Obs. or arch. exc. dial. (Sc. and north.) Forms: 1 léasung, -ing, 2–3 leasung, (2 lesung, 3 lesin, læs(s)inge, lasinge, leosinge), 3–4 lessinge, 3–6 lesinge, -yng(e, 3–7 lesing, (4 lesenge, -ine, leesyng, Kent. lye(a)singe, leazinge), 4–8 leesing, (5 -ynge, -inge, lesyn, 6 leasyng(e, Sc. leis-, leysing, 7 leazing), ? 2, 3– leasing. [OE. léasung, f. léasian: see LEASE v.2 and -ING1.] Lying, falsehood.
c. 950. Lindisf. Gosp., John viii. 44. Miððy spreceð leasuung.
c. 1175. Cott. Hom., 229. Heo onscunede … alle leasunge.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 82. Þe deouel … is leas, & leasunges feder.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 2578. He wereden hem wið lesing.
a. 1300. Floriz & Bl., 585. ‘Is þat soþ?’ sede he. Heo sede, ‘ȝe, sire, withute lesing.’
c. 1340. Cursor M., 15412 (Trin.). In to ȝoure hondes I shal him take: holde hit no lesynge.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, IV. 480. I wald revard the but lesing.
a. 1450. Knt. de la Tour (1868), 33. Ye saide ye loved us … the which was fals lesinge.
1459. Paston Lett., I. 497. Walsham of Chauncery, that never made lesyng, told me that [etc.].
1500–20. Dunbar, Poems, ix. 106. I knaw me vicious, Lord, and richt culpable In aithis sweiring, leising, and blaspheming.
1535. Coverdale, 2 Esdras xiv. 18. The trueth is fled farre awaye, & lesynge is hard at hande.
1595. Spenser, Col. Clout, 102. No leasing new, nor grandams fable stale.
1601. Dent, Pathw. Heaven, 75. All your faire speeches … are nought else but hypocrisie and leazing.
1611. Bible, Ps. v. 6. Thou shalt destroy them that speake leasing.
1641. Milton, Animadv., Wks. 1851, III. 211. And so take againe either your manifest lesing, or manifest ignorance.
1712. Prior, Alma, III. 9. As folks … prone to leasing, Say things at first because they’re pleasing.
1825. Scott, Talism., xii. Satan is strong within you … and prompts thee to leasing.
b. In particularized use: A lie, falsehood.
c. 1000. Ags. Ps. (Th.), v. 5. Þu fordest þa þe symle leasinga specað.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 163. Ðe defles sed is cheast and twispeche and curs and leasinges.
c. 1290. S. Eng. Leg., I. 211/400. Þat we with lesingues bi-traieth men.
1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 633. A lesyng ys Whan þou wost þat þou seyst mys.
a. 1366[?]. Chaucer, Rom. Rose, 2. Many men seyn that in sweveninges Ther nis but fables and lesinges.
c. 1440. Gesta Rom., xxxvi. 145 (Harl. MS.). Vnhonest and vnleful talkinges, lesynges, & bacbitinges.
1580. Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 384. So that in giuing credite to thy letters, I may be deceiued with thy leasings.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. vii. 48. That false pilgrim, which that leasing told.
1599. B. Jonson, Cynthia’s Rev., I. iv. He [Lucian] doth feed you with fittons, figments, and leasings.
1614. Raleigh, Hist. World, II. (1634), 197. The Priests … to magnifie their antiquities, filled the Records with many leasings.
1714. Gay, Sheph. Week, Prol. 74. For Trading free shall thrive again, Nor Leasings leud affright the Swain.
1731. Swift, On Mr. P——y being put out of C., Misc. (1735), V. 110. Sir R—— weary’d by Will. P——y’s Teazings, Who interrupted him in all his Leasings.
c. Comb., as leasing-bearer; leasing-maker, a liar; spec. in Sc. Law (now Hist.), one who utters untrue and slanderous statements such as are likely to prejudice the relations between the king and his subjects; so leasing-making, verbal sedition; † leasing-monger, a liar.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 298/2. *Lesynge berare, mendifer.
1388. Wyclif, Prov. xxi. 6. He that gadrith tresours by the tunge of a *leesing [maker].
1424. Sc. Acts Jas. I. (1814), II. 8/2. All lesingis makaris & tellaris of þaim.
1484. Caxton, Fables of Æsop, IV. viii. The lesynge maker and flaterer.
1703. Lond. Gaz., No. 3953/1. Act anent Leesing-makers and Slanderers.
a. 1715. Burnet, Own Time, I. (1724), I. 25. Nor had they the nature of the paper before them, which was judged by the Court to be *leasing-making.
1863. H. Cox, Instit., I. xi. 272, note. By the law of Scotland … verbal sedition or leasing-making, is inferred from [etc.].
c. 1380. Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 268. Þei ben … *lesyngmongeris.
1496. Dives & Paup. (W. de W.), VII. ii. 277/2. Bacbyters lesyngmongers and wycked spekers … be the worst theues upon the erthe.
