a. and adv. Obs. Forms: 5 werly, Sc. werely, 5–7 war(re)ly, 6 warely, warlye, Sc. werelie, weirlie, -ly, weyrly, 6–7 warlie. [f. WAR sb.1 + -LY1 and -LY2.]
A. adj.
1. Skilled in war, martial; fond of war, bellicose; valiant. = WARLIKE a. 1.
1423. James I., Kingis Q., clv. The werely porpapyne.
c. 1475. Partenay, 1362. The petyuins tham bare As warly men fre;… Assautes tha[y] gafe dyuers And sondry.
a. 1513. Fabyan, Chron., VII. (1533), 77 b/1. Ye arche bisshop of yorke … with great nombre of men and fewe warly or discrete cheuetaynes, yode agayne ye Scottes.
1573. More, Rich. III., Wks. (1557), 37/1. Richard the thirde sonne … was … hard fauoured of visage, and suche as is in states called warlye [L. quale bellicosum in purpuratis, ac Martium appellari], in other menne otherwise.
1594. T. B., La Primaud. Fr. Acad., I. 585. If a yoong prince … be warlie, he will hazard his subjects, his estate, and his person, to make triall of his valure.
1596. Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot. (S.T.S.), I. 86. Thay war a people baith ciuile and weirlie.
1605. Verstegan, Dec. Intell., v. (1628), 122. The lack of Warrely courage in the Britaines.
b. of actions, things: Martial. = WARLIKE a. 1 b, c.
1536. Bellenden, Cron. Scot., Proheme Cosmogr. 262. Of feirs Achill, the weirlie dedis sprang In Troy and Grece, quhill he in vertew rang.
1599. Alex. Hume, Hymns, vii. 57 Poems (S.T.S.), 54. Mak shouting shalms and persing phiphers shill,… Cause mightily the weirly notis breik.
2. Equipped or munitioned for war. Of a horse: Equipped and trained for war. = WARLIKE a. 2.
c. 1470. Golagros & Gaw., 493. Yone is the warliest wane, said the wise king, That euer I vist in my walk.
a. 1513. Fabyan, Chron., VII. (1533), 123/2. The sayde sowdiours came vnto a castell … & wan it by strength, & after vytayled & manned it in moste warly wyse.
1591. Harington, Orl. Fur., XXXIII. lxxxv. This said, he mounted on the steed so warly.
1593. G. Harvey, Pierce’s Super., Wks. (Grosart), II. 104. Could the Warlie Horse speake, as he can runne and fight, he would tell them, they are hoat Knightes.
3. Of or pertaining to war. = WAR-LIKE a. 3.
1457. in R. R. Sharpe, Lond. & Kingd. (1895), III. 382. Ships … in their most defensible and warrely araye.
c. 1507[?]. C. Brandon [etc.], Justes May & June, Justes June, 233, in Hazl., E. P. P., II. 129. This weerly vsage and martes entrepryse These monthes twayne yonge folke dyd exercyse.
1533. Bellenden, Livy, I. i. (S.T.S.), I. 13. King latyne of laurence assemblit þe auld Inhabitantis of his realme … in þare maist werelie ordinance. Ibid., I. iv. I. 32.
1544. Betham, Precepts War, I. cix. F v. They being practysed in warly knowledge can discerne what is profytable.
1548. Hall, Chron., Hen. V., 45 b. Kyng Henry … determined … to set forward in performyng his intended purpose and warrely enterprise.
1570. Foxe, A. & M. (ed. 2), II. 1000/2. The Bernates … renounced the league made before with the French king, refusing… his warly stipend, whereby they were bound at his call to fede hys warres.
a. 1676. Hale, Prim. Orig. Man., II. iv. (1677), 161. The Manufacture, during those Warly times, held its course in France, the Netherlands, and the Hans Towns.
4. Belonging to a warrior. = WARLIKE a. 4.
1535. Stewart, Cron. Scot. (Rolls), I. 277. The king of Pechtis, in his weirlie weid, With his power come and met corbreid.
1567. Gude & Godlie B. (S.T.S.), 107. His wingis ar thy weirlie weid [v.r. weerely weed], His pennis ar thy strang defence.
1609. Bible (Douay), 1 Macc. iii. 3. And he … girded about him his warlie armour in battels.
B. adv. In a warlike manner.
c. 1400. Rowland & O., 813. Kyng askuardyn in his gere Rydis owte a course of were, Full werly and with ill will.
c. 1475. Partenay, 1741. Then thes brethren, ech by thaimself, tho, So ful werrely wrought, can noght be said, lo!
1592. Wyrley, Armorie, Capitall de Buz, xxiv. And goodly armd beside Him stands the Duke of Orleance warly dight.
