leere

First, make an hole in the earth with very good tempered clay that will hold water, and let it be narrow in the bottome, and wider and wider above to the toppe to the breadth of 2 or 3 or 4 yards; then fill the Pit with water & lay over it barres of iron of sufficient strength and thicknesse to beare the burden that must lye upon it; and let them lye so neare together that the stones & wood cannot fal through: then lay thereupon a leere of drye wood, and a leere of your red stone not broken small, and so doe againe till it be a yard thick or more, then give fire to it on the wind side, and goe a-way out of the danger of the fumes, till you see a far off that the fire is finished and burned quite out.

1639, Gabriel Plattes, A Discovery of Subterraneall Treasure, page 46

If when winter is past Corn be very cheap, then would I have all the richest Farmers, who are able to forbear their money, to thrash up the most part of their other Corn, and to take down the foresaid Rick, and to make it up again with a leere of threashed Corn, with chaffe and all together, by which meanes he may lay up a wonderfull great quantity in a little room, and have his Straw for his present use, and withall the poorer sort of Farmers may have a better sale for their Corn to pay their rents withall.

1655, Samuel Hartlib, Samuel Hartlib His Legacy of Husbandry, page 200

Pursuing my Voyage through the City, and casting a Leere into the Shops of the Rich Drapers, Mercers, and Lacemen, I saw them haunted by many People in Want, especially young Heirs newly at Age, and Spendthrifts, that came to borrow Money of them.

1700, Tom Brown, Amusements Serious and Comical, page 112

Heere I meete with many of my old acquaintance, and with Sam Tuke every hower of a day almost; a word hath not paste betwixte us; sometimes a leere.

1795, William Mainwaring, “Memoirs of Sir William Mainwaring of Westchester”, in Godolphin Waldron, Sylvester Harding, editor, The Biographical Mirrour, page 40

Cell. You Wit, Sir, will be better imploy'd anotther way; Come Cousin, let's go listen to the Gentleman, no doubt, we shall find a great reformation. Hyl. Why, look ye Gentlemen, this is alwayes my damn'd luck, Pox on't, they won't allow me so much as a Leere; but hush —here comes the Monfieur.

1678, Thomas D'Urfey, Trick for Trick: Or, The Debauch'd Hypocrite, page 5

Instead of a little Davy, to take toll o'the Bawds, the Author doth promise a strutting Horse-courser with a Leere-drunkard, two or three to attend him, in as good Equipage as you would wish.

1750, Ben Jonson, Bartholomew Fair