CRE 
wards each otlier ; a crescent is said to be 
inverted, when its points look towards the 
bottom ; turned crescents liave their points 
looking to the dexter-side of the shield ; 
coniuted crescents to the sinister side ; and 
affronted crescents, contrary to tlie adossed, 
have their points turned to each otlier. 
CRESCENTIA, in botany, English ca- 
labash-tree, a genus of the Didynamia An- 
giospermia class and order. Natural order 
of Putarainese. Solaneae, Jussieu. Es- 
sential character : calyx two-parted, equal ; 
corolla gibbous ; berry pedicelled, one 
celled, many seeded ; seeds two-celled. 
There are two species, viz. C. cujete, nar- 
row leaved calabash-tree, and C. cucurbi- 
tina broad leaved calabash-tree. These 
are small trees, with large leaves, either 
singly, alternate, or in alternate bundles. 
Flowers on the trunk or branches sub-solita- 
ry ; they are both natives of the West In- 
dies. 
CRESSA, in botany, a genus of the Pen- 
tandria Digynia class and order. Dubii, 
Linnmus. Convolvuli, Jussieu. Essential 
character: calyx live-leaved ; corolla salver 
form ; filanients sitting on the tube ; cap- 
sule two-valved, one-seeded. There are 
two species, natives of the East Indies, in 
salt marshes. 
CREST, in armoury, the top part of the 
armour for the head, mounting over the hel- 
met, in manner of a comb, or tuft of a 
cock, deriving its name from crista, a cock’s 
comb. The crest was for the most part made 
of feathers, or the hair of horses’ tails or 
mains. The soldiers took great pride in 
adorning them. In most of the old monu- 
ments we find the crest represented, not 
much unlike those on the tops of our mo- 
dern head-pieces : but whatever the com- 
mon soldiers had, those of the officers were 
usually wrought in gold or silver, and the 
plumes of a larger size, quite across the 
helmet ; and some wore two, tliree, or four 
together of these plumes. 
Crest, in heraldry, the uppermost part of 
an armoury, or that part of the cask or hel- 
met next to the mantle. Guillim says, the 
crest, or cognizance, claims the highest 
place, being seated on the most eminent 
part of the helmet ; yet so as to admit of 
an interposition of some escrol, wreathe, 
chapeau, crown, &c. The crest is esteemed 
a greater mark of nobility, than the ar- 
moury, being borne at tournaments, to 
which none were admitted till such time as 
tliey had given proof of their nobility: 
sometimes it serves to distinguish the seve- 
CRr 
ral blanches of a family • and it has served, 
on occasion, as a distinguishing badge of 
factions : sometimes the crest is taken for 
the device ; but more usually is formed of 
some piece of the arms. Families that ex- 
change amis do not change their crest. 
CREW, the company of sailors belong- 
ing to a ship, boat, or other vessel. The 
sailors that are to work and manage a 
ship, are regulated by the number of lasts 
it may carry, each last making two tun. 
CRIBBAGE, a game at cards, wherein 
no cards are to be thrown out, and the set 
to make sixty-one ; and as it is an advan- 
tage to deal, by reason of the crib, it is 
proper to lift for it, and he that has the least 
card deals. 
There are only two players at this game, 
wherein the cards are dealt out one by 
one, the first to the dealer’s antagonist, 
and the next to himself; and so on, till 
each have five : the rest being set down in 
view on the table. 
This done, the dealer lays down the two 
best cards he can for his crib ; and his an- 
tagonist lap down the other two, the very 
worst in his hand, by reason the crib is the 
property of the dealer. They next turn up 
a card from the parcel left after dealing, 
and then count their game thus : any fifteen 
upon the cards is two; as king and five, ten 
and five, nine and six, eight and seven, &c. 
A pair is also two ; a pair royal, or three 
aces, kings, &c. six ; a double pair royal, or 
four aces, &c. twelve. Sequences of three 
cards, as, four, five, and six, is three ; se- 
quences of four, four ; five, five, &c. and 
the same holds of a flush. Knave noddy, 
or of the suit turned up, is one in hand, and 
two to the dealer. If, after the cards for 
the crib are laid out, you have in your hand 
a nine and two sixes, that makes six ; be- 
cause there is two fifteens, and a pair : and 
if a six chance to be turned up, then you 
have twelve in your hand, viz. the pair 
royal, and three fifteens. These are to be 
marked with pegs, counters, or otherwise. 
If you happen to have sequences, as of four 
five, and six in your hand, and six be the 
turned up card, they are counted thus : 
first, the sequences in your hand make 
three; and the sequences of tlie four and five 
in your hand, added to the six turned up, 
make other three: there is likewise two fif- 
teens, counting first with the six in your 
hand, and then with that turned up. 
This done, the antagonist to the dealer 
plays first, suppose a six ; and if the dealer 
can make it fifteen, by playing nine, he 
