dearlier

Woulde it greue hym to ſet naught by money foꝛ Chꝛiſtes ſake, that is readye to leade hys ſonne, whome the father loued dearlier than he did hym ſelfe, vnto death?

1549 August 26 (Gregorian calendar), Erasmus, “The Paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the Canonicall Epistle of S. James. The .ii. Chapter.”, in Iohn Olde [i.e., John Old], transl., The Seconde Tome or Volume of the Paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the Newe Testament: […], London: […] Edwarde Whitchurche, →OCLC, folio xxxii, verso

Neece. Not I Sir! all my joys that word cuts off; / You made profeſſion once you lov’d me beſt; / ’Twas but profeſſion! / Hip[polito]. I do’t too truly, / And fear I ſhall be chid for’t: Know the worſt then: / I love thee dearlier then an Uncle can.

c. 1623–1624 (date written), Tho[mas] Middleton, “Women Beware Women. A Tragedy”, in Two New Playes. […], London: […] Humphrey Moseley, […], published 1657, →OCLC, Act I, scene ii, page 101

Oh you are pleaſant Strephon. Sapho ſay, / Are you as cruell as Aminta? Day / Loves not the Sunne-ſhine dearlier than my flame / Is equally devoted to your name: / To yours Aminta joyntly, Oh you two, / Are clearer, ſweeter than the morning dew / Falling in May on Lillies, fairer farre / Than Venus Swannes, or ſpotleſſe Ermins are.

1639, Hen[ry] Glapthorne, Argalus and Parthenia. […], London: […] R[ichard] Bishop for Daniel Pakeman, […], page 20

My beſt reſpect to our beſt friend. If thou loveſt me, be merry. He deſires it, who loves thee dearlier than himſelf, and ſhall ever remain / Thy truly loving huſband, J. C.

1656, J. C. [pseudonym; perhaps Edward Sexby], “[Intercepted letters, suppos’d from Sexby.] Jo. Smith for his best friend E. C.”, in Thomas Birch, A Collection of the State Papers of John Thurloe, Esq; […], volume V (Containing Papers of the Year MDCLV), London: […] [T]he Executor of the late Mr. Fletcher Gyles; Thomas Woodward, […]; [a]nd Charles Davis, […], published 1742, page 307

Communion with Chriſt, his body and blood and his Saints in his Ordinances, is a bleſſing ſo great, that he that robs ſuch of it that have right to it, may anſwer it dearlier than if he had rob’d them of their purſes: […]

1680, Richard Baxter, The True and Only Way of Concord of All the Christian Churches: The Desirableness of It, and the Detection of False Dividing Terms, London: […] John Hancock […], page 120