adv. Also 6 luckely, luckilie, luckyly. [f. LUCKY a. + -LY2.
The form luckely, frequent in 16th c., may belong to LUCKLY adv.; cf., however, luckenes = LUCKINESS.]
1. In a lucky manner; with good luck, successfully, prosperously, happily. Now rare.
1530. Palsgr., 836/2. Happely, luckely, par eur, par bon eur.
1548. Udall, etc., Erasm. Par. Matt. xiii. 1–9. Other sum fel vpon a good and a frutful grounde, and springing vp luckeli, brought furth fruit. Ibid. (a. 1553), Royster D., I. v. (Arb.), 31. My dere spouse … whom … God luckily sende home to both our heartes ease.
1561. Daus, trans. Bullinger on Apoc., lxxviii. 546. The Romanistes … make their boaste, that … no Kinges … haue yet luckely assayled Rome.
1585. J. B., trans. Viret’s Sch. Beastes, B. The esterne winde. Which brought you hither luckely.
1647. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., I. § 104. He … carried himself so luckily in Parliament, that he did his Master much service.
1668. Dryden, Dram. Poesy, Ess. (1900), I. 80. All the images of Nature were still present to him, and he drew them, not laboriously, but luckily.
1748. Anson’s Voy., II. iii. 141. Several fine runs of … fresh water,… some of them so luckily situated, that the casks may be filled … with an hose.
1766. Goldsm., Vic. W., iii. ‘This,’ cried he, ‘happens still more luckily than I hoped for.’
2. Now chiefly used as a qualification of the sentence as a whole, indicating that the fact or circumstance stated is a lucky one.
1717. Lady M. W. Montagu, Lett. to Miss Sar. Chiswell, 1 April. Luckily for me, I was so well deceived that I knew nothing of the matter.
1762. Kames, Elem. Crit., viii. (1774), I. 288. Luckily … our speculations are supported by facts.
1815. W. H. Ireland, Scribbleomania, 236, note. The poor blind man … told his tale; which, luckily for him, was believed.
1871. L. Stephen, Playgr. Europe, x. (1894), 236. Climbing a long snow-slope which was luckily in fair order.
