• pray the peace(obsolete)

swearthepeace (third-person singular simple presentswears the peace,present participleswearing the peace,simple pastswore the peace,past participlesworn the peace)

1. (nowhistorical) Toswear legally (against someone) that one is in fear of physical violence from a person, in order that they be put under bond tokeep the peace.[from 17th c.]
   • 1798,Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin, “[Maria: or, The] Wrongs of Woman”, inW[illiam] Godwin, editor,Posthumous Works of the Author of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. […], volume II, London:[…]J[oseph] Johnson, […]; andG[eorge,] G[eorge] and J[ohn] Robinson, […],→OCLC, chapter XI,page57:

     He[…] told me he deſpiſed my threats; I had no reſource; I could notſwear the peace againſt him!—I was not afraid of my life!—he had never ſtruck me!