Francois I. used for asseveration, On the word of a gentleman.
Henry III. of England, when he confirmed “Magna Charta,” used the expression, On the word of a gentleman, a king and a knight.
Earl of Angus (reign of Queen Mary), when incensed, used to say, By the might of God, but at other times his oath was By St. Bride of Douglas.—Godscroft, 275.
St. Winfred or Boni´face used to swear by St. Peter’s tomb.
In the reign of Charles II. fancy oaths were the fashion. (For specimens, see Foppington.)
The most common oath of the ancient Romans was By Herculês! for men; and By Castor! for women; By Pollux! for both.
Viri per Herculem, mulieres per Castorem, utrique per Pollucem jurare soliti.—Gellius, Noctes Atticœ, ii. 6.
Obad´don, the angel of death. This is not the same angel as Abbad´ona, one of the fallen angels, and once the friend of Ab´diel (bk. vi.).
My name is Ephod Obaddon or Sevenfold Revenge. I am an angel of destruction. It was I who destroyed the first-born of Egypt. It was I who slew the army of Sennacherib.—Klopstock, The Messiah, xiii. (1771).
Obadi´ah, “the foolish fat scullion” in Sterne’s novel of Tristram Shandy (1759).