Forswear, (impf. forswore, partic. forsworn), 1) trans. a) to refuse or renounce upon oath, to swear that one will have nothing to do with a person or thing: “a woman I forswore,” Pilgr. 33. 34 and LLL IV, 3, 64. LLL IV, 3, 64 “her and her blind boy's company I have forsworn,” Tp. IV, 91. Gentl. III, 1, 212. Gentl. III, 1, 212 III, 2, 4. LLL IV, 3, 297. LLL IV, 3, 297 LLL IV, 3, 297 LLL IV, 3, 297 V, 2, 410. Mids. II, 1, 62. As III, 2, 437. As III, 2, 437 Shr. IV, 2, 26. Shr. IV, 2, 26 Shr. IV, 2, 26 Tw. I, 3, 93. Wint. I, 2, 361. R2 IV, 211. H4A I, 2, 208. II, 2, 16. H4B II, 4, 219. IV, 3, 134. V, 4, 23. H6C I, 1, 251. III, 2, 153. Tim. IV, 3, 133. Oth. IV, 2, 159. Followed by an inf.: “f. to wear iron about you,” Tw. III, 4, 276. Cor. V, 3, 80. Rom. I, 1, 229. Reflectively: “f. themselves as often as they speak,” Wint. V, 1, 200 (== curse themselves). Absol.: “would all the world but he had quite forsworn,” Shr. IV, 2, 35.
b) to deny upon oath: “you'll f. this again,” Meas. III, 2, 177. IV, 3, 183. Err. V, 24. Err. V, 24 Err. V, 24 Ado V, 1, 169. Shr. V, 1, 114. All's I, 3, 189. Rom. I, 5, 54. With an inf.: “that chain which he forswore to have,” Err. V, 11. With a subordinate clause: “--ing that he is forsworn,” H4A V, 2, 39.
2) refl., to swear falsely, to perjure one's self: “f. not thyself,” Gentl. II, 5, 3. Wiv. IV, 5, 103. Mids. I, 1, 240. H6C V, 5, 75. R3 I, 3, 136. Tit. V, 1, 130.
3) intr. to swear falsely, to commit perjury: “love bids me f.” Gentl. II, 6, 6. LLL V, 2, 440. As V, 4, 58. R3 I, 4, 207. Partic. forsworn == perjured: Ven. 726. Sonn. 66, 4. 88, 4. 152, 1. Pilgr. 57. Gentl. II, 6, 1. Gentl. II, 6, 1 Gentl. II, 6, 1 IV, 2, 10. Meas. IV, 1, 2. V, 38. Err. IV, 2, 10. V, 212. Ado I, 1, 155. LLL I, 1, 150. LLL I, 1, 150 I, 2, 175. II, 98. IV, 2, 109. IV, 3, 47. IV, 3, 47 IV, 3, 47 IV, 3, 47 IV, 3, 47 385 “(men forsworn).” V, 2, 471. V, 2, 471 Merch. III, 2, 11. Merch. III, 2, 11 As I, 2, 71. As I, 2, 71 John III, 1, 62. John III, 1, 62 John III, 1, 62 John III, 1, 62 John III, 1, 62 V, 4, 31. R2 IV, 52 (forsworn Aumerle). H4A V, 2, 39. H5 IV, 8, 13. H6C I, 2, 18. Troil. V, 2, 22. Cor. V, 3, 28. Rom. III. 2, 87. III, 5, 197. III, 5, 197 Mcb. IV, 3, 126. With to: “to myself forsworn,” Pilgr. 59 and LLL IV, 2, 111.
Shakespeare Lexicon. Alexander Schmidt. Berlin. Georg Reimer. 1902.
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