Pure Son of Liberty
SWEAR, v.t. To utter or affirm with a solemn appeal to God for the truth of the declaration; as, to swear on oath. This seems to have been the primitive use of swear; that is, to affirm.
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To put to an oath; to cause to take an oath; as, to swear witnesses in court; to swear a jury; the witness has been sworn; the judges are sworn into office.
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To declare or charge upon oath; as, to swear treason against a man.
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To obtest by an oath.
Now by Apollo, king, thou swear'st thy gods in vain.
To swear the peace against one, to make oath that one is under the actual fear of death or bodily harm from the person; in which case the person must find sureties of the peace.