Highly meritorious or worthy.
1576. Fleming, Panopl. Epist., 117. How deepely the common wealth is growne in your debte, for your meritorious and wel deseruing behauiour.
1591. Harington, Orl. Fur., Apol. Poetrie ¶ iij b. Traitors that sell their princes fauours, and rob weldeseruing seruitors of their reward.
1632. Lithgow, Trav., II. 66. The … Generals diuided innumerable spoyles, to their well-deseruing Captaines.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., III. 784. Now what avails his well-deserving Toil.
1798. Wordsw., Peter Bell, 936. Calm is the well-deserving brute.
absol. 1634. Sir T. Herbert, Trav., 100. To defend and relieue the distrest and wel-deseruing.
1656. Earl Monm., trans. Boccalini’s Advts. fr. Parnass., I. v. (1674), 8. Only the most vertuous and well-deserving commanded.
Hence Well-deservingness.
1631. Mabbe, Celestina, xii. 141. The gentlenesse and well-deservingnesse of Melibea.
