[OE. fréolíce, ME. freoliche, freliche, frely, f. FREE a. + -LY2.]
1. Of one’s own accord, spontaneously; without constraint or reluctance; unreservedly, without stipulation; readily, willingly.
c. 825. Vesp. Psalter, xciii. [xciv.] 1. Libere egit, freolice dyde.
c. 888. K. Ælfred, Boeth., xviii. § 4. Seo sawl færþ swiþe freolice to heofonum.
c. 1205. Lay., 5547.
| Of Normaundie & of Flaundres | |
| freoliche him fulsten. |
c. 1314. Guy Warw. (A.), 209.
| Gij him answerd freliche: | |
| ‘Sir, ichil wel bleþeliche.’ |
c. 1386. Chaucer, Frankl. T., 876–7.
| And right as frely as he sente hir me, | |
| As frely sente I hir to him ageyn. |
c. 1460. Fortescue, Abs. & Lim. Mon., xii. (1885), 139. The reaume off Ffraunce givith neuer ffrely off thair owne gode will any subsidie to thair prince.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 11. These … gyftes and graces, he hath gyuen to vs frely.
1586. T. B., La Primaud. Fr. Acad., 46. Let us freely forsake all such things [earthly goods].
1607. Shaks., Timon, I. i. 110. Oldm. Lord Timon, heare me speake. Tim. Freely good Father.
1664. Evelyn, Kal. Hort. (1729), 187. Let none therefore despise and neglect these short Directions, so freely and ingenuously imparted.
1817. Ld. Ellenborough, in Maule & Selwyn, Rep. K. Bench, VI. 316. He does not even ask for [the bills]; but they are freely and voluntarily handed over.
1862. Ruskin, ‘Unto this Last,’ 82. When we ask a service of any man, he may either give it us freely, or demand payment for it.
1865. R. W. Dale, Jew. Temp., ix. (1877), 92. He freely forgives the penitent, He receives back into the joy of His love all that yearn for His pardon.
b. With freedom of will or choice.
1340. Ayenb., 86. Uri-wyl, huer-by he may chyese and do uryliche oþer þet guod oþer þet kuead.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., II. ii. (1495), 28. Angels haue myght and power frely to chese to vnderstonde and to loue.
1667. Milton, P. L., V. 538.
| Freely we serve, | |
| Because wee freely love, as in our will | |
| To love or not; in this we stand or fall. |
2. Without constraint or reserve in regard to speech; unreservedly, frankly, openly, plainly.
1596. Shaks., Merch. V., III. ii. 257.
| When I did first impart my loue to you, | |
| I freely told you all the wealth I had | |
| Ran in my vaines. |
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., I. viii. 32. To speake freely what cannot bee concealed.
1732. Berkeley, Alciphr., I. § 4. I am never angry with any Man for his opinion whether he be Jew, Turk, or Idolater, he may speak his mind freely to me without fear of offending.
1766. Goldsm., Vic. W., xxi. We were shewn a room where we could converse more freely.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., II. 69. She well knew that she was not handsome, and jested freely on her own homeliness.
1884. Leeds Mercury, 24 Oct., 8/2. He … freely criticised the policy of the Government in South Africa.
3. Without restraint or restriction upon action or activity; without let, hindrance, or interference.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 2237 (Cott.).
| Þat ai quen we se ani chesun, | |
| Freli may climbe vp and dun. |
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 1106. Hit ferde freloker in fete in his fayre honde.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Sel. Wks., III. 362. For þanne Goddis lawe myȝte freeli renne bi þe lymytis þat Crist haþ ordeyned.
1503–4. Act 19 Hen. VII., c. 34 § 8. Every suche Woman … [shall] frely enjoye … all hir owne inheretaunce.
1576. Baker, Jewell of Health, 17 b. To thende the fire maye kyndle & burne the freelyer.
1609. Skene, Reg. Maj., 38. The woman may frelie marie, against the will of the over-lord.
1695. Ld. Preston, Boeth., I. 10. I began to breathe more freely.
1703. Moxon, Mech. Exerc., 143. The square Corners of the Frame next the Glass is Bevell’d away both on the out and inside of the Building, that the Light may the freelier play upon the Glass.
1874. Morley, Compromise (1886), 1. The right of thinking freely and acting independently, of using our minds without excessive awe of authority, and shaping our lives without unquestioning obedience to custom, is now a finally accepted principle in some sense or other with every school of thought that has the smallest chance of commanding the future.
1879. Cassell’s Techn. Educ., VIII. 91/1. These wheels turn freely upon the shaft.
b. Without observance of strict rule; loosely.
1869. Phillips, Vesuv., vii. 180. So gradual is the change that only a freely sweeping line can justly express the form.
1870. Max Müller, Introduction to the Science of Religion (1873), 122. Let us take the old saying, Divide et impera, and translate it somewhat freely by ‘Classify and conquer,’ and I believe we shall then lay hold of the old thread of Ariadne which has led the students of many a science through darker labyrinths even than the labyrinth of the religions of the world.
4. Without stint; plentifully, abundantly; generously, liberally.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 12332 (Cott.).
| Iesus tok þis corn for-melt, | |
| And freli it a-bute him delt. |
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., C. 20. For þay schal frely be refete ful of alle gode.
1597. Shaks., 2 Hen. IV., IV. ii. 75. You would drink freely.
1611. Bible, Gen. ii. 16. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of euery tree of the garden thou mayest freely eate.
1659. D. Pell, Impr. Sea, 100, note. Throw your monies away freely in the Alehouse.
1725. De Foe, Voy. round World (1840), 260. Here we ate very freely, but he bade us depend upon it, that we should not fare so well the next night.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., I. 431. He had no lancet; but he opened a vein with a penknife. The blood flowed freely; but the king was still insensible.
1879. Cassell’s Techn. Educ., IV. 23/2. Although he lived in princely style and spent his money freely, Philip Miles left personal property, at his death in 1848, valued at upwards of a million sterling.
1883. Rep. Geol. Explor. N. Zealand, 39. Gold has been found freely.
1892. E. P. Dixon (Hull), Seed Catal., 37. Brachycome Iberidifolia … blooms freely, and is useful for bedding.
† 5. In freedom, with the rights of free birth; without servitude, with absolute possession (of property, franchises, etc.). Freely begotten = lawlully begotten. Obs.
c. 1205. Lay., 5438.
| & ȝe scullen of me halden | |
| and habben me for harre& habben freoliche eoure lond. |
1375. Barbour, Bruce, I. 227.
| Fredome all solace to man giffis: | |
| He levys at ese that frely levys! |
c. 1393. Chaucer, Mariage, 31.
| God graunte you youre lyf frely to lede | |
| In fredom, for ful hard is to be bonde. |
1415. E. E. Wills (1882), 24. Hers of his body frelych be-gotun for euermore.
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron., VIII. i. 65.
| Bot it suld joys all Fredomys, | |
| Franchys, Profit, and Customys, | |
| Alsa frely as before. |
c. 1430. Pilgr. Lyf Manhode, I. xlvi. (1869), 27. And that the gouernaunce of heuene longeth freeliche to me.
c. 1500. in Arnolde, Chron., Index (1811), 11. That citezens of London ther eyers and executurs of al their libarteis and fre vsage as holly and fully be restored. As them the tyme of ony our progenitours Kinges frelyest and fullyest they had.
1396. Shaks., Merch. V., III. ii. 252.
| And I must freely haue the halfe of any thing | |
| That this same paper brings you. | |
| Ibid. (1601), Twel. N., I. iv. 40. | |
| And thou shalt liue as freely as thy Lord, | |
| To call his fortunes thine. |
a. 1647. Habington, Surv. Worcestersh., in Worc. Hist. Soc. Proc., II. 255. The Churche heald one Hyde freely.
† 6. Nobly; excellently, beautifully. Obs.
c. 1205. Lay., 28940.
| An hundred and sixti þusend | |
| freoliche iwapned. |
a. 1225. Juliana, 21. And under hire nebscheft al se freoliche ischapet.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 10. Fulle frely he lyued here.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 2634. On þe fairest on face · and frelokest i-schapen.
† 7. a. Without payment or cost, gratis; b. without punishment. Obs.; = FREE adv.
c. 1340. Richard Rolle of Hampole, Prick of Conscience, 5963.
| Quod gratis accepistis, | |
| gratis date. | |
| He says ‘þat þat yhe haf of grace fre | |
| And frely resayved, frely gyf yhe.’ |
1382. Wyclif, Isa. lii. 3. Freeli [Vulg. gratis] ȝee ben sold.
1480. Caxton, Chron. Eng., cxxxvi. 116. Somme of hem lete he go frelych & somme lete he putte to the deth.
1546. Wriothesley, Chron. (1875), I. 163. Gave upp their clokes by the assent of my lord major and his brethren, which were discharged frelie without paying any fine to the cittie.
1550. Crowley, The Last Trumpet, 1409.
| Se thou therfore to thy dutie | |
| In this behalfe, both daie and night, | |
| And let none break such lawes freli, | |
| But let them know that lawes haue might. |
1589. Act 31 Eliz., c. 6 § 1. Freelye without anye rewarde.
1759. B. Martin, Nat. Hist. Eng., I. 264. St. Paul’s School … was founded in 1509 … for 153 Children to be taught freely.
8. Sc. † Entirely, completely (obs.); also used as an intensive, very.
1500–20. Dunbar, Poems, xxv. 77.
| Quhen flude and fyre sall our it frak, | |
| And frely frustir feeld and fure. |
1871. W. Alexander, Johnny Gibb, xi. (ed. 3), 66. ‘I wud like freely weel to see them, man,’ said the stranger.
