Justly

adv. [f. JUST a. + -LY².]

  1.  Uprightly; righteously. Obs. or arch.

1382.  Wyclif, Esther, Prol. God helpith hem that … lyuen iustli in the drede of him. Ibid., Titus ii. 12. That we … lyue sobreli, and iustli, and piteuously in this world.

1484.  Caxton, Fables of Æsop, II. i. No thyng is so good as to lyue Iustly and at lyberte.

1611.  Bible, Micah vi. 8. What doeth the Lord require of thee, but to do iustly, and to loue mercy, and to walke humbly with thy God?

  2.  In accordance with justice or equity; with justice; rightfully, rightly; deservedly.

1382.  Wyclif, Luke xxiii. 40. Nethir thou dredist God, that thou art in the same dampnacioun? And treuly we iustly.

c. 1425.  Lydg., Assembly of Gods, 1222. Iustly vnto that ye shall me pryuy make.

1555.  in Strype, Eccl. Mem. (1721), III. App. xliv. 126. How few are they that can justly excuse themselves.

1600.  E. Blount, trans. Conestaggio, 31. Without any pretext or iudgement to whom of them the estate did iustly appertaine.

1636.  Massinger, Bashf. Lover, V. iii. Wks. 1761, III. 338. There lives no Prince that justlier can Challenge the Princess’ Favour.

1711.  Budgell, Spect., No. 150, ¶ 10. The old Gentleman was in some measure justly served for walking in Masquerade.

1849.  Macaulay, Hist. Eng., v. I. 589. His eldest daughter was justly popular.

  3.  With a proper use of reasoning or of language; with good reason or truth; rightly; properly.

14[?].  Ephyphanye, in Tundale’s Vis., 120. Therfor … Ye may justly Phagyphanye hit call.

1538.  Starkey, England, I. ii. 49. Thes are the most general partys of thys polytyke body, wych may justely be resemblyd … to thos chefe partys in mannys body.

1617.  Moryson, Itin., III. 267. They retired in a close body and good array … so as they could not be justly said to flie.

1679.  Penn, Addr. Prot., I. i. (1692), 3. This I justly fear and take to be our Case.

1747.  Wesley, Prim. Physick (1762), p. xxv. These Physicians have justly termed edged Tools.

1849.  Macaulay, Hist. Eng., iv. I. 510. James justly regarded these renegades as the most serviceable tools that he could employ.

  † 4.  In the way that the nature and purpose of a thing makes right; properly, rightly, correctly.

1551.  Recorde, Pathw. Knowl., To Rdr. Neither is mi wit so finelie filed … that I maie perform iustlie so learned a laboure.

1644.  Evelyn, Diary, April. The walkes are … so justly planted with limes, elms, and other trees.

1774.  Goldsm., Nat. Hist. (1776), IV. 286. The tiger will more willingly attack any other animal … than one whose strength is so justly employed.

  5.  With exactness, exactly, precisely, accurately; with accurate fitting, closely. Obs. exc. dial.

c. 1330.  R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 241. Þei fleked þam ouerthuert, justely forto ligge.

c. 1350.  Will. Palerne, 751. Þat preui pleyng place … Ioyned wel iustly to meliors chamber.

c. 1391.  Chaucer, Astrol., II. § 29. To knowe Iustly the 4 quarters of the world.

c. 1450.  Lonelich, Grail, lii. 592. Piers … Made his hors Al Redy, & his helm gan lasen ful Iostly.

1563.  Shute, Archit., D iij b. The Proiecture … doth answer iustly with the thicknes of the pillor.

1613.  Purchas, Pilgrimage (1614), 449. The former part of this report agreeth iustly with that … touching Cathay.

1692.  Capt. Smith’s Seaman’s Gram., II. xxxi. 143. Let them … justly fit the bore.

1737.  Bracken, Farriery Impr. (1740), II. 28. The Pillion cannot sit justly upon the Spine or Back-bone.

Mod. dial.  I doänt justly know when my father died.

  b.  qualifying an adv., adj. or prep. = Exactly.

c. 1400.  Destr. Troy, 512. Sho … Ioynet by Iason iustly to sit.

a. 1563.  Bale, Sel. Wks. (Parker Soc.), 602. It is six times so much, which cometh to nine foot justly.

1591.  Sylvester, Du Bartas, I. ii. 784. If the Cloud side-long sit … or justly opposite To Sun and Moon.

1793.  Smeaton, Edystone L., § 97. It could be brought justly horizontal by means of a pocket Spirit-Level.