> as lemmas

c1200 Vices & Virtues 9 Of oðe(s) sueriingge.

1303 R. Mannyng Handlyng Synne 2724 By þis tale, ȝe mowe se alle Þat fals sweryng wyl euyl befalle.

c1425 J. Hill in Illustr. Anc. State & Chivalry (Roxb.) 9 Whanne he is called to his first ooth, thanne sitteth it to alle his forsaide Counsaille to goo with hym..for to here..how he swereth, and what countenaunce he maketh in his sweryng.

1526 W. Bonde Pylgrimage of Perfection iii. sig. avi Sweryng, whan it is with delyberacion for any thyng that is false or vayne, it pertayneth to periury.

1561 T. Hoby tr. B. Castiglione Courtyer ii. sig. Y.i I beleaue withoute swearinge that you haue no faith also in Christ.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Twelfth Night (1623) v. i. 268 And all those sayings, will I ouer sweare, And all those swearings keepe as true in soule. View more context for this quotation

1651 T. Hobbes Philos. Rudim. ii. §20. 32 Swearing is a speech joyned to a promise, whereby the promiser declares his renouncing of Gods mercy, unlesse he perform his word.

a1704 T. Brown Dialogues of Dead in 4th Vol. Wks. (1720) 187 The Doctor consider'd the taking of the Oaths to be only an indifferent Thing..for otherwise, it had been his Duty to disswade all Persons..from Swearing.

1837 T. Carlyle French Revol. II. i. viii. 59 The February swearing has set them all agog.

1887 Spectator 20 Aug. 1114 There is not, we fancy, much false-swearing; but there is probably a considerable amount of hard-swearing.