c1400 (?c1380) Pearl l. 226 (MED) I hope no tong moȝt endure No sauerly saghe say of þat syȝt.

c1460 Tree & 12 Frutes (McClean) (1960) 124 Þis frute of god trew feythful living..is so sauourly a frute þat it smellith and sauourith in to þe blisse of heuen.

1576 G. Baker tr. C. Gesner Newe Jewell of Health iv. f. 238 Y^e Salt which he made of the same water, was more sauourly or salty, and sowrer, than the Sea salt.

1583 A. Golding tr. J. Calvin Serm. on Deuteronomie lxiii. 383/2 Manna..was a good & sauorly nourishment.

1608 A. Willet Hexapla in Exodum 669 The burning of flesh of it selfe is not so pleasant and sauourly.

a1673 T. Horton 100 Select Serm. (1679) xii. 92 A sanctified heart, and a renewed mind, and a gracious and a savourly spirit.

?1790 C. Dickens Serious & Comfortable Advice iii. 32 A christian's deportment is not to terminate in a care only, of his own soul—but must have a savourly influence upon All.

1868 Elyria (Ohio) Democrat 5 Aug. The Democracy are trying to swallow one of the ‘Pestilent Blair family’, and all agree that a negro would be a savorly dish in comparison.

1943 Freeport (Texas) Facts 4 Nov. 6/1 The savorly Mexican menu consisted of: chili, Mexican rice, mock enchiladas, [etc.].

a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) II. xviii. ix. 1131 He [sc. a snake]..eteþ more sauourliche [a1450 Bodl. sauoryly; 1495 de Worde sauourly] þan he dide tofore þe chaungynge of þe skynne.

c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Miller's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 547 With his mouth he kiste hir naked ers Ful sauourly, er he were war of this.

a1450 York Plays (1885) 257 Wherfore we counsaile you This cuppe sauerly for to kisse.

c1460 Tree & 12 Frutes (McClean) (1960) 21 (MED) Þe childe..liftith vp his holy hand and blissith yow alle..þat syngen quykly, sauourly, and deuoutly.

1560 Bp. J. Pilkington Aggeus the Prophete sig. Hij The labouryng man..feedes sauerly on brown bread, thin drynke, and a poore supper.

1637 Briefe Relation Starre-Chamber 25 A Bee came and pitched on the Nosegay, and began to suck the flowers very savourly.

1683 T. Tryon Way to Health 350 The Cannibals feed on Humane Flesh, and will most savourly gnaw a Shoulder of Man.

1690 J. Dryden Amphitryon i. i. 2 He..snuffs up Incense so savourly, when 'tis offer'd him by a fair Hand.

1712 E. Cooke Voy. S. Sea II. 29 I have known the Men give a Groat or six Pence a-Piece for Rats, and eat them very savourly.

1971 R. H. Fisher in Star Tribune (Minneapolis) (Nexis) (1995) 19 Mar. c18 The sexy achievement Slim made with that Chick. That he savorly bragged of With ‘hic’ after ‘hic’.

1494 W. Hilton Scala Perfeccionis (de Worde) ii. xliii. sig. rv^v Grace..yeuyth the soule a newe ablenesse whether it woll rede holy wrytte or here or thynke it for to vndstonde it truely & sauourly the sothfastnes of it.

a1500 tr. Thomas à Kempis De Imitatione Christi (Trin. Dublin) (1893) 2 For who euere wol understonde þe wordes of crist pleinly and sauerely, he must studie to conforme all his lif to his lyf.

1529 T. More Supplyc. Soulys i. f. xii But than he speketh so sauorly herof: that yt well apperyth of hys wyse wordes he neyther canneth eny skyll therof, nor neuer cam in the house.

a1620 M. Fotherby Atheomastix (1622) ii. vi. §1. 246 Which folly that wise King derided very sauorly.

1664 H. More Modest Enq. Myst. Iniquity vi. 119 Which life I conceive S. Paul describes very savourly, when he saith, That the Kingdom of Heaven is..righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

1703 Ministers Advice to his Parish 30 The Company and Discourse of such as speak seriously and savourly of God, and Religion, and the Concern of Eternity.

1654 J. Trapp Comm. Minor Prophets (Zech. v. 10) 581 Both Iacob and Iacobs father..wept savourly for Ioseph.

1662 H. More Antidote against Atheism (ed. 3) iii. iv, in Coll. Philos. Writings (ed. 2) Other sometimes bearing the Image of Christ in her arms, weeping savourly.

1723 D. Defoe Hist. Col. Jack (ed. 2) 31 Then I fell a crying as savourly as I did before, when I thought I had lost it.