a. Obs. [f. SPARE sb.1 or v.1] Sparing, frugal.
1565. Stapleton, trans. Bede’s Hist. Ch. Eng., 107. How sparefull personnes he and his predecessours were, and how greatly they absteined from all pleasures, euen the place, where he bare rule, did witnesse.
1599. Life More, in C. Wordsw., Eccl. Biog. (1853), II. 112. She was also sparefull, and somewhat given to niggardliness.
1600. Fairfax, Tasso, IV. xxx. Her sparefull eie to spread his beames denaies.
Hence † Sparefully adv.; † Sparefulness.
1570. Jewel, View of Seditious Bull (1582), 53. They labour truely, they liue sparefully.
a. 1586. Sidney, Arcadia (1622), 214. Largesse his hands could neuer skill of sparefulnesse.
1618. Ryves, in Camden’s Lett. (1691), 236. We know how sparefully S. Augustine speaketh of them in his books De civitate Dei.
