▪ I. † vilely, a. Obs.—1
In 5 villiche, filich.
[f. vile a. Cf. next.]
Vile in appearance.
| 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. x. vii. (Tollem. MS.), The fayrer it was by his firste onynge to þe fyre, þe more unsemely and þe more villiche [Bodl. MS. filich; L. vilior] in quenchynge of þe fyre. |
▪ II. vilely, adv.
(ˈvaɪllɪ)
Forms: α. 3–4 villiche (4–5 filliche), 4 vylliche, vyllyche. β. 3–5 viliche (4 vileche), 5 vilich; 4 vilike, wilik; 4, 6 vyly, 6–7 vylie; 4, 6–7 vily (4–5 vili), 6 vilie, vilye. γ. 4–5 vileliche (5 villiliche), 4 vilelik, 4, 6– vilely (6 vylely).
[f. vile a. + -ly2, after AF. and OF. vilement.]
In a vile manner (in various senses of the adj.).
| α c 1290 S. Eng. Leg. I. 296/82 Huy nomen and drowen þis holie man villiche þoruȝ þe strete, Forto huy comen with-oute toun. c 1300 St. Margarete 123 Hire suete tendre flesch so filliche to-drawe was so; Allas, hou miȝte eni man for reuþe such dede do. 13.. Seuyn Sages (W.) 1433 And than before the folk him bring, And thourgh the toun him villiche driue. 1340 Ayenb. 133 Þet is wylny..to by y-hyealde vyl and villiche to by y-draȝe. |
| β a 1300 Cursor M. 15833 Þai huited on him viliker Þan he had ben a hund. 1303 R. Brunne Handl. Synne 2609 No man was so hardy To bryng hym þyng opunly, Þat he ne shulde vyly be shent. a 1340 Hampole Psalter i. 6 Hathen men sal viliere be dampned. 1388 Wyclif Lev. xviii. 28 Be ȝe war, lest it caste out viliche also ȝou in lijk manere. c 1400 Destr. Troy 6912 Vlixes, his aune cosyn,..To venge of þat vilany vili dissirit. c 1425 Eng. Conq. Ireland 4 Of the schame þat hyme was done, & of þat þat he was so vilich out of hys kynd lond I-dryue. 1553 T. Wilson Rhet. 56 b, We shall sone make our aduersaries to be lothed, if we..declare how cruelly, how vilie, and how maliciously thei haue vsed other men heretofore. 1568 Grafton Chron. II. 62, I will neyther cowardlye shrinke, nor vilye forsake my flocke committed to my charge. 1616 A. Champney Voc. Bps. 119 For which reason doubtles do our English Puritans esteeme so vily of ordinations made by Bishops. 1677 Gale Crt. Gentiles iv. i. iv. §6. 132 It is..a vile thing, vily to obey any vile thing, such as sin is. |
| γ 13.. Cursor M. 16951 (Gött.), He þat neuer no sin did, vr sinnes all he bare, And vilelik for vs was ledd. 13.. K. Alis. 3968 (Laud MS.), Ne had myne hauberk ben þe strongere Þou haddest me vilely yslawe. c 1430 Pilgr. Lyf Manhode iv. ii. (1869) 175 Þilke beste was disgised so vileliche, and so foule figured þat [etc.]. 1555 Eden Decades (Arb.) 86 Declaringe howe vylely, vylaynously, and violently he had byn vsed of owre men. 1581 Mulcaster Positions xxxvii. (1887) 161 So vilely to abuse, where they ought to honour. 1611 Bible 2 Sam. i. 21 The shield of the mightie is vilely cast away. 1694 Wood Life (O.H.S.) III. 462 The commons [were] enraged at it and spoke vilely of the Earl of Abendon and his son—calld them Jacobites. 1745 P. Thomas Jrnl. Anson's Voy. 144 This so generally received, tho' vilely mistaken Opinion, has caused many poor Sufferers to Endure more..than from the Distemper itself. 1766 Goldsm. Vic. W. xxxi, How is it, sir, that..his daughter [is] vilely seduced as a recompence for his hospitality? 1815 Scott Guy M. xxi, Some drawings I have attempted, but I succeed vilely. 1856 Mrs. Browning Aur. Leigh ix. 619 A woman proud As I am, and I'm very vilely proud. 1894 Gladstone Horace iii. v. 20 Swords, that Roman once had been, From unresisting legions vilely ta'en. |