C O M 
Thefe three to kings and chiefs their fcenes dilplay» 
The relt before th‘ ignoble commons play. Dry den* 
The lower houfe of parliament, by which the people are 
reprefented, and of which the members are chofen by the 
people. See the article Parliament. 
How now for mitigation of this bill 
Urg’d by the commons? Doth his majefty 
Incline to it, or no? \ Shake]'peace. 
Food 5 fare; diet: fo called from colleges, where it is 
eaten in common : 
Meanwhile die quench’d her fury at the flood, 
And with a lenten fallad cool’d her blood: 
Them common's , though but coarf'e, were nothing fcant; 
Nor did their minds an equal banquet want. Dryden. 
DoBors COM'MONS. See College of Civilians. 
COMMONWEAL, or Commonwealth, /. [from 
common and weal, or wealth.'] A polity; an eltabliflied 
form of civil life.—Two foundations bear up public fo- 
cieties; the one inclination, whereby all men defire lo¬ 
ckable life ; the other an order agreed upon, touching the 
manner of their union in living together: the latter is 
that which we call the law of a comtnonweal. Hooker .— 
There is no body in the commonwealth of learning who 
does not profefs himfelf a lover of truth. Locke. —The 
public ; the general body of the people ; 
Such a prince, 
So kind a father to the commonweal. Shakefpeare. 
A government in which the fupreme power is lodged in 
the people; a republic.— Commonwealths were nothing more, 
in their original, but free cities; though fometimes, by 
force of order and difeipline, they have extended thern- 
felves into mighty dominions. Temple. —Any thing done 
for the benefit of fociety is underftood in our law to be bo- 
num publicum, and is a thing much favoured; and there¬ 
fore the law doth tolerate many things to be done for com¬ 
mon good, which otherwife might not be done : and hence 
it is, that monopolies are void in law; and that bonds and 
covenants to reltrain free trade, tillage, or the like, are 
adjudged void. 11 Co. Rep. 50. Plowd. 25. 
COM'MORANCE, or Commorancy, / Dwelling; 
habitation ; abode ; refidence.—An archbifhop, out of his 
diocefe, becomes fubjedt to the archbifhop of the province 
where he has his abode and commorancy. Ayliffc. 
COM'MORANT, adj. \_conmorans, Lat.] Refident; 
dwelling; inhabiting.—The abbot may demand and re¬ 
cover his monk, that is commorant and refiding in another 
monaftery. Aylijfe. 
COM'MORTH, or Comorth,/. [ comortha , Lat. from 
the Brit, cymmorth , i. e. fub/idium.] A contribution which 
was gathered at marriages, and when young priells laid 
or lung the firlt mafles, &c. 4 Hen. IV. c. 27. But 26 
Hen. VIII. c. 6, prohibits the levying any luch in Wales, 
or the Marches, &c. Cow el. 
COMMO'SIS,/. [from xo/a/Ai, gum.] The firfl: layer 
of gummy matter with which bees line their hives. It 
alfo lignifies that art which is employed in concealing na¬ 
tural imperfections with refpedl to beauty; this is diilin- 
guilhed from the cofmetic art, which conliits in preferv- 
mg the beauty which is natural. 
COMMOTAU', orCiiOMSTON, a town of Bohemia, 
in the circle of Saatz. It was taken by Zifca in 1421, 
who put the inhabitants, male and female, to death for 
their brave defence. In 1648, it furrendered to the Swedes 
at diferetion: large quantities of alum are prepared here. 
It is ten miles north-welt of Saatz, thirty-eight fouth of 
Drefden, and forty-two north-welt of Prague. 
COMMOTE, /. [from coin, Lat. and motte, a parcel of 
land, Fr.] In Wales, half a cantred or hundred, contain¬ 
ing fifty villages. Wales was anciently divided into three 
provinces ; and each of thefe were again fubdivided into 
cantreds, and every cantred into commotes, Doderige, 2, 
Vol. IV. .No. 245. 
COM 869 
Commote alfo lignifies a great feigniory or lordfliip, anil' 
may include one, or divers manors. Co. Lit. 5. 
COMMOTION,/ [commotio, Lat.] Tumult; dilturb- 
ance; combultion ; ledition; public diforder; infurrec- 
tion.—When ye (hall hear of wars'and commotions, be not 
terrified, Luke, xxi. 9. —The Iliad confilts of battles, and 
a continual commotion ; the Odyfley in patience and wif- 
dom. Broome.— -Perturbation ; ditorder of mind ; heat; 
violence; agitation: 
Some ftrange commotion 
Is in his brain 5 he bites his lips, and (tarts. Shakefpeare . 
Difturbance 5 reftleffnefs.—Sacrifices were offered when 
an earthquake happened, that he would allay the commo¬ 
tions of the water, and put an end to the earthquake. 
Woodward. 
COMMOTIONER, /. One that caufes commotions ; 
a dilturber of the peace. A word not in ufe. —The people, 
more regarding commotioners than commiflioners, flocked 
together, as clouds duller againll a llorm. Hayward. 
To COMMO'VE, <z /.a. [ commoveo, Lat.] Todiftuibj 
to agitate; to put into a violent motion; to unfettle. 
Not ufed. 
Straight the fands, 
Common]d around, in gathering eddies play. Tbomfon. 
To COMMUN'E, v. n. [communico, Lat.] To converfej 
to talk together; to impart fentiments mutually.—Ideas, 
as ranked under names, are thofe that, for the molt part, 
men reafon of within themfelves, and always thofe which 
they commune about with others. Locke. 
So long as Guyon with her communed. 
Unto the ground (lie call her modell eye; 
And ever and anon, with rofy red, 
The bafliful blood her fnowy cheeks did dye. Spenfer . 
COMMU'NI CUSTO'DIA, / A writ which"anciently 
lay for the lord, whofe tenant holding by knight’s fee- 
vice died, and left his eldell fon under age, againll a 
llranger that entered the land, and obtained the ward of 
the body. F.N.B.Zy. Reg. Orig. 161. Since the ftatule 
12 Car. II. c. 24, hath taken away wardlhips, this writ is 
become of no ufe. 
COMMU'NIA PLACITA non tenenda in Scac- 
cario, an ancient writ diredted to the treafurer and ba¬ 
rons of the exchequer, forbidding them to hold plea be¬ 
tween common perfons (i. e. not debtors, to the king, 
who alone originally lued and were fued there) in that 
court, where neither of the parties belong to the fame. 
Reg. Orig. 187. But little obedience would perhaps be 
now paid to fuch a writ, was any officer to dare to ilfue it: 
for the court of exchequer feems by prefeription to have 
attained a concurrent jurildidtion in civil fuits, with the 
other courts in Weftminfter-hall. See Exchequer. 
COMMU'NIBUS LO'CIS, a term in frequent ufe 
among pliilofophical writers, implying fome medium, or 
mean relation between feveral places. Dr. Keil fuppofes 
the ocean to be one quarter of a mile deep, communibus 
locis, q. cl. at a medium, or taking one place with ano¬ 
ther. Communibus Annis has the fame import with 
regard to years, that communibus locis has with regard to 
places. Mr. Derham obferves that the depth of rain, 
communibus annis, or one year with another, were it to 
llagnate on the earth, would amount in Townley in Lan* 
calhire, to 42! inches ; at Upminfter in Efiex, to soj; at 
Zurich, 32^; at Pifa, 43^; and at Paris, to 19 inches. 
COMMUNICABFLITY, f. The quality of being 
communicable; capability to be imparted. 
, COMMU'NICABLE, adj. That which may become 
the common polfeffion of more than one : with to. —Sith 
eternal life is communicable unto all, it behoveth that the 
word of God be fo likewife. Hooker. —That which may 
be recounted; that of which another may ftiare the know¬ 
ledge i with loi 
10 M 
