lewdnessn.

1362 W. Langland Piers Plowman A. iii. 33 Schal no lewednesse hem lette, þe lewedeste þat I loue, Þat he ne worþ avaunset.

c1386 G. Chaucer Prol. to Melibeus 3 Thou makest me So wery of thy verray lewednesse.

1387 J. Trevisa tr. R. Higden Polychron. (Rolls) VII. 299 Among his oþer lewednes and folie.

c1440 Promptorium Parvulorum 301/2 Lewdenesse of clergy, illitteratura.

c1440 Gesta Romanorum (Harl.) viii. 21 I am a foole, And he is a wise man, And þerfore he shold not so liȝtely haue levid my lewdenesse.

1540 R. Hyrde tr. J. L. Vives Instr. Christen Woman (1592) R vj What a lewdnesse is it, not to consider how vaine a thing that money is.

1563 2nd Tome Homelyes Agst. Images iii, in J. Griffiths Two Bks. Homilies (1859) ii. 265 There is like foolishness and lewdness in decking of our images.

1576 A. Fleming tr. Caecina in Panoplie Epist. 80 That is supposed a loose kinde of writing, to talke of any man unreverently, for therein is leudnesse discovered.

a1387 J. Trevisa tr. R. Higden Polychron. (St. John's Cambr.) (1876) VI. 239 So it is greet lewednesse and wrecchednesse to forgendre what is detty and riȝtful.

c1460 R. Roos tr. La Belle Dame sans Mercy 607 (655) That to þe werste turneth by his leudenesse a yifte of grace.

1563 2nd Tome Homelyes Repentance ii, in J. Griffiths Two Bks. Homilies (1859) ii. 541 When any thing ordained of God is by the lewdness of men abused.

1579 W. Fulke Refut. Rastels Confut. in D. Heskins Ouerthrowne 736 It is great leudenesse and deceiptfulnes to vrge the termes vsed by the doctors.

1613 S. Purchas Pilgrimage 321 The leaudnesse of the Cappadocians grew into a Proverbe; if any were enormously wicked, he was therefore called a Cappadocian.

1623 J. Bingham tr. Xenophon Hist. 99 What Citie, as friend, will receiue vs, when they see such lewdnesse in our conuersation?

1578 J. Lyly Euphues f. 6^v A perfecte wit is neuer bewitched with leaudenesse, neyther entised with lasciuiosnesse.

a1592 H. Smith Serm (1614) 568 If harlots intice thee to leaudnesse,..flie from them.

1661 S. Pepys Diary 17 Aug. (1970) II. 156 The lewdnesse and beggary of the Court.

1685 H. More Illustr. Daniel & Revelation 155 Their gross idolatries and sensual Ludenesses.

1754 Bp. T. Sherlock Disc. (1759) I. iv. 145 The Lewdness of their History renders it unfit to be narrated.

1769 W. Blackstone Comm. Laws Eng. IV. iv. 64 The last offence which I shall mention..is that of open and notorious lewdness; either by frequenting houses of ill-fame..or by some grossly scandalous and public indecency.