"false flag[s]" in Google Books, "false colours" [not] in OED

[Joel S. Berson]

A.  false flag[s]

1)  The only GBooks hit before 1800 for "false flag[s]" is 1681:

False Flags in Ships taken by Privateers, 187.

[This is in the index, an indented subentry under "ffalshood".  No
page number.  Unfortunately, Adobe Reader claims it cannot open the PDF.]

James Dalrymple Stair (Viscount of).    The institutions of the law
of Scotland : deduced from its originals, and collated vvith the
civil, canon, and feudal- lavvs, and vvith the customs of
neighbouring nations ... .  Edinburgh: Printed by the heir of Andrew
Anderson ..., 1681.

2)  Oddly, no hits in the 18th century.

3)  A few tens of instances from 1800 to 1849 in GBooks, some
"literal" (a ship's flag) and some figurative.


B.  "false colours"

I don't see a quotation in the OED referring literally to a flag
displayed by a ship.  Instances show up in GBooks at and after
1703.  (When searching for "false colours" + ship.)

Joel

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