artlesslyadv.

1625 S. Purchas Pilgrimes II. 1186 A crucifix painted on a linen cloth..yet artlessly wrought.

1731 R. Samber tr. Dr. Lockman Treat. Suffocation of Matrix p. vi They do not reflect that this is properly their own Characteristick, whose whole mis-shapen, unlicked Body of blotted Paper, is scarce any thing but what is artlessly purloined from others.

1796 H. Hunter tr. J.-H. B. de Saint-Pierre Stud. Nature IV. 89 Books of travels, though, for the most part, written very artlessly..are, nevertheless, the most interesting part of modern reading.

1853 H. Stephens Farmer's Guide I. 368/1 Their nests are placed on the ground, and very artlessly constructed, being usually a slight hollow, with some blades of green twigs or leaves.

1912 Internat. Jrnl. Ethics 23 119 The passions animating wretches like Ravachol, Caserio, and Luccheni, whose half-bestial features (rather artlessly depicted by the author himself) glower at us from these pages.

1957 R. Oliver Sir H. Johnston ii. 20 In the autumn of 1880 he spent much time on an artlessly written and excessively tedious treatise on Tunis.

1991 P. Roth Patrimony iii. 113 He'd written them in pencil..in that artlessly sprawling, yokel handwriting.

1713 A. Pope Corr. 14 Dec. (1956) I. 201 Nature and truth, tho' never so low or vulgar, are yet pleasing when openly and artlessly represented.

1774 tr. Helvetius Child of Nature I. 95 I put artlessly some cross interrogatories to him.

1853 C. Brontë Villette III. xxxi. 47 He liked that too—admired it artlessly, like a child.

1873 T. Hardy Pair of Blue Eyes II. i. 12 ‘I have noticed several ladies and gentlemen looking at me,’ said Elfride, artlessly showing her pleasure at being observed.

1923 S. Drucker & M. B. Hexter Children Astray vi. 318 ‘For nearly every night of the week, I dream that I am a great actress,’ she artlessly confessed.

1953 Mod. Lang. Rev. 48 424 Sentimental heroines are primarily pathetic and artlessly foolish victims of the masterful hero.

2002 I. Knight Don't you want Me? xiv. 198 She floofs out her blonde curls artlessly and opens her mouth wide, checking her teeth for spinach. ‘Do you think Frank likes me?’ she asks.