I wolde have labored the contrary, by my sowle--that is the grettest othe that I may swere of my silff--they had never be nygh my maister in that case they stonde nowe.
I requere you a[n]swere for me as I wolde and have do for you whan som of hem have seid ful nakedly of you, and suche as ye deeme hafe mysereported causeles of me, I pray you that they see my letter as weele as my frendes.
And thus homward this lady wente, And changede al hire ferste entente, Withinne hire herte and gan to swere That sche none haltres wolde bere.
And I for schame Ne wiste what I scholde ansuere; And natheles I gan to swere That be my trouthe I knew him noght; So ferr it was out of mi thoght, Riht as it hadde nevere be.
Thus miht thou se what sorwe it doth To swere an oth which is noght soth, In loves cause namely.
And if so is that I mai hente Somtime among a good leisir, So as I dar of mi desir 2800 I telle a part; bot whanne I preie, Anon sche bidt me go mi weie And seith it is ferr in the nyht; And I swere it is even liht.
This Cardinal, which thoghte guile, Upon a day whan he hath while This yonge clerc unto him tok, And made him swere upon a bok, And told him what his wille was.
And thogh a thousend men it wiste, That I hire love, and thanne hem liste With me to swere and to witnesse, Yit were that no falswitnesse; For I dar on this trouthe duelle, I love hire mor than I can telle.
And in this wise, fader, I Mai riht wel swere and salvely, That I mi ladi love wel, For that acordeth everydel.
With that upon a grene bowh A Ceinte of Selk, which sche ther hadde, Sche knette, and so hireself sche ladde, That sche aboute hire whyte swere It dede, and hyng hirselven there.
Forthi tomorwe in other place I wole it fonde forto selle, And if it wol noght with him duelle, Bot crepe into mi purs ayein, Than dar I saufly swere and sein, 5110 It is the vertu of the Ston.
Eek thou shalt nat swere for envye ne for favour, ne for mede, but for rightwisnesse; for declaracioun of it to the worship of god and helping of thyne evene-cristene.
This is to seyn, thou shalt swere sooth; for every lesinge is agayns Crist.
Thus shul ye speke and bere hem wrong on honde; For half so boldely can ther no man Swere and lyen as a womman can.
That schalt thou have, Gamelyn · I swereby Cristes ore!
And heer I swere that never willingly In werk ne thoght I nil yow disobeye, For to be deed, though me were looth to deye.
Thou woldest make me kisse thyn old breech, (620) And swere it were a relik of a seint, Thogh it were with thy fundement depeint!
They wolden seye, and swere it, out of doute, That love ne droof yow nought to doon this dede, But lust voluptuous and coward drede.
This is the fynal ende of al this thing; Ye swere hit heer, on al that may be sworn.
And yt was agreed by the saide Corte That the Masters or Governo{rs} may take the pˀsentment of them but not swere them.
And I wyl̴l̴ swere wyth-owtyn dowte "Earning our meat Neuer to come here agayne.
But trusteth wel, I swere it yow, That it is clene out of his thought.
I sey, and swere him ful rape, That riche men han more tecches Of sinne, than han pore wrecches, And han of counseil more mister; And therfore I wol drawe hem ner.
For, also wis god yive me reste, I dar wel swere she took the beste!
These wollen make men to swere Ayenst Christes commaundement; And Christes membres all to-tere 255 On rode as he wer newe y-rent.
For the tythinge of a ducke, Or of an apple, or an ay, They make men swere upon a boke; Thus they foulen Christes fay.
Ye and other, that swere suche othes faste, And so condempne and cursen to and fro, Ful sikerly, ye wene your othes laste 375 No lenger than the wordes ben ago!
But to my pouer shall I thaim observe; In all this world nas mater half so loth, To swere for all; for though my body sterve, 515 I have no might the hole for to reserve.
That thou be trew from hensforth to thy might, And serven Love in thyn entencion: 290 Swere this, and than, as fer as it is right, Thou shalt have grace here in my quenes sight.
To the former, his followers replied that, though they rejected all unnecessary swearing, they admitted that "If hit be nedeful for to swere for a spedful treuthe men mowe wele swere as God did in the olde lawe.
Jet where ye wyll, I swere by saynt Quintyne, 835 Ye passe them all, both in your owne conceyt and myne.
O holde the peas, wyfe, and swere no more, But I beshrewe both your hartes therfore.
I will swere on al the bookes that opens and shuttes, 10 He faineth this tale out of his owne guttes; For this seven weekes with me I am sure he sat not downe.
Durst swere of a boke, chard him rore, streight after ich was gon.
Ther ben a knyght, Sir Hoten hight, That on a time did swere In mighty store othes mickle sore, Whiche grieved his wiffe to here.
Forthi tomorwe in other place 170 I wole it fonde for to selle, And if it wol noght with him duelle, Bot crepe into mi purs a[gh]ein, Than dar I saufly swere and sein It is the vertu of the ston.
The seconde, to swerenot in vayn by hym nor none of his creatures.
By my fayth (sayde he), thou shall swere so vpon this boke; and helde to her a boke.
By this tale ye may parceyue, that it is nat best at all tymes for a man to beleue his wife, though she swere vpon a boke.
Now begynne they a freshe to fret and fume: nowe they swere and stare: now they stampe and threaten: for the locking in greeued them more than all the losse and mockery before: but all auayle not.
And ellës dare I safly swere Ye holde never your londe in pees.
And if thou fynde any of my men, By nyght or by day, Upon thyn othë thou shalt swere To helpe them that thou may.
Thou shalt swere me an othe,’ sayde Robyn, ‘On my bright bronde; Shalt thou never awayte me scathe By water ne by lande.
And elles dare I safly swere Ye holde never your londe in pees.
Thou callest me cuckolde by my name, And I swere by god and saynt John 170 Wyfe had I never none.
The above list will hopefully give you a few useful examples demonstrating the appropriate usage of "swere" in a variety of sentences. We hope that you will now be able to make sentences using this word.
