Forms: α. 3–5 softeliche (4 -lyche), 4–5 softliche (4 -lich). β. 4 softili, 4–6 softely (5 -lie); 4 softli, 4– softly (5 sofft-, 6 soughtly), 5–6 softlie (6 -lye); 6 saftlie, saftely, 8– (Sc. and dial.) saftly. [f. SOFT a. + -LY2. Cf. Du. zachtelijk, G. sanftlich, sänftlich.]
1. Gently, carefully, tenderly; in such a manner as to avoid causing pain or injury; without force or violence; with gentle action.
α. a. 1225. Ancr. R., 368. Ne gropie hire non to softeliche.
13[?]. Guy Warw. (A.), 1614. And so he dede sikerliche, & seþþe he was heled softliche.
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. V. 7. I sat Softeliche a-doun and seide my beo-leeue.
β. a. 1300. Cursor M., 8043. Quen þe kyng come ner þaa tres,… He drou þam softili vp i-nogh.
1390. Gower, Conf., II. 98. Into hire bedd myn herte goth, And softly takth hire in his arm.
c. 1400. trans. Secreta Secret., Gov. Lordsh., 85. Sethe hem softly to þe half.
c. 1440. Gesta Rom., II. xxiii. (Addit. MS.). The Fadir … had lever slee him softly than he shuld so rente hym self.
1545. Raynald, Byrth Mankynde, 65. Then must ye fayre and softely thrust it backe agayne by the shulders.
1592. Arden of Feversham, III. vi. Then softly drawes she foorth her handkercher.
1611. Bible, Transl. Pref., ¶ 13. Who gladly would heale the soare … softly and sleightly. Ibid., Acts xxvii. 13. And when the South wind blew softly,… they sailed close by Creete.
1695. Ld. Preston, Boeth., III. 151. It is then the Sovereign Good which ruleth all things powerfully, and disposeth them softly.
1784. Cowper, Task, I. 762 (1785), 40. At eve The moon-beam sliding softly in between The sleeping leaves, is all the light they wish.
1816. J. Wilson, City of Plague, II. ii. 219. How softly on the dreamer’s head They lay their … hands.
1841. G. P. R. James, Brigand, xxiv. Meyrand will treat you tenderly and softly.
2. With a soft or subdued voice or utterance; in a low or gentle tone.
13[?]. Cursor M., 5140 (Gött.). Þer cam to him a messager, And tald him softli in his ere.
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. III. 38. Þenne com þer a Confessour … And seide ful softely in schrift as hit weore.
c. 1430. Pilgr. Lyf Manhode, I. lxxi. (1869), 41. Serteyn, quod j softeliche, ynowh me lakketh.
1544. Litany, in Priv. Prayers (1851), 570. Such among the people as have books … may read them quietly and softly to themself.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., III. ii. 5. Thereat she sighing softly, had no powre To speake a while.
1614. Donne, Lett. (1631), 196. One thing I must tell you, but so softly, that I am loath to hear myself.
1687. A. Lovell, trans. Thevenot’s Trav., I. 49. They that are present say softly, or aloud, if they please [etc.].
1719. De Foe, Crusoe, II. (Globe), 447. Some [words] he spoke softly, and I could not well hear, others audibly.
1794. Mrs. Radcliffe, Myst. Udolpho, III. xiii. 447. Emily sighed softly, and bowed her thanks.
1829. Landor, Imag. Conv., Wks. 1853, I. 574/1. I must come behind your chair and whisper softlier.
1894. Helen H. Gardener, Unoff. Patriot, 314. They shook hands over the situation and both fell to crying softly, as they decided that war was not what it was cracked up to be.
3. With a slow, easy, or gentle pace or motion.
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. II. 135. On a sysoures backe þat softly trotted. Ibid. (1393), C. XVI. 29. We reuerencede reson, and romed forth softeliche.
c. 1450. St. Cuthbert (Surtees), 6088. On a staffe he leend, he went forthe softely.
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 78 b/2. Late thy famylye come softly after with thy wif.
1531. Elyot, Gov. (1534), 92 b. As farre or nyghe the marke is his arowe whanne he goeth softly, as whan he renneth.
1560. Bible (Geneva), Isaiah viii. 6. This people hathe refused the waters of Shiloah that runne softely.
1603. Knolles, Hist. Turks (1621), 268. Surcharged … with the spoile, he was glad to march softlier.
1654. Gayton, Pleas. Notes, IV. xxiv. 282.
| But Jaques spurr’d and spurr’d, and switch’d, | |
| Ride softlier Jaques, shee beseech’d. |
1721. Swift, Lett. to Stella, 30 April. He could easily have overtaken me; for I walked softly on purpose.
1759. R. Brown, Compl. Farmer, 13. Ride him half an hour softly.
1822. Shelley, Faust, I. 75. You give me full permission To lead him softly on my path.
† b. In a leisurely manner. Obs. rare.
c. 1440. Alph. Tales, 186. He began to syng þis antem,… and sang it softlie vnto þe end.
1577. B. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb. (1586), 128 b. Looke besides that they be … great feeders, but softly, and not ouerhastily.
4. Quietly, silently, noiselessly; lightly.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Reeve’s T., 138. Out at the dore he gooth…, Whan þat he saugh his tyme, softely.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 698. He … Sylis softely him selfe þe cite with-outen.
1587. Turberv., Trag. Tales (1837), 152. And up they thrust the same [i.e., the door], And softly entred in.
1610. Shaks., Temp., IV. i. 194. Pray you tread softly, that the blinde Mole may not heare a foot fall.
1681. Glanvill, Saduc. Triumph, Pref. F iv b. Therefore not to make much noise to disturb these infallible Huffers…, I softly step by them.
1774. Goldsm., Nat. Hist. (1776), III. 207. When the cat walks, it treads very softly, and without the least noise.
1865. Mrs. Carlyle, Lett., III. 274. Coming down stairs very softly, for fear of waking me.
1898. R. Hichens, Londoners, 5. She withdrew from the room as softly as a cat.
b. So as to avoid observation or notice; unobtrusively.
1781. Cowper, Conversat., 389. We next inquire, but softly and by stealth.
1837. Carlyle, Fr. Rev., II. II. vi. Necker sees good … to withdraw softly, almost privily.
1889. W. Clark Russell, in Macm. Mag., Aug., 253/1. I lay stirless, softly sneaking my right hand to the pistol.
5. In ease or comfort; so as to be soft or comfortable; luxuriously.
a. 1400. New Test., Prol. (Paues), 6. Bote he seiþ þat þis wysdom ne is noȝt y-founde in þe lond of men þat lyfeþ softelyche.
a. 1425. trans. Arderne’s Treat. Fistula, etc. 58. Etyng and slepyng more swetely or softely.
1565. Cooper, Thesaurus, Recubare mollius, to lie more softely.
1648. Hexham, II. Zachtelick slapen, to sleepe Softly or Quietly.
a. 1715. Burnet, Own Time (1766), I. 80. They endured great hardships; for those parts were not fit to entertain men that had been accustomed to live softly.
1825. Scott, Talism., vii. His couch was trimmed more softly than his master’s.
1871. R. Ellis, Catullus, lxviii. 5. Whom nor softly to rest love’s tender sanctity suffers.
1884. W. C. Smith, Kildrostan, 75. When You make your nest here in the old family tree, ’Twere well to feather it softly.
b. With or in soft surroundings.
1567. Maplet, Greene Forest, 46. It groweth in waterie places and those softlye dighted and banked about.
1837. Carlyle, Fr. Rev., I. VII. vi. Beautiful all; softly embosomed; as if in sadness, in the dim moist weather!
† 6. With quiet resignation. Obs.–1
c. 1400. Rule St. Benet (Prose), 45. Sho sal recaiue þe cumandement softelie and wid mekenes.
† 7. In small quantity. Obs. rare.
c. 1400. Rule St. Benet (Verse), 1610. Þarfor es wit … Wine or aile softly to tast.
8. Gradually; gently.
1784. Cowper, Task, III. 629. The shapely knoll, That, softly swell’d and gaily dress’d, appears A flow’ry island.
1835. Lytton, Rienzi, VI. iii. A high but softly sloping and verdant hill.
1864. Lowell, Fireside Trav., 269. Hills which round softly upward to Monte Cavi.
9. In a subdued manner.
1817. Shelley, Pr. Athanase, I. 63. A cloud … Through which his soul … Shone, softly burning.
1882. Sharp, Rossetti, iii. 184. Behind … is a figure, also softly aureoled.
10. Used interjectionally: = SOFT adv. 8.
1596. Shaks., Tam. Shrew, I. ii. 238. Softly my Masters. Ibid. (1611), Wint. T., IV. iii. 76. Softly, deere sir: good sir, softly.
1671. Milton, Samson, 115. Softly a while, Let us not break in upon him.
1797. Mrs. Radcliffe, Italian, II. v. 171. ‘Fair and softly,’ replied the officer.
1852. Mrs. Stowe, Uncle Tom’s C., I. xvii. 288. ‘Softly, softly; don’t thee snap and snarl, friend,’ said Phineas.
11. Comb. a. With ppl. adjs., as softly-hinted, -shadowed, -sprighted, etc.
1598. Shaks., Merry W., I. iv. 25. A softly-sprighted man, is he not?
1842. Tennyson, Day-Dream, 89. Glows forth each softly-shadow’d arm.
1844. Kinglake, Eöthen, xxiv. He sent me a softly-worded message.
1859. Dickens, T. Two Cities, II. ix. His softly-slippered feet made no noise.
1876. ‘Ouida,’ Winter City, ix. 249. Making the trifle the medium of a softly-hinted tenderness.
b. With ppl. adjs. and pres. pples., as softly-breathing, -gliding, stealing, etc.
1681. Dryden, Span. Fryar, V. i. I … listned to each softly-treading Step.
1703. Rowe, Fair Penit., II. i. The sprightly String and softly-breathing Flute.
1725. Pope, Odyss., XV. 390. The softly-stealing pace of Time.
1818. Ld. Thurlow, in Gentl. Mag., LXXXVIII. II. 62/1. Thames … does by Oxford, softly-pacing, run.
1890. ‘R. Boldrewood,’ Col. Reformer (1891), 168. What can surpass the softly-gliding magical motion with so much swiftness and so little effort?
c. With adjs., as softly dark, -strong, sweet.
1794. Mrs. Radcliffe, Myst. Udolpho, II. ii. 48. Sometimes a single note I swell That, softly sweet, at distance dies!
1837. Carlyle, Fr. Rev., II. V. ii. Parliaments … which … were to follow in softly-strong indissoluble sequence.
1898. H. Newbolt, Admirals All, 31.
| He saw the grey little church across the park, | |
| The mounds that hide the loved and honoured dead; | |
| The Norman arch, the chancel softly dark, | |
| The brasses black and red. |
