beswearEtymologyFrom be- + swear.verbTo swear by; swear about or regarding; swear at or to; promise“Some masters of the art take a pure child and set him in their lap, then lift his hand up and let him look into his nail, and beswear the child and the nail with a great adjuration, and then speak in the child's ear three unknown words, whereof one is Oriel, the others I withhold for fear of offending.”