1. In or with sooth or truth; truly, verily; as a matter of fact; assuredly, certainly, really; indeed.
Freq. in OE. and ME.; from c. 1450 to c. 1600 chiefly Sc. Very rare in the 17th and 18th centuries.
α. c. 825. Vesp. Psalter lvii. 2. ʓif soðlice [L. vere] … rehtwisnisse spreocað.
c. 950. Lindisf. Gosp., Mark xv. 39. Soðlice monn ðes sunu godes wæs.
971. Blickl. Hom., 59. Swyþe soþlice we maʓon ʓeþencan þæt hit biþ deaþes ylding.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 15. Soðliche me þunched … þet al þas wrake is icumen ouer alle þeode.
c. 1200. Ormin, 6445. Þær wass sene þatt ȝho wass Soþlike Godess moderr.
c. 1275. Sinners Beware, 175, in O. E. Misc. Soþliche betere heom were, Þat heo ibore nere.
c. 1300. Havelok, 276. Soþlike, in a lite[l] þrawe, Al Engelond of him stod awe.
1340. Ayenb., 74. Vor huo hier him demþ zoþliche, him ne worþ non hede to by uorlore.
1393. in Collectanea Topogr. (1836), III. 256. We … were confeffes sotheliche in dede sesyd in the Manere of Slaptone.
c. 1430. Pilgr. Lyf Manhode, I. lxxvi. (1869), 45. Soothliche litel thei wolden preysen my seyinge.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., III. ii. 14. Ne soothlich it is easie for to read, Where now on earth, or how he may be found.
β. a. 1300. Cursor M., 2552. Our lauerd steuen Sothli till him spak in sueuen.
c. 1384. Chaucer, H. Fame, 364. She wiste sothely he Was forthe vnto his shippes agoon.
c. 1400. Maundev. (Roxb.), vii. 27. Sothely it es noȝt likly þat þai schold be graues.
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., I. xi. 53. Sotheli if eny man vnknowith, he schal be vnknowun.
1513. Bradshaw, St. Werburge, 177. Secular prestes expulsed sothely were From diuers monasteries.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., V. x. 8. For soothly he was one of matchlesse might.
1599. Broughton’s Lett., vi. 20. And soothly so you meant.
1721. Ramsay, To R. H. B., iii. It soothly shaws them they can spare A rowth to spend.
1826. Hood, Irish Schoolm., xxvii. So soothly kind is Erin to her own!
1850. Blackie, Æschylus, II. 186. Soothly a worthy deed, a pleasant tale For future years to tell!
1881. Swinburne, Mary Stuart, IV. iii. I would know soothly if your mind be changed.
γ. 1375. Barbour, Bruce, VI. 32. Quhen the Gallowais vist suthly, That he wes with a few menȝhe.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 1962. Suthely þou knawes, And wete þou wele [etc.].
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, VIII. 877. Yhe may nocht wyn ws suthlie, thocht ye bid.
c. 1550. Rolland, Crt. Venus, Prol. 13. The thrid clepit is Colerike suithlie.
1588. A. King, trans. Canisius’ Catech., 105. Quhilk office suthlie can na maner of vayis appertein to wemen.
b. With say, tell, etc.
a. 1000. Elene, 317 (Gr.). Weras … þa me soðlice secgan cunnon.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 108. Leorne hit ʓeorne of him þet tu hit kunne, ant muwe soðliche siggen.
c. 1275. Lay., 26210. Ne may no man mid mouþe soþliche segge of haluendeal þan folke.
13[?]. Cursor M., 2398 (Gött.). I can noght say þe sothlier.
c. 1340. Hampole, Pr. Consc., 6175. Suthly I say yhou, swa yhe wroght.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Knt.’s T., 341. Whan that oon was deed, sothly to telle, His felawe wente and sought him doun in helle.
1426. Audelay, Poems, 19. Thus sayth Marke sothely.
c. 1480. Henryson, Reas. Death & Man, 18. Thay call me deid, Suthly I the declair.
1564. Lady A. Bacon, trans. Jewel’s Apol., V. i. § 3. Soothely to saie, no man … woulde thinke the Iewes lawes … to be newe.
1582. Stanyhurst, Æneis, II. (Arb.), 46. King: mi faith I plight heere, to relate thee veritye soothlye.
1619. H. Hutton, Follies Anat. (Percy Soc.), 3. Of this same point I cannot soothly say.
a. 1656. Hales, Gold. Rem. (1673), 48. He was fain … to crave aid of his Equivocating Sophistry, and soothly to tell them, I have seen your face as the face of God.
1805. Scott, Last Minstrel, II. i. Then … home returning, soothly swear Was never scene so sad and fair!
1871. Rossetti, Poems, Love’s Nocturn, viii. Master, is it soothly said That [etc.]?
† 2. Used to render L. autem, enim, ergo, etc. Obs.
c. 825. Vesp. Psalter ii. 6. Ic soðlice ʓeseted … eam cyning.
c. 975. Rushw. Gosp., Matt. i. 19. Ioseph soþlice hire wer … ne walde [etc.].
a. 1050. Liber Scintill. (1889), 2. Þænne soþlice [L. tunc enim] mann fulfremed ys.
a. 1300. E. E. Psalter xxxvi. 35. Lauerd soth-like noght lete sal he Him in his hende to be.
1382. Wyclif, Matt. xii. 15. Sothely Jhesus witynge, wente awey thennes.
c. 1460. Eng. Reg. Oseney Abbey (1907), 89. To þe which sothly entente þe forsaide Executours stryffe, saying [etc.].
