créance (11th c.), corresp. to L. type crēdentia, f. creant pr. pple. of creire:—L. crēdĕre to believe. Cf. CREDENCE.]
† 1. The mental action or condition of believing; belief, faith, trust, confidence, credence. Obs.
c. 1380. Sir Ferumb., 1851. Þou scholdest leue þy false creaunce, and belyue on heuene kynge.
1393. Gower, Conf., II. 366. Er Rome came to the creaunce Of Cristes feith.
c. 1450. Myrc, 1788. And bydde hem say wyth fulle creawnce.
1490. Caxton, How to die, 3. To abyde and deye in the same creance and byleue.
† b. The matter of belief, the thing believed; (one’s) belief or faith; a creed. Obs.
1393. Gower, Conf., I. 185. This maiden taught the creaunce Unto this wife.
c. 1430. Lydg., Min. Poems (Percy Soc.), 101. This is oure beleeve and creaunce.
c. 1470. Harding, Chron., LXVIII. xi. Foure .C. lordes, of Christes holy creaunce.
1669. Gale, Jansenisme, 163. Not a creance or belief.
† 2. Credit, reputation. Obs. rare.
c. 1330. Owain, 8. Ȝif he ben of gode creaunce.
c. 1380. Sir Ferumb., 358. If þou yknewe me ariȝt, my doynge and my creaunce, Þou noldest profry me no fiȝt for al þat gold of fraunce.
† 3. Comm. Credit, trust. To creance: on credit.
1399. Langl., Rich. Redeles, IV. 17. Ne had creaunce Icome at þe last ende … Þey had be drawe to þe deuyll for dette þat þey owed.
c. 1466. Fortescue, Abs. & Lim. Mon., v. (1885), 118. He shall … by [buy] all þat is necessarie … by creaunce and borowynge.
1496. Dives & Paup. (W. de W.), VII. xxv. 314/1. Chapmen that selle to creaunce to let the byer from other chapmen.
4. Falconry. A long fine line or cord attached to a hawk’s leash, by which she is restrained from flying away when being trained; also used similarly to confine the game at which the hawk is flown.
[So F. créance, a string to retain a bird de peu de créance, i.e., whose indications cannot yet be well trusted.]
14[?]. Sloane MS. 2721 Plut. xcv. C, How to use her when she will come redeley in the creance.
1486. Bk. St. Albans, B iij b. Take the partrich owle of yowre bagge and ty it by the legge with a creaunce. Ibid., B vj a. Ye shall call the long lyne that ye do call youre hawke to Reclaym with: yowre Creaunce, what so euer it be.
1615. Latham, Falconry (1633), 16. Draw her gently to you with your lure or cryance.
1891. Field, 7 March, 337/1. Her wing became entangled in the creance, and she came to the earth with a thud.
fig. 1635. Chapman & Shirley, Chabot, I. ii. No power flies Out of his favour but his policy ties A criance to it, to contain it still.
† b. Sometimes spelt cranes, as if plural.
1598. Florio, Filagna, the cranes to lure a hauke with. Ibid. (1603), Montaigne, I. xlii. (1632), 139. We commend … a hawke for her wing, not for her cranes or bells.
1616. Beaum. & Fl., Scornf. Lady, V. iv. Take off her Cranes.
1685. Cotton, trans. Montaigne, III. 452. As a hawk takes his flight but still under the restraint of his cranes.
