Also 4–7 falsnes(s(e, 4–8 false- (south. dial. vals-) nesse. [f. FALSE a. + -NESS.] The quality of being false.
1. Contrariety to fact; want of reality or truth; falsehood, unreality, † Also quasi-concr. anything false.
1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 1497.
| And ȝyf he deme fals iuggement, | |
| Þere falsnes ys, he shalle be shent. |
1340. Ayenb., 256. Ualsnesse me ne ssel zigge.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., III. vi. (1495), 52. Racio or reason demyth bitwene … sothe and falsnesse.
1597. Shaks., A Lover’s Complaint, 105.
| His rudeness so with his authorized youth | |
| Did livery falseness in a pride of truth. |
1655. Sir E. Nicholas, in The Nicholas Papers (Camden), II. 170. I noe whit repent me of the Collogne newes I sent you, since I was soe confident of the falsnes that I won a wager vpon the particular of Dr Morley.
1847. C. G. Addison, Contracts, II. vii. § 1. He … did not know of the falseness of the affirmation at the time it was made.
1877. Mrs. Forrester, Mignon, I. 6. The falseness of its illusions.
2. Deceitfulness, duplicity, imposture. Also quasi-concr. a deceit, an imposture.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 265.
| Þorgh conseile of hise he sent vnto þe pape, | |
| & controued a quaintise, a new falsnes did schape. |
c. 1386. Chaucer, Can. Yeom. Prol. & T., 423.
| His sleightes and his infinite falsenesse | |
| Ther coude no man writen. |
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., I. i. 7. Se ȝe that no man bigile ȝou bi philsophi and veyn falsnes aftir the tradiciouns of men and after the elementis of the world, and not aftir Crist.
1513. Act 5 Hen. VIII., c. 4 § 1. The said Deceits and Falseness.
1568. Grafton, Chron., II. 196. He was … arreigned and judged for his falsenesse.
1649. Bp. Reynolds, Serm. Hosea ii. 71. In regard of the falsenes, and deceitfulnes of our corrupt hearts in all spirituall duties.
1732. Waterland, Christ Vind., 38. They that reject Superstition in Theory, and yet retain it in Life … do but expose their own Folly and Falseness.
1846. Trench, Notes on the Miracles of Our Lord, xx. (1862), 329. Another part of his falseness was, that not daring directly to find fault with the Lord, he seeks obliquely to reach him through the people.
3. Faithlessness, inconstancy, treachery. Also an instance of this.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 55. Falsnes brewes bale.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. XIX. 173. Falsnesse ich [Iesus] fynde in by [Iudas] faire speche.
c. 1470. Henry the Minstrel, Wallace, I. 39.
| Quhen it was lost with tresoune and falsnes, | |
| Our set be fais, he fred it weyle throu grace. |
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. cclxxx. 171 a. He wolde make ye traytours derely abye their falsnesse.
1658. Whole Duty Man, iv. § 8. 40. Their forwardness to confirm every the slightest thing by an oath, rather gives jealousie that they have some inward guilt of falsness, for which that oath must be the cloak.
1709. Prideaux, Lett. (Camden), 203. Beeing for his falsenesse in the management of that trust broken and discarded.
1876. Bancroft, History of the United States of America, IV. x. 386. His [Gage’s] predecessor in the chief command in America had recorded their falseness and cruelty in the most impassioned language of reprobation.
† 4. The fact of failing or ‘giving way.’ Obs.
1552. Huloet, Falsenes of herte, demissio.
1580. Baret, Alv., F 111. A falsenesse of heart, and feeble courage.
