adv. Forms: 1 cræftiʓlíce, 4 craftilik, -liche, -lyche, -li, 4–6 craftyly, craftely, 4– craftily. [f. CRAFTY + -LY2: the spelling craftely perh. sometimes stands for the parallel CRAFTLY.]
1. Skilfully, cleverly: see CRAFTY 2. arch.
[c. 900. trans. Bæda’s Hist., IV. xix. (1891), 324. Seo heafodstow wundor cræftiʓlice ʓeworht æteowde.]
c. 1050. Gloss., in Wr.-Wülcker, 402/21. Fabre craftiʓlice.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 150 (Cott.). O salamon þe wis, How craftilik [v.r. craftili, crafteli] he did iustis.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Man of Law’s T., Prol. 48. On metres and on rymyng craftely.
c. 1400. Maundev. (Roxb.), xi. 42. Þe dures er of cipresse, craftily made.
1509. Barclay, Shyp of Folys (1570), 40 b. Many are whiche others can counsayle craftely.
1549. Coverdale, Erasm. Par. 1 Pet. 8. Wyues … with their heare craftyly broyded.
1604. Shaks., Oth., II. iii. 41. I haue drunke but one Cup to night, and that was craftily qualified too.
1883. [F. C. Burnand], in Punch, 8 Sept., 112/1. As subtle as the flavour of shalotte in a craftily-prepared salad.
2. In bad sense: Cunningly, artfully, wilily.
1509–10. Act 1 Hen. VIII., c. 6. Preamb., Craftely feyned and forged informacions.
1550. Crowley, Way to Wealth, 168. If thou haue not craftely vndermined him.
1628. Wither, Brit. Rememb., V. 1387. So craftily a bait was laid.
1710. Prideaux, Orig. Tithes, v. 276. The Conqueror … craftily put them under the same Title.
1884. R. W. Church, Bacon, ii. 43. They were playing cautiously and craftily.
