piouslyadv.

1599 R. Parsons Temperate Ward-word viii. 128 We cannot but piously presume and hope, that they be now saued and made partakers of Christes euerlasting glory.

1634 W. Tirwhyt tr. J. L. G. de Balzac Lett. 207 You are piously to believe divers sots to be sufficient men, since the world will have it so.

1664 J. Wilson Cheats v. iv. 76 Indeed Sir 'tis piouslie, and discreetlie done, to settle Affairs so, that there may be no wrangling.

1710 J. Strype Hist. E. Grindal i. vii. 71 This he ordered prudentially as well as piously.

1741 C. Middleton Hist. Life Cicero II. viii. 180 She was most affectionately and piously observant of her Father.

1846 New Monthly Mag. Dec. 410 He piously kissed that shell of a departed being.

1886 J. Ruskin Præterita II. iv. 126 If you do a foolish thing, you suffer for it exactly the same, whether you do it piously or not.

1919 Outing Mar. 318/1 Not one of them [sc. family dogs]—we have had eight—has died piously in his bed.

1965 M. Spark Mandelbaum Gate (1967) vii. 208 In a world of officials and businessmen who continually and piously did themselves justice he was at home.

1995 Interzone Jan. 60/1 The island's nominally (and in some cases piously) Catholic inhabitants.

1620 J. Floyd God & King 116 Those Puritans may be rather suspected that be deluders of piously inclined people, that think they may lawfully lye for the glory of the Ghospell.

1697 G. Burghope Disc. Relig. Assemblies 13 The piously-inclin'd may be directed in so great a duty.

1725 T. Sheridan tr. Sophocles Philoctetes iv. 38 When there's a Trial of the Just and Good, There's none alive more piously inclin'd.

1989 Newsday (N.Y.) (Nexis) 24 Sept. 24 Elon cannot resist gratuitous attacks on his Israeli countrymen, especially those piously inclined.

a1679 M. Poole Annot. Holy Bible (1683) I. sig. fff4/2 This song..was not Divinely Inspired, but onely composed by a person piously minded, and transported with Joy for the deliverance of Gods People.

1861 Times 7 Feb. 9/2 Trading for trading's sake is reproved by all piously-minded people.

1990 Jrnl. Near Eastern Stud. 49 261 It started among the scholars..and the piously minded with the purpose of imitating the Prophet and the Companions as closely as possible.